V is for Vitoslavlitsy, Vasilyevskiy Island, and Venice of the North

How many times can you come across great V words?  And why not use them?  So, this post has 'Vs' to spare.

First up is Vitoslavlitsy in Novgorod, Russia.  This was such a charming outdoor museum of traditional wooden architecture, I have to share it with you.  The buildings were moved to the site and are part of the UNESCO sites in Novgorod.  Please pardon the rain drops on the pictures.  More pictures here.

18th Century Chapel from Kashira Village

Tiered Church of St. Nicholas, 1757

Cottage of Mary Dmitrievna.  Living quarters of the cottage above, which were over the barn, are seen below:

Baby's cradle:

The next place is in Saint Petersburg, Vasilyevskiy Island, (UNESCO), where we find the Rostral Columns.  There are two on the island.






















Also on the island are two Egyptian Sphinxes, roughly 3,500 years old, which once stood in front of the tomb of Amenhotep III and now stand in front of the Academy of Arts Building, seen below.

The Academy of Arts Building:

Also present are the Academy of Sciences Building

and the Kunstkammer:

As you can see from these photos, there is lots of water, which makes Saint Petersburg the Venice of the North.  Here are some random canal views:

The garden pavilion of the Mikhailovskiy Castle:

Peter the Great's Summer Palace:

Cruising down the Fontanka River below:

Tolkien Bonus:  V is for the Valar, the Great Ones, the Mighty, the Powers of Arda.  They were essentially the guardians of Ea.