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To Russia with Love
Leonard and Mary Friesen are leading our Glory of Russia tour (July 3-13, 2012) because they know and love this country so well. This is an ideal way to experience a magnificent part of the world. Sign up today!

Glory of Russia: Moscow & St. Petersburg

July 3 - 13, 2012

Fountains at Petrodvorets Palace

With tour leaders Len and Mary Friesen

Few countries have mattered more in our time than Russia, yet few remain as mysterious. This is the land of Peter the Great, and Catherine; of Lenin, Stalin and Gorbachev. This tour opens up Russia’s many wonders to its participants. We will start in Moscow with its ancient walled Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and famed Red Square. We then travel to the spiritual heart of Orthodox Russia: the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius. Our next stop is Novgorod, one of Russia’s oldest and best preserved fortress cities, where we will marvel at its wooden churches and distinct “onion domes”. St. Petersburg, the so-called “Venice of the north,” is next. Here we will explore the world-famous Hermitage art collections; and travel by hovercraft to the summer palace of Peterhof with its cascading gold-leafed fountains. We will wander through farmers markets where you can savor fresh caviar and pickled garlic. There will be something for everyone. Why not join us?

Click here to read past blogs about this tour.


Tuesday & Wednesday, July 3 & 4
Tour departs from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport or Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday evening on overnight flights to Frankfurt, connecting on to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, arriving on Wednesday afternoon. We will transfer to the Delta Hotel where we will stay for the next three nights. We may want to stretch our legs with a walkabout around the hotel and to Izmailovo Park, or take the metro to see Red Square in the evening.

St. Basil's Cathedral
St. Basil's Cathedral
Thursday, July 5
Dobre Utra Russia! (Good morning Russia!) We will begin our time with a city tour to see Red Square, Lenin’s Tomb, GUM, tour St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Alexander Gardens, walk to the Bolshoi Theater and drive past Lubyanka (the former KGB headquarters). After lunch in the greatest of Russian squares, Red Square, we will tour the Kremlin, its churches and the Armory. In the evening, we will enjoy options of a subway tour or a concert. Friday, July 6 We will take an all-day tour to Sergeiv Posad, a city that was established in the fifteenth century around one of the greatest of Russian monasteries, the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius. This evening we will enjoy a circus performance.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Saturday, July 7
This morning we will get on board a delightful river cruise in Moscow. We will also explore the inside of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, before enjoying lunch in the vibrant Arbat pedestrian mall. This afternoon, we will take a tour of the Tretyakov Gallery with its impressive national collection of fine Russian art and have one last glimpse of Red Square before boarding an evening train to Novgorod.

Sunday, July 8
Our tour of the historic city of Novgorod will include the Novgorod Kremlin with the oldest palace in Russia, the three-domed Yurev Monastery and the Museum of Wooden Architecture with its buildings dating from as far back as the 14th century. We will then head to St. Petersburg for the night.

Palace Square, St. Petersburg
Palace Square, St. Petersburg
Monday, July 9
Our morning bus tour of St. Petersburg will take us down St. Petersburg’s leading avenue, Nevsky Prospect, to the Peter the Great statue and St. Isaac’s, Strelka, Palace Square and the Aurora. This afternoon we will visit the Peter and Paul Fortress to see both its historic cathedral and its prison and the view from the Embankment.

Tuesday, July 10
A visit to one of the world’s most famous museums – the Hermitage – is our destination this morning. In the afternoon, we will go past the Field of Mars, the Summer Gardens (with a view of Mikhailovsky Palace) and a chance for photos at the Anichkov Bridge. We will tour the Yusupov Palace Museum (where we will learn about Rasputin), and enjoy a stop at the Kuznechnii Market on our way back to the hotel. You will have the option to enjoy an evening concert.

Wednesday, July 11
We will go to Kazan Cathedral in time for morning liturgy and will walk around outside. We will tour inside the picturesque Russian-style Cathedral of the Spilled Blood, now a museum. After lunch, we will go by boat to Peterhof, the former summer residence of the Czars, for a tour of the beautiful summer palace and its remarkable gardens.

Piskarevskoye Cemetery
Piskarevskoye Cemetery
Thursday, July 12
On our last full day together, we will visit the Piskarevskoye Cemetery this morning to learn its significance to the Mennonite story. We will enjoy lunch and afternoon free time on Nevsky between Dom Knigi and Gostiny Dvor.

Friday, July 13
It is time to say farewell or Do svidaniya. After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for our flights back to Toronto and Newark. You will return with many memories, insights and new friendships.


For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . We would be happy to be of assistance.
 
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