Refuge in the Hermitage

In my first year of college, I was delighted to become a part of the A Capella Choir on campus.  Imagine my further delight to learn that this was the year of the international trip.  And what a trip it was!  Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuanian and Finland in the span of two weeks.  We sang in the Dome of the Rock church of Helsinki, Finland.  We drove across the border of Russia into Estonia.  We had lunch with the American Ambassador to Estonia!  But by far, the most touching experience that continues to weigh heavy on my heart...

...was St. Petersburg, Russia...

True, there is much beauty in Russia.  The architecture is glorious!  That is a part of what I adored so much about being there.  But St. Petersburg hides a secret within its walls.  A history many of us would like to forget. 

The first church we were to sing in was a beautiful, Lutheran church.  The outside was ornate with beautiful cravings and decorations.  The inside was...concrete.  I was puzzled by this, as I believe many of us were.  Then the story unfolded.

During the time of the Soviet Union, centralized religion was frowned upon.  To reinforce this ideology, the government would commonly convert churches into other buildings.  This church, which originally would have been defined as a cathedral from the diorama in the vestibule, became a swimming pool.  There were pictures showing people literally swimming in the church.  We had the honor of being able to go under the church and from there, we could see the concrete basin, as well as the scrawlings of prayers.  I don't believe any of us anticipated that.

We also visited the Peterhof Palace, or Summer Place and the Hermitage, or the Winter Palace.  These were defined as such because this is where the Emperor and his family would stay in accordance to the season.  The Hermitage is now housing thousands of pieces of art and is a museum in its own right while the gardens of Peterhof leave so much of the romantic in me to come alive.  My thoughts on the Hermitage have become darker as of late.

If you have not figured out yet, I am an avid reader.  My family jokingly calls me, "Belle," after the character in Beauty and the Beast who devours books and literature in general.  I recently read a book entitled, The Madonnas of Leningrad.  While the story itself is not true, the circumstances the characters face reflect the conditions of the Soviet Union at that point in time.  This includes the use of the Hermitage basements as refuge from the bombing happening overheard by the Germans.  It also is written as though it is a series of flashbacks, although you would not feel that way initially.  I highly recommend you read this work.  It is not very long but I felt it was very engaging.

I realize something now that I didn't realize in Russia at the time.  I like to think that I am aware of how fortunate I am to live in the time that I do.  However, I still feel the more I learn about the past, the more I need to humble myself for the future.  How many people died because there was not food to eat during wars, and yet today, we complain when our food isn't prepared to our liking.  How many people died through self-sacrifice or as prisoners of war over the span of time, only for us to complain about going to a safe career?  Plainly, there are plenty of things they could complain about.  They didn't.  They adapted.

Just a little thing to reflect in this thing called, "La Vie."