The Night Train to Leningrad

Barley & Wicklow Travel to St Petersburg	Location: Train Journey from Moscow to St Petersburg on “Yunost”
Details: Barley and Wicklow take the night train to Leningrad (now St Petersburg, of course) to meet ostensibly to meet the new American publishing partner of Abercrombie & Blair (Barley’s publishing house) – Jack Henzigger of Potomac Books.  This is the cover for the real reason for the trip: Katya has arranged for Barley to meet Dante in one of three possible locations in St Petersburg.   The scene opens with Barley and Wicklow on the train, looking out the window on to the Russian countryside.  Various scenes of countryside, settlements and dachas are shown passing by; then, to show we have arrived at St Petersburg, we are shown a tourist hydrofoil crossing the Neva towards the Winter Palace.   We are then shown various street scenes from St Peterburg: The Hermitage museum (the building propped up by columns of sculptured male figures, bearing the weight of the building on their shoulders), St Isaacs cathedral, Nevsky Prospekt passing by Kazansky cathedral, boulevards with images of heroic workers displayed on bill boards, apartment blocks,  Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the Spilt Blood, Palace of Soviets on Moskovskaya square  and finally arriving at the Pribaltiskaya Hotel.
Notes: The night train between Moscow and Leningrad used to be the Red Arrow, Krasnaya Strela, sleeper, whereas Barley and Wicklow appear to be on the day time train “Yunost” or Youth.

Barley meets Dante in Leningrad

"OK, were off", Barley has got three chances to make contact with Dante, who has proposed three meeting places. Lion Bridge, Dom Knigi book store, and the Summer Gardens. These are the three locations which I cover here as well as Marsovoye pole which is near the Summer Gardens. There are a number of streets, boulevards, courtyards and alleys where we see Barley walking along but I have not yet tried to identify them - as they could be virtually anywhere in central St Petersburg.

Barley crosses Lion Bridge only to be approached by a black market dealer "you want to sell me something, cigarettes, currency, scotch". "You get lost?" "That's a good idea, why don't you try it?"

Then it's off to the bookstore Dom Knigi - House of Books on St Petersburg's main shopping street and thoroughfare Nevsky Prospekt.  Here, Barley and Wicklow can be seen among the throng of shoppers; Wicklow buys a book.  No sign of Dante though.  Barley is then seen strolling with a guide book through the summer gardens with its many statuary before passing Dante who is sat on a park bench.  














Observing Ned's advice in training, "the source is the star of the show, and the star decides whether to make the meeting or abort", Barley continues walking past Dante and out of the Summer Gardens, finally stopping in Marsovoye Pole - Field of Mars.  At the eternal flame memorial to the citizens of St Petersburg who had died during the 1917 revolution (and who were buried here at that time).   Dante approaches Barley and they make contact.  As they talk, the cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the spilt blood can be seen in the background.

Barley and Dante in St Petersburg discuss publishing his notebooks

Palace Square / Vasilievsky Island

St Petersburg

Russia

Barley and Dante are seen walking along an alley from Nevsky Prospekt.  The alley leads to an arch which opens on to the palace square - a vast arch of a square bordered by neoclassical buildings and the baroque Winter Palace and Hermitage.  I've walked this way to Palace Square a couple of times and it is a pleasure.  A short walk down an anonymous side street, just when you think you are lost or are heading in the wrong direction, you round the curve of the street and an amazing vista gradually unfurls before your eyes, to be framed by a triumphal archway.  Through the arch and a vast square is presented. A beautiful sight!  No less striking on second viewing.

Barley and Dante walk across the square pass the Alexander Column where a group of Russians (in a tour group) are having a group photo taken.  Alexander Column (1830–34), designed by Auguste de Montferrand. This red granite column (the tallest column of a single piece of stone in the world) is 47.5 metres high and weighs some 500 tons. It is set so well that no attachment to the base is needed.

The action then moves on to the embankment of Vasilievsky Island on the River Neva, next to Peter and Paul fortress.

"You are wearing grey today Barley, my father was murdered by men who wore grey uniforms, grey men ruined my beautiful profession and take care, or they will ruin you too"