MOSCOW
City tour (without inside visits) |
During the panoramic tour you will get acquaintance with the city and its most attractive sights such as:
You will make photo stops to take unforgettable pictures. |
| City tour with excursion to St. Basil’s cathedral |
During this tour you will get acquaintance with the city and its most attractive sights and have an inside excursion to theSt. Basil’s cathedral.
This splendid cathedral has always captured our heart by its compelling architectural style. The main facade of the building can not be distinguished clearly as the cathedral was designed for an all-round viewing. A walk round the place will definitely get you stunned by the striking beauty of the cathedral, which represents a «fantastic town» and which was erected in the mid 16th century by the order of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the victory over Kazan.
Once the cathedral was finished the tsar ordered to blind the architects in order to prevent them from building a more beautiful masterpiece. Though the history of the city of that period can be characterized as turbulent, the cathedral was lucky enough to escape the demolition. With the establishment of the Soviet regime Saint Basil’s Cathedral was closed and later turned into a museum.
| Excursion to the Kremlin grounds including three Cathedrals / Armoury Chamber |
Unique complex of architectural monuments surrounded by ancient red brick walls crowned with 19 towers, which are an important city landmark.
The first wooden Kremlin was built by order of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky in 1156. The centre of Kremlin is the Cathedral Square with the Cathedral of Assumption, where royal wedding and coronation ceremonies used to take place. The Cathedral of Annunciation and the Cathedral of Archangel Mikhail are located next to it. You will also see Palace of Facets, the church of the Deposition of the Robe, the bell tower of Ivan the Great and the Spasskaya (Saviour) Tower, Armoury Chamber and the Diamond Fund, the Grand Kremlin Palace, the Patriarch’s Palace, the Tsar Bell and Tsar Cannon, etc.
Armoury Chamber is one of the oldest museums on the Kremlin grounds contains the priceless collection not only richly decorated arms and weapons but also the Russian Tsars’ Crown Jewels, carriages and thrones, furniture, Royal gowns, jewellery (including the famous Faberge Easter eggs), diplomatic gifts of the 12-19th centuries.
| Excursion to Novodevichy Convent |
The Novodevichy Convent ensemble is an outstanding monument of architecture of the 16th-17th centuries.
The most attractive construction of the Novodevichy Convent ensemble is the Smolensky Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk Icon.
The Novodevichy Convent is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
It ranges among the oldest and the most beautiful convents in Russia.
| Excursion to the Saint Saviour’s Cathedral |
Situated on the left bank of the Moskva river on the site of the former Alexeyev Monastery, the Cathedral of Our Christ the Saviour was founded in 1839 and its construction went on for 40 years.
Donations were made by rich and poor for the cathedral, which was to commemorate the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 (the invasion of Napoleon). Architect K. Thon conceived the cathedral in the Russo-Byzantine style and it was designed to strike the imagination with its grandeur and wealth of external and interior decor. The Cathedral was recently reconstructed and now it has its former splendour.
At the moment St. Saviour is the main cathedral of Russia. On great holidays the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Alexey II, presides services there. The excursions are provided after morning service from 13:00 till 16:00; standard excursion includes visit to the Cathedral and upper observation site (elevator leads there) and lasts app. 1 hour.
| Tour to the State Tretyakov Gallery |
The State Tretyakov Gallery is the national treasury of Russian fine arts and one of the greatest museums in the world. It is located not far from the Kremlin in one of the oldest districts of Moscow.
This Gallery was founded by well-known Moscow merchant Mr. Tretyakov. In 1892 Mr. Tretyakov donated his collection of canvases and other masterpieces to the city of Moscow and the Gallery was opened for the public.
Now the collection includes about 100.000 pieces and focuses mainly on the Russian art.
Main attractions: Russian paintings of the 10th-20th centuries. Andrey Rublev, Feofan Grek, Brullov, Kiprensky, Repin, Savrasov, Verezhgin, Vasnetzov, Ivanov, Tropinin, Kramskoy, Savrasov, Kuindjy, Aivasovsky, Shishkin, Geh, Vrubel, Levitan, Korovin, Serov and others.
| Excursion to Kolomenskoye Estate |
The Village of Kolomenskoye was mentioned for the first time in the will of the Grand Prince Ivan Kalita of Moscow in 1339, and it was at that time the favourite summer country residence of government members.
The most ancient architectural monument of Kolomenskoye is the Church of the Ascention (1532), which was registered by UNESCO in 1994 as a monument of great artistic and historical value.
Also important are the valuable monuments of wooden architecture from different regions of Russia that have been transferred and installed here.
Kolomenskoye attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, in particular because the museum has live dramatised performances of historical events and it’s beautiful sight from the bank of the Moscow River.
| Tour to Kuskovo estate |
The Kuskovo Estate or Palace is a unique estate so well preserved till today.
Its owner was one of the Russian counts – Sheremetiev. The palace was built in an original 18-th century style and represents a typical Russian summer residence.
Main attractions: The State Museum of Ceramics. All sorts of ceramics (unique pieces of china, delftware, brightly coloured figures) from ancient times to nowadays can be found here.
The Unique Park Complex includes the Palace and other constructions of the mansion: the Hermitage, the Grotto, the Dutch house and the Green house. Built in 1737-1739 the summer stone church replaced the old wooden one and now it happens to be the oldest building in Kuskovo.
| Tour to Sergiev Posad |
Sergiev Posad is situated in 70 km from Moscow.
The town was founded in the 14th century and centred around the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius, one of the finest examples of the early Russian architecture and nowadays the centre of the Russian Orthodox church.
Among its greatest treasures is the white stone Trinity Cathedral, built in 1423. Icons by Old Russian Masters Andrei Rublev and Daniel Chorny crown its interior.
The Monastery houses the museum of Applied Arts, which displays ancient embroidery, gold and silver tableware, palace furniture, and tapestries dating from the 17th to 20th centuries.
| Classic Russian Ballet in Bolshoi Theatre |
Thе State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia is one of the best musical theatres in the world.
It is considered one of the most mesmerising theatrical buildings in the world due to its wonderful architectural style.
Ballet and opera performances are staged at the Bolshoi Theatre with the participation of the world stars.
Most famous performances: Swan Lake, Giselle, Traviatta, Khovanschina, Spartacus, Iolanta, Boris Godunov.
————————————————————————————————————————-
ST. PETERSBURG
City tour (without inside visits) |
During the panoramic tour you will get acquaintance with the city and its most attractive sights such as:
You will make photo stops to take unforgettable pictures. |
| City tour with excursion to Peter & Paul Fortress |
During this tour you will get acquaintance with the city and its most attractive sights and have an inside excursion to the 1-st building of St. Petersburg.
The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded by Peter the Great on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27, 1703 (May 16 according to the old calendar), which is now marked as St. Petersburg’s City Day.
From 1721, the fortress housed part of the city’s garrison and also famously served as a high security political jail – among the first inmates was Peter’s own rebellious son Alexei.
More pleasantly, the Peter and Paul Fortress is home to the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a church where almost all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Nicholas are buried. The Cathedral was the first church in the city to be built of stone (in 1712-33).
| Excursion to St. Isaac’s Cathedral / Our Savior on the Spilt Blood |
You can chose excursion to one of these cathedrals:
St.Isaac’s Cathedral – gilded dome dominates the St. Petersburg skyline – on a clear day it can be seen from miles away. Visitors can climb the 300 or so stairs to the colonnade that runs around the dome to get great views over the city. The interior of the cathedral is a real marvel. It is surrounded by 80 red granite columns that weigh 80 tons each. The cathedral, now serves as a museum and services are held only on major occasions.
Our Savior on the Spilt blood – this marvelous church in stereotypical Russian style was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. The church was built in 1883-1907 and was officially called the Church of the Resurrection of Christ – although better known locally as Our Savior on the Blood (Spas na krovi). Both inside and outside, the church is decorated with mosaics, designed by the most prominent Russian artists of the time.
| 3 cathedrals: St.Isaac’s Cathedral, Our Savior on the Spilt blood, Smolny Cathedral / Alexander Nevsky Lavra |
This tour includes the visits to 3 cathedrals – St. Isaac’s, Our Savior on Spilt blood and Smolny Cathedral.
As a 3-d cathedral you can also choose Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
The Smolny Cathedral was meant to be the main church of a convent to house Elisabeth, daughter of Peter the Great. The blue and white Smolny Cathedral is one of the most fabulous architectural masterpiece.
Alexander-Nevsky Monastery (Lavra) complex was named for Alexander Nevsky – considered a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church who played an important role in the history of St. Petersburg and whole Russia. It is a home to some of the oldest buildings in the city, as well as to cemeteries which contain the graves of some of the giants of Russian culture, including Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky, and Glinka.
| Excursion to the Yusupov Palace |
On a quiet stretch of the Moika River stands a long yellow building, which was once the residence of the wealthy and respected Yusupov family and which saw one of the most dramatic episodes in Russia’s history – the murder of Grigory Rasputin.
In 1916 a group of the city’s noble elite conspired to kill the one man who they felt threatened the stability of an already war-torn Russian Empire. Grigory Rasputin, a peasant and self-proclaimed holy man, had gradually won favor with the Tsar’s family through his alleged supernatural powers. His control over the decisions of the family and the Russian ruler himself, put him in a potentially manipulative position and posed a very real threat to their power. Consequently, Rasputin was murdered at the Yusupov Palace on the night of December 16-17 1916, and his death proved to be an almost greater mystery than his life had been.
As excellent tour-guides lead you through the beautifully recreated interiors of the palace, the full story of the murder of Rasputin will unfold before you.
| Excursion to the State Hermitage |
The Hermitage Museum is housed in the Winter Palace (and some other buildings), the main residence of the Russian imperial family. Located on the bank of the Neva River, this Baroque-style palace is perhaps the major attraction of St. Petersburg.
The Hermitage Museum was founded in 1764 when the Russian tsarina Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin. Today the Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and one of the largest and most respected art museums in the world, with 2.7 million exhibits from Ancient Egypt to early 20th century Europe.
It includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, unique collections of Rembrandt, Rubens, French Impressionists (Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet, Pissarro), plus Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and sculptures by Rodin.
| Tour to Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) with excursion to the Catherine’s palace and park |
A trip to one of the finest suburb residence of the Russian Tsars.
The town of Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoye Selo), just outside St Petersburg, has a marvelous ensemble of palaces and parks. It is particularly famous for its impressive baroque Catherine Palace where Catherine the Great lived and died.
During the excursion you will admire wonderful exteriors and interiors of the palace and pavilions in the picturesque regular park.
Also you will visit the magnificent «Amber room» which was recently restored.
| Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) + Pavlovsk (2 palaces and 2 parks) |
During this tour you will see 2 suburbs.
After the excursion in Catherine palace in Pushkin you will be forwarded to Pavlovsk – the youngest of the grand Imperial estates around St. Petersburg.
Pavlovsk is well worth visiting both for the treasures in the elegant neo-classical palace and for the charming, rambling park, which is one of the largest and finest English-style landscape gardens in the world.
| Peterhof |
Peterhof is an immensely luxurious royal estate, lying on the shore of the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea), a combination of several palaces and parks, the «capital of Russian fountains» and «the Russian Versailles».
The estate was founded by Peter the Great and shortly after 1710 the tzar had a beautiful park with several palaces built.
The focal point of both the Lower Park and the Upper Garden is the magnificent Grand Palace (Bolshoi Dvorets) with the Grand Cascade (Bolshoi Kaskad) in front of it.
You can choose from 2 option of getting there – by the coach transfer or by the hydrofoil.
| Gatchina |
Gatchina – suburb of St.Petersburg, locaten in about 40 km to the south from the city.
Like Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo and Pavlovsk, Gatchina was a residence of the Russian Imperial family.
This place attracts the tourist’s attention thanks to the most unusual Palace which took shape of a medieval fortified castle with bastions surrounded by the landscape park and beautiful lakes.
Another place worth of seeing in Gatchina is an extraordinary building that resembles a Gothic country church – the Priory Palace. Surrounded by hills and forest, it is located on the banks of the Black Lake, so that one can see very beautiful sight of the castle itself and it’s reflection in the water.
| Boat trip – rivers and channels of the «North Venice» |
St. Petersburg is often called the North Venice because of it’s numerous rivers and channels.
A boat trip gives a wonderful opportunity to admire the beautiful sights of the city from the water point of view.
Perhaps it is the most pleasant and romantic trip which you will never forget.
To enhance the positive impression from the water promenade it is possible to arrange a furshette (canapé with caviar and a glass of champagne) on board.
| Evening boat trip along Neva river with dinner on board |
Admire the evening sights of the city from the board of the luxury floating restaurant and taste the dishes in calm and relax atmosphere.
You will have an unforgettable chance to go under the opened bridges.
The trip is accompanied by the live music.
| One day Cruise to Valaam Island by hydrofoil |
Located in the center of the lake’s northern part is the archipelago consisting of fifty islands and named after the biggest,Valaam.
Its rocky islands are covered with coniferous woods, picturesque grasslands and green meadows. It is the place where the God-created beauty of the islands and the man-made beauty of architecture and art blend harmoniously. The imposing blue cathedral domes of the monastery located in the southern part of the island near the Monastery Bay can be seen from almost any point. You’ll visit the Transfiguration Cathedral and St Nicholas’ Church, have a lunch in the monastery dinning room (trapeznaya) and taste the traditional Russian dishes prepared by monks.
The way to Valaam from St. Petersburg by hydrofoil takes about 3 hours. You will leave St.Petersburg early in the morning and spend full day on the Island admiring it’s wonderful nature. At 6 p.m. you’ll board the hydrofoil and return to St.Petersburg at 10 p.m.
| Full day trip to Novgorod |
The oldest city of Russia, medieval centre of trades and crafts.
This is a place where you can see with your own eyes the ancient stone temples, a place where you can stand on the very place from which, according to the legends, a pagan god Perun was thrown into the Volkhov river; you can participate in the battles of contemporary warriors and read the famous birch-bark scrolls. Troops started for battles from these ancient Kremlin walls, legendary merchant and musician Sadko used to sing his enchanting songs while sitting on the bank of the Ilmen Lake, and the Volkhov river was busy with numerous ships following the trading route «from the Varangians to the Greeks» and laden with various goods from foreign parts.
Veliky Novgorod is situated on the North-West of Russia, 180 kilometers from Saint-Petersburg and 524 kilometers from Moscow.
| Folklore show in Nikolaevsky Palace «Feel yourself Russian» |
Passing the entrance (beautifully renovated) to the Palace you will find yourself in the lobby – with its fabulous gala stairs leading to the Concert Hall and other beautifully renovated halls of the Palace.
Courteous cavalier and elegant ladies in crinolines will greet you on the stairs showing you the way and making you forget the time. Beautiful melodies of the past performed by a professional musical quartet will give you impression that you are simply traveling through centuries: and this is just a beginning!
Then in the cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace you will see unforgettable folk show performance «Feel Yourself Russian». During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs – romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia. The show consists of two parts with a break, during which the guests are offered some canapes with red caviar, cheese, ham, and also some fruit, champagne, red wine, vodka, juice and mineral water.
| Classic Russian Ballet (visit to the theatre) |
You can admire the classic Russian ballet in the world famous theatres – Mariinsky (former Kirov) Opera & Ballet Theatre and in the Imperial Hermitage Theatre.
World-known Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet and Opera theatre is one of top ballet and opera companies in the world. It is a «must see» in St. Petersburg. The theatre has been the home of Russian ballet and opera since the 1860s and has become a mecca for both Russian and international artists.
The Hermitage Theatre, one of the oldest theatres in Russia, was built by order of empress Catherine the Great.