Very excited to share today’s Wanderlust destination by Elisa Cachero. Elisa lives in Vancouver, and is a textile, product and surface designer {as evidenced by the gorgeous Folklore pattern on the header above}, but she also has a real knack for eyeing & collecting vintage pieces and styling photo shoots. It’s only appropriate that her love of history, decor, and details would bring us to St. Petersburg. ::: Luster

::: From Elisa ::: Touring St. Petersburg has been a dream for me since studying the Russian Revolution in high school.  There’s something haunting but beautiful about the city that saw the end of the Romanov dynasty.

The execution of the Romanovs is a violent one: the family was living under house arrest following the fall of the monarchy, and were summoned at midnight on July 17, 1918 to be informed of Lenin’s orders.  The Tsar apparently had time to reply “What?” before he was gunned down in front of his family by a firing squad, who then fired upon the remaining family members. The daughters managed to survive the initial shooting, as they were wearing corsets made of diamonds and precious gems, but were later stabbed by the executioners using bayonets.  A heartbreaking history lesson!

In my fantasy trip, my vacation would be spent posing in front of the Narva Triumphal Arch as well as the Church of the Savior on Blood with its colorful, confection-like domes, and spending days getting lost in the Hermitage Museum–the world’s largest museum, which is made up of six buildings on the Palace Embankment.  And no visit to St. Petersburg would be complete without catching a performance at the Mariinsky Theatre, the preeminent music theatre that opened in 1860, where many of the stage masterpieces received their premieres. In addition to the Mariinsky Opera and the Mariinsky Orchestra, the theatre is also home to the Mariinsky Ballet Company, and I would love the opportunity to catch a classical performance of Swan Lake.  I’d also try to squeeze in a visit to the Bolshoi Saint-Petersburg State Circus, the first stone stationary circus of Russia that opened on December 26, 1887.

Being able to visit buildings that have stood since Imperial Russia would be like walking through a living history book.

Only in my dreams could I stay at the Taleon Imperial Hotel, the luxurious boutique hotel nested inside a 18th century Russian palace with all the historic trimmings.  Since my Emperor Suite combines two bedrooms, living room, dining room, separated study, wardrobe and two marble bathrooms of sheer over-the-top opulence, I think I’ll have enough room for some friends on this trip.

Packing List:

1. Forget Me Knot Ring
2. Russian Fur King Hat
3. Anna Karenina Book
4. The Flight of the Romanovs
5. Heirloom Lace Pencil Skirt
6. Swing Back Mac Coat
7. Canvas Combat Boots
8. Olympus PEN E-P1 Digital Camera
9. Upwardly Mobile Satchel in Cambridge University
10. Double Wrap Belt