Russian Journey

First Five Days of Your 13-Day Journey through Russia

Russia has plenty to see and explore. Moscow and St. Petersburg alone have so many interesting sights to visit. Then there are also the Russian towns that are situated right by the waterway. Those are best explored on a cruise through the waterways of Russia. If you really want to see all of Russia’s most interesting sights, you should consider Viking’s River Cruises. They have a Waterways of the Czars cruise that will take you on a fabulous 13-day journey through Russia and its rivers.

On your first day, you are to arrive in the city of St. Petersburg. From there, you are to get on one of Viking’s ship. Then you will be given some time to help you settle in and relax prior to the serving of dinner.

The second morning is when the real Russian journey begins. The tour will take you to see Hermitage Museum at the Winter Palace. Afterwards, you can enjoy a nice picnic meal. After lunch, check out some of St. Petersburg's beautiful churches. Then have dinner before an evening of entertainment in the form of either an opera or ballet show.

Day three on the Waterways of the Czars cruise will have you visiting the Pushkin area, where you’ll see Catherine’s Palace. Day four is a free day, in which you are free to pick your own activity. The fifth day will take you on a relaxing and scenic cruise that travels through some of the area’s lakes. It is also on this day that you will have the opportunity to go to a Russian bath house to really freshen up before continuing on the rest of your Russian journey.

Take a Break at the Planet Neptun Oceanarium

The city of Saint Petersburg in Russia has a seemingly endless amount of historical churches for visitors to see. That might be a great thing for many people. However, most kids can only stand to tour so many of such historical churches during a family vacation. After a while, they are just going to need a break. So why not take them to something that is a little more oriented towards kids? Not sure what is considered a kid-friendly attraction in the city of Saint Petersburg? Try the Planet Neptun Oceanarium. It is a Saint Petersburg attraction that is sure to please kids.

The Planet Neptun Oceanarium is an aquarium that has many species of fish to help delight your children. In total, there are close to 5000 types of fish. Also, there exists a nice display of coral reefs at the Planet Neptun Oceanarium.

At the Planet Neptun Oceanarium, there is a neat little ride that will allow you to go straight through one of the aquarium’s big tank of fish. The ride gives you a better view of the fish in the tank. Plus it is pretty fun—especially for the kids.

The Planet Neptun Oceanarium also has a number of sharks. If you are interested, you can watch the staff feed the sharks any day out of the week. On Wednesdays and Sundays, you and the kids can also watch the Piranha fish get fed. The Planet Neptun Oceanarium is not exactly world famous. However, it is still worth visiting, if you have children with you.

Russia’s Folklore Show

All Russian trips must include the viewing of a folklore show. In particular, a journey to the country of Russia should include an evening of being entertained by the Feel Yourself Russian show. That is because, true to the title of the show, you will feel so much more like a true Russian by the conclusion of the folklore show.

Why is it so important for you to make the Feel Yourself Russian folklore show a part of your Russian journey? It is because the folklore show allows you to fully experience all that is Russian. You get to feel the country’s history. Plus you learn the traditions of the Russians. Best of all, you can do all of that in just an evening during your Russian trip.

The Feel Yourself Russian show begins with a dance number. The ladies who dance in the opening number are all dressed in traditional Russian clothes. They dance to the voices of singers who are highly skilled when it comes to singing Russian folk songs.

In total, the Feel Yourself Russian folklore show is approximately 90 minutes in length. It is split into two equal parts, with an intermission in between. During the time in between the first and second half of the Feel Yourself Russian folklore show you will be given some refreshments to enjoy. Also, there will be a table that is to be set up as a buffet. It will include food items like fruits, caviar, meat, and cheeses. Plus there will be plenty of alcoholic beverages for you to drink.

Yusupov Palace

Do you want to go to a place with an interesting background? Well, I know of a place in Saint Petersburg that has a very unique history. That place is the Yusupov Palace, otherwise known as the Moika Palace.

So what is the story behind the Yusupov Palace? It’s the setting of a murder case from many years ago. The year was 1916, and the person who got murdered at the Yusupov Palace was Grigory Rasputin.

Who was Grigory Rasputin and why was he murdered at the Yusupov Palace? Grigory Rasputin was a peasant who called himself a holy man. Using his supposed supernatural abilities, Grigory Rasputin was able to gain the liking of the Tsar’s family. With that, he was able to influence the decisions of the ruler of Russia at the time. For that reason, Grigory Rasputin was seen as a very large threat. People were afraid that he would try to manipulate the Tsar’s family. Therefore, they wanted to get rid of him by killing him.

So how was Grigory Rasputin killed? To this day, that is still a mystery. No one really knows for sure how Grigory Rasputin died. However, there are lots of stories about how it happened.

Felix Yusupov was a prince who lived at the Yusopov Palace. He claimed that he and his friends attempted to kill Felix Yusupov by poisoning him. However, when that failed, they went ahead and shot him. Yet the autopsy that was done on Felix Yusupov did not show any evidence of the sort.

If you want to find out more about this unusual murder case, visit the Yusupov Palace. There’s a Rasputin exhibition there. It will give you more insight into the murder case.

Museum of Hygiene

In the city of Saint Petersburg, there exists a museum that is quite different from any other that I have seen or heard about. That is the Museum of Hygiene. The idea behind the Museum of Hygiene in Russia’s Saint Petersburg was conjure up in the year 1877. Yet the project did not officially take place until the year 1919.

Why did the Russians build the Museum of Hygiene? They built the museum in order to help educate their people on the importance of hygiene. Also, it is to help explain many of the diseases that affect the human population.

In what part of Saint Petersburg can the Museum of Hygiene be found? The museum can be found in the city’s historical part. You can also find the city’s medical library and conference hall nearby.

What kinds of exhibits can you expect to find at the Museum of Hygiene? You can expect to find exhibits that show exactly what diseases can do to the human body. One of the main exhibits at the Museum of Hygiene is the one on the results of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases on the body of a human being. Additionally, you can find models that display the anatomy of a person, and what happens to it due to less than stellar hygiene.

Why should you go to the Museum of Hygiene? Going there will allow you to learn more about anatomy. Plus it will scare you and whoever you choose to go with into better hygiene habits. For that reason, you should consider bringing your children as well.

Russian Color Photos from 1909

A unique collection.

A number of color photograph collections have been making the rounds on the Internet in the last few weeks. This may seem unremarkable to us now, but these collections were created long before color photography was accessible, or even invented. Last week, I posted a series of amazing photographs taken during the Great Depression and into the World War II years. Today, we'll go back a few more years. Flavorwire's Marina Galperina has posted a series of photos taken in Russia in from 1909 to 1912 in her post "100-Year-Old Color Photos from the Russian Empire."

All film buffs know that color film hadn't yet been invented in 1909. Instead, chemist-photojournalist Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii used red-, blue- and green-colored plates of glass to capture photographs nearly exactly in the way they actually looked. Using this method, he captured the experiences of peasants, noblemen and other Russians before the Revolution. Because of the unusual photo processing, the pictures are brighter than they probably were in reality, but the colors are still quite true-to-life.

The most intriguing part of the photos is certainly the clothing. One photograph features three peasant girls in bright purple and red clothing and head scarves. Another photo shows a group of peasants in a field with all of the women wearing almost-identical straight, striped skirts. Another shows a peasant family in the middle of a wheat field in head scarves and bright dresses. The peasant photos were probably the best find, since they often couldn't afford even black-and-white portraits of themselves.

Aside from the bright colors of the peasant dress, the richer class's more formal dress is perhaps more unusual. In one photo, three generations of Russians illustrate the change in required dress: an older man wears a blue robe with gold trim, his son wears a black suit with a double-breasted jacket and his daughter wears a woman's suit with a black hat. This photo illustrates the change in ideology--and the want to be similar to Europe--in the generations.

Another surprise were the variety of ethnicities living in Russia captured by these photos. A man and woman of the Dagestani people pose on a hilltop. Armenian women in traditional dress mug for the camera in the forest. These photos demonstrate that Russia was a melting pot with an ethnic diversity that westerners don't always recognize.

What do you think of these colorized photos? Did you get a different perspective of pre-Revolution Russian life through them?

Horse Riding in the Snow

Do you have a passion for riding horses? What about riding in a sled drawn by three horses? If this sounds exciting to you, then you are a good candidate for a horse riding adventure in Russia.

Are you okay with hanging out in the cold weather for an extended amount of time? Do you wish to explore Russia with the snow under your feet? The people at Unicorn Trails are experts when it comes to horse riding in the snow. They know which types of horses are appropriate for a snow tour in Russia. Plus they know what is considered a good pace for the horses to travel at during the tour.

You do not have to know how to mount a horse in order to enjoy horse riding in the snow. Sure, the option is there for you to do the whole entire tour on the back of a horse. However, if you are a non-rider, you can still enjoy the experience on a horse-drawn sled. If you are capable of riding a horse, and wish to try the horse-drawn sled as well, then you should inform the staff at Unicorn Trails about your decision to do both. Unicorn Trails will then make sure that you get to enjoy the best of both worlds during your horse riding tour in Russia.

How much time will you be spending riding the horses? Approximately three to five hours a day. The tour lasts for nine days. So you can expect 27 to 45 hours of horse riding time total.

Marvel at the Works of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg

A trip to Russia requires a designated stop at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. The museum houses well over 3 million art pieces. So there is sure to be at least one collection that will spark your interest.

At the State Hermitage Museum, their prehistoric art collection is the greatest in size in all of Russia. They have artifacts that are on display with their Paleolithic items. Plus they have objects from the everyday life of the Neolithic and burial items from the Bronze Ages. The museum also has figurines in the shape of females made by some of the world’s earliest farmers.

If you have a liking for antiquity art, then you will find great satisfaction at the State Hermitage Museum. There are vases painted by the Greeks to depict some of the stories from Greek Mythology. Then there are the magnificent vases and ceramics of ancient Italy. In the collection from ancient Rome, you will see their famous sculptures. The sculptures are of the most important and influential people in the ancient Roman world. Love looking at jewelry pieces? Then take a walk through the museum’s collection of antique gems.

Western European art is a big deal at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. That is why the collection spans over more than a hundred rooms inside the building. Inside one of these rooms, you will find yourself looking in amazement at some of the world’s most recognized masterpieces. For instance, there are the two Leonardo da Vinci original pieces.

Stolby National Nature Reserve Allows You to Get Away from Everything

"When visiting the National Nature Reserve, there are a couple of things for you to do."

In Russia, there is a place that gets upwards of 200,000 visitors on an annual basis. That place is Stolby, otherwise known as the National Nature Reserve. Initially created to preserve the living things that surround the breathtaking rock pillars, the National Nature Reserve has been around since 1925. Stolby consists of more than 200 square miles of land. Of that amount, roughly five square miles are used for recreational purposes, and that is where most people come to visit.

The Stolby National Nature Reserve consists of both rivers and mountains. Therefore, it is easy to see why many travelers come there to see some of the Earth’s natural beauty. Also, since the land remains untouched by mankind, it is a nice place to go to get away from it all.

When visiting the National Nature Reserve, there are a couple of things for you to do. You can bring along a digital camera, and proceed to take some snapshots. Alternatively, you can participate in more strenuous activities. For instance you can go on a hike, or if you are up for it, you can challenge yourself to some rock climbing.

At the Stolby National Nature Reserve, many rock climbers choose to live life on the dangerous side. That is they go rock climbing without anything to catch them, in the event that they fall. What they do is called free climbing, and it is something that should not be tried on the fly. It is extremely risky, and it can cause serious injuries or even death.

The Strange Life of Lana Peters

Otherwise knows as Svetlana Alliluyeva.

Svetlana Alliluyeva, aka Lana Peters, had a life that could only be envied by the literati. She doesn’t even seem like the kind of woman who could be produced anymore; she couldn’t have the notoriety, the freedom of movement and the relative anonymity in today’s age of constant surveillance.

If you don’t recognize either of this woman’s names, Alliluyeva, aka Peters, was Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s daughter. She died in November in a tiny town in Wisconsin.

Alliluyeva isn’t fascinating only because of her parental lineage, although her parentage did affect her well into adulthood. Her father sentenced her first love, a Jewish filmmaker named Alexei Kapler, to ten years at a labor camp in Siberia.

Alliluyeva’s romantic bad luck didn’t stop with her father. She met another man named Grigori Morozov at Moscow University when she was seventeen, but the couple divorced two years later. Her next husband and she were only together for a two years, as well. She met an Indian man named Brajesh Singh, a communist, in Moscow in 1963, but the pair were not allowed to marry, and he died.

In 1967, Alliluyeva went to India from the Soviet Union. When it was granted, she moved to Switzerland and then the United States. She eventually became a citizen of the United States, and married an American artchitect named William Wesley Peters. Alliluyeva and her husband lived at the Wright’s Taliesin West compound in Scottsdale, Arizona, but she didn’t approve of the communal life there, and divorced Peters.

After that, she bounced around Britain and the Soviet Union for the years that followed. She returned to the Soviet Union in 1984 to try and restore her relationships with her two children and was re-granted her citizenship there after she renounced her time in the United States and Britain. She eventually returned to the United States, vowing to forgo Russia for good, and living in Princeton N.J. and elsewhere before she ultimately settled in Wisconsin.

It seems quaint and almost unbelievable today that the daughter of a man so internationally infamous could live that calmly and undisturbed in the United States. None of us could imagine a former celebrity—particularly the daughter of a man so hated by the United States—could live so quietly in Marin County, Wis. Perhaps Alliluyeva is reminiscent of an old United States where one could reinvent her identity, forget her past, and live differently.