Russian City Breaks

Bolshoi Theatre re-opens after 5 years of renovation

2011-10-06T13:34:00.003+01:00

"The lobby sets a theatre's style" - as the Russian proverb says, but what sets the Bolshoi's style is the main curtain. After a 5-year-long renovation project, the Bolshoi is about to open its doors again to welcome guests to its 236th season. The famous "golden" curtain, the symbol of the Bolshoi, has now been restored and will take its place in Russia's main theatre.

The new curtain for the Bolshoi

The previous curtain was weaved of golden threads in 1955, had an area of 500 square metres and weighed over one ton.

The original curtain from 1955

In the beginning of the 90s the theatre had a temporary curtain with symbols of the "new era" as its design, but it was taken down in 2006 due to numerous defects. This is when a decision to recreate the original "golden thread" curtain was undertaken.

The new curtain was recreated completely from scratch, following a thorough analysis of materials and technics used in the previous USSR curtain. At the moment there are 2 curtains: a "Greek" draw curtain and a "German" raising curtain. There is also going to be a third "Italian" curtain, that opens like Roman blinds. Total rated weight of each curtain is 800 kg.

Parts of different curtains

"Italian" curtain model

The previous Soviet curtain served the theatre for half a century and had never been washed or dry-cleaned as it was made of natural silk with metallized gold coated threads. Now it is stored in the Bolshoi Theatre museum. The new curtain is expected to serve much longer as it is made of synthetic incombustible materials and fabrics created especially for this project.

It took 3 years to create the new curtain's design. This part of the work took place in Russia. Other works took place in Spain, Italy and France and took another year. Hence, it took 4 years altogether to create the new curtain for the Bolshoi theatre.

The new curtain pattern

There were 2 art directors working on the main curtain's design. All symbols underwent heraldic expertise. Attentive spectators will notice that the two-headed eagle is not contemporary. It was restored from an 1856 pattern. Even more attentive spectators will notice that the curtain also displays notes. These notes are the first measures of the opera "Glory to our Tsar" from "Ivan Susanin" by Glinka* which is very popular in Russia. It is interesting to mention that the notes have never been changed or removed, even during the Soviet past. Somehow, no one paid attention to this little detail.

The curtain's heading displaying the notes

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* It is said, that after watching the "Ivan Susanin" opera for the first time, a touched Nicolas II invited Mikhail Glinka to his box and thanked him for the masterpiece, offering a precious stone finger ring and suggesting to rename the opera into "A Life For The Tsar".

Source: Selective translation and photography from the original blog post by drugoi.

Let Moscow impress you!

2011-09-27T11:17:00.000+01:00

Looking for an autumnal getaway? There's no better place than the Russian capital.

To begin with, several large food festivals hosted in Moscow throughout September and October 2011 will make it a heaven for food lovers. Local organic food, cooked in front of you by true masters - what else can you wish for? Combine it with some good sightseeing in the morning, delivered by our experienced guides, and you have the most remarkable holiday full of great memories and tastes.

If you have always been enchanted by Moscow for its Soviet past, we have a series of tailored excursions (including a tour to Stalin's Cold War bunker as well as a missile activity command post), that will reveal some secrets of the distant past. But don't forget Moscow celebrated its 864th anniversary this year and therefore it has much more to offer.

Interested in the religious aspect of the city? Want to see its magnificent churches and monasteries? We have a customised tour that will show you the home of Orthodox churches in Moscow.

Perhaps you want to know more about the history of the noble Russian families? Discover the atmosphere of their country estates, picture their traditional tea ceremonies and ever-lasting conversation in the orchards.

Have you always been fond of Russian literature? Live through your favourite Russian stories once again, visiting the places that Chekhov, Tolstoy, or Pushkin wrote about. Discover where the great masters took their inspiration from. Perhaps it will shed new light on your interpretation of the Russian classics.

Moscow welcomes you with open heart!

Russian language - surprising facts #4.

2011-09-22T09:24:00.002+01:00

ROBOT

Did you know that the English word "robot", nowadays used to describe automated workers, was loaned from the Slavic "robotnik", which means a slave? "Robot-nik" (a slave) or "Robot-at' " (to work) is a common stem (with spelling variations) to describe a worker/to work in many Slavic languages. It came to English in 1920 through a translation of a Czech play.

Whatever happens keep on working

It is a bit more interesting, however, to observe the historic evolution of the Slavic stem itself. "Robota", which comes from Old Church Slavonic, meaning "servitude" and "rabu" - a slave have now gained a definition of a worker/work in a common sense like we understand it in English. Ironically, dismissal ("uvol'neniye") has a similar stem to "freedom" or "liberty" ("volya"). These links have been dissolved in the contemporary Russian language but are traceable linguistically.

This leads us to conclude (which is no more than our own observation) that the original Russian word for "work" must have only been applicable towards serf labour, so whenever serfs got dismissed, they received liberty. The fact that the word has expanded to define all sorts of work nowadays, including office work, leaves us with a curious question - in this day and age are we all slaves to our work like robots?

Proactive tour guides conquer state politics

2011-09-16T10:19:00.000+01:00

Olesya Baltusova, the new Kazan Internal Tourism Adviser

Following a promenade with the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnihanov and an official letter published online, Kazan tour guide Olesya Baltusova was offered a job as Internal Tourism Adviser by the mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metishin.

"When it comes to preserving our architectural heritage, the city government and the society stand hand by hand. I am deeply pleased to see proactive young people, passionate about our city. And Olesya Baltusova undoubtedly is one of them. Today we need new ideas, a fresh look from the outside. Therefore, we are going to create conditions for people like Olesya to be able to utilise their experience, knowledge and energy to serve the common purpose," - says the mayor of Kazan.

Olesya has already started her job as of September 10th. She later admitted she wasn't sure whether she would accept the mayor's offer since she is used to being a "free artist", but she was assured she could keep her tour guiding job and her activity in a local journal "Kazan", after which she agreed.

Although we do not know Olesya personally, we congratulate her with the new position. It is brilliant that local professionals like Olesya who know their own city like no one else can receive access to shaping tourism trends on a larger scale. We work closely with our tour guides of whom we are very proud, and who are incredible and we'd love to see them running state tourism departments as well - with the condition that they will keep their current jobs of course!

Gastronomic Festivals - Moscow, Autumn 2011

2011-09-13T13:30:00.000+01:00

Planning a trip to Moscow this autumn? Keep in mind that one of the main attractions of this season is a series of Gastronomic Festivals. Nothing can sound tastier than that! From eco-meals to fancy dishes, served on the grass by the pond, at a local market or in a local restaurant, these 3 festivals are worth the attention.

1. WHEN? SEP 24-25, Gorky Park.

Seasons-projects.ru. Entrance ticket - 500 RUR.

WHO? Anyone who loves to taste and cook great food.

Autumn in Moscow Festival - 100 metre long table

Seasons "Autumn in Moscow" - Lectures in a marquee.

Green lawns, stacks of hay and warm blankets - an ideal setting in the middle of Moscow to get comfortable with a plate on the grass or at a 100 metre long table, placed alongside the Gorky Park pond.

The festival pursues educational goals, therefore will present several large marquees, where visitors will be able to try: cheese, bread, pastry, soups, salads desserts and jamón. Prepared in great varieties and sometimes in front of the customers, it is heaven for food lovers - everything is for sale and enjoyment.

For those who prefer science behind cooking, it is possible to visit a lecture marquee, where top chefs are going to explain how to choose jamón, cheese and chocolate, present a master-class dedicated to selecting and cooking meat and will prepare some chef-d'oeuvres for tasting.

2. WHEN? SEP 30-OCT 02, Dorogomilovsky market, Moscow

Slowfood-ulitka.ru project. Entrance - FREE

WHO? Anyone who loves organic, fair-trade, rural food.

Borsch and pilaff in Moscoviya.

Organised by the Russian representative of the international ecogastronomic association "Slow Food", this food festival is putting Russian farmers on stage as main characters. Various regions are going to supply their specialties:

• Mosow region - cottage cheese, milk and sour cream;
• Rocky Altay - herbal honey, pine nut infusions, syrups;
• Vladimir Monasteries - milk, kefir, ryazhenka (fermented baked milk), yeast-free bread and pies;
• Kalmykia - lamb and horse meat;
• The Far East regions - game and other hunter's prey.

Dorogomilovsky market, Moscow

Special guests are going to prepare dishes from ex. Soviet Union republics: Armenian khinkali (Caucasian dumplings), Ukrainian borsch, Uzbek pilaff. The only rule is to cook from products, brought to the market by the farmers. A few famous chefs are going to conduct master-classes about lamb, duck, pilaff, mushrooms, apples and shashlyk (Russian for barbecue), as well as prepare some fancy dishes like lamb fillet cooked in vacuum and pancakes with pear jam and celery.

3. WHEN? OCT 01-31, Moscow restaurants

The aim of the last food festival is to attract people to Moscow restaurants and encourage them to try especially designed menu-sets, carefully prepared by the chefs to best communicate the character of the restaurant and the chefs' style. There's a price cap of 2500 RUR (£53) per menu-sets.

Alongside expensive restaurants, the project includes new gastronomic establishments with more democratic price level and respectful cuisine. Two world-renowned chefs from "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" list (Carlo Cracco and David Scabin) are going to be touring in some restaurants. And all the food-sampling lovers can take part in at least 2 themed dinners: OCT, 04 (3 Italian chefs are going to prepare 3 dishes the colour of the Italian flag) and OCT, 25 (3 Russian chefs are introducing the audience to the contemporary Russian cuisine).

Moscow Gastronomic Festival Invitation

The aim of this festival is not just to taste great foods, but to be able to compare and review Moscow restaurants. Visitors will be able to fill in a "Review Form" at every restaurant taking part at the festival, or on gastronomic.ru website. The organisers hope Moscow restaurants are going to receive objective and straightforward reviews that will benefit the industry.

The most important objective of Slow Food festivals is to popularise slow food philosophy, learn to appreciate farmers' work, bring back shopping at local markets and return local produce to Muscovite's tables. With free food sampling and master-classes the organisers hope to reinvigorate old culinary traditions and interest in sustainable consuming.

Russian language - surprising facts #3

2011-09-12T14:36:00.000+01:00

Source: powayusd.com

BRIDGE

Did you know that the word "bridge" could have been influenced by the old Russian "brŭvŭno", meaning a beam?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary contemporary English word "bridge" underwent a series of linguistic metamorphosis and travelled across a few languages before it arrived in the Old English as "brycg". But the progenitor of "bridge" is said to be the Old Church Slavic word "brŭvŭno", meaning a beam.

This seems to be a very logical explanation, since any bridge would indeed consist of beams, but have a look at the historic path of the word suggested by the Merriam dictionary below. What a traveller this bridge is! If you know of any other curious English words of Russian origin, we'll be happy to hear from you on our Facebook page.

Merriam-Websiter Dictionary Origin of BRIDGE:

Middle English brigge, from Old English brycg; akin to Old High German brucka bridge, Old Church Slavic brŭvŭno beam.

First Known Use: before 12th century

Source: sportsinpakistan.blogspot.com

P.S. The history of "bridge" as a card game is a bit more complex. Apparently, the word has originated from the Old East Slavic "бирич" ("birich / biritch") - an Ancient Rus herald, who woud announce the Duke's orders in the centre of a town square or yard, gathering people around. It is said that the card game "biritch" originated in Russia as well, but satisfactory evidence has not been discovered.

Russian language - surprising facts #2

2011-09-05T10:58:00.000+01:00

BISTRO

Cossacks in Paris, 1814, looking at the caricatures of themselves.

Every time you go into a bistro for a quick snack, you can stop for a moment and imagine yourself in 19th century Paris. Then you can see how the name for a low cost restaurant serving quick meals could have originated.

The Oxford Dictionary of English and Chamber Dictionary both respectably quote that the word "bistro" could have originated from the Russian "bystro", meaning "quick" or "rapidly". The story explains that the word could have been loaned when the Russian Cossacks occupied Paris in 1814, at the end of the Napoleon war. Russian Cossacks, who wanted to be served quickly, would shout "bystro". The French, supposedly, picked it up and adopted it as a name for their small restaurants with robust earthy dishes, that later on conquered the world. Interestingly enough, after donating a word to the French language, the Russians re-loaned it back with the appearance of famous restaurants on their territory in the 20th century. The only thing that has changed is the stress. Russian "´bystro" is stressed at the first syllable, whereas French "bis´tro" is stressed at the last.

Jean Béraud, "Au Bistro".

The French themselves, however, do not fully agree with this etymology, but at the same time are unable to find the root of the word in their own language. Their main argument is the fact that the word "bistro" was not fully adopted by the French language until 1884, long after the supposedly rowdy rude Cossacks came to town. French etymologists suggest, that the word could have been influenced by "bistouille" or "bistrouille", a colloquial term from northern France meaning a mixture of coffee and brandy, or any drink of poor quality (possibly something that might be served in a bistro). Another version is that it might be connected with "bistraud", a word in the Poitou dialect, exact meaning of which is unclear, but could be interpreted as "a minor servant" or "a young cowherd/little shepherd".

If you know any other versions of the origins of bistro, we will be happy to hear from you on our Facebook page!

Used sources: Wikipedia.org, WorldWideWords.org.

Russian language - surprising facts #1

2011-08-30T10:23:00.001+01:00

Did you know that a 17th century British business lady has influenced a creation of an entire lexical paradigm in the Russian language?

Train Station in Pavlovsk, a musical evening.

Serving as a bit of an inspiration to all entrepreneurs to be, the story of "vokzal", the Russian word for a train station, can amuse many. It was loaned from the original English "Vauxhall" - a 17th century park and entertainment establishment owned by Jane Vaux in London suburb. In Russian the word became a common noun after the first train station in Pavlovsk (near St Petersburg) was built in 1838. It served as a passenger's hall and a concert hall simultaneously (impacting up to 2,000 people and known to have hosted Johann Strauss II and Shalyapin - unfortunately the station was completely ruined during 1941-1944 occupation in WWII).*

The first railway station as we know it now was built in 1822-25 in England to connect Stockton-Darlington lines. In the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century train stations became one of the most influential attributes of large cities. Initially the architecture of train stations was dictated by regular social constructions, whereas since the end of the 19th century architects in both Russia and Europe started to search for more functional solutions.

Train Station in Pavlovks, a musical evening.

If you know of any other loan words that came to English from Russian or vice versa, we will be happy to hear from you on our Facebook page.

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* Interestingly enough, there's also another theory to explain "vokzal" etymology. It is said that a Russian delegation visiting Vauxhall area in the 1840's mistook the name for the generic name of a train station and took this back to Pavlovsk with them. Which one of the two versions sounds more probable to you? Let us know on Facebook!

Pictures are courtesy of pavlovsk-spb.ru

A new tourist destination in Russia calls for cheese, honey and tea degustation in South Siberia.

2011-07-29T15:42:00.002+01:00

In June 2011 Altay Krai launched the first tourist route in Russia, suggesting that travellers visit the Karaguzhinsky oil and cheese mill in South Siberia. Visitors will have a chance to sample various types of cheeses, among which is one of the house specialties - "Karaguzhinsky" and a few traditional kinds - "Soviet" and "Swiss".

As part of the excursion the mill's CEO will present a keynote about the company's history and future perspectives, after which tourists will have a chance to lunch at the mill's cafeteria, where they are recommended to try a unique dish - enormous rural cheese dumplings, fresh vegetables salad and local sandwiches with butter and tea.

Apart from visiting the mill this tour also includes meeting a regional folklore band (from the Kumandins division of Altai) "Odychak" in a village where local people will introduce national literature, drinks, souvenirs and other interesting things.

The next destination point is an apiary at a local estate, where the guests are offered to try fresh honey and tea made from local herbs. Herbs and honey are also available for purchase and after the aromatic tea session it is possible to bathe in the warm river Isha. Following recreational activities, visitors are taken to the maral (Siberian stag) reserve, where one can get into a photo with sika deers, marals, yaks and camels.

The final destination of the tour is the picturesque lake Kireevo, where the visitors can finish their journey riding catamarans and quadricycles or taking a walk down a pier to a pergola situated on the lake.

Does it sound interesting to you and would you like to spend your holiday in South Siberia?

Tell us on Facebook!

Photo: altai-site.ru

Let St Petersburg impress you

2011-05-26T12:37:00.001+01:00

What kind of trip are you looking for? St Petersburg has everything to impress.

If you are looking for a real experience of Imperial Russia and want to get to know the magnificent palaces of St Petersburg, one place you should certainly visit is the small town of Tsarskoe Selo to tour the spectacular Catherine Palace and see the splendid Amber Room. Our guides can also take you to see amber workshops to learn how amber is crafted.

Catherine's Palace, Tsarskoe Selo

Have you always been interested in the Russian Royal family history? St Petersburg is the best place to study and learn more. Outstanding architectural heritage like Peter and Paul cathedral or the Marble Palace will reveal mysteries of this enigmatic dynasty with such a doleful destiny, from Peter the Great to Nikolay the Second.

Have a wedding anniversary coming up? Come to St Petersburg and hear some of the most beautiful love stories that took place here in the 19th century. For example you could tour Sheremetyevsky Palace and learn the story of misalliance between Earl Sheremetyev and a serf woman.

Interested in the multicultural and multi-religious aspect of Russia? Visit St Petersburg and get to know the history behind beautiful Orthodox churches, such as Alexander Nevsky Lavra or Kazansky cathedral, a Catholic cathedral, a Synagogue and a Datsan (Buddhist university monastery).

For adrenalin lovers St Petersburg offers a unique tour across the city’s rooftops! You’ll be able to climb centuries-old dusty stairs and attics to see the city like very few people get to see it - from above. Feel the freedom and inspiration of an unforgettable setting and after a long day full of adventures why not enjoy a traditional hearty dinner with a Russian family, full of hospitality, vodka, pickles and herring, followed by a rejuvenating Russian banya.

St Petersburg welcomes you!

50 year long dream came true

2011-05-25T12:39:00.000+01:00

A trip to Moscow was a 50 year long dream for my wife Rita and I. We have been wanting to go for such a long time that expectations were high. Having carried out some market research on the internet, we chose to travel with Russian City Breaks and it was the best choice we could have made. We have mainly used package holiday companies in the past, so this was totally different (and has whet the appetite for more travel to Russia).
Our pre departure service was excellent and we left for Moscow on April, 23 (2011 - from editors). We were greeted by our guide, Natasha who was most knowledgeable and pleasant - a real gem.

We chose to stay in the Marriott Tverskaya Hotel where the facilities were brilliant and the staff were very helpful and friendly.

We visited many places in Moscow, but my personal highlight was the metro tour - absolutely AMAZING! The Kremlin tour and Armoury came second. As far as evening entertainment was concerned, the Bolshoi Ballet left us speechless - what an experience!

Our dedicated driver Egor was, importantly, always prompt. He was also a perfect gentleman and most helpful.

As this trip was so long-awaited, we decided to coincide it with another very special event in our lives - our wedding anniversary. In general, the local restaurants and cafes served very good food and the service was spot on, but for our anniversary dinner we chose the Savoy… WOW!

This trip more than matched our expectations. We have already raved about it and the way it was organised to all our friends and relatives.

We are so happy we chose Russian City Breaks to help us turn our dream into reality. Thanks again, RCB, very well done!

Roger and Rita Gill, April 2011

So glad we went on this trip

2011-05-24T09:55:00.000+01:00

Normally I organise our city breaks myself, but having decided to go to Russia I thought using a specialist company would be a good idea. I have used a few other companies in the past however, so I did have certain expectations about what kind of service I was looking for.

From the very beginning the service I received from Russian City Breaks was outstanding, far better than any other companies I have used in the past.

Ben Hornby, one of the directors, was brilliant and I was particularly pleased with the rapid replies to my emails and very personal attention.

We (my husband, our son and myself) chose to go to St Petersburg, staying in the Angleterre hotel. We loved our hotel's location. The service and food were very good as well. Our guide Maria was outstanding: very friendly and knowledgeable, offering us great insight into the Russian life/culture of today. Our sightseeing tour was particularly exciting due to Maria's enthusiasm. She was very good at explaining everything and particularly good at getting to the front of long queues!

The Marshalls outside the Hermitage

Sergey, our driver from the airport and on a few other occasions, was very helpful and friendly and even organised a restaurant for us one night. We also ate at the Borsolino restaurant (Angleterre hotel) and found meals good value for money. The Davidov restaurant (Astoria hotel) was a little bit more expensive, but still good value compared to an equivalent in London or Paris.

My personal highlight of this trip was visiting the cathedral on Easter Sunday in the middle of a service - very moving and atmospheric. Whereas for my son the main highlight came after the trip when he decided to study Russian language at university!

We are so glad we went on this trip. It was great value for money and we hope Russian City Breaks delight many more travellers with their fantastic trips to Russia.

Thank you very much RCB for organising everything so well.

Fiona Marshall, April 2011

School tours to St Petersburg - customising an itinerary

2011-05-18T16:03:00.001+01:00

Nigel Baker, Director of Studies at Truro School, travelled to St Petersburg in April 2011 for 6 days with a group of 40. Our standard tour lasts 5 days, however Nigel wanted to extend this in order to see as much as possible. His interest in Russia has brought him to the country on multiple occasions in the past, yet, as these trips were always to the Two Capitals, he preferred to dedicate this trip solely to one city and explore St Petersburg further.

The standard programme was enriched with a list of additional museums and sightseeing as per Nigel's request. So, besides visiting the famous Yusupov Palace, Hermitage, Peter and Paul Fortress and Catherine's Palace in Pushkin, Truro School also toured the Smolny Institute, Alexander Nevsky Lavra (including 2 cemeteries and the church), St Isaac’s Cathedral (including the colonnade with its amazing views), Alexander Palace in Pushkin, the Siege of Leningrad Museum at Rumyantsev Palace, and the Russian Museum.

Within their 6 day programme Nigel and his students also managed to visit a service at Kazan Cathedral and stop at Chesme Church on the way to Pushkin.

Truro's full programme did not stop there, for not only were they eager to maximise their daytime activities, but also their evening entertainment. Following on from the busy and informative daytime excursions, Nigel and his students relaxed by enjoying a traditional Russian folklore show, a renowned Russian ballet at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and even some bowling!

Russian City Breaks relished the challenge of customising this tour to suit Truro School's requirements and the opportunity to help provide them with, what they considered to be, an unforgettable experience. Nigel concluded that every aspect of the trip was excellent and he would recommend this itinerary to other teachers, should they be interested in the enchanting history of Russia's Northern Capital.

Would you like a similar trip organised for your school? Please email us at info@russiancitybreaks.co.uk and we will be happy to advise you.

Russia tour report - Magdalen College School

2011-05-12T10:34:00.011+01:00

"We chose this trip because it was relevant to our curriculum - we study Orthodox Church, Spirituality and also Judaism in our Theology course together with Russia's 20th century history in our History course. We've always organised trips without companies before, so this was a new experience for me.

Our journey started in Moscow and our local guide Lena was great: efficient, knowledgeable and helpful. She bent over backwards to accommodate my suggestions about the programme and worked very long hours. Choraling teenagers on the noisy and overcrowded metro is her special gift! We had good accommodation in Moscow and the hotel food was just brilliant, varied and catered for all, mostly Russian dishes too. The highlight was a visit to the local school. They took it very seriously and were very hospitable. Having the chance to perform before the school added rigour and interest to the trip.

The boys loved the overnight train to St Petersburg, it was a real experience. We particularly appreciated not having to share compartments with strangers.

Our St Petersburg guide Lena was brilliant as well. I don't think a tour guide can get any better. The sixth formers all competed for her attention and she handled it very well, kindly but firmly. As for the accommodation in St Petersburg, we were pleasantly surprised and didn't know our money could afford a hotel that good - which says it all. The boys said that every day to their surprise they realised that the trip was getting even more fun than before.

This trip entirely met our expectations and more. Overall, taking into account all that was included, we think that it was good value for money, which was mainly possible due to all RCB staff, who worked very hard and have made this trip a really memorable experience for us all. A big thank you to them and I'd be very happy to refer RCB to other schools and teachers."

Alexey Kostyanovsky, Theology teacher, Magdalen College School

Magdalen College School travelled with RCB to Moscow and St Petersburg in April 2011

The Russian Alphabet

2010-09-29T09:34:00.001+01:00

We recommend anyone travelling to Russia to make a start at learning the Cyrillic alphabet. Being able to read signs and the names of places will not only make you feel more confident in Russia, but will also add an extra element of interest and fun to your visit, like working out a secret code! Although in the main cities the Russians have started to transliterate a few road signs, most things are written in Cyrillic only. Travelling by metro can be made so much easier by knowing a few Russian letters and there's much less chance of getting lost!
There are many resources on the web for discovering the Russian alphabet, but to help get you started we recommend Ruslan Russian course, the following link has been provided with permission from Ruslan Limited and is a good place to start.
http://www.ruslan.co.uk/demos.htm

The Moscow Circus

2010-09-06T16:08:00.000+01:00

What could be more traditionally Russian than the circus! Steeped in history and going back to the time of Catherine the Great, the circus is one of the most Russian forms of evening entertainment you can experience. Interestingly though it is believed that the circus in Russia actually exists thanks to an englishman Charles Hughes, who took his troupe of circus performers to Russia to perform for Catherine the Great in St Petersburg. She was so impressed with their performance she immediately commissioned a circus for Russia and its people.

The old Moscow Circus was founded in 1880 and was the beginning of a great tradition and love for theatrical circus entertainment throughout Russia. Now when visiting Moscow you have the choice of two grand circus theatres, The Yuri Nikulin Circus or Old Circus (founded 1880), named after Russia's most famous clown and the former longtime director of the circus (who's very grand resting place can now be visited in Novodovichy cemetery) and the New Moscow State Circus on Prospect Vernadskovo (founded 1971). Although the circus is a very traditional past time for Russian people it can divide tourist opinion due to the use of performance animals, including, lions, bears and monkeys!

http://www.circusnikulin.ru/lang/eng/file/about/index.html

The Kremlin

2010-08-18T13:19:00.001+01:00

No visit to Moscow is complete without experiencing The Kremlin. For many people this excursion is the main purpose of their trip as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation with a history reaching back to the 12th Century.

Visitors can see the amazing architecture of golden domed cathedrals and palaces and gain a real understanding of Russia and its history from the many historical buildings and museums contained within the Kremlin walls. It's worth checking out the official Kremlin website which is packed with information for anyone interested in or planning a visit to Moscow...

http://www.kreml.ru/en

Sochi Olympics

2010-08-13T17:19:00.001+01:00

Russia is already feverishly preparing to host its first Winter Olympics and Para Olympics in 2014. Expectations are high and accommodation will be booking up fast in the Sochi Region of Krasnodar. Sitting on the black sea surrounded by the Caucasus mountains, the resort of Sochi was already known as a popular spa and summer destination for holiday makers, however in winter it has been a much quieter tourist spot. This is all of course set to change with the latest reports estimating investment in the games at £20 billion! The aim is to get Sochi not only up to world class standards for the Olympics but also to ensure it goes on to thrive as a popular ski resort attracting tourists from around the world.

For more information about visiting Sochi please email us at info@russiancitybreaks.co.uk

Wendy's in Russia

2010-08-11T15:28:00.001+01:00

Is Russia set to become Americanised? First McDonalds sprang up across Eastern Europe and now Wendy's food chain has arrived in Russia. It seems the currently robust consumer market in Russia has not gone unnoticed by some of America's biggest fast food and fizzy drinks companies, who are all now steadily investing in Russia and taking the opportunity to grow this relatively 'new market' while other more established areas of Europe have slowed down in their consumption.

http://www.mn.ru/business/20100805/187967692.html

Russian aviation

2010-08-06T10:45:00.001+01:00

Russia are looking to re-enter the commercial aviation market with the emergence of the Superjet 100 project. The first planes are expected to be in general use by Aeroflot (Russia's main carrier) later this year. The whole project marks a turnaround in aviation underfunding which started after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Superjet 100 can seat between 68 and 103 passengers and is claiming to offer greater fuel efficiency and a quieter ride than previously possible. Currently the first examples are touring Europe and recently exhibited at the Farnborough International Air Show where Gazprom's aviation arm Gazpromavia signed a deal for 10 Superjet 100's to be delivered by 2012.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10779035

Borscht

2010-08-04T09:50:00.003+01:00

Borscht is difficult to avoid if you're travelling in Russia for any length of time. The tasty beetroot soup is a staple of the Russian people and a must-eat if you want a real taste of Russian cuisine. Russians joke that no two borscht recipes are ever the same so it's definitely worth trying a few variations. If you would like to re-create the recipe yourself at home, here's a good one from the BBC cooking guide:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/redborscht_9691

...But like the Russians you can always adapt it and make your own version!

If you're visiting Russia soon let us know and we can help organise a gourmet tour for you, including a borscht cookery masterclass!

Heatwave...

2010-07-30T14:58:00.003+01:00

Russia hasn't escaped the heatwave that has swept across Europe this last few weeks with Moscow in particular sweltering under sizzling temperatures, they've even recorded their highest ever temperature of 39 degrees!

As this report shows though such high temperatures have brought discomfort to those in the capital...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10812339

Themed Tours to Russia

2010-07-28T10:22:00.001+01:00

Are you a member of a club, society or group? Russian City Breaks offers a selection of bespoke themed tours allowing you to enjoy a trip to Russia whilst combining it with a particular hobby or interest of yours.

Perhaps you're a member of a theatre group and you'd like to experience not just the performances themselves, but also a behind the scenes tour, including the famous Mariinsky theatre and a chance to visit the private theatre of Catherine the Great, located in the oldest part of the Hermitage complex. Or maybe you're a keen botanist and would like to become familiar with St Petersburg via it's many amazing parks and gardens, including the world famous Peterhof which includes not just its stunning palace and fountains but extensive and beautifully designed grounds. Alternatively you might want to taste your way around Moscow combining your sightseeing and historical tour of the Russian capital with the best, most interesting and authentic eating establishments, you can even try your hand at cooking Russian cuisine! Whatever your passion Russian City Breaks can tailor your visit to Russia to make it unique to you!

We currently arrange tours with the following dedicated themes:
Alexander Pushkin, Archaeology, Botany, Gourmet cuisine, Literature, Medicine & Science, Military, Opera and Rimsky-Korsakov.

For details on themed tours please contact the team on 0845 225 2922 or email us at info@russiancitybreaks.co.uk

Russian City Breaks to the Rescue!

2010-07-23T10:18:00.021+01:00

In April, travellers across the world found themselves stranded far from home after the ash cloud from Iceland's volcano eruption caused the biggest disruption to air travel in history.

Russian City Breaks had several clients in Russia at that time, including John and Lib Walton and their friends Martin and Kath Willmott. With their visas about to run out, they decided to get the train to Estonia and work out how to get home from there. One of our Directors, Dan Hornby, was working from our Tallinn office at the time and met them upon their arrival at the train station, determined to help our clients get back to the UK.

John Walton was kind enough to send us the following report:

"When we booked our trip to St. Petersburg and Moscow with Russian City Breaks we were looking for a mixture of culture and adventure and we certainly found it, but not necessarily in the proportions we were expecting!

Thursday, 16th April

When Martin came down to the bar of our Moscow hotel in the evening to tell us that a volcano had erupted in Iceland and all flights across Northern Europe were disrupted we thought he was joking - because that’s the kind of guy he is – but when we switched on Sky News and saw the white smoke billowing out of the mountains we knew it was no laughing matter. Next morning we checked the status of flights to London and found they were all cancelled.

Saturday 18th April

This was our scheduled departure date and the date our tourist visas expired but there were no flights and no indications that there would be any in the days to come. This was when we made our first plea for help to Dan at RCB.

Dan swung into action straight away and got back to us with all we had to do to get our visas renewed. This involved a trip to the consular office at Moscow airport to get a 3 day visa extension and, as none of spoke more than a smattering of Russian, Dan arranged for our guide to come along to act as interpreter.

Sunday 19th April

After a few to’ings and fro’ings to the Airport we eventually got our visa extensions at 2.30pm. We looked into all the various travel options including train, car hire and coach but couldn’t find a way home. The direct train was via Minsk in Belarus – no good because that needed a transit visa. So we put in another call to Dan who said “get on a train to Tallinn. That’s where I am and we can sort it all out from there”. ‘Brilliant’ we thought. How great it will be to have someone who knows the region in detail there for us.

Monday 20th April

And so it turned out.

After an interesting overnight train to Tallinn including an hour-long stop at the Russian border at 4am for customs and immigration checks, there was Dan waiting to meet us off the train at Tallinn station. He’d made a precautionary booking at a nearby hotel, which was where we repaired to for some much needed proper breakfast.

Suitably refreshed and replenished we then sat with Dan while he tapped away at his laptop looking into all the options. As it turned out the best option seemed to be to get the Eurostar from Brussels but the earliest available was Friday evening. So we took it and the rest of our itinerary was dictated by that. From Tallinn we would take the overnight ferry to Stockholm and then trains from there to Brussels.

As the internet was in overload with everybody trying to find tickets home getting bookings was proving tricky so Dan suggested we confirm our room and go and get some rest whilst he set to with the laptop. We met later for lunch at one of his favourite restaurants by which time Dan had pretty much sorted it all out!

As it was we had a bonus 2 day stay in the lovely city of Tallinn followed by half a day in Stockholm and an evening in Copenhagen. Not what we had planned but in the circumstances an excellent example of making the best out of a difficult situation."

Summary

We all agreed that Russian City Breaks really pulled out the stops when we got stuck in Russia and for that alone we would give them a 5 star rating but even before we left the service from Dan Hornby and his brother Ben in getting our itinerary together was exemplary. They are very professional and very friendly and we would heartily recommend them to anyone looking to travel the regions they cover.

John and Lib Walton Martin and Kath Willmott

The Waltons and Willmotts in Tallinn (unexpectedly!)

Dan with the Waltons and Willmotts

Several hours later, the final itinerary home is printed!

Flying to Russia

2010-07-20T15:40:00.001+01:00

Flying to Moscow & St Petersburg from the UK is surprisingly easy and takes, on average, a little under 4 hours direct. There are a number of daily flights from most UK airports, however the only direct option is from London Heathrow. You can expect to pay between £250 and £350 depending on the airline and routing, although there is the odd bargain to be found if you are flexible with your travel dates. We have even seen flights on offer for under £200 this year for instance. The various, convenient flight options help to make Moscow and St Petersburg popular city break destinations.

Russia is 3 hours ahead of GMT.

Business Travellers

2010-07-14T16:43:00.001+01:00

Russian City Breaks have noticed an increase in business enquiries of late with more and more companies seeking opportunities to increase their markets and trade with Russia. This growth is in itself nothing new as the UKTI point out, 'since 2001 UK-Russia trade has been growing by an average of 21% y-o-y.' And this years St Petersburg Economic Forum was full of encouragement for UK business's to maintain the momentum. To read more about the Economic Forum and President Dmitry Medvedev keynote speech click here

The Seven Sisters

2010-06-22T11:38:00.000+01:00

If you have ever visited Moscow you will be familiar with the Seven Sisters which stand as impressive architectural reminders of Stalinist Russia. Commissioned and built under Stalin's rule at the end of WW2, the whole project was a real symbol Soviet power.

Nowadays each one has a different use...

1) Moscow State University - http://www.msu.ru/
2) Ministry of Foreign Affairs - http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/main_eng
3) Ministry of Transport
4) Radisson Royal Hotel - www.radisson-hotels.ru/royal-moscow
5) Hilton Leningradskaya Hotel - http://www1.hilton.com
6) Kudrinskaya Square apartment block
7) Kotelnicheskaya Embankment apartment block

...and there are many mysterious rumours that surround them from hidden nuclear bombs at the top of the Radisson building, how these buildings were used by Russian spies and how Stalin had secret tunnels installed in order to quickly reach his Dacha!

Radisson Royal Hotel

2010-06-18T17:00:00.000+01:00

After a long wait the Hotel Ukraina has finally re-opened. Housed in one of Stalin’s seven skyscrapers which dominate the skyline of Moscow, this Radisson will be the largest luxury hotel in Moscow. In keeping with its history you will find original canvases of Russian and Soviet artists adorning it’s walls.

www.radisson-hotels.ru/royal-moscow

West Herts and Watford Medical Society

2010-06-14T10:04:00.001+01:00

We are delighted that many independent groups and societies choose to travel with Russian City Breaks. We recently had the pleasure of organising a tour for the West Herts and Watford Medical Society.

18 doctors flew to St Petersburg on May 1st and enjoyed an all inclusive trip which surpassed even their high expectations. We tailored the trip to their precise requirements and also organised a 3 day stay behind for half of the group who went on to tour Moscow.

All the work is made worthwhile when we receive such positive feedback and high praise!

“A belated but huge thank you to you for organising our trip. It was superb in every way. Arrangements went like clockwork, and our guide was exceptional. We have felt ourselves in safe hands at every stage. I'd recommend you wholeheartedly to anyone going to Russia.”

And as ever we had more reminders that we couldn’t do any of this without our amazing guides…

“Maria was excellent; she dealt with all bureaucracy smoothly and got us in everywhere without hassle and seemingly bypassing every queue. Restaurants, little individual requests- she handled all of these; we were sorry to say goodbye to her yesterday. Some of us felt we’d like Maria in the UK to organise our lives!”

West Herts and Watford Medical Society

Sapsan high-speed train

2010-06-08T15:21:00.002+01:00

A new high-speed train was launched in December 2009 connecting Moscow with St Petersburg in a very fast 3 hours 45 minutes (the previous "fast day train" took 4 hrs and 30 minutes). Sapsan makes travelling between the two cities a very attractive alternative to flying, particularly as the train travels to and from the heart of the city. Taking into account lengthy airport transfers, check in, and flying time, the journey by plane from city to city takes not less than 5 hours.

Sapsan marks the beginning of Russia's attempt to modernise its railways, with plans already in place for a high-speed train to link Moscow with Nizhny Novgorod and St Petersburg with Helsinki too.

Sapsan was built by Siemens of Germany and is capable of a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The train runs 5-6 times daily with prices more expensive on the morning and evening departures.

Please contact us for prices and schedules.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPQQlSMTs6Q

Arkhangelsk

2010-06-04T11:55:00.003+01:00

The majority of our tours take in Moscow and St Petersburg, but we recently had the honour of taking King Edward VI School from Birmingham to Arkhangelsk on a school exchange. This was an exciting challenge for us and well worth it for the great quote Paul Barrett, Trip Leader, bestowed upon us on their return. “I was very impressed with the organisation on your part, our only regret being that we hadn't used you for previous trips.”

Facelift for blog

2010-06-01T22:07:00.002+01:00

Russian City Breaks' blog is getting a facelift. We have previously and exclusively been using our blog to post all the comments from our happily returned clients. We finally have a more appropriate comments page solely for this purpose - www.russiancitybreaks.co.uk/comments

We now intend to use our blog to keep you updated with the latest news from within Russian City Breaks (as exciting as that may be!) but mainly to write about anything Russia related that we think may be of interest to you.

Russian City Breaks joins ABTA

2010-05-01T15:30:00.000+01:00

We're excited to announce that as of February 2010 RCB joined ABTA, membership number Y2117. ABTA enforce a very rigorous application process and only travel companies who can prove they operate to the highest professional standards are considered for membership. We are very proud of our membership and hope it will reinforce our commitment in providing you with the very best quality service and support.

Fond memories forever

2009-06-01T15:30:00.004+01:00

We had an absolutely marvellous time. I will have fond memories forever of our lovely 4 days in St Petersburg. I was so lucky to have found you on the internet.
Erika

Why we changed from NST to you

2009-03-30T19:04:00.001+01:00
Ben and the office helped out in all areas brilliantly. We asked for a really packed programme and for unusual venues too; everything was sorted very efficiently. Lena in Moscow was exceptional - she impressed all students with her knowledge, command of English and conduct. I can't praise her highly enough. Maria is a brilliant guide and such a warm, welcoming person. The birthday cake and present for Judy was a lovely touch. This visit confirmed just why we changed from NST to you - more thorough, much more helpful, more personal in your approach.
Bedales

Outstanding

2009-01-06T13:49:00.004Z
The trip to St Petersburg was excellent. The programme was very full and varied which helped to keep the students entertained and stimulated. It was expensive but it was value for money and flying from Bristol saved a great deal of time and expense. Many parents have commented on how much their son/daughter enjoyed the trip. Your St Petersburg guide was outstanding.
Wells Cathedral School

A very enjoyable trip to Russia

2008-11-21T18:53:00.002Z
The trip was highly enjoyable, not only because of the full and interesting programme, but also because we had two excellent guides.

The visit to the Moscow school was surprisingly good. The boys enjoyed talking to the Russian pupils, and the tour leaders had to conduct a class each on the current global financial crisis and field penetrating questions from very able pupils. It struck us as an impressive establishment, and many thanks to the setting up the visit.

The Moscow guide, Elena, was very effective on the tour in imparting an outline knowledge of Russian history, and this came in useful for the boys during the St Petersburg tour as well. We were able to go into Novodevichy cemetery (a first) which added to historical and cultural background and showed a sharp distinction between Soviet and pre-revolutionary memorials.

The overnight train between Moscow and St Petersburg was satisfactory in terms of comfort and pupil and staff accommodation, and your efforts to get this right much appreciated.

Maria was also excellent and adopted the right upbeat approach in meeting the rather tired group off the overnight train. She pitched the tour at just the right level and was engaging throughout.

We were very fortunate to be able to go to the Mariinsky Theatre to see an excellent production of the ballet The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, and the boys enjoyed it tremendously. They were also enraptured by the folkshow performance on the last evening, all the more so as one boy was invited to dance on stage.

All in all, a very enjoyable trip to Russia, and we are very grateful for having Elena and Maria, two very experienced and skilful guides, to ensure the success of the venture.
Westminster

I would not hesitate to use RCB again

2008-11-20T13:05:00.010Z

I wanted to thank you for what was a very successful trip. My friends thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as did I. Everything worked very smoothly with the guides, the transfers and everything. Galina was very kind to us, and although I didn't go on the Hermitage tour, the others were over the moon with it because of Maria - not only the way she conducted the tour, but also the way in which she was so friendly and willing to talk about life there and discuss things in general.

I would not hesitate to use Russian City Breaks again, or recommend you to others.

Many thanks
Deborah

A very enjoyable trip to Russia

2008-11-20T12:32:00.007Z
We had a very enjoyable trip to Russia. The logistical and practical support from your company was paticularly appreciated. Both guides were excellent and really helped us feel that we learnt a great deal about the history and cultural treasures of Moscow and St Petersburg.
All good wishes,
Olivia

The trip was a great success

2008-09-12T13:34:00.008+01:00
Thank you so much for providing a fantastic level of support throughout our recent trip to Russia at Easter 2008. Everyone enjoyed the variety of destination and quality of guiding that you provided in both Moscow and St Petersburg. That is why we have no hesitation in booking with Russian City Breaks for a third successive year.
Regards,
King's School Macclesfield

Fantastic time in St Petersburg

2008-07-16T16:21:00.007+01:00
We did indeed have a fantastic time in St Petersburg. Maria and Sergey made the whole experience very civilized and relaxed – his driving was assured and efficient and Maria’s knowledge very impressive. We enjoyed spending time in their company. The Helvetia hotel had all the necessary comforts and very helpful staff and the location was ideal. We were fortunate in having excellent weather for both summer palace trips so were able to make the most of the lovely parks and gardens. I would be very happy to write something about our experience with Russian City Breaks. Our visit to the ballet was a great success – excellent seats and the transfer was well worth it.
Thank you very much for taking time to make our holiday such a success.
Best wishes,
Vanessa

Another excellent trip

2008-07-10T14:27:00.001+01:00
Your pre-departure support was outstanding and the whole process of applying for the visa could not have been made simpler. RCB's guides, Elena & Maria were also outstanding in every respect. Their knowledge is amazing and also their care for and relationships with the students were excellent. It was just like having two experienced teachers accompanying the group.
Cardinal Newman College

Stunning!

2008-04-21T15:30:00.006+01:00
Dear All,
Very many thanks for sorting out a fabulous trip for us in Russia. We were very grateful for all the time and effort the team put into our trip. The Bolshoi was stunning as were our trips to the Marinsky.
Will stay in touch and will be telling all our friends to go to Russia via Russian City Breaks!
Every good wish,
Rosie & Nigel

We all had an amazing time

2008-04-17T17:38:00.007+01:00

I’d like to say that we all had an amazing time. The service you provided was excellent; so personalised and so much attention to detail. I am so glad that we picked your company to go with. Russia was superb; I think I speak for everyone when I say that we were all so impressed with what we saw. Moscow was fascinating and St Petersburg beautiful, and the Russian people we met so warm and friendly. All our guides were outstanding; they were friendly, very well informed and brilliant with the girls. We loved them! They were so passionate about the cities and Russian culture, and helped us all fall in love with Russia. The hotels were brilliant; the standard of accommodation in both was high and the food very tasty indeed, with a good variety being served.

Russian City Breaks is most definitely a company I will use again, and I would recommend you wholeheartedly. In fact, can we talk about Berlin? I would like to book a trip for next year’s Easter Hols for our GCSE students.

Thank you so much for all your hard work, and please give my regards to our Tour Manager Yana – she was amazing.
Sir William Perkins's School

We would unreservedly recommend you

2008-02-29T09:39:00.011Z

Can I thank you for what proved to be a superbly well-organised trip. We did appreciate your very friendly and personal service in the lead-up to the trip, and once there we found everything faultlessly well-organised throughout, so thanks. We would unreservedly recommend you and use you again.
d'Overbroeck's College

Our students hugely enjoyed the trip

2008-02-26T16:18:00.003Z

Just a quick line to say many thanks to the team for organising our recent visit to Russia. As you will gather from the questionnaires, our students all hugely enjoyed the trip, and the six days went very well indeed - and also far too quickly!
Westcliff High School for Boys

It was superb

2008-02-18T15:47:00.003Z

Hereford Cathedral School

Trip back was good - everyone had a great time and we are all busy swapping stories and moaning about the lack of snow - bloody global warming! The pupils all had a great time and so thank you for everything it was superb. Time really has flown but we all have some great memories.

Thanks again for everything - the kids are going to sing Kalinka Malinka for the whole school next Monday!

Stay in touch
Eddie and crew

A big thank you!

2008-01-07T14:01:00.002Z

I just wanted to say a big thank you for arranging our trip to Russia.

We had a great time and everything you arranged went extremely smoothly and according to plan.

We would definitely recommend your services to other people wishing to travel there.

Thanks for everything!
Lucy

Quite magical

2007-12-10T13:51:00.002Z

Just a note to say thank you for all your help and advice in organising our trip to St Petersburg we had a wonderful time. The itinerary was just right, everything went smoothly even down to there being snow during our stay, it was quite magical.

Maria and Sergei were a delight, nothing was too much trouble and they made our trip to St Catherine's Palace unforgettable. They have set a very high standard for any future trips.

We were very lucky to visit the Kazan Cathedral on Sunday morning while a service was taking place and then go on to the Russian Museum for more Russian culture.

If we are able to go to Russia again I'd be very happy to use Russian City Breaks again - and to recommend you to anyone.

Once again thank you for all your help

Carol Hewison

We couldn't have asked for better

2007-11-14T09:52:00.003Z

We had a wonderful time. Maria is an excellent guide. We couldn't have asked for better. She was very flexible and our itinerary was changed to our convenience without any fuss. Our driver, Sergei, was also amazing - how does he get that bus through those narrow spaces?
The hotel was very comfortable, with great views of the Baltic from the public areas. It is well worth taking a walk down to the sea front - especially at sunset. We understand that the hotel is being modernised (Europiski remont). It would be a shame if the restaurant lost its authentic soviet ambience though - all those chandeliers and wide open spaces. The food was very good - especially breakfast.
We were very lucky to visit St Nicholas cathedral on Sunday morning while a service was taking place
The ballet at the Kirov was out of this world and the folk music evening was also very enjoyable. The meal at Demidov was efficiently served and tasty - the Gypsy ensemble was a bonus.
It's impossible to see everything in such a short time, but we had a very good try. Everyone is anxious to go again. We had a great time.
Best wishes
Clive Griffin

The trip was really enjoyable

2007-11-14T09:49:00.002Z
I have to say, your guide Maria absolutely made the trip for me. She was incredibly knowledgeable and I felt that I know more about St Petersburg having been there with her for six days than if I was there by myself for a year!! Nothing was too much trouble, she was very friendly and just a fountain of facts! She also did really well to fit in everything we wanted to see, splitting the group up if necessary to achieve this.

The bus service was always good and the driver was very friendly too.

All in all, a very good trip. Many thanks,
Caroline Jones

We want to use RCB!

2007-11-05T14:35:00.004Z

Latymer Upper School
We had an excellent trip. The guides were superb. We want to do the trip again in two years, and we will want to use Russian City Breaks.

Jonathan

Teacher group have fun in St Petersburg

2007-11-03T15:18:00.004Z

Cator Park School teacher trip
We had a wonderful time in St Petersburg, everything went very smoothly and even the weather behaved. Maria is an excellent guide, very knowlegeable, friendly and flexible. We couldn't have asked for better.
All the members of our party were very happy - we're already talking about a return trip to see the white nights in 2009.

Best wishes
Nadia and Clive

WHAT A SMOOTH TRIP!

2007-10-30T15:05:00.002Z

Manchester High School for Girls
We had a fantastic time and I want to thank Dan and Ben again for
everything. The kids all want to go back and I can honestly say I've
never been on a trip that went so smoothly - and it wasn't exhausting
either, which makes a change.

I will be travelling again next October and I'd be very happy to
keep working with your company - and to recommend you to anyone
wanting help with a school trip.

Yours,
Julian

Much better than other trips

2007-10-25T14:37:00.003+01:00
Westminster School
I was very pleased in general. The trip was much better than it has been with other travel companies we have used previously. The guides were both excellent - I can't remember ever having had good guides in both cities. Very often you have one good one and one dud.

The parents are all commenting that the kids had a good time and it was money well spent, so thank you, and we will be booking again for 2008.

Wonderful trip!

2007-09-09T06:15:00.001+01:00
Thanks for that wonderful trip. I never thought I would be so amazed by everything we saw. My most impressive moment was Red Square at night - Wow!!!!. I knew I would be impressed by St. Petersburg but Moscow threw me for a loop.
The guides were all great. I think what also added to this great trip is that you were able to accommodate our wishes - ex. Peterhof and Lenin's Mausoleum.
We were quite apprehensive about the hotels. After viewing them online we kept saying "It always looks better than it really is." Well once again we were surprised. Both rooms were probably the largest rooms abroad that I've ever stayed in.
As for the Russian culture - absolutely fascinating. This is when you realize you should have paid more attention when you were in school. Since so many of my customers are Russian, I was not surprised by the people. They were prompt in their delivery of service - they just need to do it with a smile. I guess that will come with future generations.
Jeanne

Funny story

2007-08-30T02:30:00.001+01:00
Greetings from Brooklyn. We had a wonderful time and all guides were great. The itinerary was just right, the hotels were very nice and a pleasant surprise, and the ballet, folk dance show and river cruise/show really gave us a feel for Russian culture. I would have to say I enjoyed those the most.

I have one somewhat funny story. It has been my practice to purchase Holiday Cards from where ever I visit in the summer to send to friends and relatives at Christmas time. So of course this year I purchased Holiday Cards at the Hermitage. The box was a bit heavy and bulky to bring back to the states, but I thought it was worth it. Anyway, when I got home to New York and was looking over the cards, I saw they were from the Metropolitan Museum collection printed in Middle Village New York. (The Metropolitan Museum is in New York City!) So from the other side of the world I purchased cards from and made in New York City!

Thanks again for "the tour of our lifetime",
Angela Sisto

American group has great time

2007-08-28T20:24:00.001+01:00
Marcella and I had an amazing trip. I was very impressed with how well the trip was run, especially the dedicated air-conditioned "coach" and our two wonderful bus drivers!

The guides were all fantastic. I can't get over how knowledgeable they are and how well they spoke English.

The itinerary was great! I think we saw or heard about everything you'd want to be sure you saw while there. The kids loved the train ride and it was timed perfectly. We didn't waste any time getting to St. Petersburg because we traveled at night.

I was pleasantly surprised with both hotels and I thought they were both nice. My favorite moment was on the boat in St. Petersburg. I really enjoyed the folk dancing. I loved hearing the kids sing all the words to Moscow Nights.

Overall, I give it an A! Everything ran smoothly and Air France was great. I would certainly recommend your company.

Regards,
Holly

A Dream Come True

2007-06-21T01:42:00.001+01:00
We are back from our lovely break, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for making our stay in Russia so wonderful.
The Hotel was suberb great room lovely food. I would also like to let you know that Maria was fantastic and was full of information. It was a pleasure to be in her company.

We had a great time in the Hermitage, Catherine's Palace and Peterhof. Sunday was Luciano's 50th birthday and we went to the
Theatre and saw the Nutcracker which was a dream come true.

Kind regards
Rita and Luciano

The most wonderful 2 days

2007-06-05T01:14:00.000+01:00

We wanted to say again just how much we enjoyed our trip to St.
Petersburg. From the moment Maria and the driver met us, it was the most
wonderful two days. Her knowledge of the city was astounding and she
really brought it to life for us. She had a very nice manner, explaining
things in just the right amount of detail. Certainly Maria and Shamil,the
driver, made our trip a truly memorable one.

Thank you for organising our trip so well and we would be more than happy to
strongly recommend your firm to anyone wishing to visit Russia.

With best regards,

Dianne and Roger

What an eye opener...thanks a million

2007-06-04T00:35:00.000+01:00

Dan,

We can't stop talking and thinking about our wonderful visit to St.Pet and Tallinn. What an eye opener to see the beautiful palaces and also experience the 'real life' and see first hand how the majority of Russians live. Thanks to your great guide Maria, who is charming and whose knowledge is outstanding.

Thanks a million for all your guidance and help to make our holiday such fun and so memorable, exciting and varied.

Fay + Maurice

Pencil us in for Easter 2009!

2007-04-26T01:54:00.003+01:00

Withington Girls' School
Thanks for such a great trip. The girls really enjoyed it and have talked about it so much since. AND they adore Peter the Great and Russian History so BIG bonus for me!

Anyway...please pencil us in for Easter 2009....as we will definitely love to come with you again.

Mary Kean
Parent

My daughter Rachel had a marvellous time in Russia, as a well travelled and sophisticated young person she is not always easy to impress.
She loved absolutely everything – the guides, buildings, food, accommodation, culture and people.
Everything seemed to go to plan and the group all got on.

So, a great big thank you!

Rosie Nance
Student

Our guides were both very friendly and informative, gave lots of interesting random anecdotes and facts and useful advice when visiting museums etc. The itinerary was busy but it was great to get to see so much in a short time! The food was great, and there was some choice even for vegetarians.

Thanks for an amazing trip!

Courtenay Watson
Student

We got to do loads of stuff in a few days and I loved the trip round the Kremlin and Red Square. Our guides were great, spoke really good English, had a good sense of humour, seemed to know everything about everything in their respective cities! Both hotels were nice and definitely much better than we were expecting! Out of the all places we visited/things we did, visiting the Kremlin and going to see the Nutcracker were my favourites.

Thanks for a great trip!

Habs Girls have time of their lives!!!

2007-04-24T21:52:00.003+01:00

Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls
Our six day trip to Russia was a thoroughly enriching and enjoyable experience. The service provided by Russian City Breaks was very personal and it surpassed the standard of care offered by other tour companies that I have used over the last ten years.

I was particularly impressed with you coming to the school to personally discuss the proposed trip. This is a very original aspect of your company, reflecting your personal approach, dedication and commitment to tailoring each tour to the specific needs of schools.

Your guides are a real strength of the company. I was most impressed with their kind and caring attitude towards the girls. They were excellent and worked in a calm, organised, confident and informative manner. In both cities, they were able to offer very practical advice and instruction at the appropriate times and they were always sympathetic to the needs of the students. The breadth and level of knowledge that the guides offered was extraordinary.

The rapport and communication between the drivers and the guides was excellent. The drivers were good humoured, patient and it was obvious that they had the girls' safety interests at the forefront of their minds.

The Folklore show was certainly a highlight for the girls – one said to me it was the best part of the trip.

This trip was competitively priced and excellent value for money.

Rama

Emily Devane, History Teacher
The personal service we received from Russian City Breaks was impressive & the guides were better than those experienced with other tour companies.

It was very good that you came to our parent teacher info evening prior to the trip taking place. The Pribaltiskaya hotel offered a good choice of menu, pleasant facilities and friendly service. The local tour guides were great - had lots of local knowledge & were well organised. They won the respect of the girl’s and were a good mix of friendly & professional. The girls loved the overnight train - a great experience and friendly greeting on arrival. A big ‘thumbs up’ for the folklore show, and Yusupov Palace. Moscow sites eg the Kremlin were superb. My favourite things about the trip were the folklore show, Hermitage, the Kremlin & fab Moscow guide!

Sue Ashton, Teacher
Hotel facilities in St Petersburg were outstanding. The local guides were friendly & helpful – we loved the Russian song & the traveller’s prayer! The local drivers & transportation were excellent - loved the overnight train, organised very well – felt really safe – I want to do it again!

Camilla Arana, Student
Fantastic local guides, knowledgeable, helpful, friendly & pleasant. Loved the folklore show, it was unforgettable – also loved all the sightseeing tours, especially the Kremlin & Winter Palace. St Petersburg was beautiful and was more exciting for me personally because of what we have studied in history. Moscow was also beautiful & exciting in terms of its political atmosphere. I loved Yusupov Palace with its portrayal of Rasputin’s murder!

Christina Mouktari, Student
Russian City Breaks gave us an excellent opportunity both to explore new cities & cultures, and expand our historical knowledge of a country with such a rich background. My favourite moment was holding a snake in Moscow!

Chloe Grahame, Student
This trip has been truly fantastic and I could not have asked for a better experience, we have been given a slice of Russian history, culture which I want to explore further.

"Not just a trip but a whole experience!"

2007-04-24T21:37:00.003+01:00

St Catherine's
Thanks to all of you for helping make our first trip to Russia so successful. I have completed my Russia report and it is on our school website:

www.stcatherines.info/senior/ca.html

We look forward to 2009 when the next one will be just as good!

Best regards
Gill

King's Macc return from Russia!

2007-04-24T21:13:00.002+01:00
The King's School in Macclesfield
Thank you for arranging such a brilliant and successful trip to Russia for our students. They absolutely loved every minute of it. They enjoyed the tours, detailed commentaries and personal support that they received from Yana our Tour Manager, Elena, our guide in Moscow and Masha, our guide in St Petersburg. Our high points in Moscow included the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Red Square by night and the Armoury.

The overnight train to St Petersburg also proved interesting. It was a real feat to get the cases and the students into the carriages as some of our students had brought bags that were bigger than themselves. The breakfast in St Petersburg was lovely and eating somewhere other than the hotel together was a novelty. St Petersburg was beautiful and the Palaces magnificent. High points here must be the Hermitage, St Peter and Paul Fortress (with the men sunbathing along the Neva) and Pavlovsk Palace. The Folk Night exceeded expectations. The Mussorgsky theatre was fabulous and having boxes was fun. The World War Two Memorial to those who lost their lives during the Seige of Leningrad was very moving for both the teachers and the students, it was a poignant reminder of the fortitude and determination of the Russian people. It was a fitting end to our trip.

You must pass on our thanks to both Elena and Masha for finding us suitable Russian restaurants to eat in at lunch time and staying with us so valiantly during lunch.

You said before the trip that we would be spoilt and it turned out to be true. I have never been on a trip in which I have felt so well looked after and especially never on a school trip. I have no hesitation in recommending Russian City Breaks to other schools that may be thinking of organising a school trip to Russia.

Once again, thank you all for such a great trip,

Yours

Eileen

Teacher praise for RCB

2007-03-05T18:08:00.003Z

Cyd Waters
Director of Learning: Music
Sandringham

Having taken 9 Concert tours abroad over the last 10 years with various tour companies I must congratulate Russian City Breaks for being the most outstanding tour company yet.

RCB's attention to detail was exceptional even down to ensuring we had a pair of timpani and keyboard available at every venue.

The visas were organized efficiently with excellent contacts to speed up the process.

The airport transfers and arrival in St Petersburg with all our instruments were completely hassle free, with both Dan, the Company Director, and Maria, the Tour Guide, present for our both our entry and exit from Russia.

Dan is a fluent Russian speaker, which helped enormously, with local contacts and helpful friends. Dan really felt like part of the team and contributed to the general camaraderie and social life of the trip.

Maria, our tour guide was fantastic, professional and knowledgeable. The students all loved her!

It was a superb choice of hotel, ideal for secondary students and especially ideal for lively music groups with rehearsal room provided, excellent food and terrific accommodation.

Music Tours are unique and present enormous challenges to all involved. Russian City Breaks made sure the whole trip ran smoothly and efficiently.

Every one of our students wanted to stay in St Petersburg to continue their tour for longer!

A fun trip from start to finish! Thank you Dan, Ben and Diane for your help - Russian City Breaks are a completely professional team. They were all always obliging, helpful and Dan also visited our school which gave the whole lead up to the tour a much more personal touch.

Thank you so much,

Cyd

Student writes newspaper article!

2007-03-05T18:00:00.003Z

From Russia with Love
by James Spencer

Seldom do you find 20 children, 4 members of staff and one governor so excited about going to school at 4am. Nevertheless, this was one of those rare occasions, where the enthusiasm stemmed from the prospect of visiting a new country, meeting new people, and, of course, doing what we all love most, making music. All our journeys went smoothly, and by the 9,874th game of ‘I-Spy’ we finally arrived in St Petersburg, to a sweltering -16oC. Hence none of us were in a panic to stay outside.

If you ever visit St Petersburg here’s a good tip: never judge a building by its exterior, as on the outset St Petersburg is one of the dullest and depressing cities ever. Then again, do not be scared to venture inside, as you will see beauty and decadence everywhere. We stayed in a fantastic hotel with spectacular views over the Gulf of Finland, which by the way was frozen, and perfectly suitable for dancing on, skating on, and driving large cars on!

As usual with concert trips, our first day (-14oC) was consumed with rehearsing for our premiere concert. However, (also the norm with concert trips) something went wrong! Our opening concert was at a Catholic Church, whose priest had very strong views about music composed after 1850. Our programme duly underwent a radical change and undeterred our gallant musicians performed music to suit all tastes pre 1850. The concert was extremely successful and was heartily enjoyed by the locals. To cap it all off, the priest thought we were so good, we were a gift from the Madonna herself. There you can’t get much better than that!!

Our second day (-12oC) included a visit to the amazing Peter and Paul Fortress and a concert in the afternoon at a private school. Our tour guide Maria was brilliant. She told us everything she knew, informing us on every aspect of Russian history and culture, ranging from Catherine the Great, to a half an hour lecture on how the Russians like to eat potatoes with their Stroganoff. All in all the day was swell and the concert was just as good as the first. This day was a Russian festival: saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring. To celebrate this in true Russian style, we ate pancakes, watched young children beat each other with pillows, and burnt an effigy of Jack Frost.

The third day (-10oC) we saw more of St Petersburg and performed a great concert to an audience from a state school. Afterwards we had time to socialise with the Russian students, which proved very interesting, even if I did have to help them with their homework. Our final day (-10oC) included a tour of the famous Hermitage and a trip to the Mariinsky theatre where we had the most extraordinary privilege of seeing the Russian Ballet Corps performing Prokofiev's ‘Cinderella’. It was truly amazing!

There are so many experiences to mention and not enough space including: the very moving War Memorial, the trip to the Russian folklore show, bowling very badly, snowball fights, the Russian street market……

All too soon we were on our way home. It had been an amazing week, which I will never forget. A huge thank you must go to Cyd Waters (boss lady!) for leading and organising the trip.

Another happy couple returns!

2007-02-27T18:49:00.002Z

We had a great time in St Petersburg and were well looked after throughout. Sasha and Maria were great, Maria couldn't have been more helpful or knowledgeable! What was good was that she took us to places like the food market and a pancake house as well as the tourist sites. It was a good time to go as not very crowded, but very cold if you needed or wanted to walk anywhere.

Would recommend (and have).

Thanks for all your help,

Susan

PS The ballet was sublime

Sandringham performing arts tour

2007-02-22T08:31:00.002Z
Liz Lomas
Teacher

Thanks for organising the trip for us, it was great! I loved all of the venues that we performed at. I thought that the concerts at the schools were especially valuable for the kids and the acoustics at the church were phenomenal!!!

I went back to Manchester the weekend after and told everyone who would listen how good the tour was and that they should also book with you if they were considering going!

Maria was an awesome tour guide and seemed to know the answers for any of the (sometimes weird!) questions that any of the students posed. After writing a dissertation of Russian Nationalist music 3 or so years ago, she really made the whole thing come alive for me with her knowledge of history, art, architecture, etc.

No one has stopped talking about the trip since we got back, in fact it has become the unofficial topic of some of my lessons, especially those with Ellie and Fin!!!

Thanks for a wicked experience in a fantastic city!

Laura Hicks
Student

You guys were fantastic!!! Really nice having an English and Russian person and we love Maria's voice ha ha! "the most beautiful chorches"

The itinerary was great too, would have loved to do even more sightseeing but it was obviously difficult with the concerts we performed.

I loved the Russian people!! They are so friendly and I had a nice giggle with an old Russian lady as we tried to decide which was the ladies from the triangles on the door. Don't reckon she realised I was English ha ha!

Couldn't get enough of the food..seemed to be eating in multiples of 3s.

I loved the hotel and it was nice to have a whole corridor to ourselves. The bowling in the basement was awesome.

Favourite moment.....hmmmmm...theres way too many! Ha ha being asked to do one of the Russian's English homework...and failing miserably ha ha ha!

Thanks so much for making it an AMAZING trip! Defo wanna come back!

A 12 year old in Russia!

2007-02-22T08:27:00.002Z

I really enjoyed the trip to Russia and without you and Maria I think I would of struggled to understand the history of St Petersburg. The trip was excellent and I would definitely recommend it to anyone! The hotel was great, the food was very appetising and I am very proud to have had this opportunity. If I could I would recommend this company , Dan and Maria to anyone or any school as they were polite and helpful - apart from the bowling alley ;) !. The itinerary of the trip was flexible to how we wanted it. The Russian people that we met were very kind and helpful and caring when we got locked out of our room! The schools are very nice and the children seemed to welcome our visit and join in with us. My favourite part of our trip was the winter palace as it was a magnificent place and I think we could have had longer but I know then we could not do everything else afterwards.

Thank you
Ellie Lansley

Chis & Sid have a great time!

2007-02-22T08:24:00.002Z

Chislehurst & Sidcup
Thank you so much for this trip. It was run and organised so well. Everything went smoothly. We got to see all of the main sites and the guides were great. I will send a more specific email soon when I have caught up with the members of staff – I’m sure that you will get lots of comments from the pupils who have said that it was the best trip that they have been on.

A teacher's thoughts

2007-02-22T08:19:00.002Z

Robert Morris
English and Drama Master Russia Trip coordinator 2006

Myself and Clifton College staff have just returned from Russia with 22 students from the senior part of the school. The trip was an enormous success and we came back breathless from the amazing sights and cultural experiences we had on our journey. It is almost impossible to fully do justice to the highlights, but suffice it to say that the overnight train from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the little Romantic bunk cabins and the dark Russian landscape flitting by, outside our windows, excited the imaginations of our pioneering travellers.

The Russian circus was spectacular, and the folk show a feat of human strength. The St. Petersburg Mariinsky entranced even our most sceptical travellers with their stillness and poise. We visited a Russian school and took the students out bowling and made some Russian ‘buddies’, as well as quietly looking in wonder at the embalmed Lenin, resting in his eerie tomb. As for architecture and art, in St. Petersburg it was everywhere. The opulence and grandeur of Peter the Great’s Winter palace was ‘shudderingly’ beautiful and the masterpieces in the Hermitage (two Leonardos in one room) an absolute treat. We all came back with so many memories to share with our friends and colleagues back here at Clifton.

Thank you Russian City Breaks.

Manchester Grammar on Russian City Breaks

2007-02-22T08:11:00.002Z

Andrew Hunter
Group Leader

I can definitely recommend Russian City Breaks. For years we went with another company, but I noticed their service declining rapidly over the last few years. In particular, they wouldn't confirm hotels until shortly before departure, they took little regard of any requests made for particular accomodation and consequently we were sometimes placed in inappropriate hotels. Excursions in Russia were vastly overpriced, and they were always slow to respond to any contact I made, and often hid behind the veil of 'Mysterious Russia.' Thankfully, none of these problems have been present with Russian City Breaks, and I have found them to be honest, reliable, fairly priced, and extremely easy to work with.

Impressions from Clifton College

2007-02-22T07:56:00.002Z

Student: Alexa Innes
I really enjoyed experiencing the Russian culture as part of a large group where the Russian speaking guides gave us the best tips on where to eat and how much to expect to pay for our Russian hats, the guides were really friendly and happy to help with all our questions. I was glad that we got to see so many different sites in two cities without feeling too non stop. One of the most interesting experiences I had was going to a Russian school which we probably wouldn't have done if we were with another company, thanks.

Thanks so much for taking the trip, I really enjoyed myself and hope to go back to Russia in the future!

Parents: Joy and Martin Lloyd
We really felt we had to write to thank you for organising and running the trip to Russia.
When our son, Charlie, returned last night he had obviously had a brilliant time. Infact, we would go so far as to say he has never returned from a
school trip so animated about what he had seen and done. When we suggested going to bed at 1 a.m. he was a little put out we didn't want to hear more!

Student: Jaisal Patel
The food at both hotels was excelent as there was a wide range of delicious food on offer although i did prefer the food in hotel cosmos because there was a traditional russian cuisine rather than having an international one.

The accomadation at both hotels was excelent as the facilities were excelent and the room had all the requirments that suited my taste, the setting was good and the beds were comfy.

The itinery weas very good as we manged to cover pretty much all the sites in 2 days this is pretty good for such a short stay, we were always kept busy as there were a wide range of activites which included getting souveniers and seeing russia for its true culture.

Culture was really good because i didn't expept such a diverse way of culture, it is certainly very different to most of europe which was good to see.

Teacher: Helen Semple
Firstly Thank you so much for all you did on the trip.

I thought it was a huge success and know that it will be a popular choice next year.

Please pass on my thanks to Dan who i personally thought was a star, and definitely made me feel safe and that everything was in control.

Food - excellent variety and choice especially for a rather fussy group of school kids. Again great that kids could have as much or little as they liked.

Accomodation - Top class hotel rooms, well organised with staff and pupils all on same floor and area of hotel. Great facilities with clean tourist friendly atmosphere.

Itinerary - superb, really enjoyed the added bonus of the ballet and think the more events put in the evenings the better. Visiting the school was also a great opportunity for our kids to mix with people of a very different culture, this had a huge effect on our pupils and will provide them with lasting memories. .

Culture - over all a fantastic trip that opened the eyes of all individuals not only to the history but indeed to the people and culture of russia.

Hurrah a great trip that i hope becomes a long running tradition of Clifton College.

Student: Sarah Langston
I’d just like to say how grateful I am that you took us all to Russia! It really was a trip of a lifetime and I know that the memories created will stay with me forever.

The hotels were absolutely huge! That was a good thing though, I really liked how big the hotels were, so that you could get bits and pieces (like a toothbrush for Alexa when her bag was delayed!) and change money. Rooms were comfortable and well furnished.

I thought breakfast was best (the croissants were really nice) and it was nice to be able to go off on our own to pick places to eat at lunchtime. It was helpful of Maria in St Petersburg to point us in the right direction.

We were very busy and I couldn’t have handled another day! Therefore, the length of the trip was perfect. It was good to have some free time in the afternoons for ourselves.

The trip to the school and the circus were the two times that I noticed a cultural divide. They really opened my eyes to how real Russians live and think. Overall, I really feel I experienced Russia, and not just the tourist’s vision of the country, which was excellent and what I had wanted from the trip.

The guides were both excellent, very informative (too much at times!) and really lovely people. Overall, a fantastic trip, THANKYOU!

Sarah

A few days in the snow

2007-02-22T01:11:00.002Z

Dan
Firstly, thank you so much for all your help in putting all our trip in place for such a wonderful week away. Everything (apart from Falstaff!!) was perfect. We could not have asked for much more from the moment Valery met us at Moscow airport til we took off from Petersburg six days later, and we must give a special mention to Svetlana who was like our Mother!
We landed (and we don't know how they do it) onto a frozen Moscow runway - if it had been in Britain they would not have risked it months before the snow had set in! Valery was waiting, amidst all the cabbies, names held aloft on an A4 bit of paper. Off we headed, all very excited as we had no idea of our bearings for the City. It was possibly an hour before we pulled up at the Marriott and taken to our lovely warm room. We didn't venture far that evening and found a wonderful cosy restaurant down the road where we stayed til we thought we began to feel slightly worn out from our early start.
Next day after breakfast, Svetlana met us in reception for what was to be our 4-hour city tour; but we seem to kidnap her for the afternoon as we had lunch in GUM and then were taken on a Metro tour of some of the ornate stations! Think Svetlana' family must have wondered what happened to there Mum who normally cooks on a Sunday afternoon as her mobile went on a number of a occasions! She was wonderful, and did make us laugh as after only 10 minutes in the car with Valery she commented that "we were like children" as we gasped at the snow covered buildings! We thought one of the most memorable places in Moscow was the 'Cathedral of Christ the Saviour' the building was stunning enough before you stepped inside, once in it was extremely moving a service was taking place. Yet the guide books we read have little in comparison although Svetlana went through the history of the Cathedral before and the proposed Lenin monstrosity. We took her to lunch at GUM and she was trying to teach us Russian, she was in fits of laughter along with the staff in the restaurant.
That evening was at a bit of a tourist restaurant 'Godunov' down by Red Square with gypsy singers, not our thing, but food was excellent.
Monday we had day to ourselves so roamed the Kremlin, dinner at Cafe Pushkin and then off for night sleeper. Train was very comfortable and just looking out the window at night seeing miles of snow covered forest left you very dreamy.
Arrived on Valentine's Day into blizzards at Petersburg, which made us feel all more romantic! Alexander was there, bang right outside our carriage as arranged, seemed to then walk forever down the longest platform I can remember to our car where we were then taken to our wonderful hotel & room. And what a hotel & room, we turned the corner to see the colossal Isaacs Cathedral and thought "how nice for this wee tour" and Alexander then stops opposite! We were a bit fatigued so needed a little more than the 40 minutes before Maria was to meet us. So a little after 1030 hrs we were off for a second city tour. Maria was very nice and we drove around the City sights pointing out the window to this Church and that Palace, which is closed today! Mind, we were caught up in some bad traffic jams, and it is a very beautiful city.
That evening we had a wonderful meal just down the road, 'One Shot' where we were very well looked after, although I think I had a couple too many Vodka's!! good job we only had a five minute walk back!!!
Wednesday we had a day to roam the city but we had made arrangements with Maria for our driver Alexander to take us to St Catherine's Palace, something which was a must while here. We were told that it was an hour drive out, which we did in 35 minutes. The Palace - well I'm sure you know, is quiet simply breathtaking, to see some of the buildings we've seen in the snow has been a memorable experience, and to walk around the grounds we were lost for words.
And so back to the city where we were dropped at the 'Ice Bar' opposite the Kazan Cathedral for a very expensive drink but was one of those tourist things you do.
A trip around the Hermitage and before we knew it, we needed to start to get ready for a night at the 'Marinsky'. We do go to the Opera in London, but there was a strange feeling when in another country. Very ornate as we expected inside, but when the opera started there didn't seem the respect and consideration for others like back home. Either side we had the guys on there mobiles, and the one next to Catherine dropped off during the first Act and on doing again during Act 2 dropped his mobile! As we neared the finale it was all to modern with almost S&M acts on stage much to the locals delight!
Shame really but it was wonderful to be at such a great theatre for a show....this was followed by the after show meal at the 'Stage Door' where we 'reserved' a table. We were the only ones in there for 20 minutes before another couple sat near and then the main cast came in but ushered into another room!

Our final few hours the next day were spent up the top of the Isaacs Cathedral and then an Indian! ....well we are British!!!

Right on cue, Alexander was there to take us to the airport and end our short six day break. We both had the most wonderful time and thank you again for organising the whole trip. please pass on our thanks to Valery Alexander & Maria, but most of all to Svetlana who was so friendly and did all she could to help, and please let her know that we still got lost on the Metro!!!!!

Spasibo!

Michael & Catherine

We had a really fantastic time...

2007-02-22T01:08:00.002Z
We had a really fantastic time that exceeded our expectations in all respects! The weather was great and the sun shone every day which is a real result as we were told the sun only shines on 50 days a year!

We were delighted with our guide. Maria was a lovely lady and very knowledgeable and it was well worth having her services. Do pass on her thanks. Sergei, our driver, was also charming and very helpful.

So a thank you to everyone and to your team at Russian City Breaks - we wouldn't hesitate in recommending your services.

Helen Lovatt

I'll definitely be recommending Russian City Breaks

2007-02-22T01:04:00.002Z
Hi Dan

Had a great time thank you. Everyone at home thinks I have a tan but it's more like wind burn! Moscow was good and Spartacus was brilliant as were the seats. St Petersburg was stunning and I'd definitely go back there and spend a few more days taking it all in. I'll get Abi to send me some digital pics as she has the technology know-how.

I'll definitely be recommending Russian City Breaks and when I get around to taking my dad to St P (the only place he wants to go to in the world & he's never had a passport!) then I'll be back in touch.

Thanks again for providing such a professional service and ensuring that our first trip to Russia was unbelievably relaxed!

Julie Hart

Thank you so much!

2007-02-21T23:26:00.002Z
A group of 25 adults return from a 5 day city break to St Petersburg

For someone who generally visits cities not as part of a package, this made a welcome change. The organisation was superb and allowed us to concentrate on the experience - Barbara Ainscough

Excellent trip, well organised and good value. I would definitely travel with Russian City Breaks again - Rob Ainscough

Hugely enjoyable – it would have been impossible to discover so much about Russian culture and history without your perceptive guidance. Many thanks - Trevor Hatchett

Very well organised – we couldn’t have done this sort of trip on our own. I loved it and Dan was superb - Pauline Chandler

Very enjoyable, worthwhile, interesting, fascinating and informative tour - D. Cliff

Thoroughly enjoyed the visit, excellent organisation. A very knowledgeable guide – a delight to be with. Thank you - Betty Davies

I could not have seen so much if I had organised the visit myself - David La Brow

Excellent guide around palaces and city. Very knowledgeable but with a very personal slant. One felt that she had really experienced the massive changes over the past years - Anne Knighton

From start to finish I have been able to enjoy St Petersburg . All the facilities, all the care and attention to detail, all the professional, friendly support throughout the five days have helped generate an atmosphere that allowed us all to have fun whilst experiencing this ‘gem’ in the Russian crown - Vernon Poke

Excellent organisation and first class guide – both of which are essential in visiting places off the general tourist track - Valerie Hadfield

Absolutely thrilled with visit. No way could we have got so much into the short break if we’d done it on our own. Russian City Breaks took all the hassle out of travelling - Shirley La Brow

We all had a wonderful time in St Petersburg!

2007-02-20T23:13:00.002Z
The best possible way to see St Petersburg. A real personal travel service to the highest standards - John Bush

An excellent way to see the sights of St Petersburg. Extremely informative, hassle free and well organised - Ann Bush

A brilliant trip. Never a dull moment. Liked the fact that we saw lots in a short time but it was never overdone i.e. never too tired at the end of the day. Really loved the folk evening - Lesley Orchard

A brilliant holiday - Vicki Redpath

Superb trip and choice of places visited - Janet Phillips

My daughter and I had a fantastic holiday

2007-02-20T19:13:00.003Z

My daughter and I had a fantastic holiday in Moscow and St Petersburg! All arrangements absolutely spot-on, so nice to be met at the airport by Diana and to jump in the car as we had been up since 4am and were feeling a bit weak. Novotel very well placed right next to Metro and Helvetia Suites really comfortable and handy too. Train good, we slept fine. Guides and drivers all marvellous too, so knowledgeable and interesting and we got on really well. We loved Moscow - highlights? the Metro and St Basils or maybe the Armoury....or the golden domes....St Petersburg, the melting river, never seen that before. Great meals every night, [Godunov, the restaurant next door on the Square, Blini House, Kafkas in St P] at very reasonable prices, plenty of good beer. The folklore show was super too and since the audience had lots of Japanese we could have swigged enough free voddies to flatten us if we'd wanted! Weather fine, esp in St P. So well worth that bit extra to have our own guide and driver, I'd recommend this to anyone though I'd say Russia is a place for fairly experienced travellers, particularly Moscow. We found everyone very friendly and helpful and I can honestly say we didn't have a single dodgy moment.

Judith