Impressions of Russia

This trip has been an amazing experience to change our opinion of Russia.  It is a wonderful country with terrific people.  As one of our guides said 80% of the people are like people in the rest of the world and want to live in peace and harmony like everyone else.  It has taught me that I need to be very careful about the spin the media puts on things.

We have met wonderful young people, who are very happy.  I know some will say we only met the people the Russian’s wanted us to meet but I don’t think that was the case.  The young people were quite prepared to talk about the problems the country has but they also were proud to talk about the countries strengths.  They have a real passion for their country – not the American waving the flag kind of patriotism but a love for their country you can tell is in their heart.

I highly recommend Russia as a place to visit.

River Cruising

This was our first river cruise and the experience has been a good one.  Viking River Cruises run a high caliber operation.  They have 5 ships on this waterway and there are many other companies doing the same cruise. I suspect Viking may be the only one exclusively in English.

Food was not an issue for me but at times it was a challenge for Lois.  In spite of us advising Viking of her food allergies, there were conflicts.  Quite often what they could offer Lois was repetitive. We did end up spending a lot of time, and our meals, with a couple from Vancouver, Joan and Jim McLean.  Jim had similar food issues to Lois and we had a wonderful waiter who went out of his way to make sure they were accommodated.

The staff was wonderful and as I’ve alluded to elsewhere the entertainment was great.  There was even a couple (brother and sister) on board who played the piano (he) and sang (she) and they were very good.  There also were excellent presentations on board that helped us understand Russia better.

I can’t say I would want to river cruise exclusively but I would definitely do it again.

Joan and Jim Mclean from Vancouver

Viking Tour Guides - All from St. Petersburg

View from Our Balcony While Docked in Moscow

Let’s Check Out the Russian Medical System.

For a couple of days I had a cold, at least I thought I did.  Lois thought maybe I was allergic to something as it came and went so fast.

After that Lois developed a cold that was moving to her chest so she went to see the ship’s doctor.  He treated her with multiple remedies and ensured she would be okay to make the trip home.  Lois was quite impressed with the doctor.  She felt he was very thorough and mindful of her situation.  He had actually been a doctor on a Russian trawler off of Newfoundland for 6 months and had travelled in Newfoundland.  As a result his English was reasonable.

The next day after this was our last day and we had it free.  Our plan had been to go into Moscow and just poke around on our own.  We were an hour from Red Square so Viking had a bus to take us in.  Lois told me to go and I went.  While walking around on my own, I fell.  I went to my left as I was trying to protect my camera.  My knee hurt but other than that I seemed no worse for wear.  Several people came to my rescue but I said I was all right and proceeded on my way.  My pants weren’t ripped so I thought nothing of it.  About an hour later I looked at my watch and I had shattered the crystal, 2 hours later I realized I had lost my prescription sunglasses in the process.  When I stopped for lunch I looked at my knee and it was quite bloody.  My knee is still sore but getting better.

Russian Folk Orchestra

The tours and entertainment that Viking River Cruises include have on the whole been excellent.  The best entertainment for us was the Russian Folk Orchestra.  The orchestra is made up of traditional Russian musical instruments.  The members of the orchestra were all very high caliber musicians.

Russian Folk Orchestra

Soloist with Russian Folk Orchestra

Moscow Subway

I think everyone has heard about the Moscow Subway and how it’s stations are like art gallery’s. We went on it and saw 3 or 4 stations and what is said is true.  The Moscow Subway was very clean.  Lois and I had ridden the subway in St. Petersburg and we felt better on the Moscow one.  Both subways are very deep and so the escalators down are long. The escalators for the subway in St. Petersburg seemed to be very fast and didn’t make it that easy for Lois to get on and off.  Here are a few of the pictures I took.

Down the Long Escalator

Moscow Subway Mosaic

Marble Subway Station

One of 70 Bronze Sculptures in One Station

One of 70 Bronze Sculptures in One Station

Ceiling Mosaic

Moscow – Red Square

Like the Kremlin I didn’t realize what Red Square was.  I think I thought it was part of the Kremlin.  One wall of the Kremlin borders Red Square.  St Basil’s Cathedral is at one end.  The Guum Department Store is on the side opposite the Kremlin Wall.  Guum was having it’s 200^th anniversary while we were there.  On the end opposite St. Basil’s is the Historical Museum.  We have all seen the huge square on TV at some point.  

St. Basil's - Red Square

St. Basil's Up Close - Red Square

Entrance to Red Square

Guum Department Store - Red Square

Kremlin Wall - Red Square - Lenin's Tomb in Front of Wall

On Red Square

On Red Square

Moscow – Kremlin

I had no idea what the Kremlin was.  I thought it was a building.  The word Kremlin means fortress.  It is the historical heart of Moscow.  It essentially was and is the walled center of the city.  Within the walls are 5 cathedrals, palaces, museums and the seat of government.

We toured the Armory in the Kremlin which is the Russian equivalent of the Tower of London.  It had a huge display of items related to Russian history.  I was quite surprised so much had survived the communist era as during the trip w have heard so many stories of destruction of places and items of historical significance by the communists.

Kremlin - Red Brick Wall Surrounds It

Kremlin - Red Brick Wall Surrounds It

Lois and Joan Touring the Kremlin

Government Building in the Kremlin

One of Five Cathedral's in the Kremlin

The Closest to Anything Military We Saw

Government Building in Kremlin Under Restoration (what you see is a huge tarp with what the building will look like printed on it! - this technique was used everywhere)

Government cars Ready to Take Official's Any Where

This Policeman Would Salute When Some Cars Left - Obviously Important People!

Moscow - City

Moscow is a huge city – 15,000,000 people.  I had no idea!  It apparently has the worst traffic in the world – after 4 days there we can believe it!  90% of the people live in apartments – many own them.  Inspite of it's size, Moscow is a very clean city.

The city has been booming since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.  There is construction everywhere.  There are more billionaires than any other city in the world.  It is evident from what you see – many luxury cars, high end stores everywhere, young people with all of the toys you can imagine – it goes on and on.  I asked one of our guides if Muscovites spent everything they made or if they were saving something for the future.  The answer was they spend everything.  It makes you think it may all come crashing down at some point.

The construction that dates back to Lenin’s and Stalin’s time can be somewhat austere and in some cases it is being torn down.  Lenin did build 7 huge building (7 sisters) all of which survive and are very ornate.

New Construction Since Perestoika

University of Moscow - One of Lenin's Seven Sister's Buildings

Olympic Stadium from Sparrow Hill

Cruising Into Moscow on the Moscow Canal

As we continued our way to Moscow, we knew we were getting closer to a big city as there was more life along the river

We were sailing on the Moscow Canal. Peter the Great envisioned such a canal in the 18^th century to help connect St. Petersburg and Moscow but it took Stalin to make it happen in the 1930’s.  He enlisted several million prisoners in his Gulag forced-labour camps to dig the 80 mile long canal.  It included 7 concrete dams, 8 earthen dams, 11 locks, 8 hydroelectric stations, 5 pump stations, 15 bridges and Northern Passenger Terminal (our docking place in Moscow.  It was a much greater project than the Suez or Panama canals and yet only took 5 years to complete.

Here are a few pictures of what we saw.

Along the Moscow Canal

Bell Tower of Church of the Trinty (1654) - Monastery and Church Flooded when Canal Built - Tower Still Visible

Approaching Moscow

Approaching Moscow

Uglich

Uglich was our last river stop before Moscow.  We toured the town and were able to visit a couple in their home.

Docked in Uglich

The home we visited was described as middle class but would not be that by our standards.  The couple was retired.  The wife was university educated and the husband had worked in the watch factory, the main industry in the town, employing 10,000 people at one time.  They had built their home as they could afford it (no mortgaging) and now their son and family was living with them until they could do the same.  We were served vodka (accompanied by multiple toasts), pickles and bread followed by cake and tea.  They were proud to show us around their home and the husband was especially proud of his garden, wanting me to take a picture from an upstairs window.  Some were apprehensive about these home visits but the homes were very clean and there was nothing to worry about.

Arriving for Home Visit - Uglich

Enjoying Vodka, Pickles and bread - Uglich

Garden at Home Visit - Uglich

Our Home Visit Hosts - Uglich

During the tour of the town we were entertained by a male sextet that was excellent.  I didn’t buy their CD as I already had one that I wasn’t going to be able to understand a word!

Male Sextet in Uglich

Leaving Uglich

Leaving a Lock after Uglich

Yaroslavl

Prior to docking in Yaroslavl, the ship refueled (a 2 ½ hour process).

Refueling at Yaroslavl

Yaroslavl celebrated it’s millennium in 2010.  The center of the city is a Unesco World Heritage Site.  Although we Had never heard of it before it was a very lovely city with a rich history  It is located where the Volga and the Kotorosol Rivers meet.

Yaroslavl Millennium Park at Confluence of Rivers

We visited a market, toured and were entertained at the Governor’s House and were later entertained by a male acapella quarter (one of whom sings with the Marinsky Opera).  Yes I bought their CD!

Lois Buying Honey at Market (yes it got home safely!!)

Acapella Quartet (fellow on right sings at the Marinsky)

Church of the Transfiguration

Inside Church of the Transfiguration

Entry in Garden Competition in Yaroslavl

Entertainment at the Govenor's House - Yaroslavl