Karen - great photos!

What cruise line did you use? Thanks

Amused by the passport scrum. I went in and out of Russia by train, and it took a full three hours to leave (and another three to get into Mongolia). I think six different uniformed people came through on the way in! At least we were sitting down while we waited instead of trying to stand in line. (But the toilets were locked.)

MOSCOW

Highlights: Red Square, Tretyakov Gallery, and the Kremlin
Lowlights: Traffic, distance from boat to center of town

The drive from the river dock to the center of town took over an hour, not because of the distance but because Moscow’s traffic rivals that of the D.C. beltway. After Intrav’s obligatory morning bus tour with a restroom stop at squat toilets (a first for many of our traveling companions), a $4 nesting dolls purchase, and a look at a convent where well-to-do husbands in the old days sent their wives when they wanted to get rid of them, we concluded the morning with a ride on the Metro.

(There were five buses, by the way, for our boat of 220. We stayed with the same bus and tour guides throughout our Moscow stay and again in St. Petersburg. It worked quite well. Each bus had two guides, and they typically broke us into two groups while touring - thus the groups were a reasonable size. Intrav was extremely efficient with logistics.)

Metro stations in Moscow are a tourist sight in their own right - clean and decorated with Socialist Realist art. Quite impressive. We rode to the stop near Red Square, and while the rest of the group headed for the National Hotel for lunch (tough steak we later learned), Kathy, Kathye, and I broke from the group to find a small cafe and explore on our own. Although it was hard to do on this kind of trip, Intrav was great about giving a little free rein for those who wanted some independent time. We found an exclusive cafe a friend of Kathy’s had told her about in Gum’s Department Store (an upscale mall that would be more at home in Beverly Hills than Moscow) and enjoyed some Coke and pastries for about $30.

Then, we passed through the arches under the red steeples, past the beggars - and popped out into Red Square. I’m not sure what I was expecting... but it lived up to any preconceived notions I might have had. It’s huge - larger than any European square I’ve seen (and I’ve seen quite a few). It’s wide open - not cluttered with souvenir stands and restaurants - and covered with gray paving brick. St. Basil’s - the colorful onion-domed cathedral memorable during the Cold War as the backdrop on the evening news when broadcasters were in Moscow - stands flirting in the distance, brazenly beckoning. There were a lot of people, but not huge crowds - plenty of space for strolling.

We spent the extra 100 rubles ($2.50) to see the inside: small chambers covered with faded frescoes and icons, and soaring ceilings. Some find it a disappointment; I thought it lovely. The highlight was a men’s quartet chorale group. Absolutely beautiful - voices reverberating in the soaring chamber.

Then it was back to the boat for dinner. Meals, all-inclusive except alcohol and soft drinks, were good. Lunch and dinner were full-service; breakfast was a buffet. There were two dining rooms on board - you were assigned to one upon arrival.

I do tend to go on and on, so I’ll stop here for now. More Moscow later...

A couple of things I forgot: the drive into town, although slow, was fascinating. Lots and lots of rundown apartment buildings. The Stalin-era ones typically had ornamentation/carvings on the sides. The Kruschev ones were truly the ugliest - no architectural interest whatsoever. Poorly kept. Then suddenly you'd drive by a gorgeous train station that wouldn't look out of place in Paris. All of it fascinating.

MOSCOW - continued

Next day was an early morning departure for our tour of the Kremlin and Armory Museum. The latter was a feast for the eyes: all the trappings of royals - gold and silver and gowns and armor and gilded carriages. One of the royal family members (Catherine?) had something like 5,000 gowns (she never wore one twice) - and as many shoes as Imelda Marcos! It was an amazing place. We had early admission as part of our tour - but if you don’t, I'd recommend arriving early (or maybe waiting until late in the day). It was packed by the time we left to see the cathedrals.

Here’s where being with a tour group wasn’t the greatest. They split us up and took each group into a different cathedral where we got a 10-minute (slightly boring) overview of the inside. They usually tell me more than I want to know - maybe I just have a short attention span. Anyway, I wish we’d left the group and taken a quick peek inside several of the churches, instead. It’s so easy to let yourself slip into the herd mentality. (The guides overall, by the way, were excellent - my previous comments notwithstanding. All were locals who spoke good English, had a good sense of humor, and sprinkled in an occasional personal story to make the narrative more interesting. Intrav did a great job with the guides.)

Then it was back to the boat for lunch. That afternoon we had free time, and a bus dropped us off at Arabat Street where we strolled and enjoyed the street scene - vendors, musicians, shops. We veered onto a side street to check out an onion-domed church - where, unbeknownst to us until fellow travelers pointed it out later, an open coffin was on display, apparently for an evening wake.

Dinner that evening was in town at the Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel. It was quite good (salmon) and included wine. Afterwards, we were treated to an opera performance (“opera light,” as we referred to it - which was just as well since I’m not much of a fan) at the Kolobov Novaya Opera House. It was fun - and the hour and 15-minute show was plenty for me. Kathye only caught me dozing once.

On our final day in Moscow, we spent the morning at the Tretyakov Gallery, with its amazing collection of Russian art - from 14th century religious icons to 19th century Impressionism and much more. I consider it a must-see, ranking with Red Square and the Kremlin as top Moscow attractions.

That evening we said good-bye to Moscow and began our river voyage.

My only regret was missing the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum (maybe next time?).

To be continued...

chica - Thought i responded to your question earlier, but I don't seem to see it. We used Intrav and the ship was the MS Glushkov (which I think I mentioned, but it's buried in the text somewhere).

topping

Excellent writing style. I'm totally enjoying this!
sal

Your description of passport control in Moscow made me laugh. Can you believe they haven't heard of such ropes in France either. CDG is pathetic - a huge crowd, no guidance by anyone so most people were in the wrong "queue" anyway and only one person looking at passports. Where are we??

I will be leaving in three weeks time. What was the weather like? Can you use a cellphone on the boat?

Great report! Looking for more.

Weather was great! Mostly sunny days, temperatures in the 70s to around 80. It was rainy/overcast only a couple of times. Evenings/early mornings were cool. I get cold easily and took clothes for layering, including short-sleeve tops, a couple of cardigan sweaters and a lightweight Gortex parka, plus pants and capris. Worked perfectly for me.
Regarding the cell phone, I don't know. We didn't have one and didn't need to make calls, so we didn't inquire.
CDG is the same for passport control? I'd forgotten that (been awhile since I've been there). Even Luang Prabang, Laos, and Siem Reap, Cambodia, were more orderly! We just stared at the mob in bewilderment - I'd never seen anything quite like it. And people were posturing to sneak in front of others who had been there first. It was unreal!
And thanks for the support - I'll be writing more soon!

Fabulous reading...please continue.
We are going to be staying at a hotel in Moscow for 4 days as part of the GCT trip. I think I am glad due the traffic issue. How did you feel about taking the subway on your own? Was it easy to navigate? Did you feel safe? We have about 1 1/2 days of free time and I plan to take the subway whenever I can. Thanks.

I wish we had stayed at a hotel while in Moscow/St. Petersburg rather than having to commute by bus into town. It would have given us more independence. The advantage to being on the boat the entire time was we didn't have to pack and unpack. That was a real luxury! I suspect you'll enjoy being in town, though.
Regarding the subway, we didn't do it on our own - were with the group. But it looked like every other metro station (except prettier!) in every other country, so I'm guessing it would be pretty easy. Good luck!

It is no real problem taking the metro in either Moscow or St Petersburg. Plan your trips, count the stops. The stations are only a short walk from the river ports. The station for Moscow North River Port is at Rechnoy Vokzal at the north end of Green Line, nine stops would take you near Red Square. In St Petersburg the metro is a short walk to Proletskaya station, towards the left, as you exit the ship. From the metro station it is 5 stops into the city. Watch what you are doing on the escalators as some are long and move fast.

Bookmarking.

Keep going. This is fascinating, and we have debated the merits of taking one of these cruises vs. tackling St. Petersburg and Moscow on our own (hopefully accompanied by out Russian speaking daughter-in-law).

julies - I can see advantages to both. On the river cruise, all the logistics are taken care of, so it's easy. You're with a group, though, so you're bit insulated and have fewer opportunities for serendipitous encounters and discoveries. Then again - you get to see places like Uglich and Yaraslovj and Kizhi Island, which you wouldn't likely do on your own. Plus, you have the camaraderie of your fellow travelers. So both have their advantages. I'll go into this more as I continue... (hopefully later this evening!).

ON THE MOVE...FIRST STOP: UGLICH

We left Moscow under cloudy skies, excited to be starting a new phase to our adventure. We quickly settled into life onboard ship, with just enough to do to keep things interesting but not so much to do that you couldn’t relax (the latter being hard for Type A me!).

That evening was the captain’s welcome reception - with vodka and champagne and hors d’oeuvres and casual mingling (none of which my sister and I are very good at - although after a little champagne, we get better at the mingling part). I tasted the vodka (we were in Russia, after all) - but was kind of turned off by the smell, which reminded me of something I’d rub on my finger before trying to remove a splinter. It burned all the way down. A small sip was plenty.

Also that evening (and every evening) there was ENTERTAINMENT(!) in the “Sky Bar.” The Russian folk music performance, like those that followed, was cheesy but fun - something I thought my parents would have liked. (I was enjoying that thought until I suddenly realized I was fast approaching the age they were when they did this kind of traveling - ouch!)

Besides the evening extravaganzas (ok, "extravaganza" is overstating it - there was one singer, one keyboard player, and one guitarist - but they were VERY enthusiastic)... anyway, besides them, there were lectures (all excellent) on Russian history, culture, and politics presented by a Moscow professor and a professor from the University of Arizona, Russian language classes (very basic), and lectures by the gift-shop girls on such topics as lacquered miniatures and Russian traditional costumes, plus a cooking class AND... “Stretching with Andrew” in the Sky Bar every morning at 7:00. (Somehow, we never made it to stretching with Andrew!)

The crewmembers, by the way, were all native Russians - several of them college students. Their English was limited - except for Dmitry, the tall, slender dining room waiter who took bar orders with an affectation of suave sophistication (a bit much for a 21-year-old!). His English was excellent, and he’d have made a great character actor in an old-time B movie. We learned toward the end of the cruise that he was an engineering major - never would have guessed it.

The next day we slept in, enjoyed our usual breakfast of fruit, cereal, and pastries (there was more, but what more would anyone need?), and spent the morning organizing our stuff, browsing the two small gift shops, and watching the shoreline go by. The locks we passed through were also an entertaining spectacle. All in all it was great!

That afternoon, after breezing through Ten Centuries of Russian History with Professor Margarita in an hour (really!), we arrived at Uglich.

Uglich? UGLICH? Who’s heard of Uglich? Well, I certainly never had, but visiting an actual small town in honest-to-goodness rural Russia, touristy though it was, turned out to be a great experience. Full of history, too.

Back in 1591, after Ivan the Terrible’s death, his only heir, 10-year-old Dmitry (hm... no relation to the waiter, as far as I know) was banished to Uglich - and one day turned up dead in the town square with his throat cut. It was first thought he’d been murdered, but a tribunal later ruled he’d fallen on his knife while having an epileptic seizure. (Sounded like Maury Pauvich stuff to me: kid has seizure, falls on knife, slits throat. Yeah, right.) Anyway, it made Uglich famous and started a power struggle that ultimately led to the “Time of Troubles.” History aside, Uglich is great.

We walked off the boat, past literally a hundred or more small souvenir stands (with nesting dolls, jewelry, scarves, lacquered boxes, fur hats, Soviet military paraphernalia, etc.), and joined a short walking tour. A couple of lovely old churches (Transfiguration Cathedral and Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood) with brightly colored exteriors, onion domes, and beautiful interiors (frescoes/icons), but not that well kept up, were the main sights.

After the tour, we were free to stroll - the best part. We browsed a couple of shops (I bought a Chaika watch - $24 and quite lovely), strolled past some small wooden houses, checked out a church on the edge of town that seemed closed for repairs (or beyond repair, we weren’t sure which).

At one point, an exuberant blonde boy, about 10 or 11, kept jumping in front of me wanting his picture taken. He was quite the ham, so I obliged - whereupon he promptly held out his hand and asked for $1. Live and learn.

There were also quite a few old women selling bouquets of wildflowers for a dollar (a common sight throughout Russia, it seemed). There was a sadness about them, but a sweetness, too. My sister and Kathy bought flowers a couple of times. And I took some pictures (see my photos).

By this point, it was time to return to the boat to set sail for Yaraslovj...more to come.
Hope some of you are hanging in there with me!

Forgot to mention - besides the crew who didn't speak much English, we were taken care of by the Intrav team - four of them. Teddy, an extremely dynamic, warm, and caring woman (German - is that right, sis? - but perfectly fluent in English) was the cruise director. She made all the onboard announcements over the intercom to keep us posted. "Good morning, everyone...we'll be arriving at Yaroslavj at 8:30. The weather today is...blah, blah, blah." She was perfect for the job.

I'll be very interested to hear more about the cruise itself and what goes on while sailing. What percentage of each day was spent actually visiting places vs. just crusing to get there? Was the scenery while cruising interesting, or was it somewhat repetitious after a while? We are not cruise types typically and don't know how we'd do with the enforced idleness.

We went with Viking Moscow to St. Petersburg. Except for two entire days of cruising only, we were out and about most of the time. I was concerned that we'd be bored the two cruising days, but there were plenty of on board activities and we thoroughly enjoyed just relaxing on the ship between all that sightseeing.

I have done a number of different cruises on various ships on the Russian river system. Among these are cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg, Rostov on Don to Moscow, Constanta in Romania to St Petersburg, Moscow North to Moscow South, some more than once. If you want to visit other places have a look at some of the other cruises they are far more interesting than the standard Moscow to St Petersburg trip. Some of the cities will only get a couple of ship visits during the season.

Most people travel on the cruises between Moscow on St Petersburg. This cruise and it's stops gives you a good introducion to Russia and is easy to do, however all the ships make the same stops and you will very seldom be in a port as a single ship I have seen as many as 20 ships tied up at the riverport in St Petersburg.

For an idea of some of the other cruises have a look at:
http://orthodox-images.webproduction.ru/other/2006_program_eng.pdf

My photos are at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/wu687

I've been away for a couple of days but was planning on continuing this weekend. Topping to see if anyone's still reading.

I'm a devoted fan! Partly because of your clever way of describing your trip and also because we're leaving next Tuesday on our flight to Russia, to board our Viking River Cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

I searched for your thread, using search and everything else I could think of for a day or two to no avail. Finally found it last night and was pleased to see it among the first 50 this morning. Please do continue. I'll certainly continue to read until we leave!

YARASLOVJ

We arrived at this mid-size, industrial town at 8:30 the next morning. On tap were a tour of the city and a visit to a felt boot factory.

“What’d you do on your summer vacation?” I figured someone might later ask.
“Oh, I visited a felt boot factory in Russia.”
“A what?”
“A felt boot factory - you know, they make felt boots.”

(Yawn.)

Although I confess to not being terribly excited beforehand, the tour ended up making my top 10 list (which I’ll reveal at the end of my report). Ok, so it wasn’t the Hermitage or the Kremlin. Instead, it was an up-close look at working-class Russians in an industrial setting straight out of the 1940s. Although times have gotten better since perestroika - a 40-hour workweek, paid vacations, and a pension after 20 years - no way would you or any of your friends want to work there.

It was “manned” almost exclusively by women because the pay was too low (about $250 a month as I remember) to attract men. And conditions were appalling. If the factory were in the US, they’d make a movie about it - with Meryl Streep or Sally Field sure to win an Oscar. It was noisy and dusty. You could barely breathe and barely hear - an assault on the senses. It was assembly-line style, with each woman doing the same task over and over - amidst the swirling dust and noise (and gawking tourists).

They didn’t allow pictures inside, but I got some decent outside shots that make it appear rather quaint. “Quaint” isn’t the right word, though; it was a rather grim reminder of the Soviet era. One woman in our group opted out of the tour, saying she wasn’t interested in a boot factory. At the time, I wanted to join her. Glad I didn’t. It was a fascinating glimpse of every-day life we’d have never gotten on our own. And I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t buy a pair of slippers they had on sale in the little shop at the end of the tour. I think they were $4. (There’s a shot of them in my pictures.)

Also that day, we visited the Church of St. Elijah the Prophet with its lovely interior covered in frescoes, from floor to soaring ceiling (here a fresco, there a fresco, everywhere a fresco, fresco). In one corner, a woman was sitting on a hanging ledge painstakingly cleaning them. As many frescoes as there were, I’m guessing she’s still sitting there. (Most churches, by the way, charged an extra fee to take pictures - usually a couple dollars - and worth it if your camera does well in low light.)

Next stop was the Savior-Transfiguration Monastery. We spent an hour or so there - I enjoyed it, especially the monks’ rooms - but felt shackled by the tour group. I just wanted to wander the grounds.

We concluded the day with a visit to a park overlooking the city. It was a pretty spot, but here too, I think I’d have enjoyed free time to browse the downtown area. Yaraslovj was interesting, but our time was limited and completely orchestrated. We returned to the boat around 12:30 and left an hour later. Some souvenir stands were set up next to the boat, and I bought a couple of eggs (imitation Faberge jewelry - they were all the rage).

That afternoon we set sail for Kizhi Island, enjoyed Professor Willerton’s quiz on Today’s Russia, skipped the language lesson with Katja, and stayed awake after dinner for the classical concert.

We loved life on board ship. There was always a meal to look forward to. There were people to talk to, postcards to be written, books to be read, and gift shop items to be poured over. And of course, there was always the scenery passing by. Tomorrow... Kizhi Island - a fairytale come to life.

Samples from Professor Willerton's "quiz" he gave during one the lecture sessions:

1. Does Russia currently have a prime minister and, if so, who is it?

2. What is Russia's ranking among 146 countries ranked for their level of corruption (1=lowest)?

3. True or false: Moscow is second only to New York City in its number of billionaires.

4. What proportion of Russia's population lives below the poverty level?

5. In all Russian criminal cases, judges acquit what percentage of defendents?

Will provide the answers later. And perhaps a few more questions.

Loved your photos. I finally had a chance to look at them all. What dates were you there? How long did it stay light while you were there? Great report.

Great report and pictures. Thanks for sharing.

-e

Thanks!

sdtravels - it stayed light until after we went to bed every night, so I'm not really sure! We usually went to bed around 10 or 10:30 and the sun hadn't even set yet. One night looked out at around 11:00 and still no sunset. The sun would seem to just hang on the horizon for a long time. It was weird because it was NEVER dark - or even on the verge of being dark - when we went to bed. Fortunately, the curtains in our cabin were good and blocked the light well so we could get to sleep.

I'll work on some more of the trip report over the weekend. Still many highlights left to tell you about!

I am really enjoying your report. You have a great way of describing your activities and the places you are visiting. Makes me want to go.

Please don't forget to give us the answers to the quiz!

Thanks!

Oh, and I forgot to give our trip dates: June 13-25 (left home on the 12th). Meaning we were there for the summer solstice. Long, long days. It was great! (The White Nights as they refer to the season in St. Petersburg.) More tomorrow.

We are leaving in 10 days time to do the Viking river cruise. We borrowed a DVD from a friend of Russia by River and found it boring!! I do hope that it was a bad DVD and that we do not find it boring in actual life. Were you bored? Some of the buildings in that DVD eally looked delipidated.

Hi, want to ask a question if you don't mind. I have asthma that can't be around smokers-was smoking a problem on the ship? Smoking is "supposed" to be only on the top deck, but I'm concerned that folks may smoke in public spaces or their cabin and it will infiltrate to my cabin. Also, was there a problem with smoke as you toured the cities?

Henda, I suspect the video was "Exploring Russia by River". When I saw that there was a DVD on Russian river cruises I immediately bought it, as we wanted to give it to clients taking the cruises. Unfortunately there is little to recommend in this DVD. Major issues:

-poor video quality (seemingly from a hand-held unit)
-almost half of video was of a tired folklore show (with poor sound quality), and a vodka tasting (without any explanation of what different vodkas are being offered it becomes a vodka drinking, rather than tasting).
-no travel tips beyond the most basic (nothing, for instance, on weather, which can change immediately in the summer from sun to heavy rain, and then back to sun, or on the ever-popular questions regarding money-are there ATMs, should I use dollars or rubles or blue jeans)
-no tour of the ship
-inaccuracies in history (for instance, there was no Prince "Yaroslavl", there was a prince "Yaroslav")

Given the superficial nature of the work, the comment that life hasn't change in the last few centuries in the riverside towns was not surprising, but it is still completely inaccurate. Yes, when tourists get off their ships and see people wearing traditional dress, selling wood carvings and pickles, it appears that nothing has changed since the time of Ivan the Terrible, but this is about as accurate an indication of Russian life as Disneyworld or Colonial Williamsburg is of American life.

Sharry- I don't recall anyone smoking on the ship ever - not even outside on the decks. Definitely not inside. Likewise, I don't remember being in any enclosed places where smoke was a problem. I did see people smoking outside in public.
Henda- I haven't seen the DVD (thanks, Marc for sharing the details!), but regardless of the DVD, I can't imagine anyone would find the trip boring. I thought it was delightful in every way. We enjoyed our time on the ship - having friends along made it all the more fun, but we met some wonderful people as well - and we really enjoyed the places we toured.

Answers to quiz:
1. Yes, Russia has a prime minister - Mikhail Fradkov. Putin is president.
2. Finland and New Zealand are least corrupt; US is 17th; Russia 90th. (I looked this up online and found slightly different results - but same relative ranking.)
3. Trick question. Moscow actually has more billionaires than New York City.
4. In 2003, 21% of Russians lived below the poverty level; in 2005, it was 14%.
5. Judges acquited 0.8% of defendants in criminal cases.

Karen, thanks for the response on smoking. Helps me make a decision about the trip. Another one please. Did your next-to-bottom category cabin have the shower that wets down the toilet too? or was it separated?

The Viking Russian River cruise is not boring at all. In fact, when we later took a Danube River cruise with Viking, we , as well as others who had done the Russian cruise, found it boring in comparison. The Russian RIver cruise was one of our favorite experiences. We only regret that we didn't extend several days independently on each end of the cruise in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Like Happytrvlr, we wish we had been able to extend our Viking cruise and add a few more days in St. Petersburg. We saw enough of Moscow, but would have loved more time in St. Petersburg.

And, being there during the White Nights is amazing! Anyone planning a trip should definitely try to time it for the White Nights.

Enjoying your reports althom1122!

Regarding the shower in our cabin - it was actually quite nice. The bathroom is small and the shower head is indeed right there between the toilet and sink. However, there's a curtain that pulls around in front of the toilet so you're showering only in the sink area. And the water does not pour onto the sink. Plus, the floor is designed such that there's this slightly raised mat that the water drains through - so water does not collect on the floor. When you first look at it, you think oh no, this is going to be a pain. But in fact, it was incredibly efficient. Toilet doesn't get wet. Sink doesn't get wet. Floor is clean and drains quickly. My only caution - be sure to turn the water so that it flows back into the sink when you finish your shower. If you just turn off and leave it so that it comes out of the shower, um, the next person who comes in and turns on the water thinking it's going to come out of the sink could get, um, an unexpected shower. Heehee. I did that once to my sister... (not on purpose!)

Many thanks. Had a good laugh on that one. I've been known to do that in the shower of our 19' travel trailer on occasion.

DAY AT SEA - DRAGONFLIES BEWARE!!

Ok, back on track... I had forgotten when I wrote my last entry that our full day at sea came right after Yaraslovl. I was afraid I’d be bored (as some of you have wondered about), but it turned out to be a delightful day.

After breakfast we had a morning lecture by Professor Margarita, with whom we had traipsed through 10 centuries of Russian history a few days earlier. This time her topic was Russia Today. We learned some interesting facts:
- Life expectancy is 59 for men, 73 for women - a significant demographic problem
- The official language is Russian, but 100 other languages are spoken
- 99.5 percent of the population above age 10 is literate
- Population is 143 million; 75 million are Russian Orthodox; 20 million Muslim; 1 million Jewish
- In 1800, 80 percent of the world’s Jews lived in Russia
- During WWII, 2.5 million Jews were killed in the USSR
- In 1974 the US offered the USSR most-favored nation status if it would allow Soviet Jews to emigrate
- In 1990, the peak of the exodus, 188,000 Jews left; from 1992-95, 65,000 left each year
- 1 million remain (about 7 percent of the world's population)
- In 1992 inflation was 2,500 %; ’97 - 11%; ’98 - 84% (financial collapse); 2006 - 10%; plans for 2009 - 4%

Interesting facts, but it was her personal stories that really captivated us. She repeatedly emphasized that Russia is an infant as a nation - just 16 years old - and that the young have no recollection of the Soviet days. Just history to them -but quite vivid to her. She told of the time, years ago, when she stood in line to buy a sweater. In those days, you stood in line for everything, and when you finally arrived at the front, you could only buy one of whatever it was you were waiting for. She stood for six hours to buy that sweater. Now, at home, every year when they go through old clothes to give to charity, her daughter suggests getting rid of that old sweater. It no longer fits, so what good is it? she asks. But Margarita says she can’t part with it - it’s a reminder of the hardship of those days and the contrast to their current way of life. Year after year the sweater stays. The “memorial sweater” her daughter calls it.

It was a wonderful presentation.

Shortly thereafter, we returned to the cabin, where one of the more memorable episodes of our journey awaited: The Giant Dragonfly Encounter. (Subtitle - Russia: much more than just art, churches, palaces, and history.) As we closed the door behind us, we heard what sounded like a WWI bomber buzz by, and we ducked as we caught a glimpse of the Red Baron just before he smacked into our window. Ok, not exactly the Red Baron. More like the Green Dragonfly. But dragonfly doesn’t quite convey what this hummer looked like. We are talking one humongous insect. I’m fairly certain if I could have lassoed him, he’d have taken me on a ride, like a parasail. So his arrival in our small, closed-in cabin was cause for a flurry of activity.

My sister, ever the brave one, grabbed a cup to try capturing him against the window. Oops, missed. He buzzes around. Oops, missed. He buzzes. Oops... you get the idea. We are laughing and frantic at the same time.

About then two young crew women, early 20s, walked by our window. (All the cabins faced out - and on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th decks, there was a walkway around the boat that allowed people to walk right next to your cabin - so if you had the curtains open and were standing at the window, you were literally face to face with them.) So they came face to face with my sister as she was wildly waving a styrofoam cup back and forth - staying just a moment behind a dragonfly that was wildly flitting back and forth.

They stopped to help - it was probably the most entertaining sight they'd seen all day. Even better, they seemed sympathetic to our plight (they tried to keep from laughing). And best of all, they saw the solution - which had eluded us in our moment of panic - right away. They motioned for us to simply...open the window! Ta-dah! We did so, and one of the women actually reached her arm in and shooed the big guy right out. We all laughed once the "danger" had passed and they went their merry way. Not a word exchanged (other than "spasiba" [thank you]. I don't think they spoke any English - but there was full understanding on both sides.

One of our ongoing jokes on the trip concerned our housekeepers, Elena and Yana (there was a card in our cabin with their names on it). We never did see them, but we used their names in vain regularly.

“Karen, you ate all that chocolate already?”
“No, not me. Must have been Elena.”

“Sis, I can’t find that little guidebook...”
“I bet Yana hid it. You know how she is.”

“I can’t believe you left the water on in the shower. I got soaked!”
“I think it might have been Elena.”

Everything became Elena and Yana’s fault. Heehee. UNTIL the dragonfly encounter. Although we never knew for sure, somehow we sensed that the two young women who came to our rescue just might have been Elena and Yana...



The rest of the day flew by, as they all did. I agonized over some scarves and jewelry in the gift shop. Did some reading. Talked to some fellow passengers. Walked around the deck. Sat outside and watched the shore go by. Ah, here’s another lock to go through - better get my camera. Now we’re coming to a big lake. There’s a flooded church. Normally I’m bored with “nothing to do” - but it just wasn’t that way. Always something happening. And lots of things to look forward to...

I didn’t tell you much about Russia in this installment... and yet... I did.

Next time - the wheelhouse tour with the captain - and as mentioned before, Kizhi Island.

Thanks, djk! And yes, timing your trip to be there during White Nights is definitely worth it. We loved the long, long days. And St. Petersburg seems positively alive. Will be telling you about our time there shortly!

KIZHI ISLAND

The next morning we signed up for a tour of the “wheelhouse” with the captain (who reminded me of gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi). With eyes twinkling and a slightly shy manner, he gave a 20-minute overview of the boat and its vital statistics all in Russian (translated by one of the crewmembers): speed, water displacement, fuel capacity, etc. Mildly entertaining/interesting. Nice view. Cute captain (cuter than Bela).

Our stop that day was Kizhi Island. The book “Russia by River” (provided to each cabin by Intrav) describes it this way: “...home to an outdoor museum of fascinating edifices of northern wooden architecture... churches, chapels, bell towers, peasant homes, granaries, barns, windmills bathhouses - and the focal point, the ‘Kizhi ensemble,’ comprising the awe-inspiring Transfiguration Cathedral, the Intercession Church, and the bell tower between them.”

Accurate, if inadequate, description. I think it’s a fairytale land where you’re whisked back in time to an indeterminate date and a place not on any map. Where the air is clearer, the sunshine brighter, and the colors more vivid. And there just might be a knight on a white horse riding across the field to rescue a damsel in distress (with any luck, me). Ok, so, I’m a hopeless and cheesy romantic...

The weather nearly put a damper on my fantasies. Although it had been a beautiful morning, black clouds rolled in and settled over the ship as we docked, and they opened up just as we filed off the boat. We walked for about 20 minutes in a steady downpour - the only rain of our entire trip.

Still, there was a sense of excitement and anticipation, and we were all smiles despite the rain. It’s hard to describe, but this place just “felt” different. After passing a few shops clustered around the dock, we were out in the country - seemingly in a different world. To our right was the water - with tall grass breaking the ripples and bending in the breeze, an old blue boat just offshore, and rays of sunshine streaming through the clouds. To our left were fields of grass, wildflowers, occasional stands of aspens, an old stick fence built without nails - and off in the distance unpainted onion domes, reminiscent of Norway’s stave churches but for the characteristic Orthodox shape.

As we approached the Kizhi ensemble, the rain let up, the sun broke through, and the sky turned a deep blue. It was awesome. The architectural statistics are impressive: 30,000 shingles, 22 cupolas, five tiers. But it wasn’t about statistics - it was simply gorgeous, and the sunshine made the aspen wood “shimmer like silver” - just as the book said.

We were given an hour tour of the island, during which we passed small churches, a cemetery overlooking the blue lake, a large windmill, and various other structures. We saw the numerous icons inside the Intercession Church (the Transfiguration Cathedral isn’t open to the public - they’re doing some work on it). We saw an old man with a long beard plowing a field with a horse (see my pictures). We saw a woman weaving. We heard stories of how people lived in the olden days. We heard a man play the bells in one of the church steeples. And mostly we just strolled and breathed the air and, of course, took lots of pictures. It really did feel like being in a fairytale.

Back on the boat, we departed just as we sat down to dinner at a table overlooking the stern. We were able to watch the Kizhi ensemble and the island slowly recede into the distance, the evening sun casting a lovely glow. For me, Kizhi Island - especially that view of it from the boat’s dining room - was one of the highlights of the trip. All-in-all a magical day.

And with that, I’ll end for the day. More later. I realize I'm not giving you a lot of practical info/tips - but I hope some of you are hanging in there anyway. Feel free to ask if I'm leaving out detils that are of interest.

Still here, and enjoying every word!

Gosh, but timing is everything! We did the river tour in mid-June. We had packed extra layers, expecting Kizhi to be the chilliest, windiest, day of the cruise. Instead, it was the best day weatherwise! Sunshine, blue skies with only a few puffy white clouds, temps in the 70's, no wind! We couldn't believe it! It rained about half the time we were in Saint Petersburg.

For sure, the panorma of the village upon arrival in port is stunning. And, the Transfiguration Church...imagine - no nails!

althom: Are they still moving additional buildings to the island?

dj - I don't know if they're moving add'l buildings there, but they are definitely working on the ensemble. Both the bell tower and the cathedral were closed to visitors and they said they were working to reopen them. I'd love to have seen the inside of the cathedral.

althom...really enjoying your account. I am plodding through my trip report going the opposite way of course! You started in Moscow and we in St. P..
As far as smoking Teddy limited it to Deck 5 only. We had just a few smokers and I did see one person smoking on Deck 4. We didn't have an issue and I hate second hand smoke!
I'm looking forward to hearing what you thought about Mandrogi as I just posted about that stop........not impressed but maybe you have a different insight.
Cell phones work well by the way, all the way up/down the river.
It is so funny that we are both posting at the same time about this river cruise when I had to go back to 2002 and dkjbooks when we were planning our trip!

I finally had time to look at your pictures. I really enjoyed your detail shots. Also I was glad to see pictures of the dramatis persona. Thanks! (Bet you wished you could instantly delete many of those wires which seemed to crisscross in front of many of the beatiful buildings.)

Hope you have time to finish this report soon!

russia trip report and pixs really enjoying.....

I'm really enjoying this report. Please don't stop here!