MOSCOW & ST PETERSBURG

SEPTEMBER 21 – OCTOBER 7, 2018 TOUR LEADER: DR MATTHEW DAL SANTO

MOSCOW & Overview ST PETERSBURG With a rich and at times tumultuous history stretching back hundreds of Tour dates: September 21 – October 7, 2018 years, the land of the Tsars is a fascinating place to explore.

Tour leader: Dr Matthew Dal Santo Our 17-day tour of Russian history, culture and art commences after arriving into Moscow with the historic towns of the Golden Ring, a group of Tour Price: $11,495 per person, twin share ancient towns that preceded Moscow as the political and cultural heart of . We travel to Sergiev Posad to see Russia’s holiest of holies, the iconic Trinity Monastery of St Sergius and continue to the beautifully Single Supplement: $2,215 for sole use of preserved town of Suzdal, our base to explore the region’s history and double room architecture over three days.

Booking deposit: $500 per person We return to Moscow and walk through , visiting the Kremlin’s cathedrals and its famous Armoury. See the collections at the State Recommended airline: Emirates Tretyakov Gallery and Pushkin Fine Arts Museum. Enjoy tours of the legendary Bolshoi Theatre, Tolstoy Estate and Gulag Museums. Maximum places: 20 In St Petersburg, we explore in depth the incomparable Hermitage, where Itinerary: Moscow Airport (1 night), Suzdal (3 all schools of western art are represented. A day trip to Pushkin takes us nights), Moscow (6 nights), St Petersburg (6 to the lavish Catherine Palace, a Baroque masterpiece whose Amber nights) Room has been recently restored. We will also visit Palace Park, which contains one of the most beautiful garden ensembles in Europe. City tours Date published: March 8, 2018 will include a visit to the Fabergé Museum, Peter and Paul Fortress, the magnificent St Isaac’s Cathedral and the Yusupov Palace.

A musical or theatrical performance will be included in both Moscow and St Petersburg. Details and dates for the performances won’t be known until theatre schedules are publicised approximately eight weeks prior to departure.

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?” and Enquiries and Matthew responded with Churchill’s famous quote that describes Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” and says, “The fact bookings that 25 years following the collapse of the that little has changed. Russia’s actions on the global stage have won it new attention. For further information and to Once again, the ambitions of its leadership and world view of its people secure a place on this tour have become a subject of debate and speculation. It is fascinating to me please contact Hannah to try and understand the psyche and culture of the Russian people Kleboe at Academy Travel on thorough what it has learned in history from the overthrow of the Tsars to 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 the second world war and the modern post-Soviet Putin era.” (outside Sydney) or email [email protected]. au

Tour Highlights

ST PETERSBURG 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 Yusupov Palace and the recently opened Fabergé Museum.

CATHERINE'S PALACE 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 Palace.

RED SQUARE 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.

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

THE GOLDEN RING 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.

Detailed itinerary

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

Tour start & finish time

The tour starts on Friday 21 September 6.00pm, at the

Ramada Airport Hotel Domodedovo Airport, Moscow.

The tour ends on Sunday October 7 after breakfast, at the Angleterre Hotel, St Petersburg.

Friday September 21 Arrive Moscow – Domodedovo Airport The tour begins at the Ramada Airport Hotel Domodedovo Airport. There is a light dinner available in the hotel this evening. (D)

Saturday September 22 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 Above: the beautiful Trinity Monastery of St Sergius, Sergiev Posad museum, working monastery and the residence of the patriarch.

Below: detail of Andrei Rublev’s The Last Judgement in the Assumption From Sergiev Posad we travel to Suzdal, our base for the next Cathedral, Vladimir; and the Golden Gate of Vladimir three nights. (B, L, D)

Sunday September 23 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 and enjoy lunch prepared by a local in their home. (B, L, D)

Monday September 24 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 here until the 15th century. We visit the Golden Gate of Vladimir, the Crystal Museum and enjoy a master class in matryoshka doll painting. 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. This evening we gather for dinner and a folk performance. (B, D) Tuesday September 25 To Moscow

We depart Suzdal this morning by coach to Moscow, a journey of approximately five hours arriving in the afternoon. After settling into our accommodation, Matthew will lead a brief orientation walk around the vicinity of the hotel. Dinner will be in a local restaurant specialising in Georgian cuisine this evening. (B, D)

Wednesday September 26 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. This afternoon we visit the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour on the Moskva River for wonderful views to the Kremlin. (B)

Thursday September 27 THE TRETYAKOV GALLERY 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. 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. This afternoon there is an optional visit to the Tolstoy Estate Museum dedicated to the writer’s home life. (B)

Friday September 28 The Kremlin

Today we visit the Kremlin, seat of the Tsars, headquarters of Above: one of Moscow’s elegant Metro stations built by Stalin as the the Soviet Union and now the residence of President Vladimir people’s palaces; and The Trinity by Andrei Rublev is one of the Putin. Since its foundation in 1156, the Kremlin has been a many highlights found in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery 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 Below: Treasures of Imperial Russia on display in the Kremlin State Armoury, 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)

Saturday September 29 Pushkin Fine Arts Museum This morning we enjoy a tour of the iconic Bolshoi Theatre and discover the theatre’s history, view the 19th century interiors and learn about the advance technologies employed in the productions today. In the afternoon we visit the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, which houses a large collection of works by 19th and 20th century masters and impressionists. Dinner this evening is in the restaurant at the stylish Sanduny Bath House. (B, D)

Sunday September 30 Gulag Museum This morning we visit the State Gulag Museum devoted to the history of Stalin’s vast network of labour camps that were spread across the USSR. On our return we stop at the Wall of Sorry, a memorial to the victims of Stalin’s repression recently opened by Vladimir Putin. The afternoon is at leisure or you may join Matthew in a walking tour of the Sretensky Monastery. (B)

Monday October 1 To St Petersburg After check out we make our way to Leningradsky railway station to board the fast train for the journey to St Petersburg. After settling into our accommodation and dinner in a local restaurant, Matthew will lead us on a walk to view some of the sights in the local area. (B, L on the train, D)

Tuesday October 2 Touring St Petersburg Above: Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, Madonna and Child in the This morning we depart by coach on a city tour of St Petersburg Hermitage Museum 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. We visit the Cabin of Peter the Great the first residential building in St Petersburg still Below: Church of the Spilled Blood, St Petersburg containing the Tsar’s original belongings. 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)

Wednesday October 3 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)

Thursday October 4 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’s 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)

Friday October 5 Catherine’s palace We depart for the 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. We continue to Tsarskoe Selo, formerly Pushkin, where we visit the magnificent Catherine 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 Above: despair personified at the Leningrad Blockade Memorial Room which was restored largely with German funds and re- opened in 2004. After a picnic lunch, we explore Palace gardens Below: the magnificent Catherine’s Palace and legendary Amber designed by Charles Cameron as a classic English landscaped Room within garden, and one of the most beautiful park ensembles in Europe. This afternoon we take tea in the elegant Rotonda Lounge at the historic Astoria Hotel. (B, L, AT)

Saturday October 6 FAbergé 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 is at leisure with no shortage of attractions in St Petersburg to explore at your own pace. This evening we gather for our farewell dinner including a vodka tasting. (B, D)

Sunday October 7 Departure A late check out is available for passengers departing on flights leaving later tonight. Matthew will be happy to advise on optional activities during the day including an excursion to Peterhof with a local guide. (B)

Hotels  Moscow Domodedovo Airport, Ramada Hotel (1 night) www.ramadamoscow-domodedovo.com/en/

 Suzdal, Art Hotel Nikolaevsky Posad (3 nights) www.nposad.com

 Moscow, Peter 1 Hotel (6 nights) www.hotel-peter1.ru/eng

 St Petersburg, Angleterre Hotel (6 nights) www.angleterrehotel.com

St Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow

Tour Price Fitness Requirements

The tour price is $11,495 per person, twin share (land of THIS tour content only). The supplement for a single room is $2,215 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is GRADE TWO required to secure a place on the tour. 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 Inclusions tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness Included in the tour price required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature  All accommodation in four star hotels extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater  All breakfasts and meals as indicated in the itinerary fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider  Land travel by air-conditioned coach your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.  Business class rail travel between Moscow and St Petersburg Participation criteria for this tour  Extensive background notes  Services of Australian tour leader throughout the tour This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active  All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of  Qualified local guides physical activity per day on most days, including longer  Russian visa costs and processing walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and Not included a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or  International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) several internal flights.  Travel insurance You should be able to:  Meals not mentioned in itinerary  keep up with the group at all times  Expenses of a personal nature  walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only short breaks Air travel OPTIONS  stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour  tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold, we recommend Emirates flights into Moscow and out of St humidity and heat Petersburg. Please contact us for further information on  walk up and down slopes competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares.  negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites, Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all which are often uneven and unstable passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel.  get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or These may be group or individual transfers. boat unassisted, possibly with luggage  move your luggage a short distance if required

Enquiries & bookings A note for older travellers For further information and to secure a place on this tour If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, please contact Hannah Kleboe at Academy Travel on it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email You will have to miss several activities and will not get the [email protected] full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your Weather on Tour situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the September and October is a pleasant time to travel in Russia physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to with the autumnal colours on show. Days are mild with an refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour average chance of rain and temperatures averaging are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean between lows of seven degrees at night and sixteen degrees we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition. 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.