ST PETERSBURG

AND MOSCOW

SEPTEMBER 29 – OCTOBER 15, 2017

TOUR LEADER: DR MATTHEW DAL SANTO

Overview

With a rich and at times tumultuous history stretching back hundreds of years, the land of the Tsars is a fascinating place to explore. Our 17-day tour of Russian culture, history and art commences in St Petersburg, where we explore in depth the incomparable Hermitage, where all schools of western art are represented. A day trip to Pushkin takes us to the lavish Catherine Palace, a Baroque masterpiece whose Amber Room has been recently restored. We will also visit Pavlovsk, the lovely 18th-century neo-classical palace, which contains one of the most beautiful garden ensembles in Europe. City tours will include a visit to the Russian Museum, the home of Russian 20th century avant-garde art, Peter and Paul Fortress and the magnificent St Isaac’s Cathedral. We begin our tour of Moscow at the ancient Red Square. While in Moscow we visit the Kremlin’s cathedrals and its famous Armory Collection, the collections at the State Tretyakov Gallery and enjoy an evening performance at the legendary Bolshoi. On leaving Moscow we travel to Sergiev Posad to see Russia’s holiest of holies, the iconic Trinity Monastery of St Sergius. Our last days in Russia are spent in Suzdal, the most beautiful and best preserved town of the Golden Ring, a group of ancient towns that preceded Moscow as the political and cultural heart of Russia.

Your tour leader

Dr Matthew Dal Santo is a historian and free-lance writer with Honours degrees from both Sydney and Cambridge Universities. He was a Fellow in History at Trinity College where he received his PhD. He also won the Sydney University Medal in modern French literature. Matthew speaks French, Italian, Danish, German and Russian. We asked Matthew, “What makes the history and culture of Russia so attractive to you?” responded with Churchill’s famous quote that

describes Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” and says, “The fact that 25 years following the collapse of the Soviet Union that little has changed. Russia’s actions on the global stage have won it new attention. Once again, the ambitions of its leadership and world view of its people have become a subject of debate and speculation. It is fascinating to me to try and understand the psyche and culture of the Russian people thorough what it has learned in history from the overthrow of the Tsars to the second world war and the modern post-Soviet Putin era.” “Matthew’s knowledge of Russia and its history and politics greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the tour. I found his lectures very informative and helpful. Having such an expert and approachable tour leader really added value to the tour experience for me.” Tour participant on St

Petersburg and Moscow, 2015.

Tour dates: September 29 – October 15, 2017

Tour leader: Dr Matthew Dal Santo

Tour Price: $10,190 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $1,995 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Emirates

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: St Petersburg (7 nights), Moscow (6 nights), Suzdal (3 nights)

Date published: September 28, 2016

Enquiries and

bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email erin@academytravel.com.au

Tour Highlights

Explore a treasure trove of history and art amongst St Petersburg's ornate palaces with visits to the world's great collections at the Hermitage, the Russian Museum and the recently opened Fabergé Museum.

Witness the opulent lifestyle of the Tsars with a tour through the sumptuous apartments including the legendary Amber Room and the glorious Charles Cameron designed gardens at the magnificent Catherine's Palace.

Admire the heart and soul of Russia at Moscow's iconic Red Square flanked by the onion domes of St Basil Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum and the GUM department store.

Survey the mighty Kremlin, "fortress inside a city", and its cathedrals and palaces, and view the wealth of treasures housed inside the State Armory and the Diamond Fund.

Investigate Russia's historic inception at the Golden Ring towns of Sergiev Posad and the Monastery of St Sergius, Vladimir, the ancient capital, and the wooden houses that make Suzdal a living museum.

One of the fascinating things about travelling in Russia today is watching how the country and its people grapple with their tumultuous history. Much of this history can be experienced through the buildings and monuments of St Petersburg, Moscow and the ‘Golden Ring’. Tour leader Matthew dal Santo explains. “Known for decades as Leningrad, St Petersburg, is a good place to start. It’s a city of canals and palaces, tsars and revolution. It was at the Winter Palace, today the State Hermitage, that in 1917 Russia’s liberals failed - like the tsars before them - to calm a country in deep social revolution. Across the Neva River, there is the 18th century Peter and Paul Fortress. By 1917 it had become Russia’s Bastille, a place of confinement for radicals and revolutionaries, from the young Dostoevsky to Lenin’s brother and Trotsky. Half an hour out of town stands the spectacular Great Catherine Palace. Almost destroyed by the Germans in 1944, it has been painstakingly restored. Nearby is the Leningrad Blockade Memorial, dedicated to what Russians call the ‘Great Patriotic War’. Up to a million citizens perished of starvation during their city’s 900-day siege. Moscow presents an altogether different face. There will always be a great frisson in walking across Red Square’s cobbles. Lenin’s embalmed corpse still lies in its stately mausoleum, in dialogue with the recently restored icons,

crosses and imperial double-headed eagles of the adjacent Kremlin gates. Inside, the faithful return on feast days to the triad of ancient cathedrals with their mesmerising icons and frescoes. Like a metaphor for Russia itself, the great fortress remains suspended between its many competing pasts. But Moscow isn’t just the Kremlin. The city Stalin built is visible too. Beneath street level, a million Muscovites daily ride the Metro, part of Stalin’s vision of Soviet modernity and industrial might. Towering over the city are the ‘Seven Sisters’, Stalinist skyscrapers that still add a sinister snarl to the skyline. The brand new State Gulag Museum is also a standout, exposing the horrors of Stalin’s ‘Great Terror’, a period when 800,000 were shot as ‘enemies of the people’ and another million incarcerated. With Communism having withered, millions have returned to the Orthodox Church. There are few places to gain a better insight into Russian spirituality than in the monasteries of the ‘Golden Ring’, ancient towns that were already rich trading towns when Moscow was still a border post. Attractions here include the miraculously preserved town of Suzdal, where it takes little to imagine medieval Rus’ traders emptying their longboats, back from the Caspian Sea a thousand miles south. Russia continues to evolve. I first visited in 2002 and it’s amazing to see how the country has changed since. I wonder how history will judge the Putin era.”

Above: Despair personified at the Leningrad Blockade Memorial

Detailed itinerary

Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Friday September 29

Arrive St Petersburg

The tour begins at the St Petersburg Hotel this evening. There is a light dinner available in the hotel this evening. (D)

Saturday September 30

Touring st Petersburg

This morning we depart by coach on a city tour of St Petersburg commencing at the Peter and Paul Fortress. Several buildings are contained within the fortress, the Peter and Paul Cathedral being the most notable as it contains the tombs of almost all the Russian rulers since Peter the Great. This afternoon we visit St Isaac’s Cathedral, whose gilded dome dominates the St Petersburg skyline while its facades are decorated in sculpture and red granite columns. (B, D)

Sunday October 1

The hermitage museum

For most people St Petersburg is inexorably connected with its great art museum, the Hermitage, housed in the former residence of the Tsars, the Winter Palace. In July 1917 the Provisional Government took over the palace as its headquarters, and this led in turn to its storming by the Bolsheviks who nationalised the collection. Our day is spent uncovering the many galleries and exploring the amazing collection housed in the museum. (B)

Monday October 2

Art & artisans

Our day commences at the Carl Fabergé museum. Located in the Shuvalov Palace the museum houses the world’s largest collection of works by Fabergé including nine of his famous imperial Easter eggs. This afternoon we visit the Russian Museum, which contains works from medieval icons to the soul-searching works of the Wanderers. (B)

Tuesday October 3

A tale of two murders

Today we visit Yusupov Palace one of the most beautiful palaces in St Petersburg, which contains a series of sumptuously decorated rooms. It was here that Rasputin was murdered in 1916 in disputed circumstances by Prince Felix Yusupov. Shortly after Rasputin’s murder, the Soviets came to power and confiscated the palace from the nobles. This afternoon we explore the canals of St Petersburg by boat before visiting the distinctive Church of the Spilled Blood. The elaborately decorated church was erected on the site where Alexander II was mortally wounded in 1881. The interior is covered with an outstanding array of mosaics depicting scenes from Holy Scripture and the patron saints of the Romanovs. (B)

Above: Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, Madonna and Child in the Hermitage Museum Below: Church of the Spilled Blood, St Petersburg

Wednesday October 4

Catherine’s palace

This morning we drive to Tsarskoe Selo, formerly Pushkin, where we visit the magnificent Catherine’s Palace. Built for Tsarina Elizabeth by Rastrelli in 1752 it was named Catherine in honour of her mother, Catherine l, wife of Peter the Great. The palace was badly damaged during the German occupation of World War ll, leaving only a hollow shell behind, but it has since been restored. Inside the palace, our tour takes us through the gentlemen-in-waiting’s dining room, the Great Hall, State Dining Room, Crimson and Green Pilaster rooms and the portrait room. We also visit the legendary Amber Room which was restored largely with German funds and re-opened in 2004. After lunch we explore Pavlovsk Palace and its park designed by Charles Cameron as a classic English landscaped garden and one of the most beautiful park ensembles in Europe. We return to St Petersburg this afternoon, stopping at Leningrad Blockade Memorial which poignantly evokes the 900-day siege of Leningrad (1941-1944) and acts as an important reminder of great hardships endured by its people during World War II. (B, L)

Thursday October 5

At leisure

Today is at leisure to further explore St Petersburg. (B)

Friday October 6

To Moscow

After a relaxed morning, we check out of the hotel and transfer to St Petersburg railway station to board the fast train for the journey to Moscow. (B, L on the train, D)

Saturday October 7

Touring Moscow

Our tour commences with a visit to the iconic Red Square, a vast cobbled area flanked by some of Moscow’s most famous sites, including St Basil’s Cathedral with its brightly coloured onion domes. Also in Red Square is Lenin’s Mausoleum, where the former leader’s body remains on display to the public, and GUM department store with its elaborate façade - designer stores having replaced the queues of the Soviet era. (B, L)

Sunday October 8

THE TRETYAKOV GALLERY

Today we visit the Tretyakov Gallery, home of the world’s greatest collection of Russian art. Among the exhibits are The Trinity by Andrei Rublev and Russia’s most revered icon, the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. After a break for lunch we visit the Tolstoy museum, dedicated to the writer’s home life. (B)

Above: the legendary Amber Room in Catherine’s Palace, which was restored largely with German funds and re-opened in 2004 Below: Our Lady of Vladimir Icon brought from Constantinople in the 12th century and now housed in the Tretyakov Gallery

Monday October 9

The Kremlin

Today we visit the Kremlin, seat of the Tsars, headquarters of the Soviet Union and now the residence of President Vladimir Putin. Since its foundation in 1156, the Kremlin has been a symbol of power of the State. We visit the churches in Cathedral Square, among them the most important church in Moscow, the Cathedral of the Assumption. Also in the Kremlin complex is the State Armory, which showcases the wealth accumulated by Russian tsars over many centuries and the Diamond Fund, which boasts among its jewels the famous Orlov diamond presented to Catherine the Great by her lover Count Grigory Orlov. (B, L)

Tuesday October 10

At leisure

Today is at leisure to further explore Moscow. (B)

Wednesday October 11

Metro tour

No visit to Moscow is complete without a ride on the metro, and this morning we see some of the elegant stations decorated in frescoes and lined with marble. Stalin declared that ‘the whole country will build the metro’ and employed some of the Soviet Union’s finest artists to decorate the stations. A gentle walk along the Garden Boulevards through Moscow’s exclusive housing areas leads us to the Pushkin Café, an elegant Russian restaurant in a converted Baroque mansion. After lunch we visit the State Gulag Museum devoted to the history of Stalin’s vast network of labour camps that were spread across the USSR. (B, L)

Thursday October 12

Sergiev posad

We depart Moscow by coach for Sergiev Posad, Russia’s holiest of holies, the beautiful Trinity Monastery of St Sergius. Founded by St Sergius, Russia’s patron saint, it is a glorious ensemble of blue and golden cupolas. It was closed by the Bolsheviks after the 1917 Revolution but re-opened after World War II as a museum, working monastery and the residence of the patriarch. From Sergiev Posad we travel to Suzdal, where we remain for the rest of our stay in Russia. (B, L, D)

Friday October 13

Suzdal

Suzdal is one of the best preserved towns of the Golden Ring, a group of ancient towns that preceded Moscow as the political and cultural heart of Russia. With its clusters of 17th- and 18th-century whitewashed churches and its streets of low wooden houses with traditional carved eaves and windows, Suzdal is a living museum protected against any industrial development. We explore it at leisure today with a local guide. (B, L, D)

Above: Treasures of Imperial Russia on display in the Kremlin Below: The Cathedral of the Assumption in the Kremlin; and one of Moscow’s elegant Metro stations built by Stalin as the people’s palaces

Hotels

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location.

St Petersburg, Angleterre Hotel (7 nights)

A historic five-star hotel with elegantly furnished rooms and excellent service situated in the shadow of St Isaacs Cathedral close to the Hermitage Museum and within walking distance of Nevsky Prospect. Our deluxe rooms offer views over St Isaacs Square and the cathedral and feature Italian marble bathrooms and free wifi. www.angleterrehotel.com

Moscow, Peter 1 Hotel (6 nights)

A well regarded four-star hotel in a central position, less than 10 minutes walk from Red Square, the Kremlin, the Bolshoi and many of Moscow’s museums. Rooms are elegantly furnished with all the amenities of a modern hotel. www.hotel-peter1.ru/eng

Suzdal, Pushkarskaya Sloboda (3 nights)

The only four-star rated hotel located within the Golden Ring region. Consisting of several restored 19th-century buildings and modern buildings constructed in the same style, the hotel evokes an atmosphere of life in a Russian village. Air-conditioned rooms are clean and comfortable all are equipped with satellite television, mini bar, safe and a hairdryer. www.pushkarka.ru

Saturday October 14

Vladimir

Today we visit Vladimir, founded by Vladimir Monomakh in 1108; it became the capital of all Kievan Rus after Kiev was sacked in 1169. Although Vladimir eventually gave way to Moscow as the capital of Russia, the Tsars continued to be crowned in its Cathedral of the Assumption until the 15th century. On our way back to Suzdal we visit the Church of Intercession of Nerl, a symbol of medieval Russia situated on a lake in an isolated meadow. (B, L, D)

Sunday October 15

Departure

There is a coach transfer to Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport to coincide with the Emirates flight scheduled to depart this evening. (B)

Above: Detail of Andrei Rublev’s The Last Judgement in the Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir Below: The Church of Intercession of Nerl, a symbol of medieval Russia

situated on a lake in an isolated meadow

http://www.angleterrehotel.com/http://www.hotel-peter1.ru/enghttp://www.pushkarka.ru/

Tour Price

The tour price is $10,190 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $1,995 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

Tour Inclusions

Included in the tour price

All accommodation in four star hotels All breakfasts, six lunches and six dinners in hotels and

local restaurants Land travel by air-conditioned coach Business class rail travel between St Petersburg and

Moscow Extensive background notes Services of Australian tour leader throughout the tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary Qualified local guides Russian visa costs and processing

Not included

International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS

The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Emirates flights into St Petersburg and out of Moscow. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries & bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email erin@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour

September and October is a pleasant time to travel in Russia with the autumnal colours on show. Days are mild with an average chance of rain and temperatures averaging between lows of seven degrees at night and sixteen degrees during the day decreasing to lows of five and highs of twelve degrees in early October. A light weather proof jacket and umbrella may be required at times during the tour.

Fitness Requirements

of THIS tour

Grade Two

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights.

You should be able to:

keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold,

humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or

boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.