Part three. Amber, Nazis, Catherine Palace, Commies and Cabs. And Man Buns. Russia.

The mystery of the Amber room of Catherine Palace involves Czars, Commies, Nazis and the mysterious disappearance of a whole lot of Amber. Yes, Nazis, the real ones, not peoples’ next-door neighbors, renamed by energetic Americans sapping the strength of others with these name-calling absurdities.

Instead, the less than comforting story of the Amber room goes rather like this.

The Nazis stole it from the Commies, and the Commies stole it from the Czars, and it has never been found. It is also called “The Eighth Wonder of the World.”

During the German occupation in WWII the Russians tried to hide the room with wall paper and that didn’t work. When the Nazis were gone, the amber was gone. After all, the Germans thought the room must have been designed by them. It was packed in crates and taken to Konigsberg castle, displayed for a couple of years and then crated again in late 1943.

The Allies destroyed much of the city and there has been no real theory regarding the Amber room. Some people think the lovely commie Stalin made a second Amber room setting up the Germans to steal a fake. Others posit it was destroyed in the bombing, and others believe it was lost in a ship sunk by the Allies.

Nevertheless, there is also talk of a “curse of the Amber room” since some of those associated with it met very unpleasant fates.

Is it in a German castle? Is it at the bottom of the sea? Where is it?

Catherine Palace was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli (1700-71) an immigrant to Russia traveling with his father for employment by Peter the Great. Rastrelli’s Baroque style resulted in his appointment as chief court architect in approximately 1738. During the reign of Elizabeth, he produced several buildings and Elizabeth named the construction after her mother Catherine.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth preferred the simplicity of classicism, and Rastrelli’s Baroque style went out of vogue. As a result, he retired. I haven’t said anything about the retirement of Birkenstocks, tie-dyed T-shirts and man buns at Whole Foods in this paragraph.

The Amber room was designed in 1709 by Andrus Shulter and was a gift from Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia to Peter the Great.

In addition, Wilhelm gifted a large regiment of tall strapping soldiers to make an impressive guard. As in like…manly…. Oh, now we are going to have to have a huge irrelevant fight over toxic masculinity or some other absurdity. But what if the strapping soldiers were Western dudes in Birkenstocks, tie-dyed T-shirts, and cool hairdos on their way to Whole Foods after extricating themselves from their aunts’, girlfriends’, and mothers’ couches. Let’s hope that keeps everyone in America happy. Whew! Back to the Palace…

In addition to endless halls of gilded mirrors, the Amber room was a highlight for a hurried but dazzled Mindful Foreigner. There isn’t another in the world.

Amber is a product of the Baltic and is made from the resin of fossilized trees. Hurricane weary Floridians now consider trees as enemies, so not sure there’s going to be very much Amber here when some day approaches.

After the German occupation the Amber room was stolen, so none of my photos depict the original. But it was interesting nonetheless after an $11 million restoration.

So, while wandering the halls of the palace, enthralled as previously related, it was with some trepidation that I stayed ahead of large tribal groups. I was attempting to avoid the sonorous echoes of Chinese tourists while fleeing other less strident tour groups. At one point I put my hands over my ears.

Youtube Amber Room Story

I managed to stay ahead for a bit, focused on the museum audio guide, taking photos and recording some written and audible notes on my tablet, still respectful of others. Of course, it was impossible to hear the audio guide when people more important than I am came through.

Unlike Rastrelli’s designs, manners should never go out of style. Well maybe something about man buns, tie-dye, Birkenstocks…. But that’s another story. Yet, getting back to manners, perhaps this etiquette stuff is an American thing which has been losing ground for some time.

There were lots of cute little children running around with parents audibly correcting them at a pitch less challenging than the “musical tonalities” of the Chinese.

But while in a gallery by myself, with no other tourists, a woman worker approached and scolded me to be quiet.

Who was I quietly disturbing when there was no one around? It occurred to me that I was probably one of the quietest and perhaps most interested.

I felt that I was singled out because I’m travelling solo and may have some indicia of foreignness with low socks and black running shoes with raspberry laces and soles.

Others have told me I have a foreign face. Oh my, and there’s not even any one for me to sue! Xenophobia! I’m a victim now.

It seems the locals have dark footwear including some beautiful trendy boots that I admire but would not be entirely helpful in Florida where it is often over 90 degrees.

My conclusion is museums are for all, including the…Well… pitched like a loudspeaker types… but some of those “all” are more important than others, and among the equal, not all are equally noisy. Oh, equality!

I fled the clamor, but the clamor followed me.