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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!

June 5 - 18, 2009

Taynitskaya Tower inside the Kremlin, Moscow

With Tour Leader Len Friesen

The best of both Russia and Ukraine comes alive in this tour, as we move from Moscow’s famed Red Square and Kremlin - to the Imperial splendor of St. Petersburg with its palaces, parks, and canals - to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev high above the majestic Dnieper River. We will end our time in the Black Sea jewel of Odessa, site of the renowned Potemkin Stairs. In some ways, the heart of our journey will be found in the Stalinist city of Zaporozhye, where we will explore places at the heart of the Mennonite experience: Chortitza and Molotschna. We will come to understand the Mennonite story better as it will be told within the rich context of Tsarist and Soviet history, along with present realities and challenges. In the past this tour has taken on the shape of a pilgrimage for those of this background, even as it has captivated those with no previous connection to Russia or Ukraine. Leonard Friesen who teaches history and Global Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, and who has lived in Russia and travelled there twenty times will be the tour leader.  Join him for this 2009 tour.

Click here to read past blogs about this tour.


Friday & Saturday, June 5 & 6

Tour departs from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport or Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, on Friday evening on an overnight flight to Frankfurt, connecting on to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, arriving on Saturday afternoon. Transfer to the hotel where we will stay for three nights.

Sunday, June 7

We will begin our time in Russia with a morning worship service at a local Baptist church, after which we will have a city tour to see Red Square, Lenin’s Tomb, the Lubyanka (former KGB headquarters), GUM, and St. Basil’s Cathedral. We will have free time to wander in this greatest of Russian squares over lunch. In the afternoon, we will tour the Kremlin, Cathedral Square and the Armory. Enjoy an evening circus performance. Monday, June 8 We will travel to Moscow’s famed Tretyakov Gallery in the morning, followed by lunch and free time on Moscow’s famed “Arbat” pedestrian mall. We will visit Christ the Savior Cathedral in the afternoon as we learn about Orthodoxy, and enjoy a final walk on Red Square.

Tuesday, June 9

This morning we will fly to St. Petersburg. Today’s tour of St. Petersburg will have stops at the Bronze Horseman, Palace Square, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, University Embankment and the Piskarevskoe Cemetery.

Fountains at Petrodvorets Palace
Fountains at Petrodvorets Palace
Wednesday, June 10

On Wednesday morning we will tour two amazing cathedrals in the city centre: The Cathedral of the Spilled Blood, now a museum, and the Kazan Cathedral, once a Museum of Atheism, but now restored to the church. We will then take the hovercraft to Petrodvorets (Peterhof) for a tour of the most beautiful of the Tsar’s summer palaces and explore its remarkable gardens.

Thursday, June 11

A visit to one of the world’s most famous museums, the Hermitage, is our destination this morning. In the afternoon we will visit the Peter and Paul Fortress to see both its historic cathedral and its prison.

Friday, June 12

It’s time to leave Russia this morning and fly to Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. We will travel by coach to Zaporozhye, with a stop en route at Eichenfeld to see a memorial to those who died in the massacre that took place there.

Famous Oak Tree
Famous oak tree
Saturday, June 13

Mennonites from Prussia came to settle in this region in 1789. A tour of Zaporozhye includes the old Oak tree, the great Stalinist dam, and a visit to the Island of Chortitza and the cemetery. In the late afternoon we will travel by boat around the island. We will fellowship with members of the Zaporozhye Mennonite Church this evening.


Sunday, June 14

Mennonites from Prussia came to the Molotschna Region beginning in 1803. We will tour through some of the former Mennonite villages and will visit churches, including Petershagen, and institutions in the administrative centers of Halbstadt and Gnadenfeld. We will stop at a newly-established Mennonite centre.

Monday, June 15

This will be a free day to explore Zaporozhye on your own, shop, meet with MCC representatives, have a rest or travel with a local guide to one of the Mennonite villages of special interest to your family.

Tuesday, June 16

Today we will experience the country of Ukraine from the train as we travel from Zaporozhye to Odessa on the Black Sea.

Wednesday, June 17

Today in Odessa which has connections to the Mennonite story, we will want to see this “tiny St. Petersburg” and visit its sites and walk along the promenade on cliffs high above the Black Sea and the famed Potemkin Stairs. We will have our Farewell Dinner this evening.

Thursday, June 18

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 \n 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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