Travel Russia Today

I stood in the center of The Amber Room in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia – admiring the beautiful reconstruction of the room, which was rededicated in 2003. The Amber Room is constructed entirely of amber panels - from ceiling to floor. The effect is singular and spectacular. The Nazis looted the original Amber room during WWII and the whereabouts of its contents still remains a mystery.

While standing in that room on August 7, 2008, I took a piece of paper out of my back pocket. The paper was a copy of notes my grandmother wrote on her cruise ship stationary from the M/S Pilsudski on August 15, 1936. My grandmother stood in the same room almost 72 years, to the day, earlier. My grandmother of course saw the original room.

Both sides of my family come from Russia. 2008 marked the 100-year anniversary of my mother’s side of the family emigrating from Russia to America, so on this recent trip I was able to enjoy a double dose of historical connection to this fascinating country. What a treat!