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Home , Catherine Palace, Hermitage Museum, Mikhailovsky Palace, Russian Museum, Tsarskoye Selo, Winter Palace

ST. PETERSBURG: TREASURES OF THE RUSSIAN 4 – 8 MARCH 2020

FROM £2,080 PER PERSON

Tour Leader: Tania Illingworth DISCOVER ARCHITECTURAL AND ARTISTIC WONDERS

Once again, by popular demand, Tania Illingworth (née Tolstoy) visits St. Petersburg – the legendary city founded by on the in 1703. This special tour explores the unique and unsurpassed legacy of architectural and artistic treasures, created and collected by successive Tsars, Tsarinas and their courtiers, both in the city itself and the surrounding countryside. St. Petersburg remains the only post WW2 city in Europe to have been rebuilt to its original 18th / 19th century classical skyline and retains a unique architectural harmony. The glorious are fully furnished complete with all their works of art. The tour is accompanied throughout by Tania Illingworth and two guides, including one day at the Palaces accompanied by the fluent English-speaking Professor Alexei Leporc, a Curator in the Department of Western European Art at the State Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

This is a comprehensive introduction to St. Petersburg at a perfect time of year when this imperial city basks in wintry splendour and tourism is minimal. Highlights of the tour include: The Winter which houses the State – one of the greatest art collections ever gathered in one place – and a day excursion to the famed ‘Summer Palaces’ seeing the grandiose with its superb State Rooms including the re-created . Enjoy the thrill of a troika ride through the snow-covered ‘English’ Park to the Rose Pavilion! See the fine neo-Classical Palace of Pavlovsk and the exquisite rococo private theatre at Prince Yussupov’s Palace. The newly-opened Fabergé Museum (formerly Count Shuvalov’s Palace) is a final highlight. There will be a private view of the world’s largest collection of the Tsars’ unsurpassed Fabergé ‘Easter Gift Eggs’ as well as hundreds of exquisite photograph frames, clocks, and cigarette cases made by the world-famous Carl Fabergé.

There will be an opportunity to attend a ballet performance in its spiritual home: the renowned (ex-Kirov Theatre) with its blue and gold auditorium and impressive Imperial Box, is considered one of the world’s most beautiful theatres. Mariinsky II which opened in May 2013 at a cost of £450m, will also have a choice of performances. The exact programme of ballet and opera performances will only be available approximately 6 weeks prior to performance. The

5-DAY ITINERARY, DEPARTING 8 MARCH 2020

4 March London / St. Petersburg in style by Rastrelli, the exquisite rococo private theatre palace was once the winter home of where Chaliapin and Nicholas II Suggested flight (not included in the the Imperial family but is now The performed amateur dramatics as cost of the tour) with Rossiya Airlines State Hermitage – ’s premier well as the cellars where the murder SU 6620 departing London Gatwick museum housing one of the greatest of Rasputin took place in December at 16.10 arriving , art collections ever gathered in one 1916. The scene is eerily re-created St Petersburg at 22.25. On arrival, place. Apart from the sumptuously in wax. Return to the hotel. transfer to the centrally located 5* furnished State Rooms, also see the There will be an option to visit the Astoria Hotel where four nights are unrivalled collections of European to see Russian spent. Originally opened in 1913, this masterpieces, the majority amassed national art in the 19th century is the most central and charming during the reign of Catherine the . Return for of all the St. Petersburg hotels and, Great (Empress of Russia 1762 - an illustrated lecture (accompanied having been restored to its former 1796). Continue to see paintings by by vodka!) on ‘St. Petersburg: City glory, offers unmatched comfort in most of the world’s most renowned of Imperial Splendour’ by Professor elegant surroundings. A cold picnic artists such as Leonardo,, Alexei Leporc. Dinner at Dom and a bottle of wine will be provided , Goya, Velazquez, Van Dyck, restaurant close by. for you on arrival in your room. and other old masters. 6 March St. Petersburg 5 March St. Petersburg Lunch at Gogol restaurant. Visit the 18th century Prince Yussupov Return to the State Hermitage Your tour of St. Petersburg begins Palace, once owned by the richest Museum to enjoy galleries filled with a short walk to the State family in Russia - see the restored with superlative bronze and marble Hermitage Museum – The Winter State Rooms, some still with their sculptures, , furniture, Palace. Built in the mid-18th century original furniture. Also see the chandeliers, porcelain and more).

020 3411 4595 | [email protected] | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK Traditional Russian Troika

Mikhailovsky Palace

Lunch at the Russian Vodka Room. Monet, Gauguin and other artists from (translation ‘Tsars’ See the famous statue ‘The Bronze every notable school of the 19th and Village’) - the town of Imperial Horseman’ of Peter the Great, 20th centuries. Return to the hotel. Palaces which, in the 19th century, commissioned by Catherine the Dinner under own arrangements. was the summer retreat of the Court Great. Drive along the beautiful and the aristocracy. classical quayside with panoramic 7 March St. Petersburg, Pavlovsk & views across the frozen River Lunch at Admiralty Restaurant. Visit Tsarskoye Selo while driving to the Peter and Paul Rastrelli’s grandiose white, turquoise Fortress on Hare Island. Begun Today, accompanied by Professor and gold rococo Catherine Palace by Peter the Great (1682 - 1725) Leporc, drive 29kms outside the city and walk through the enfillade of in 1703, its massive stone walls to the Palace of Pavlovsk. Built by dazzling State Rooms including encompass early 18th century for her son the the famous Amber Room which buildings including the Cathedral future Paul I, the palace was ‘vanished’ in World War II but of St. Peter and St. Paul. Here lie designed by the Jacobite architect which has now been recreated after the magnificent marble tombs of all Charles Cameron and completed painstaking work spanning more the Tsars and Tsarinas from Peter in 1796 in the most exquisite neo- than 30 years. Return to the hotel the Great onwards, including the classical style. The palace has a series and dinner under own arrangements. last Tsar, Nicholas II, and most of of elegantly decorated rooms filled his family who were finally laid to with original furniture, exemplifying 8 March St. Petersburg / London rest here in 1998. Afterwards drive the best of 18th century taste and to and view the craftsmanship during Russia’s This morning enjoy a private visit to impressive hang of Impressionist ‘Golden Age’. Afterwards enjoy a the Fabergé Museum. The Ukrainian and post-Impressionist masterpieces troika ride through the snow-covered oil and mining magnate Viktor by Matisse, Cézanne, Van Gogh, ‘English’ park. Continue to Tsarskoye Vekselberg reportedly spent $30m

020 3411 4595 | [email protected] | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK TOUR PRICES PER PERSON

Tour Price £2,080 Single Supplement £395 Visa Fees £145 (as at 04/07/19)

PRICE INCLUDES

• Accommodation throughout as shown in the itinerary • Breakfast daily; 1 dinner, 3 lunches and 2 cold picnics • All entrance fees, visits, excursions and transportation as per the itinerary • Gratuities in restaurants for included meals; gratuities to guide/s gratuities to driver/s; porterage • Local English-speaking guide/s • The services of your tour leader throughout

PRICE EXCLUDES

• International flights • Travel insurance • Items of personal expenditure (e.g. telephone calls / laundry etc.) • Visa and visa service • Theatre tickets and transport to and from the theatre • Government levies or taxes St Isaac’s Cathedral introduced after costing and publication of this programme • on 04/04/19

renovating the former 18th century Lunch will be a picnic. Suggested palace of Count Shuvalov where flight (not included in the cost his personal collection of exquisite of the tour) Rossiya Airlines SU Fabergé clocks, cigar and cigarette 6619 departing St Petersburg at cases are exquisitely displayed. 14.15 arriving in London Gatwick V. Vekselburg bought the entire at 14.45. Forbes family collection of ‘Imperial Easter Eggs’ in one presale swoop purchase from Sotheby’s for over $100m in 2004 and the haul includes NB: During your stay there will be the famous Coronation Egg that an opportunity to attend an opera Nicholas II presented to his wife or ballet performance at the famous in 1897. Fabergé enjoyed immediate historic Mariinsky Theatre. The fame from 1885 onwards both in theatre, with its dazzling blue and Russia and across Europe until gold interior, dates from 1859 and 1916. Fabergé’s unsurpassed was named after Empress Marya workmanship and designs, (wife of Alexander II). It is home to the world-famous Kirov Opera and combined with the sheer wealth of Ballet which has now reverted unlimited materials, remain unique. to its original name of Mariinsky. Drive via the moving Memorial to Further details of performances the Defenders of Leningrad which at Mariinsky II and the State commemorates the dreadful Mikhailovsky Theatre will be 999-day Siege the city suffered available only about 6 weeks during World War II. prior to performance.

Mariinsky Theatre w

YOUR TOUR LEADER

TANIA ILLINGWORTH Tania Illingworth (née Tolstoy) is three quarters Russian by birth, all her grandparents having fled the in 1918. A degree in Russian Language & Literature, with Byzantine Art, reinforced her passionate interest in all things Russian. This, and the extensive knowledge she has acquired through years of visits to Russia, make her tours very special. This long weekend continues to be our most successful repeated short haul destination.

020 3411 4595 | [email protected] | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK 25–27 VANSTON PLACE LONDON SW6 1AZ