Nabokov and the Sky

The touristy highlight of last week was my visit to the Nabokov house museum. It was invigorating to be in the house where my favorite writer was born and grew up (until age 17, at which point his father was kicked out of the Soviet Union and Nabokov's family left for the US).
This is the main room on the first floor of the two-story town house Nabokov's family occupied until the revolution. Only the first floor is open to the public as a museum. The cases along the walls of this room are filled with original editions of his books and editions which were printed underground in the Soviet Union. Another room on the first floor, which served as the family library displays books from the Nabokov's collection. Nabokov specifically mentions growing up with some of these books in his autobiographical novel Speak Memory. The photos of Nabokov happily butterfly-hunting are hilarious and definitely a highlight of the museum.
One of the rooms of the museum is devoted to "Vera's Butterflies". Nabokov dedicated all of his novels to his wife, Vera, and he'd sign her personal copy under the dedication always with a fanciful butterfly. Though based on real butterflies of specific genuses, Nabokov would elaborate on patterns and colors to create a personalized butterly and latinized genus-species name. He calls this one "Adorata adorata".
This is Nabokov's scrabble board. Boris, this one's for you. I tried my hardest to channel its energy and will challenge anyone who steps up when I get home.

I can't get over how strange the sky is here. Especially during the evening hours (which extend until about midnight at this point) the clouds look alive.
This photo is taken from the Lietenant Schmidt brigde, which is the bridge I often take home from the center of town. The tall cathedral is the Isaac Cathedral. At this time of day the city panorama reminds me of Budapest.

I took this photo on my way out of a jazz club. It's about 10:15pm.
This is very close to where I live.
Some Random Photos

The long awaited photo of Ira, my surrogate St. Petersburg Russian mother. She almost made me wait until she cut her hair, but I convinced to let me photograph her since you were all waiting. She is standing in front of the Isaac Cathedral, which we visited together last week. We climbed up to the terrace on the dome - one of the best views of the city. The statue of Czar Nicholas to Ira's right is famous for having all of its weight supported by the horse's hind legs.
This doesn't need comment.
These St. Petersburg citizens really love their parades. They had one on Saturday and one on Sunday for City Day, which celebrates St. Petersburg's birthday. This parade on Saturday along Nevsky Prospect featured floats from every neighborhood in the city along with huge floating advertisements of the companies and stores located in those neighborhoods.