Peter and Paul Fortress from Saint Petersburg, Russia

Lyuba from Russia sent me an official postcard with the view of Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg!

Once a desolate swamp, Saint Petersburg is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, being an important center of tourism in Russia. It was named in honor of St. Peter and not Peter the Great, the founder of the city. The name can be translated as "The City of St. Peter". Sometimes it is called "The Northern Capital of Russia" (referring to the centuries-old rivalry between St. Petersburg and Moscow). Saint-Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia with a population of about 5 million people. This is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on earth and virtually any building in the large historic center, threaded with canals dotted with baroque bridges, can be considered an attraction—and indeed, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. From the mysterious twilight of the White Nights to world-beating opera and ballet productions on magical winter evenings, St. Petersburg charms and entices in every season.

On the postcard – one of the main places of interest in Saint Petersburg, Peter and Paul Fortress. The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740. In the early 20th century, it was still used as a prison by the tsarist government. In the middle of the fortress stands the impressive Peter and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Alexander III. The Cathedral was the first church in the city to be built of stone (between 1712-33) and its design is curiously unusual for a Russian Orthodox church. Other buildings in the fortress include the City History Museum and the Mint, one of only two places in Russia where coins and medals are minted.

The stamp is dedicated to the 175 anniversary of the first postal stamp (Black penny).

The link is here:

https://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/RU-3826653

Thanks a lot, Lyuba!

Yummy from Poland!

Via official postcrossing.com one beautiful girl Marta sent me a postcard with Ruskie pierogi. She is 24 years old and has just finished her study – movie and TV production (for me it sounds very interesting!). So her first hobby is of course movie, serial and everything connected with media. But her second passion is music. Marta just can’t wait to go to her favorite summer festival – open air music festival near Baltic sea! She expects something deep full of music and fun! (I hope, she had a great time there!).

Poland is a country in central Europe. The capital is Warsaw. The population is about 38,500,000. Official language is Polish. Poland has a long coast on the Baltic Sea and is largely dominated by low-lying rolling plains in the north. To the south, the Carpathian Mountains form a watershed and natural border with Slovakia. Poland has more than 1,300 lakes. A Polish state and the name Poland existed as far back as the year 966 during the reign of Mieszko I. The Kingdom of Poland was founded shortly after in 1025. The name "Poland" originates from the name of the tribe "Polanie" which means "people living in open fields". Nowadays Poles as a nation are unified by the Polish language and a common religion—Roman Catholicism.

Here is the anthem of Poland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQTq07gihqg

At the postcard you can see polish traditional dish – Ruskie pierogi, cute  dumplings. Polish pierogi are often filled with fresh curd cheese, boiled and minced potatoes, and fried onions. This type is called in Polish pierogi ruskie, which literally means "Ruthenian pierogi" (not "Russian").

A link to the postcard:

https://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/PL-1080999

Thank you so much for the postcard, Marta!

A postcard from Sweden!

Beautiful Karin from Sweden sent me a wonderful postcard with a Swedish flag! She finds it very beautiful against the blue sky! Sweden is a country in Europe. The population is about 9,555,893. The capital is Stockholm. Official language is Swedish. Forests cover over 50% of Sweden, there are also around 100,000 lakes and over 24,000 islands throughout the country. Because of its nearness to the Arctic Circle, Sweden has long, dark winters. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) causes widespread depression among roughly one in five people. The northern lights, or aurora borealis, appear above the Arctic Circle (latitude 66°) and are visible in late September and March and during the dark of winter in Sweden.  

Sweden's flag was adopted on June 22, 1906, but its design is hundreds of years old (it probably dates from 1521). The colors are derived from the Swedish national arms and the design is from the Danish flag. The blue represents truth, loyalty, and justice, and the yellow symbolizes generosity. They say the Swedish cross has come from Eric the Holy, the  king of Sweden, who saw the gold cross in the sky. The cross is a symbol of Christianity, used to express the religious history of the nation and its early leaders.

The stamp shows Karl Hjalmar Branting, a Swedish politician, the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and Prime Minister during the three separate periods. The third stamp is a painting by a Swedish artist Ragnar Sandberg.

The anthem is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWRmNDrAFbk

Thanks a lot for the postcard, Karin!