By Virginia Brady & PhotoMann
This story describes the cruise that 11 Americans took in Russia
during May 2000. The tour started with a couple of days in Moscow
and ended with a couple of days in St. Petersburg. The journey between
these two great cities was via a river cruise stopping in several
towns along the way. The bulk of the group, including PhotoMann, was
based in Germany. PhotoMann's dad and stepmother flew in from New
York with other Americans that would be on the same cruise.
The German based group arrived in Moscow a day early and stayed in
the Intourist hotel near Red Square. Their entry through immigration
and customs was fairly quick since there were few flights 
arriving
when they came in. They were then met by Svetlana who would be their
guide for the first day in Moscow until the boat arrived. After getting
situated in the hotel about 9pm the group had dinner at the restaurant
attached to the hotel. Interestingly enough they only took US$ or
credit cards... no rubels. After dinner the group decided to take
a late night stroll in the cold to Red Square. It was spectacular
to see everything lit up for the evening.
The extra first day in Moscow was not included with the cruise package.
We opted to hire Svetlana to show us some of Moscow that we wouldn't
see otherwise. It started VERY early in the morning with a subway
ride to the Izmailovo handicraft market. This market had just about
every 'typical' Russian handicraft at excellent prices. Everything
was cheaper and the selection better than anywhere else during our
stay in Russia. 
After
the market we had a late breakfast buffet at a nearby hotel. Svetlana
then invited the group to her house for a traditional Russian lunch.
On our way to the boat we stopped for some supplies including a visit
to a vodka store. When we arrived to the boat in the early evening
Svetlana introduced us to Nadia who would be our guide for the rest
of the trip.
The US based group arrived on 17 May and had an extend wait trying
to get through immigration. It was their first exposure to Russian
bureaucracy. They were funneled into a dimly lit holding area and
waited an eternity for the only two open immigration clearing booths
to handle the mob of arriving passengers. This was exacerbated by
them not liking someone's entry papers. After surviving the first
test of patience they were met by Sergei, one of our Russian guides.
The next challenge was to change money but the exchange ran out of
rubles after two people changed $20. That was the maximum allowed
per person! The door closed unceremoniously on the third person. They
were then transported by bus to the tourist harbor docks. The boat
arrival was delayed due to fog in the locks leading to Moscow.
The harbor area was somewhat bleak. The main structure arose from
the docks up crumbling steps. One wing was wrapped in renovation scaffolding.
There were many ceramic murals representing various aspects of commerce
on the exterior. Inside there were stained glass windows covered with
heavy dark velour-like curtains.
Once the ship arrived we found it to be cozy, clean and utilitarian.
The rooms were a little tight 
especially
for PhotoMann who needed space for the portable crib for his 18 month
old PhotoBabe. PhotoMann ended up on the bottom deck to get enough
space for the crib even though he paid for an upgrade (higher deck).
The East German made boat seemed to be filled to capacity with about
40 Americans, 125+ French plus 80+ crew members.
Each day started at roughly 6:30 with haunting Russian music coming
over the PA system along with information on the day ahead in French
and English. Breakfast was then served buffet style in the dining
room. Although the breakfast was good there was little variety/change
for the duration of the trip. We then headed off for city tours when
in port. Some days were spent mostly on the water but there was a
port call each day... some better than others. The rest of this travelogue
is broken down by destination.
Moscow (day 2 & 3)
We started with a city tour by bus. We had many views of the Kremlin
from outside the walls, passed many cathedrals, monuments and one
of Stalin's "wedding cake" skyscrapers. The bus tour ended
at Red Square (meaning beautiful square in Russian). We then queued
up to visit Lenin's tomb. The 
entrance
was a cold imposing granite doorway. There were steely eyed guards
every few feet along the stairs and damp hallway leading to the great
room with embalmed Lenin under glass. The guards ensured that the
line kept moving, was quiet and didn't take any pictures. Afterwards
we had one of our soon to be infamous 'box 
lunches'
outside St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square. The bus then took us
to Arbat street for shopping. There we found the original Moscow McDonalds
where many of us bought 'chasers' to our box lunch! The first evening
was spent going to the Moscow circus. One of our group was pulled
from the audience to help the clowns.
The second day started with ride on the Moscow subway to see some
of the ornately decorated stations. The first stop had beautiful mosaics
on the ceiling. This spot was also used by Stalin for military and
cabinet meetings during WWII. The second stop which was in the theater
district featured porcelain figures dedicated to various artists.
The last stop was at the Kremlin which was our next destination.
Getting into the Kremlin proved to be a hassle since no bags were
allowed inside. This included the backpack we were carrying my 18
month old daughter in. They also didn't want to allow my wife to bring
in her diaper bag which included all the necessities for the baby.
They did finally allow the diaper bag after our guide argued with
the guard a bit. However, the backpack was out. It was wonderful carrying
a sleepy 26 pound girl without the backpack. Then of course we found
out later that the exit was a LONG way from where we had checked items.
We had to run back before the bus could leave.
Once inside the Kremlin it was spectacular. We walked through the
grounds past the huge 40 ton Tzar
Cannon, a 200 ton Tzar bell that had been cracked in a fire and then
on to a square with beautiful buildings including the Assumption Cathedral.
The interior of the cathedral was full of gilded icons and grand frescos.
This was the site of many Czar baptisms among other things. It was
also the first of many destinations that charged a fee to take pictures
inside. The last stop in the Kremlin was the Armory 
museum.
We were exposed to two floors of grand gowns, armor, jewelry, Faberge
eggs, silverware, furniture and royal carriages from various Czars.
After another box lunch the bus took us to Victory Park which is
a memorial to Russian perseverance in WWII. The central monument is
a figure of St. George slaying a dragon. There was also a small Russian
Orthodox Church, war museum, holocaust memorial and a diorama display.
The dioramas depicting battles during WWII were quite impressive.
The three dimensional scenes seemed surreal.
When we finally returned to the boat we found that it had no power.
The problem was a faulty power distribution system. The bottom line
was that our departure would be delayed a few hours. To pass the time
our group had a party on deck outside one of our fellow passenger
suites. We made multiple runs to the small bar on shore to get shish
kabobs plus plentiful quantities of Russian beer, wine and vodka.
By the time the boat left at 8pm we were feeling no pain.
The first meal 'at sea' (on the river) was a traditional Russian
send off meal of salmon, caviar and vodka. We ate watching the sunset
and being entertained by the onboard musical group.
Uglich (day 4)
On the way to Uglich we went through several locks, attended a presentation
on Russian souvenirs, a 
lecture
on Russian fairy tales, and had our first Russian language lesson.
We arrived in the early evening (late because of our delay leaving
Moscow). We walked into town through the ever present gauntlet of
souvenir vendors.
The first stop on our walking tour was the Church of Transconfiguration
where we heard a 5 man choral group. The church was less than impressive
on the outside but was spectacular on the inside. The second stop
was the Church of Dimitri on the Blood. This was a small wooden structure
with colorful murals and a small golden icon image. On the way back
through town we made stops at a doll and quilt factory. The men in
the group also headed off to check out the 'tasty' samples at the
vodka museum.
Kostrama (day 5)
After our second Russian lesson we arrived in Kostrama. A bus took
us to the center of town to start 
our
tour. We visited a park with a large imposing statue of Lenin "pointing
the way" which overlooked the river. We also had the chance to
wander through a local market. The bus then took us to the Ipatiev
monastery where we walked the grounds toured the different buildings
and heard a choral group in the church. PhotoBabe got tired of the
touring and decided to pick dandelions and play in the courtyard.
A ferry then took us back to the ship. While in route we were serenaded
by a Russian folk group. The ship didn't depart until late evening
so some of us opted to walk back into town to explore on our own.
Unfortunately virtually everything was closed as it was Sunday evening.
Yaraslavl (day 6)
We arrived in Yaraslavl first thing in the morning. The proverbial
groups of souvenir vendors greeted us on shore. The first stop was
to walk around the green tiled and brick Nikolai Rublenova Church.
The second stop was just across the street at the Church of Transfiguration
of the Savior monastery. Within
the walled grounds we heard a bell music demonstration, heard a choral
performance and climbed to the top of the Church of our Lady of Pecharsk
for a panoramic view. The third stop was at Strelka Point where the
Volga and Kotorosl 
rivers
converge. We walked through the adjacent park where PhotoBabe had
a chance to meet some Russian children. The last stop for the day
was at the Church of Elijah to view their ornate icons and frescos.
After a hectic morning we were back on the boat around mid-day for
departure. During the afternoon cruise we had a Russian folk song
lesson, another language lesson and saw a Russian folk show in the
evening. The 6 foot nine inch tall member of our group was picked
to be dressed up as a Babushka!
Goritzi (day 7)
After our fourth Russian language lesson in the morning we arrived
in Goritzi. This small village is known for knitted goods. We had
a walking tour through the village past multicolored homes, a farmer
plowing his field with a horse drawn plow, and visited and old convent/church
that was under renovation. On the way back to the boat we visited
the home of a typical Russian retiree. Our barbecue lunch was in a
field back near the ship. After our mid-afternoon departure we practiced
for the cruise talent show, had another Russian lesson and a Russian
history lecture.
Kizhi Island (day 8)
We were jarred awake at 5:45 am as the ship bumped its way through
the third in a series of six locks.
The last lock was around 9am during breakfast. After another language
lesson and history lecture we arrived at the fairytale island of Kizhi.
The main highlight on the island was the huge wooden Transfiguration
church built without using a single nail. It also has the oldest church
in Russia. We had a walking tour on the island in blustery weather.
The evening back onboard the ship was highlighted by a costume party.
The cast of characters included 
Carmen
Miranda, a Greek goddess, Russian Mafioso, injured tourist, gypsy
dancer, a priest, two cowboys and of course our 18 month old PhotoBabe
in a Russian dress. The crew participated as well dressed as Neptune
and his underworld figures leading the entire group in a snake dance.
I was able to get this outstanding shot of PhotoBabe watching the
sunset from the ship window.
Day at Sea & Mondraga Village (day 9)
Much of the day was spent on the boat. We passed through a huge man-made
lake area that was flooded by Stalin to connect waterways. We saw
many flooded churches and towns as we passed. The entire lake is very
shallow with an average depth of only 3 meters.
Our only stop for the day was at the man-made Mondraga village. This
"typical" Russian village (reportedly built by the Mafia)
exists solely as a stop for cruise boats that are passing through.
We believe that the boats are 'required' to stop but couldn't confirm
that. Much of the village was still under construction. There was
little or nothing to do except stretch our legs.
PhotoMann will always remember Mondraga as he got mauled by a bear
cub. There were two orphaned cubs being kept by a biologist in the
village. We went over to take a look. The biologist let 
them
out to 'play'. Of course PhotoMann wanted to get some pictures. The
image here shows the cub claws on the biologist's arm. Unfortunately
one cub took a liking to PhotoMann and grabbed onto his bare leg (pun
intended... I was wearing shorts). Fortunately the cub only wanted
to play. It took several days for the scratches and marks to fade!
Unfortunately no one got a picture of 
the
cub attached to my leg. I do have one of my getaway!
After we were back on the ship we had our farewell dinner as it was
the last night 'at sea' before arriving in St. Petersburg. It was
followed by the passenger talent show which included a modem rendition
of "Swan Lake" which had us rolling on the floor laughing.
St. Petersburg (day 10-11)
Our final destination was grand St. Petersburg. The architecture
there looked more like one would expect in Europe vice typical Russian.
It was also the time of year when it never really got dark. The sun
wouldn't set until 10:30-11:00pm!
The
first day included a city tour by bus. This turned out to be a bunch
of stops with 10-15 minute marathons. We had to be back on the bus
in 10 or 15 minutes. In most cases this wasn't nearly enough 
time
to really see things. PhotoMann literally had to run at some stops
as there wasn't enough time to walk to the other side of the church
to shoot images with proper lighting. We stopped at a number of buildings,
drove by a fortress and a church or two. I have the images on film
but it's a blur otherwise. The image is shot of PhotoBabe… our
'grumpy tourist'… was a good reflection of the fast pace. The
afternoon was spent at the Hermitage and the winter palace of the
Czars.
The tour through the Hermitage was a bit of a rush (2 1/2hours) but
it was enough time to see the highlights. Although some parts were
in disrepair the interior of the building was impressive. The artwork
hanging on the walls was world class. You can get close-up views of
masterpieces by Van Gough and others. Many western museums have these
paintings 
in
well protected areas but I was able to photograph this Van Gough from
only inches away. It was just hanging on the wall w/o any special
fanfare. Outside the Hermitage there were a number of military bands
practicing for the 300th anniversary of the city celebrations to be
held the next day.
Our last full day in Russia was spent going out to see Catherine the
Great's 
Summer
Palace. To tour through the extraordinary interior we had to put on
shoe socks to protect the floors. Even PhotoBabe wore a pair of plastic
booties. She dusted the floors as she danced and giggled through each
room. After seeing the interior we strolled through the ornate gardens.
Most of our group elected to not take the afternoon optional tour.
Instead we had the bus drop us at McDonalds for a quick bite to eat
and then a subway ride to Nevisky Prospect. We wanted some more free
time to explore the area. We then returned back to the boat by subway.
After dinner part of the 
group
went to the ballet, some relaxed on the boat and others wanted to
explore more. PhotoMann decided to explore some more with PhotoBabe
since mommy was going to the ballet.
Wandering around the last evening through the Nevisky Prospect area
during the 300th anniversary of the city was a great experience. There
were tens of thousands of people in the streets. After pushing the
stroller for several kilometers we emerged in Palace Square in front
of the Hermitage. It was packed with people watching and listening
to various live concerts and performances. It was an amazing experience
to be there.
Departure Day
The group bound for the US had a very early morning departure. Those
of us going to Germany could relax till mid-morning. Things seemed
to be going too smoothly at this point. In one last parting shot of
bureaucracy PhotoMann was told by the airline check-in agent (an Aeroflot
code share flight) that he 
and
his family had no reservation on the flight for which we had tickets.
This was even though our guide had called them two days earlier with
our ticket numbers to reconfirm that everything was OK. The flight
was full and I was basically told we would have to go standby... NOT!
PhotoMann had to insist many times that the agent go and get her manager.
The reservations for everyone else in our group were OK but I was
determined to not be stranded. We eventually persevered to get onboard.
The flight was on an old Russian build airplane. The tray table for
the first row was a hinged shelf that folded down from the wall. The
takeoff was quite rough as the runway was FAR from smooth. After we
were in the air PhotoMann had to hunt for a place to change PhotoBabe's
diaper. He checked if we could do it on the floor in the galley area.
This was no problem... we could do it right next to all the crew bags
that were piled up against the emergency exit! When we finally landed
in Frankfurt all the Russian passengers onboard applauded!
Conclusion
There are lots of people that love to 'cruise' and need the direction
that an organized tour offers but PhotoMann usually prefers to avoid
this route. Despite my preference it was an enjoyable vacation which
forced PhotoMann to relax. Most of our independent trips have been
whirlwind tours with minimal slack time. Having the boat as our lodging
for the duration of the trip was a great benefit when traveling with
an 18 month old. We didn't have to pack up everything every couple
of days to move on to the next place. The only regret was not having
more time in Moscow and St. Petersburg to explore more off the beaten
path. The stops while cruising between the cities were interesting
but short. There was a little too much boat time but on the flip side
this is what forced me to unwind. PhotoMann hopes to return to Russia
but will concentrate more on the two big cities.
Photography Stuff
PhotoMann shot 42 rolls of slides on this journey. That may seem
like a lot if you're not an avid photographer but it's about average
for PhotoMann. I shoot with the philosophy that film is cheap. I would
rather throw away some pictures that don't work out than miss a shot.
I'll shoot from various perspectives, camera settings and lighting
conditions. The Russian images on this web
site are a representative sampling of those slides.
All the slides were shot with PhotoMann's new Minolta 9Ti. This was
the first real workout for his new titanium toy! The 9Ti performed
marvelously. PhotoMann also shot digital images with his Nikon Coolpix
990. The digital camera has become the tool of choice for hand-held
shots in low lighting conditions. The 990 has a best shot feature
that will capture three to six images into it's internal buffer and
keep only the sharpest one. The nighttime image of St. Basil's Cathedral
and most of the images inside churches throughout the trip were digital.
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