32 Wednesday, June 13, 2018 www.thenational.ae ARTS&LIFESTYLE

The Bolshoi The Motherland Theatre in Calls sculpture in Moscow Getty Volgograd Alamy

KNOW THE SCORE ACROSS ▶▶Melinda Healy, Nyree McFarlane and Evelyn Lau The Chkalov Stairs in Nizhny round up sites worth visiting in each of the 11 cities Novgorod AFP hosting Fifa World Cup matches during the next month Moscow Bolshoi Theatre When many of us think of Russia, we think of the ballet, and rightly so, The Caucasus given the Bolshoi Ballet is interna- mountains in tionally renowned and the company is Sochi Getty one of the oldest in the world. The cul- tured would do well to include a visit to Bolshoi Theatre on their Moscow itinerary. The landmark was reopened in 2011, following a long renovation, and now offers better acoustics and new seating, but it is worth noting the season concludes on July 29. Perfor- mances over the next month include Cosi Fan Tutte, Ossia La Scuola Degli Amanti; La Traviata; and Romeo and Juliet, among others. Theatre tours The are held on Mondays, Wednesdays Cathedral of and Fridays and last an hour. Russian St Theodore tours start at 11.10am and English a collection of street art in a variety Ushakov in tours begin at 11.15am. Tickets can of forms, from murals on walls, to AFP be purchased at the door on the day of mixed-media installations set inside the tour and cost 1,500 roubles (Dh88 an old boilerhouse. The exhibition per person). Find the Bolshoi Theatre changes annually, with top artists at Teatralnaya Square 1. For more, visit from around the globe invited to www.bolshoi.ru. contribute on differing themes. There are guided tours on weekends, at 1pm Sochi and 2pm respectively. We suggest Street Art calling ahead to make sure there’s Museum Caucasus Mountains an ­English-speaking guide available. in The mountainous terrain and abun- The museum has been known to host Petersburg dant nature throughout Sochi is outdoor concerts and other events. For Alamy open to exploration all year round. more visit www.streetartmuseum.ru The mountain peaks, thick forests, for more. waterfalls, caves and canyons attract tourists every year, so if you’re in Sochi Samara also home to Stalin’s private office with (Dh412,000) to build. It is named after on her face. The statue is located near for the World Cup, be sure to carve a number of false doors. Open daily Valery Chkalov, the legendary Soviet Mamayev Kurgan, and was unveiled in a few days aside for discovering the Samara Stalin’s Bunker from 9.30am (10.30am on weekends), pilot who was the first to fly from Mos- 1967. There are 200 steps to climb in trails in the Caucasus Mountains. One of the more unusual attractions for more visit www.bunkerstalina.com. cow to Vancouver non-stop across the order to reach the top of the hill, each Tackle the terrain on your own or with in this city is an underground bunker North Pole, and it was last restored in step representing a day of the Battle a guide, but don’t forget your camping used to shelter the Chief of State back Nizhny Novgorod 2012-13. The best way to see the wind- of Stalingrad. Once you reach the top, gear. Mount Fisht is worth a visit, it is in the 1940s, during the period of the ing landmark is from the water. For you can also get an impressive view the highest peak within the Lago-Na- Great Patriotic War. Located under the Chkalov Stairs more, visit www.welcome2018.com/ of the Volga River as well as their new ki plateau in the northern part of the Kuibyshev Regional Committee build- This staircase is the longest in Russia, en/places/nizhny-novgorod/2653. stadium. For more, visit www.vetert. mountains, and is home to a glacier ing, the bunker took 2,900 workers and beginning at the monument to Chka- ru/rossiya/volgograd/sights/154-rodi- and some of the best views stretch- 800 engineers and technicians to build lov in the centre of the city and con- Volgograd na-mat-zovet.php. ing out to the Black Sea. For more on it over a period of six months. As much necting Minin and Pozharsky Square, Sochi, go to www.visit-sochi.org. as 25,000 cubic metres of Earth were the Upper Volga and the Lower Volga ‘The Motherland Calls’ Saransk removed and 5,000 cubic metres of embankments. It was built to form a sculpture St Petersburg concrete cast. This underground struc- figure eight and consists of 560 steps, Cathedral of St Theodore ture’s ground floor had two rooms, and there are two observation plat- While in Volgograd, make sure to take Ushakov Street Art Museum while the main chamber could hold forms. The staircase, which was the time to check out one of the tallest If you like street art, make your way 115 people. It is associated with some brainchild of Aleksander Shulpin – sculptures in the world. The towering This Russian Orthodox cathedral to Okhta, the former industrial site, legends, according to which the bun- the mayor of the city during the Great figure – all 85 metres of it – depicts a opened to the public in 2006 and is that is a 20-minute bus ride east of ker is connected by tunnels with other War (1941-1945) – was inaugurated woman stepping forward with a raised named after the Russian saint and Ploshchad Lenina. Here you’ll find important facilities in Samara. It is in 1949 and cost 7 million roubles sword in the sky and a defiant look 18th century admiral, Fyodor Ushakov. www.thenational.ae Wednesday, June 13, 2018 33 ARTS&LIFESTYLE Escape and enjoy some of the best African hospitality

The Residence, Zanzibar Tanzania

The welcome After arriving at Zanzibar Airport and being promptly ushered through a side entrance into the Paradise Lounge, we find our transfer and settle in for the hour-long drive to obnoxious, and I am pleased to say I the resort. As we pull up we’re greet- come away from each restaurant visit ed with a loud “Jambo” – Swahili with a good chat under my belt or a for hello – and are offered welcome braid in my hair thanks to the female refreshments and cold towels. We’re staff who take a fancy to my blonde taken by the open-air reception that tresses. The room service staff don’t provides views of the expansive lawn, miss a beat, refreshing our rooms infinity pool, and the ocean, allow- twice daily – once in the morning, ing us to acquaint ourselves with our and then each evening for turndown. surroundings all at once. It’s nice to return from dinner to find the mosquito nets drawn and a bot- The neighbourhood tle of water beside the bed. Located on the southwest edge of the The food island, away from the tourist-­friendly realms of the north, the five-star re- There are two restaurants to choose sort is a destination in its own right from – the Dining Room, which is and ideal for those who want to get the all-day eatery with an African A room away – and stay away. Hemmed in twist, and The Pavilion, specialising in Stalin’s by the Muyuni forest behind, and in Arabic, Indian and Mediterranean bunker in Kizimkazi village to the south, it’s cuisine. With full board you can visit Samara Alamy an enviable location. However, with both, while half-board will get you historic Stone Town an hour’s drive complemintary access to just the away it would pay to pick any day-trip all-day dining. During one of our few destinations wisely. visits to the Dining Room, we are Tomb of the served some of the best steak we’ve German The scene had. If you’re paying your own way, the philosopher Zanzibar curry or chicken burger will Immanuel Kant in I am visiting during rainy season, set you back about US$12 (Dh44). It is AFP so the hotel is fairly quiet occupan- worth noting that you can get a similar cy wise. A laid-back vibe in all areas dish in nearby Stone Town for a quar- seems to state: “Yes you’re staying ter of the price, but what you get here in a five-star hotel, but please don’t is well portioned and of a five-star wear anything more than flip flops quality. The Pavilion offers a buffet and beachwear at all times”. or set menu, depending on the night. Disappointingly though, if you’re The room used to five-star spreads, the breakfast buffet is rather limited. You’ll find all The sprawling property is set on 32 the usual suspects – an egg station, and of course Pushkin. Heads up: in hectares of grassland, with 66 stand- breads and condiments – but it could The Kul Sharif the summer, temperatures can hit alone villas dotted throughout. Each do with a few more healthy options. Mosque in around the mid 30s – so plan your has its own private swimming pool Kazan AFP strolls for the morning or evening. and deck, indoor and outdoor show- Loved For more www.dontourism.ru/en. ers, and those closest to the beach enjoy sweeping views out over the sea. The warmth and genuine kindness Kaliningrad The room we’re in is very spacious resort-wide and the villa privacy. and decorated with wooden and Immanuel Kant’s tomb wicker furniture, a nod to the island’s Hated The Keyboard This beautiful city sits between Po- African and Omani heritage. I am im- Monument in land and Lithuania along the Baltic pressed by the soaking tub, which is That the resort is an hour out of Yekaterinburg Coast and is dotted with old Prus- the focal point of the bathroom, and Stone Town (a tour into the capital Alamy sian redbrick buildings. When there, the position of the four-poster bed. costs $120 [Dh440]). you can go to an amber museum or There’s nothing like waking up in the explore Russian submarines at Mu- morning and having the ocean star- The verdict seum of the World Ocean, but we’d ing you in the face. There’s not much The Empire-style cathedral stands 62 to “reboot” your life, you can press also recommend a visit to Immanuel to complain about, although some Perfect for those looking for genu- metres tall and can hold up to 3,000 Ctrl, Alt, Del. For more information, Kant’s tomb in the beautiful Konigs- of the furnishings do appear a little ine African hospitality in secluded people. Along the perimeter there are visit www.welcome2018.com/en/ berg Cathedral (which was built in tired, and there are large ants around. surrounds. four bell towers and 12 bells, while places/ekaterinburg/2421. 1333). Kant is one of the central fig- around the main bowl of the cathe- ures in modern philosophy, and he The service The bottom line dral there is an observation deck Rostov-on-Don worked and lived in Kaliningrad. For where you can get a panoramic view more visit www.visitkaliningrad.com. I’m on the receiving end of “Haku- Villas at The Residence Zanzi- of the city and its surroundings. The Stroll along the river and na Matata” (no worries) from the bar (www.cenizaro.com/theresi- church is free to enter. For more, visit Pushkin Street Kazan jovial staff several times a day during dence/zanzibar) cost from US$515 www.sobor-ushakova.ru. our stay, which never fails to put a (Dh1,890) per night, including taxes. This southeastern Russian port city is The Kazan Kremlin smile on my face. Workers are ex- Yekaterinburg home to just over one million people: Dubbed the “Third Capital” of Russia, tremely personable without being Ashleigh Stewart when visiting, definitely take the time Kazan is also officially the capital of The Keyboard Monument to walk along both the ­Rostov-on-Don the Republic of Tatarstan and has seen The Keyboard Monument is an embankment and Pushkin Street. a complete renovation over the past outdoor sculpture that features a The leafy green two-kilometre-long 20 years, with many historical sites re- giant-sized QWERTY keyboard. It embankment stroll will take you stored (however some were destroyed). was installed in October 2005 and down Beregovaya Street, where you A must-see is the citadel – or kremlin sits on the embankment of the Iset will see plenty of statues of liter- – an area in the centre of town sur- River in the centre of the city. From ary figures from Rostov (load your rounded by white limestone walls that a distance, it may appear to look like Google Translate app as nothing is was originally a Tatar fortress, but was stones, but as you get closer, you will in English) and will also walk past largely destroyed by Ivan the Terrible be able to make out each individual waterfront cafes and the hustle and in the 16th century. The area is home key. There are 104 concrete keys and bustle of city life. Alternatively, stroll to the beautiful Kul Sharif Mosque, the space bar weighs 1,000 pounds. down Pushkin Street – which is, yes, which was built in 2005, and is named Rumour has it if you type your wish named after poet Alexander Pushkin – after the Imam who died defending and then hit the “enter” key, your a large, leafy boulevard where you will the area from the army. For more visit wish will be granted. Or if you’d like find monuments to Chekhov,Kirov www.kazantravel.ru/en.