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Ship Russ: Moscow - St. Petersburg, River Cruise 15 Jun 2010 - 27 Jun 2010
Route description:
Start in Moscow, Russia's political and economic capital, and sail north via Moskva River and the Volga-Don docking in ancient towns of Uglich, Yaroslavl and Goritsy. Navigate across the Onega Lake to Kizhi Island and finally arrive to magnetic St. Petersburg on the banks of the Neva River.
Itinerary
| Day 1 | Arrival  Your personal driver will meet you at the airport (he will be
holding a sign with your name on it) and take you to your ship.
There is no evening program, as you will probably want to get some
rest. You will be served dinner in the ship's restaurant after
which you can relax in the bar or get some sleep. |
| Day 2 | Moscow .jpg) This day is very special, as we will go inside the Kremlin - the
ancient castle built to withstand the Mongol hordes. Throughout
history, the Kremlin has been the center of political power in
Russia and it remains a symbolic political center even today, as
the official site of the inauguration ceremony of the Russian
president (they don't actually live or work here).The Kremlin is a living museum of Russia's history. Its inside wasn't built overnight, rather various rulers added new pieces over time (and some, like Napoleon, plundered from it). This cultural and historical treasure has been so well preserved that it seems that you are traveling in time. You will see the most interesting places in the Kremlin as you follow our professional guide in the steps of some of the world's greatest leaders and its most terrible dictators.
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| Day 3 | Moscow  Moscow is Russia's largest city, its political and economic
capital. The town of Moscow was the center of Moscovy - a small
principality that unified the Russian lands against the Mongols in
the late 14th century and has ruled Russia ever since. As the
Mongols burnt major cities across Russia, refugees fled to smaller
principalities like Moscow, Tver and Nizhny Novgorod. Through
bribes, diplomacy and coercion, Moscow overcame its two rivals to
become "Russia's first city." Moscow's role was briefly challenged
when Tsar Peter the Great moved Russia's capital to his new city,
St Petersburg, on the shores of the Baltic Sea.
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| Day 4 | Uglich  Uglich is a small town located on the Volga River. Uglich was the
best-defended fortress of Moscovy and it was burnt on number of
occasions by Lithuanians, Tatars, and even the grand prince of
Tver, the city which rivaled Moscow.Uglich is most famous for the tragic events that took place in 1591 when the 10-year old prince Dimitry, the last heir to the throne of the ancient Ruyrik dynasty, was killed here (as historians now agree, by Boris Godunov, advisor to Dimitry, who wanted the throne for himself). Dimitry's death plunged Russia into decades of political turmoil known as Time of Trouble. Various factions plunged into an all-out war that culminated in an invasion by Polish-Lithuanian armies. It was during the struggle against the invaders that the new king was born - Mikhail Romanov. The Romanovs ruled Russia for three centuries and at the peak of their power controlled 1/5 of the world and 10% of its population. You will discover the town on a walking tour with visit to the Kremlin and church of St. Dmitry on the blood |
| Day 5 | Myshkin  Myshkin is a small town located on the left bank of the Volga
River. Myshkin retains architectural features typical for the 19th
century Russia.The cruise crew prepared a unique program during your city tour:
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| Day 6 | Yaroslavl  By today standards Yaroslavl is small, but its place in Russia's
history and culture cannot be underestimated. Before it was
annihilated by the Mongols it was Russia's largest city, its
economic, political, cultural and scientific center. It was rebuilt
shortly after but was once again burnt to the ground. While the
Mongols had been preoccupied with Yaroslavl, Moscow was able to
harness enough power to overthrow the "Mongol yoke."One cannot know how many great works of art from ancient times were lost to fire. Some historians suspect that Yaroslavl could have been the most evolved European city of the times. During your bus city tour you will visit:
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| Day 7 | Goritsy  Goritsy is famous for the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (1397). This
monastery's strong walls and bastions were used by some nobles as a
safe house during the Times of Trouble. The Polish armies stormed
it, but never succeeded in capturing it. Unfortunately, the
monastery was not so successful in repelling the attacks of other
invaders four centuries later. The Bolsheviks closed the monastery
in early 20th century and sent its monks to the prison camps.
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| Day 8 | Kizhi  Kizhi is the name of unique island located on the Lake Onega. In
the center of the island stands the amazing Transfiguration Church.
This wooden church and its 22 domes are built without a single
nail. In fact, originally, the Transfiguration Church was located
in another place. The Bolsheviks, who had little, if no, respect
for religion, had some respect for its architectural value, so they
decided to move this unique church as far from the major cities and
people as possible, to distant Kizhi Island.
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| Day 9 | Mandrogi  Mandrogi is the name of a small village that has no architectural
wonders, giant castles or churches. You will, however, discover the
unique style and architecture of the northern tribes that have
occupied these lands for centuries.
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| Day 10 | St. Petersburg .jpg) St. Petersburg is Russia's cultural and historical treasure, one of
the world's most beautiful cities, and one of its top ten tourist
destinations according to "The Forbes Traveler." It is known as the
Venice of North thanks to its numerous canals and hundreds of
bridges. It is sometimes called Russia's Versailles thanks to
dozens of opulent palaces and royal estates. It can be rightly
called a living museum - so many of its buildings are part of
Russia's history.
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| Day 11 | St. Petersburg  This day we are heading to the very heart of St. Petersburg and its
most important sight - the Winter Palace. On one side, the palace
is faced by the Palace Square with the Alexander Column in the
middle of it. The column was erected to celebrate the victory over
Napoleon (what is called in Russia, the First Patriotic War). To
its rear, the palace is washed by the Neva River in the middle of
which you will find the Peter and Paul Fortress.The Winter Palace is home to the Hermitage Museum - the largest collection of Russian art in the world. The Hermitage started as the private art collection of Catherine the Great and over time became the largest collection of Russian art in the world. These art works are displayed in the Palace's numerous halls, many of which are works of art in themselves.
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| Day 12 | St. Petersburg .jpg) This is a day you will have a chance to explore St. Petersburg on
your own.We have prepared interesting optional excursions for you. One of them is a visit to Peterhof, the summer residence of Russian Tzars. It is located about 30 kilometers from St. Petersburg, but often was a center of the capitals life. Tremendous balls were held here, and many political decisions were made in its halls and parks.
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| Day 13 | Departure  Your incredible voyage in time is coming to an end. It is time to
say farewell to this unique and beautiful country. It is time to
say good-bye to your new friends. It is time to go home with a
stock of fantastic experiences and unforgettable memories.Your driver will take you to the airport. |
