Sunday, June 12, 2011 dep JFK--Aeroflot #314—terminal 12:20 PM EZPKDQ
Herb & Candy picked us up at 9:30 and we were at JFK by noon. Check-in was fine, as was the flight, contrary to Jerry’s expectations. Lots of little kids on the flight. Into Moscow on time, our Uniworld agent was waiting and we got to the ship by 9:20am Monday. I “toured” the ship and met Kalinka, the spa manager. She took our room number and got it finished up. Unpacked and went off to explore the Metro.
After a twenty-five minute walk, we found a market where we changed money, bought tickets and rode to the Revolution Square stop. The square is paved and landscaped and merges seamlessly into Theater Square with its statue of Karl Marx and the Bolshoi Ballet. Walked to Red Square. At 330 meters longs and 70 meters wide, Red Square is not small, but doesn’t seem as overwhelming as I expected. We entered by the Resurrection Gates, with its double archways and twin towers topped by golden double-headed eagles. They were built in 1680 but demolished in 1931 to clear the way for tanks to enter Red Square for the annual may 9 Victory Day parades. Between the archways is a small blue-domed chapel topped by a golden figure of Archangel Michael holding a cross. Like the archways, it is a reconstruction built to house a mircle-working Icon. In front of the chapel is a plaque on the ground marking the geographic center of Moscow. People were tossing coins onto the plaque and beggars and Jerry were busy picking them up.
The redbrick Kremlin wall runs along one side of the Square, with red stars atop red towers, complemented by the reds of St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the red-brown History museum. We couldn’t see Lenin’s Tomb, as there had been a grand celebration the day before, and it was covered by scaffolding, which workers, scrambling like ants, were deconstructing. Immediately inside the Resurrection Gates is the Zaikonospassky Monastery, originally built in 1633-7, a still working Russian Orthodox Church, with fragrant grasses on the floor and beautiful icons. It was founded in 1600 by Boris Godunov. At first called "Saviour the Old,” the cloister gradually acquired its present quaint name which alludes to its location and means "the Saviour behind the icon shops".
The GUM department store takes up most of the other side. St. Basil’s was at the other end, but we will see that better tomorrow. Then we walked about. To Lubyanka Square with its ochre-colored building dominating—formerly KGB headquarters and the notorious Lubyanka Prison (we were to see a lot more ex-KGB torture chambers as we traveled through the Baltic countries) and past the new Ferrari/Lamborghini/Bentley/Maserati dealership. Took the Metro back to the ship, showered and napped before the 6 pm “Welcome Dinner” (not too impressive). To bed.
Tuesday, June 13
Slept well. Worked out with Kalenka then had buffet breakfast—very ordinary, no fresh juice. It’s pouring rain. We did a bus tour of Moscow including 45 minutes at Red Square and GUM and 15 minutes at Novodevichy Convent. This spectacular site has remained largely intact since the 17th century. It was founded in 1524 and is well known for having accepted many noble ladies who had fallen out of favor. After a long history of sheltering orphans and abandoned children, in 1922, it was closed by the Communists and turned into a women’s emancipation museum (we were to see this over and over, where beautiful architectural landmarks were desecrated by the Soviets for fifty years). We didn’t go inside and saw only the wall, punctuated by 12 red and white towers. Beside the Convent we saw a duckling sculpture presented to Raisa Gorbachev by Barbara Bush in 1991.
The bus took us up Sparrow Hill, but the fog was too thick for much of a view. We did see the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium. There was much opportunity to shop, but we weren’t interested. We left the bus and passed the Morozov Mansion. One of Moscow’s most unusual buildings, this castle-like mansion decorated with stylized shells, was commissioned by the eccentric millionaire Arseny Morozof and was built in 1894-9. Then we walked up to Arbat Street. This is a pedestrian street and the most touristy part of Moscow outside of Red Square. Lots of stores selling the ubiquitous nested dolls (mastroyshka). We found some interesting alleys and walked down one, where, in the middle of a very unkempt green space, we found a statue of Lincoln with Tsar Alexander II, who was assassinated after freeing the serfs in the late 19th century. We also found a statue of Peter the Great, rowing a dingy amidst a sea of drowning horses, which, legend has it, he was trying to save. Lunched (very expensive, even though had we gone back to the ship, lunch would have been included—must ask about box lunches) at a Middle eastern place on Shashlyk-mashlyk??.
Walked to Christ the Saviour Cathedral, a 1990’s reconstruction of a 19th century cathedral that was blown up in 1931 to make way for the grandiose—but never built—Palace of the Sovereigns. The original, when built, was the tallest ecclesiastical structure—102 meters--in Moscow.. This must have been what European cathedrals looked like in the Middle Ages, before centuries of incense and pollution darkened the paintings and peeled the frescoes. From the center of the pedestrian bridge we looked at the Kremlin complex and the statue of Peter the Great in the middle of the river. Metroed home in time for a very mediocre buffet dinner.
Wednesday, June 14
Wide awake and up at 5. Read some Russian history. Worked out with Kalinka from 7 to 7:30 while Jerry did the treadmill. Breakfasted, then left for our Kremlin tour. We had nifty audio devices that allowed our guide’s voice to reach us all (a bus load) throughout. The Kremlin was VERY crowded. Everything was clean, impressive and well-flowered. After entering at the Troitskaya (Trinity) Tower, we first came to several yellow neo-classical government buildings including the Senate Palace and the Arsenal.
The most stunningly beautiful sight within the Kremlin walls is Cathedral Square. In addition to its impressive Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Tsar Bell the world’s largest bell has never been rung. In 1737, while it was still in its pit, a fire caused an 11.5-ton chunk to crack off. Nobody could get the 200-ton bell out of its pit until 1836.), it includes five churches and a palace.
A symphony of nine golden cupolas, the 15th century Annunciation Cathedral was the domestic church of Moscow princes, hosting weddings and baptisms. Inside is Russia’s oldest multi-tiered iconostasis, dating from the 14th-16th centuries. An iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Many of them have Christ in the middle of the main row, flanked by Mary on one side and John the Baptist on the other, then Archangels Michael and Gabriel, then other saints. The Assumption Cathedral, a 15th century limestone wonder with five golden domes, Russia's most important church for hundreds of years, right up to Nicholas II in 1896. The sumptuous interior is covered in beautiful frescoes.
The Armory tour was very rushed, only one hour. The guide was good, but it was hard to hear much. Royal wardrobes, carriages, armor and house accoutrements. Lots of gold and silver, including “gifts” from other countries. We didn’t see the diamonds and most of the Faberge eggs wee gone, borrowed for a special exhibition elsewhere. We left the group and walked back to Red Square, passing beautiful gardens and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Had a nice, albeit expensive lunch at an outdoor café.
Le Corbusier likened St. Basil’s to the delirious ravings of a drunken confectioner. Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architect so that he’d never outdo it (recalls the Taj Mahal story). It is actually a collection of nine churches on a single foundation. We thoroughly enjoyed it, including an a capella concert by a chanting quartet.
Decided to hot foot it back and get the ship’s bus, rather than taking the Metro. By the way, the Moscow Metro has become one of the major tourist attractions here. Inaugurated in 1935, it has since grown into a huge network of 11 lines and 170+ stations. The décor in many stations is palatial, with marble, mosaics, stained glass, statues, etc. It is the most heavily used metro system in the world. We made the bus, but it took three times as long as the Metro. Moscow traffic is horrendous at all hours. Enjoyed a view of Russian hari krishnas. Back home in time for a g&t before dinner at 7. Dinner was not so good—good smoked trout appetizer, bad pork. The head waiter said, “Oh, sometimes we get a bad cut of meat.”
Thursday, June 15
Took the shuttle to Red Square, then Metroed to Cultural park. We walked across the river by the “bigger-than-the-Statue-of-Liberty” Peter the Great. Walked through the Art Park Muzeon, a rather bedraggled collection of odd sculptures mixed with statues and busts of discredited Soviets removed from their original homes and places higgledy-piggledy here. Found the very ugly concrete gallery of 20th century Russian art—Tretyakov Gallery. We were thrilled by a special exhibition of “Holy Russia”, showing some 450 works dating from the tenth to the nineteenth centuries, mainly from the collection of the Louvre: icons, books, and works from convents and monasteries. Wonderful!! Then we “did” half the fourth floor with 20th century works, including Chagall, Kandinsky, and some interesting tings from Soviet times. Metroed back to Karl Marks where we met the shuttle. Rested before the Captain’s Welcome Dinner.
Friday, June 17 Cruising the Moscow Canal & Volga River, Uglich
Begin our imperial Waterways of Russia as we follow the path of Peter the great from Moscow to St. Petersburg
The Volga River, Europe’s largest and longest waterway, holds a special place in Russian history and in the hearts and minds of the Russian people. An important aquatic “highway” since Medieval times, the Volga has long served as a major route of trade, settlement and conquest. Peter the Great sailed along the Volga from Moscow to St. Petersburg approximately 300 years ago on a quest to bring Russia out of the Dark Ages. And centuries worth of Russian music and literature reflect the people’s deep feeling for the river.
Today, our cruise began in earnest, as we passed through several locks and the 80 mile Moscow Canal. We had a lovely panoramic view of rural Russia and its magnificent architectural monuments. We had our first in a series of lectures on Russia by Professor Inna Gritsenko who spoke on “Paradoxes of the Russian Civilization.” We also had our first Russian language class. After lunch and a rest (??why??), we began our tour by meeting our guide on the dock.
The Golden Ring is a ring of cities northeast of Moscow. These ancient towns, which also played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church, preserve the memory of the most important and significant events in Russian history. The towns have been called "open air museums" and feature unique monuments of Russian architecture of the 12th–18th centuries, including kremlins, monasteries, cathedrals, and churches. These towns are among the most picturesque in Russia and prominently feature Russia's famous onion domes.
Uglich is a historic town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, on the Volga River. A local tradition dates the town's origins to 937. Uglich had been the seat of a small princedom from 1218 until 1328 when the local princes sold their rights to the great prince of Moscow. As a border town of Muscovy, it was burnt several times by Lithuanians, Tatars and the grand prince of Tver. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible the town passed to his only brother, Yuri. Throughout the 16th century Uglich prospered both politically and economically, but thereafter its fortunes began to decline. After Ivan's death, his youngest son Dmitry Ivanovich was banished to Uglich in 1584. The most famous event in the town's history took place on May 15, 1591 when the 10-year old boy was found dead with his throat cut in the palace courtyard. Suspicion immediately fell on the tsar's chief advisor, Boris Godunov. Official investigators concluded however that Dimitriy's death was an accident. They cut a "tongue" from the cathedral bell that rung the news of Dimitriy's death and "exiled" it to Siberia. As Dimitry was the last scion of the ancient Rurik dynasty, his death precipitated the dynastic and political crisis known as the Time of Troubles. People readily believed that Dimitriy was alive and supported several False Dmitriys who tried to grab the Muscovite throne. During the Time of Troubles, the Poles besieged the Alexeievsky and Uleima monasteries and burned them down killing all the populace who had sought refuge inside. The Romanov tsars made it their priority to canonize the martyred tsarevich and to turn Uglich into a place of pilgrimage. On the spot where Dimitriy had been murdered the city in 1690 built the small but lovely Church of St Demetrios on the Blood, The image of tsarevich with a knife in his hand was adopted as the town's emblem.
We were treated to a special Orthodox choir performance. Shopped for gifts. Returned to the ship for dinner and bed.
Saturday, June 18
Rybinsk Reservoir (Sea), is a vast water reservoir on the Volga River. formed by a hydroelectric station dam. At the time of its construction, it was the largest man-made body of water on Earth. It is the northernmost point of the Volga. The Volga-Baltic Waterway starts from there. Construction started in 1935. Some 150,000 people had to be resettled elsewhere.
Yaroslavl Preceded by Viking sites in the 8th or 9th centuries, the city is said to have been founded in 1010 by Yaroslav I, the Wise. He defeated the “wild” tribes which inhabited the area by personally killing the “god”, a huge bear, with an ax. Capital of an independent Principality of Yaroslavl from 1218, it was incorporated into Muscovy in 1463. In the 17th century it was Russia's second largest city, and for a time, the country's de facto capital. Today, Yaroslavl is an important industrial center. Our first visit was to their famous puppet theater. In the center of town, in Red Square, we saw a former headquarters of the Communist Party the emblem of the Bear and Axe.
Visited the Church of Elijah the Prophet, a beautiful temple. Here we heard another a capella concert of wonderful male voices. Then we walked through a pretty park, past the Monument to Conflict and Working Deeds of Yaroslav’s People up to the Assumption Cathedral, blown up in 1937 and rebuilt in 2010. Out front is the sculptural composition, “The Old Testament Trinity.” Down the embankment to the Monastery of Transfiguration of the Savior, the oldest building in town, and the site of the publication of the first Russian book. A bell-ringer in the courtyard showed us how it was done, and a sparrow chirped his applause.
Back to the ship for more free time. Then a blini making demo with tasting after. Language and history lessons. During the night, we left Rybinisk Reservoir, passing a statue of Catherine the Great at the end of a large lock, the only one where we rose up instead of descending.
Sunday, June 19 Goritsy
Sailed up the Sheksna River, past picturesque villages, to Goritsy a tiny settlement near the White Lake. Once the cruise ship docked here, about 10 am, we boarded a bus and drove to the Kirillo-Belozerskiy monastery which dates back to 1397 when a monk named Reverend Kirill left his privileged life to seek a remote place to become closer to God. His monastery prospered and became a refuge for many nobles during the Time of Troubles. It soon turned into a fortress which resisted the attacks of the Poles and Lithuanians for many years. It could not, however, resist the Bolsheviks. The monks were shot or sent to labor camps, though it was one of the few monasteries not turned into a concentration camp. Despite this, the ornate building has managed to preserve much of its historic grandeur and was recently named the winner of a competition to become one of "The New Seven Wonders of Russia." The houses of Goritsky are unique in that many are trimmed with Victorian gingerbread. In spite of that, the village appears rather poor. Then we visited the House of Children’s Arts and Crafts to see where kids go after school. Then to a “school of restoration” where 10-15 students per year are trained in wood work to restore old buildings, etc. On the way to the ship, we bought some Sladkaz, a local sweet cranberry liqueur, which proved very refreshing when mixed with soda and ice. Tonight we had a cake at dinner to celebrate Jerry’s birthday.
Monday, June 20 Cruising Lake Onega, Kizhi Island
After a lovely evening yesterday, we entered Lake Onega in the pouring rain. It is the second largest lake in Europe, situated in the northwest part of the European portion of Russia, between Lake Ladoga and the White Sea. It is 154 miles long; its greatest width is 50 miles; and its greatest depth is about 380 feet. The lake was formed by movements of the Earth’s crust, but glaciers elongated it from northwest to southeast. Onega has about 1,650 islands covering a total of approximately 100 square miles. Fifty rivers enter Onega. Lake Onega itself empties into the Svir River. The lake contains more than 40 species of fish. Lake Onega is connected with the Baltic and White seas by the White Sea–Baltic Canal and with the basin of the Volga River by the Volga-Baltic Waterway, which enable it to play an important part in both internal and international transportation. Goods are shipped over this route from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany to points in the east and north.
In the morning, we had our fourth lecture on Russia, this one giving us an understanding of Putin, with a tiny mention of Medveyev. We also toured the Captain’s Bridge. Kizhi is an island near the geometrical center of the lake. Settlements and churches on the island were known from at least the 15th century. The population was rural, but was forced by the government to assist development of the ore mining and iron plants in the area that resulted in a major Kizhi Uprising in 1769–1771. Most villages had disappeared from the island by 1950s and now only a small rural settlement remains. In the 18th century, two major churches and a bell-tower were built on the island, which are now known as Kizhi Pogost. In 1950s, dozens of historical wooden buildings were moved to the island from various parts of Karelia for preservation purposes. None of them used nay nails in the construction. Nowadays, the entire island and the nearby area form a national open-air museum with more than 80 historical wooden structures. We went on a walking tour. Gail gave up halfway because of the rain, but Jerry persevered. We enjoyed a vodka tasting before dinner—I like the honey/pepper.
Tuesday, June 21 Cruising the Svir River, Mandrogi
Mandrogi is located on the river Svir. The Svir river connects the two largest lakes in Europe: Ladoga and Onega. This fact gives the area a special spirit and some powerful energy. The local population consists of the Russian and Veps people. They have always been engaged in hunting, fishing and shipbuilding. The name of the Svir river means “deep” in the Veps language. There are quite a few river thresholds, rocky spots with a very fast current. The Veps call these Mandrogi, which is how the name of the village came to be. Nevertheless, the river was chosen by Peter the Great as a center for building the Russian fleet. The Svir had always been the only way to get to both Scandinavia and Asia. Also, the local forests boast fine pine trees which are perfect for building good ships. Finally, nowhere else in Russia could one find better shipbuilders than here. The original village existed until it burned down during WWII. In the 1950’s there lived a few families working for the hydro-electric station. The real revival of the village started in 1997. The main purpose of the reconstruction was to restore and carefully keep the culture of the Russian North. Profit from the endeavor goes to support local schools. Today, 100 people live permanently here and 300 come every day to work from the nearby villages. There are working craftspeople making beads, lace, pottery, wooden toys, glass and other things. We spent several hours walking around and then enjoyed a traditional barbeque lunch (shashlik) in a pavilion.
Later, we had our final lecture. Jerry had submitted a question regarding the professor’s assertion that part of the reason for the downfall of Soviet Russia was collusion between the USA and Saudi Arabia to depress the price of oil. She simply handed him a sheet of paper with citations supporting her allegation, but did not discuss the issue at all
Wednesday, June 22 St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 on the banks of the Neva River and the Gulf of Finland. The city has seen its share of historical events including the Decembrist Revolt, the palace coup and murder of Tzar Pavel, the intrigues of Catherine the Great, the assassination of Tzar Alexander II, the influence of Rasputin on the Russian royal family, the Revolution of 1905 and the October Revolution of 1917 which brought the Communists to power. During WWII, the city (then known as Leningrad) went through a harrowing two and a half year blockade and siege by the Nazi invaders resulting in the deaths of over 1 million of its citizens. Today, St. Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city with a population of over 5 million. It is also known as the center of Russian art, culture and literature. The city is also known as the Venice of the North because of its location on various islands in the river and its many canals and bridges.
We had a bus tour of the whole city, with stops at points of interest, bathrooms and shopping areas. First stop was the Smolny Cathedral and Convent, the epitome of whipped-cream baroque built for Elizabeth I.In the evening we went back into town to see the ballet Swan Lake at the Alexandrinsky Theater. Maybe we were over-tired, but it seemed rather long.
Thursday, June 23 St. Petersburg
On Thursday, we visited the Hermitage. We had a good guide and spent about four hours. It's worth much more time, but we did get a good feel for the overall collection.Catherine the Great founded the museum, which grew over the years as her successors purchased more and more art and built buildings to house it. The decorative arts, religious works, and Rembrandt and Impressionist paintings were my favorites, plus a wonderful sculpture by Michaelangelo which I've never seen before. The Fabergé eggs were on loan, so only a few were on view. Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, ancient Roman mosaics, gorgeous wallpaper, and thrones!!
Peterhof is a town on the southern shores of the Gulf of Finland. In the afternoon, we traveled there by super-fast hydrofoil to visit the summer residence of Peter the Great with its elaborate palaces and gardens. The Grand Cascade, a multi-level fountain lined with gilded statues rises up a steep hill, where the baroque Grand Palace lords above. The centerpiece is a giant statue of Samson ripping apart the jaws of a lion.
Friday, June 24 St. Petersburg
Many palaces and parks were created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796. We visited the centerpiece, the vast baroque castle designed by Rastrelli and named after Elizabeth’s other, Peter the Great’s second wife. Elizabeth made it her summer residence and designed it rival Versailles. Catherine the Great revised and enlarged the palace. The unbelievably luxurious interiors include the newly restored Amber Room, a lavish chamber of amber, gold, and mirrors. The original Amber Room was lost after being looted by Nazi Germany in WW II. The palace is remarkable for its huge architectural forms and striking variety of its sculptural décor. The sky-blue color of the background combined with the white columns and the gilding of the carefully delineated details to produce a profound impression in any weather and during any season. At the end of our tour, we bought a pretty amber pendant in one of the many museum stores.
That afternoon, we walked with another couple around the area where the ship was dock. Very depressing. Everything was overgrown, dilapidated looking, with broken windows and graffiti everywhere. We went into a grocery store, but I wouldn’t have bought anything there. It just seemed as if the residents didn’t care about anything. Had our final dinner, packed up for the next leg.
Russia, the Baltics & Finland~June, 2011
Gail South