St.Petersburg 300-year Anniversary

BRENDA BERNARD,WORLD REPORT
One of Russia’s most significant and beautiful cities has marked its 300th birthday. St. Petersburg was created by Peter I and serves as his imperial capital and Russia’s window to the West. Throughout its 3-century long history, the city has endured war, starvation and revolution. But through it all, through all its troubles, it has managed to preserve its dignity and beauty. UNESCO Television takes us to St. Petersburg.

VOICE-OVER
The creation of St. Petersburg 300 years ago symbolized the opening of tsarist Russia to the Western world. Peter the Great wanted his capital to be the most beautiful in Europe. He transformed an unpopulated marshland on the river Neva into a majestic city of stone and marble, today inscribed on UNESCOÕs World Heritage List. A network of canals, streets and embankments gradually developed. The Nevsky Prospekt, the ‘Champs Elysees’ of St. Petersburg, became its main avenue in 1738. Foreign architects designed the capital’s palaces, public buildings and churches. Under the Empresses Anna Ivanovna and Catherine the Second, St. Petersburg took on a splendor that gave it the nickname Venice of the North. Italian architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, created a style here known as Russian Baroque. A prime example is the Winter Palace with its many rooftopcolumns and statues. This was the main residence of the tsar . Today it houses one of the world’s major art museums, the Hermitage, home to works by the Dutch masters as well as Italian Renaissance and Impressionist painters. The baroque gave way to a long period of classical architecture. The French architect, August Montferrand, spent 40 years working on St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the last building in the classical style. The cathedral features the ancient art of Byzantine mosaics. But the world’s largest collection of mosaic icons is in the Church of the Resurrection. The Mikhailovsky Palace Ensemble is the creation of Carlo Rossi, known for his imperial style of architecture. Four palaces, including the Palace of Marble, now house the Russian Museum, the world’s largest collection of Russian art and icons. The museum opened in 1898 and was the first to present Russian art to the public. St. Petersburg’s renowned ballet school adds to its reputation as an art center. The Mariinsky Theater is one of the world’s leaders in opera and ballet.
The city is known for the Country Palace Ensemble on its outskirts. With its three parks, ten Baroque-style palaces, and many foun ains and waterfalls, the Petrodvorets or Peter’s Court is called the Russian Versailles. It was a home to generations of Russian royalty. It and Tsarskoe Selo, another country domain, were rebuilt after destruction in World War II. Tsarskoe Selo’s Catherine Palace includes the Amber Room, considered the eighth wonder of the world. It recently opened to the public after 25 years of restoration work. By reviving the stonecutter’s art of the Florantine mosaic, and other techniques from the 17th and 18th centuries, Russian restorers have reproduced the room’s amber panels and artworks. Since the mid-1800s, the addition of Gothic, Byzantine and Renaissance details have enhanced St. Petersburg’s architecture. The Venice of the North is also decorated with more than 400 bridges, connecting not only the city’s banks and islands, but also the historical periods of the past three centuries. This report was prepared by Diane Selixson and Vladislav Vudachin for the CNN World Report.

300年古城圣彼得堡

布瑞达•波纳尔德，世界报道
圣彼得堡，作为俄罗斯最重要和最美丽的城市之一，已经迎来了它的300岁生日。圣彼得堡是由彼得大帝建造并被当作帝国的首都和联系俄罗斯与西方世界的窗口。在整整3个世纪的悠久历史中，这座城市经历了战争、饥饿和革命。但是，它经受住了所有的这一切，克服了所有的困难，最终捍卫了它的尊严，留下了它的美丽。联合国教科文组织电视台带我们参观圣彼得堡。

画外音
300多年以前建造的圣彼得堡象征着沙皇统治的俄罗斯向西方世界的开放。彼得大帝想要让他的首都成为欧洲最美丽的城市。他将涅瓦河上没人居住的沼泽地变成了一座由石料和大理石构成的庄严的城市，如今，这座城市已经记载到联合国教科文组织的世界遗产目录里。水渠网、街道和堤坝逐渐建造起来。涅夫斯基大街，圣彼得堡的坎普斯里大道，在1738年成为城市的主要交通干线。外国的建筑师设计了首都的宫殿、公共建筑和教堂。在女皇安娜伊万诺夫娜和凯瑟琳二世的统治下，圣彼得堡呈现壮丽的景观，并得到北方威尼斯的美名。意大利建筑师巴尔托洛梅奥•拉斯特列利在这里创造出被称为俄国巴洛克式的风格，主要的实例是具有许多屋顶栏柱和雕像的冬宫。这里是沙皇的主要居所。今天是世界上最主要博物馆之一，拥有荷兰大师以及意大利文艺复兴和印象派艺术画家作品。巴洛克式最后被长寿命的古典建筑所代替。法国建筑师奥古斯特•蒙特费朗花了40年的时间在圣艾萨克大教堂工作，建成了最后一座古典风格的建筑。这种大教堂具有拜占庭式的马赛克古代艺术的特征。但是，世界上最大的镶嵌图象收集在圣公会教堂中。米哈伊洛夫斯基宫殿群是由卡洛罗西设计的，他以帝国风格的建筑闻名，其中的四座宫殿，包括大理石宫接是现在的俄罗斯博物馆，这是世界上俄罗斯艺术品及画像收场量最大的博物馆。博物馆于1898年开放，并最先将俄罗斯艺术介绍给公众的博物馆。圣彼得堡著名的芭蕾舞学校更增加了它作为艺术中心的声誉。马林斯基剧院是世界上最重要的歌剧和芭蕾舞剧院之一。
这座城市因郊外的乡村宫殿群而闻名。三个公园，十座巴洛克式宫殿，许多的喷泉和瀑布，这些为彼得宫庭赢得俄罗斯的凡尔赛之美誉。它是历代俄罗斯皇室的家园，经历二次世界大战的毁坏以后，它和另一个乡间房产Tsarskoe Selo被重建。Tsarskoe Selo的凯瑟琳宫殿包括琥珀室，堪称世间第八奇迹。经过25年的修复工作，凯瑟琳宫殿最近向公众开放。通过恢复佛罗伦蒂纳镶嵌的石匠艺术以及其他来自第17和18世纪的技术，俄罗斯的修建者重建了房间的琥珀镶板和艺术品。自19世纪中叶以来，哥特式、拜占庭式以及文艺复兴等艺术元素不断增加，丰富了圣彼得堡的建筑艺术。“北方的威尼斯”还用400多架桥梁装饰，这些桥梁不仅连接了城市的堤岸和岛屿，还连接了过去三个世纪的历史长河。本报道由美国有线电视网世界报道的黛安娜•瑟里克松和弗拉季斯拉夫•富丹金制作。