Talks on the Baltic by Guest Speaker Ron Gatepain

Frederiksborg Castle

Acquired by King Frederick II of Denmark and Norway in 1560 as the Kings Hunting lodge. In 1599 his son, King Christian IV started to developed it into the largest Renaissance Castle in Scandinavia. Since 1878 it has been used as Denmark’s Museum of National History and contains items tracing the history of Denmark from 1500 to the present day. In this talk, Ron looks at the history connected to the castle and takes a virtual tour of some of the rooms. LEARN MORE

Russia

		Hermitage - St. Petersburg In this talk Ron looks at one of the world’s greatest museums, a collection of buildings started in 1754 by Empress Elizabeth as the Royal residence. The most famous of the ensemble being the Winter Palace, the storming of which led to the fall of the Tsars and the rise of the Soviet Union. LEARN MORE
		Catherine’s Palace - Near St. Petersburg Acquired by Peter the Great for his mistress in 1712 the once humble manor grew into one of the finest palaces in the world. Destroyed during World War II it was rebuilt and typifies the opulence that was the Russian Tsars. In this talk, Ron takes a tour of the palace explaining the rooms and the people behind their design and construction. LEARN MORE
		Peter & Paul’s Fortress - St. Petersburg Built by Peter the Great in the 1700s to defend St Petersburg, it includes St Peter & Paul’s Cathedral the burial place for most of the Tsars. In this talk, Ron takes you on a look around the fortress learning of its history, its beauty and its more sinister side. LEARN MORE
		Yusupov or Moika Palace - St. Petersburg Built in the 1770s on the banks of the River Moika in the heart of St Petersburg, the Palace was acquired by Nickolas Yusupov in 1830 when it became known as the Yusupov Palace. Although the façade with its classical six-column portico is striking it does not indicate the beauty and affluence of the interior. In this talk, Ron looks around the Palace and explains the history of the Yusupovs who could trace their lineage back to Ivan the Great and whose wealth rivalled that of the Tzar. He also explains the events that led up to the murder of Grigori Rasputin by Prince Felix Yusupov that took place in the palace in 1916. LEARN MORE
		Peterhof - Near St. Petersburg The magnificent palace famed for its gardens laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. It contains some of the most beautiful fountains in the world. Destroyed during World War II it is currently being renovated and Ron will take you around the palace and its gardens to see the beauty and to explain its history. LEARN MORE
		Cathedrals of St Petersburg St Petersburg contains many wonderful churches and cathedrals. In this talk, Ron looks at some of the most famous including Saint Isaac's Cathedral, the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in St Petersburg; the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ which is better known as the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood or the Church on Spilt Blood; and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, which houses Russia’s most venerated icon. Ron looks at the cathedrals and their history and takes you around their wonderful interiors. LEARN MORE
		Kremlin - Moscow Kremlin is the Russian word for "fortress", "citadel", or "castle", the one in Moscow has been the seat of Russian Power since the 15th century and includes Palaces and Cathedrals. In this talk, Ron guides you through the buildings and looks at the people who constructed them and who created the Russian empire.