“The Best of Russia”

June 27 - July 10, 2010

Please join us in our travel to the most inspiring holy places and magnificent monuments and museums of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov, Novgorod and Valaam.

Day 1, Saturday, June 26, 2010

Group gathers at the Dulles/JFK Airport.

Day 2, Sunday, June 27, 2010

Meals: Dinner.

Arrival to Moscow - Airport Sheremetyevo 2. Transfer to the hotel. Check in and some time to rest.  Supper at the hotel.

Day 3, Monday, June 28, 2010

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

We will start our day by a visit to Sretenskiy Monastery, one of the oldest and most venerable monasteries in Moscow. From here we will proceed to Moscow Kremlin. Kremlin (kremlin is a general term used to described the strongly fortified central part of the Medieval Russian City).  The Moscow Kremlin is a true Pride of Russia. It has some magnificent cathedrals, among which there is famous Uspenskiy (Dormition) Cathedral, once the place of the election of the Russian Patriarch. The Patriarch's Palace contains some unique Artifacts, and the Museum "Oryzheynaya Palata" (the Armory yard) has the "Pearls" of Russia's treasures. Lunch. Red Square - our visit here will include the "Picture of Russia," the famous Cathedral of St. Basil that just recently underwent an extensive exterior renovation, the church of Our Lady of Kazan, and the monument to Marshal Zhukov - an iconic image associated with the national victory in World War II. Some free time will be given to explore the vicinity of the most famous of all Russian squares. GUM, one of the largest and most fashionable Russian Malls and a modern splendidly decorated underground Mall are literally adjacent to the Red Square. A number of restaurants in the vicinity can accommodate any taste and budget. The bus will pick us up at 8:00 pm for transfer to the hotel.

Day 4, Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. We will start our day by a visit to SS. Martha and Mary Convent, established by Grand Duchess and Royal Martyr Elizabeth. Here we can visit with nuns and volunteers who continue the unmercenary work of charity started by Saintly Royalty. Donskoy Monastery - historically important place, the "jail" and resting place of the Russian Patriarch Tikhon. In the afternoon we will visit the Tretyakov gallery, a very fine collection of Russian art from 10th to the 20th centuries. In the attached museum church you may see the miracle-working "patron" Icon of Russia, Our Lady of Vladimir.

Day 5, Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we will travel some miles east of Moscow to the small town of Sergiev Posad, famous for its Holy Trinity Lavra (Monastery). The monastic settlement here was established by St. Sergius in the 14th century and became the single most important spiritual center of all of Russia. We will have time to explore the territory of the monastery, with a number of churches, and adjacent territory with a number of little shops. On our way back we will stop to visit a church built on a place where Fr. Alexander Men, famous Russian Missionary and writer was assassinated.

Day 6, Thursday, July 1, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

We will start our last day in Moscow with a visit to Izmailovskiy Market, which has in recent years became a site to visit on its own. From there we will pursue to the Novospasskiy Monastery, another venerable monastic foundation in the heart of the city. After Lunch we will the largest functioning Orthodox Church in the World, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This magnificent building was demolished in the 1930s and has been rebuilt in recent years, becoming a symbol of changes in the country and the resurrection of the religious life in all of Russia. After visit to the Cathedral we will continue to Arbat Street, an alternative Moscow pedestrian zone, place of art galleries and one of the prime places for souvenir shopping. Later in the evening, we will transfer to a train station for an overnight ride to the Ancient Russian City of Pskov. Train # 010 (Moscow - Pskov), departure 7:25pm, arrival to Pskov at 7:00am.

Day 7, Friday, July 2, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

After breakfast, we will visit Pechori Monastery - important spiritual center of NW Russia from Medieval times and till the present day. Tradition of elderhood did not die here even till the present day. We also be able to visit monastic cemetery in the underground system of caves that were formed by an underground river millenniums ago. In the city of Pskov we will visit the Kremlin that is nested right over the high bank of the Velikaya River and Mirozhskiy Monastery with the only in Russia surviving composition cycle of the Byzantine frescoes.

Day 8, Saturday, July 3, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

This morning we will transfer to a beautiful Russian city of Novgorod. Novgorod, is a quiet, clean, typical provincial city of Russia's North-West. But its thousand year history is it truly unique. Upon our arrival we will visit St. George Monastery - arguably the oldest Russian Monastery with the Cathedral of St. George dating back to the 11th century. Then we will continue on to Vitoslavitsi, the museum of Wooden Architecture that has the finest collection of the wooden architecture of the Russian North. There are a lot of wooden churches, houses, barns and wells. These wooden monuments have been brought from various regions of Russia for preservation purposes as well as a display of a variety of wooden architectural styles.

Day 9, Sunday, July 4, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

We will start our day by attending Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Sophia

After liturgy we continue to explore the main attraction of Novgorod, the Medieval Kremlin. The buildings of the Novgorod Kremlin date back to the 11th -16th centuries. The most special of them all is the Cathedral of St. Sophia, built in the 11th century, and which has survived largely intact trough its thousand year history. In addition to the Cathedral, we will visit several historic and art exhibits in the museums of Kremlin. After Lunch we will visit the Market square, the central point of the Medieval city's commerce and interaction. A number of churches in close proximity to each other serve as a tribute to the piety of Novgorod's tradesmen. From the Market place, also known as Yaroslav's court, we will walk down Il'ina street for a visit to Znamensky cathedral. This church was build in dedication to the famous miracle working icon, our Lady of the Sign (Znamenye), the paladin of Novgorod. The nearby Transfiguration church (13th century) still contains some of the original frescoes painted by renown Medieval iconographer Theophanes the Greek. In the evening an optional boat ride on Volkhov River can be organized for you to enjoy the splendid panoramas of the city.

Day 10, Monday, July 5, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

This morning we will transfer to splendid Northern Capital of Russia, magnificient city of St. Petersburg. Here we will visit the State Russian Museum, which houses the most comprehensive collection of Russian Art from its Byzantine Origins up to the present day. The museum always offers a lot of temporary exhibitions for an additional cost. Practically adjacent to the Museum stands the famous "Savior of the Spilt Blood," or Holy Resurrection Cathedral, that was built to commemorate Russian Tsar Alexander II who was mortally wounded on that very place by terrorists. Magnificent by all means, it is nicely decorated on the outside with tablets on which Tsar Alexander's laws and orders are inscribed, along with the dates of the most important events that had taken place during his reign. The inside of the Cathedral is completely covered with mosaics. There are over 21 thousand square feet of mosaics inside and outside the Cathedral. Near by Souvenir market present wonderful opportunity to shop for presents and various memorabilia. At the end of the day we will visit Alexander-Nevsky Lavra, a beautiful monastery that at one point was one of the biggest and famous in Imperial Russia. We will tour the grounds of the Monastery, including the magnificent Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the cemetery where many famous Russian artists, writers and actors are buried.

Day 11, Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

One of the most famous Russian Monasteries that is located on the islands of Valaam Archipelago has a tremendous importance to all Orthodox in America. It is from here, toward the end of the 18^th century that a small group of monks left on a missionary trip toward far away Alaska. For its prestige and importance monastery was nick-named the "Athos of the North". Desecrated during the Soviet times, monastery is now largely restore and once again serves as a refuge to those who seek to serve Heavenly Master in the most perfect way. We will visit several sketes of the monastery, will see the main compound and will walk to the pristine woods of the islands.

Day 12, Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Upon our return from Valaam we will explore the vicinity of the city. First on our list is a Tour of the State Historical Park "Tsarskoe Selo" (Tsar's village), one of the summer residences of the Romanov dynasty with the splendid Catherine's Summer Palace. Built in the second half of the 18th century, it represents the glory of Russia's "Golden Age". The interiors of the palace are fully restored after they were savagely destroyed in WWII. The most recently restored amber now once again conquers the imagination of visitors. Just before lunch, we will visit St. Sophia's Cathedral, a unique architectural monument from the beginning of 19th century. Abandoned and partly destroyed during the Communist Era, this Cathedral welcomes visitors in its restored glory. After lunch we will continue the exploration of St. Petersburg's suburbs with a visit to Pavlovsk. Here you will see a country residence, the Palace of Paul the First, the son and successor of Catherine the Great. This Imperial getaway is surrounded by a Romantic English-Russian Park with spectacular landscapes.

Day 13, Thursday, July 8, 2010

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

We will start our day by a visit to St. John of Rila Monastery on Karpovka River. It was founded by Saintly Priest John of Kronstadt. Here, in the convent he found his resting place as well. From there we will continue onto the State Hermitage, once the Winter Palace of the Russian Tsars, which houses one of the world's largest collections of Fine Arts. Countless artifacts on exhibit cover the evolution of Art from the Neolithic time and Ancient Egypt up until the beginning of the 20th century. After lunch we will visit splendidly decorated Cathedral of St. Isaac, one of the world's largest domed Cathedrals. Never a parish church, it was built as a dedication to the Heavenly Patron of Peter the Great, St. Isaac of Dalmatia. The cathedral is very Western in style, but adorned with definitely Eastern lavishness. The panoramic view of St. Petersburg from its observation deck around the dome is truly magnificent.

Day 14, Friday, July 9, 2010

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

Today, after breakfast we will start with the exploration of SS. Peter and Paul Fortress that is located in the very heart of St. Petersburg. The day when the ground was broken to build this first stronghold in the newly regained Russian lands became the birthday of St. Petersburg. After a visit to the fortress - which also serves as a final resting place for the Russian Rulers of Romanov dynasty - we will travel by hydrofoil for about one hour to Peterhof - yet another splendid suburb of St. Peterburg. After lunch, we will Tour of the Historical State Park "Peterhof" with its world famous Golden Palace that is surrounded by a Park with arcades of golden fountains. We will finish our day in Peterhof with a stop at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, an Orthodox Architectural Masterpiece build in Neo-Russian style. This church is also famous for an interesting ceramic iconostasis and rich decoration of the interior.

Day 15, Sunday, July 10, 2010

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Departure back home.

Important: the itinerary may be adjusted to satisfy the interests of the group to the best extent possible; i.e. services, rest, additional time spent in the places where the most important collections of ecclesiastical art are housed. Accessibility of some of the monuments is also subject to weather conditions and restoration works as ancient frescoes are very fragile and need special climate control regime.  

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOUR:

 

Price does include:

•         Accommodations in "***" hotels in Moscow, Pskov, Novgorod and St. Petersburg

•         Most of the meals: two or three meals daily, as noted in the itinerary

•         Private bus transportation whenever required

•         Two nights/one day cruise to Valaam.

•         An overnight sleeper train from Moscow to Pskov.

•         All admissions to the scheduled museums*.

•         Professional tour guides at all of the tour places

•         English speaking guide/escort during the entire tour

* Some museum churches containing fragile ancient frescoes may be closed if the weather will be too damp. We'll try to do our absolute best to visit those places anyway, but we hope for your understanding if such visits won't be possible.

Price does not include:

•         Personal health/accident insurance

•         Airfare tickets*

•         Transportation to and from the airport in Russia if traveling separately from the group

•         Fee for Russian visa

•         Private transfers, additional (optional) tours and tickets to unscheduled show/concerts or museums.

•         Some newly introduced fees that may occur in certain places (monasteries or churches)

•         Bed sheets on the train if not included in the ticket price

• Tips to bus drivers and tour guides (Minimal suggested amount per person is $2 per day for bus drivers and same for local tour guides. Your generosity will be always greatly appreciated)

* GROUP AIR FARE:

Round trip group air fare (10 or more people traveling together) out of Dulles airport (Washington D.C.) is available at USD 1200 per on the following itinerary:

June 26, 2010:  WASHINGTON, D.C. leaves at 10:00pm, arrives MOSCOW on June 27, 2010 at 11:35am. Flights: Air France 027/2544

July 10, 2010:  ST.PETRSBURG leaves at 7:20am, arrives WASHINGTON, D.C. on July 10, 2010 at 11:35am. Flights: Air France 2899/028

Financial arrangements:

The current cost of the trip is USD 3200/EUR 2140* per person, based on double occupancy in a group of 20 paying members. Single supplement: 750 USD. The price might change due to the constantly changing prices and taxes and fluctuating exchange rate of ruble vs. US Dollar and Euro. Our hope is that the price of the tour will remain essentially the same. In any case you'll be informed right away of any possible financial changes or adjustments.

All payments should be made by check to: "Palomnik, LLC". Any returned checks are subject to $20 fee.

We would request $500.00 deposit at the time of signing up for the trip. Deposit is non-refundable. The entire amount is requested 90 days prior to the departure (March 27, 2010). The deadline for signing up for the tour is March 27, 2010.

In the unlikely event of cancellation, the charges in addition to the full amount of the deposit are*:

•         25% of the tour cost, 90 to 30 days prior to the departure

•         50% of the tour cost, 30 to 15 days prior to the departure

•         100% of the tour cost 14 days prior to the departure

All the cancellations must be in writing and sent directly to agent/coordinator - Fr. llya Gotlinsky and must be received for reimbursement by the dates shown in the cancellation schedule.

If visa is denied for any reason, the above cancellation fees still apply.

Passport and Visa:

A valid passport and Russian visa are necessary for travel to Russia. The passport must be issued at least three months prior to the departure and must be valid until your return.

The visa may be obtained through the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C., your regional Russian Consulate General or at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in your country. You may apply for visa personally or via mail. You must have an invitation from an agency in Russian to obtain Russian entry visa. To receive such invitation you must provide us with your full name, date and place of birth, number of your passport and your permanent address. Upon receiving the invitation all the necessary forms for the visa (invitation, visa application, instructions on how to file for the Russian visa and the list of the Russian official offices where you can obtain visa) will be mailed to you directly. We are willing to help you to apply for the Russian visa. If you apply for the Russian visa yourself, please make sure that the data (name and dates) on your visa is accurate. All possible discrepancies must be corrected while still at home in the US, prior to the departure.

Rules on the road:

•         It is strongly suggested for a traveler to obtain insurance covering medical needs and coverage regarding personal property;

•         be aware that all medical needs will be sole responsibility of the traveler;

•         act in a manner consistent with the surrounding environment;

•         make arrangement to have sufficient funds to cover personal needs and unexpected happenings.

The places that we will be visiting may not have the same amenities that one is accustomed to. Medical facilities in most areas are limited. Because of the difference in language and customs, it is expected that the traveler will follow the directions of the Tour Director at all times.

The Director reserves the right to restrict a person's participation in the group's activities, including exclusion from the group, when, in the opinion of the Director, such action is appropriate.

Please note: The Director of the trip (Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky) does not hold any legal responsibilities concerning any of the arrangements. He plays only the role of an agent/coordinator.

 

SOME RUSSIAN TRAVEL TIPS BY AN EXPERIENCED AMERICAN TRAVELER:

LUGGAGE - I recommend packing as compactly as possible. Take only as many pieces of luggage as you can manage yourself. There will be several times on the trip, especially going through Russian customs, when a luggage cart may not be available. Large luggage pieces (larger than 24") also may create an inconvenience while traveling on the trains since the train compartments have very limited space available to store your belongings.

MEDICATION - Bring whatever medications (including medicines for colds, sore throats, nausea and diarrhea) that you think you may need. While most medicines are available in the larger cities in Russia, the quality may be questionable and you need a doctor's prescription for antibiotics.

BE SURE TO BRING - an alarm clock (very few hotels provide room clocks); alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wet wipes (to clean your hands while touring and for those emergency trips to the restroom); your own toilet paper, if you chafe easily; Kleenex; film/memory cards and extra batteries for your camera; comfortable shoes (do not start the trip with new shoes). Russians don't have the smaller wash cloths we are used to when bathing. Bring your own, if you won't feel clean without using one. Bug/mosquito repellant is recommended. You are most likely going to use it at night in the provincial towns. A portable fan may be of use at night since most of the hotels do not have air conditioning systems. An electric outlet adapter is necessary if you plan to use any electric gadgets from non-European countries.  We are going to visit a lot of churches and monasteries. While the dress code is getting looser, especially in larger cities, I want to encourage all to show moderation and respect. Russians prefer women to wear head-coverings in churches, even if it is something symbolic. Skirts are also necessary, especially at the monasteries. People in shorts and open shouldered outfits will not be allowed in the monasteries and churches.

RUSSIAN FOOD - is excellent, although calorie content is obviously not a major concern. Generally dairy products are only available at breakfast, and sugar substitutes and powdered creamer are not provided - so bring your own if you must use these. In case you would like to buy something in a store, use caution, check the expiration dates and don't buy anything that is easily spoiled. Avoid buying anything from the street vendors.

CHURCH AND SERVICES - Church services in Russia are absolutely magnificent. There are two services scheduled during the trip. They are open to all who want to attend, but are not mandatory. Those Orthodox travelers who would like to receive Holy Communion during the Divine Liturgy must come for confession on that day, prior to receiving the Holy Communion.

WATER - Since a major upgrade in the water system in Moscow for its 850th anniversary in 1997, the tap water in the city is fine. In any case, in Moscow or in especially in the smaller cities I would either filter the water before I drink it or just buy bottled water, which is not expensive and is widely available.

SECURITY - Don't keep all of your cash in one place, and carry important documents (like your passport and visa) with you in a hidden pocket or secure bag. You don't want to be in a foreign land without money or travel documents. Expensive jewelry and fancy are best left at home.

CURRENCY - There are more and more places in Russia that accept credit cards (mostly Visa or MasterCard, no Discover or American Express). The easiest way to obtain cash is to use the ATM machine. For ATMs use your debit card because you won't be charged any interest on cash withdrawals. On your credit card purchase or with your debit card cash withdrawal you get the best exchange rate of the day. It is a good idea to let your bank or credit company (the one that you'll be using a card of) know that you are traveling overseas. Without such a notice some companies may "freeze" your account to prevent foreign card fraud. If you still feel more comfortable with cash, there are numerous currency exchanges in hotels, banks, stores - even in the smaller towns. You're rarely very far from one and it's easy to exchange dollars for rubles. But try to obtain clean, recently printed U.S. bills. Russian banks are VERY particular about the dollars they will accept and don't want dirty, torn or defaced bills. If you are exchanging cash money please use larger bills, since it always take a while for the bank clerk to check the bills. The exchange of a large number of small bills may slow down the process and the pattern of the day in general.

Russia is a beautiful country full of friendly people. But like traveling anywhere in the world, it's best to be prepared and to take precautions that will keep you and your possessions safe.

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