The Volga
Topic: Tour CalendarSeptember 15 - 27, 2007
from Moscow to St. Petersburg
Henk and Thressa Witte invite you to join them for a unique travel experience in September-a cruise on Russia's Volga River, starting in Moscow and ending in St. Petersburg. The first three days of the cruise will be spent in Moscow, Russia's largest and most important city. Then we'll meander along the fascinating Volga for five days. Our cruise will be topped off by three days in the world-class cultural mecca of St. Petersburg, founded by Peter the Great in 1703. For our cruise, we have selected the M.S. Anton Chekhov, one of the ships belonging to the Orthodox Cruise Company. Witte Travel and Tours has worked with this company for a number of years, with most positive results. The Orthodox ships are well maintained, the food has been excellent, and the staff is very service-oriented and attentive.
September 2007
Day 1 ~ 15, Saturday - Departure
This afternoon we check in with United Airlines for the short flight to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Here we’ll connect with the non-stop flight of Austrian Airlines to Vienna. We’re on our way!
Day 2 ~ 16, Sunday - Vienna, Moscow
Arrival in Vienna is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. We have just about one hour to stretch our legs before boarding another Austrian Airlines jet for the trip to Moscow. The flight from Vienna to Moscow takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes. To this we need to add a two-hour time difference, making our arrival in Moscow at 3:30 p.m. Following disembarkation, proceed via passport/visa control to the baggage claim area. After everyone has claimed their luggage, continue as a group through customs into the Arrival Hall. Here a representative of Orthodox Cruise Company will be awaiting our arrival. Next it’s on to the motorcoach for our transfer to the M/S Anton Chekhov, our floating hotel. We’ll have time to unpack our bags (don’t have to repack for the next ten days) and take a short catnap. During our on-board dinner, we’ll meet some of the other cruise passengers from countries and cities throughout the world.
Day 3 ~ 17, Monday - Moscow
After a night of well-earned rest and a hearty breakfast, we begin our all-day Moscow sightseeing. Our first stop is at Red Square where we’ll see the Kremlin, Lenin’s Tomb and St. Basil’s Cathedral. Inside the 15th-century Kremlin we will see the 266-foot Ivan the Great Bell Tower, the 200-ton Tsar Bell, the Cathedral of the Archangel, and the Church of the Deposition of the Robe. We will tour the Cathedral of the Assumption with its walls covered with frescoes, its towering five-tiered iconostasis, and the Monomakh Throne of Ivan the Terrible. Rather than returning to the ship for lunch, we will take along a box lunch. After some free time for lunch and a possible visit to the huge, historic GUM Department Store, we will visit the Armory Museum with its vast collection of Imperial Russian artwork. From the tsar’s collection of Imperial Easter Eggs to Catherine the Great’s many ball gowns, this collection brings the lifestyle of Russia’s royal families to life. We’ll be back on board ship by 5:30 p.m. for leisure time, followed by our evening dinner. For this evening’s activities, various options will be offered.
Day 4 ~ 18, Tuesday - Moscow
This morning we’ll visit the Tretyakov Gallery with the world’s largest and finest collection of Russian art. Here you will see everything from Andrey Rublev’s famous icon of the Trinity to works by Marc Chagall. After our visit, return to the ship for lunch. The afternoon is at leisure for independent exploration. Some options to consider are a boat ride along the Moscow rivers or a visit to the Moscow Metro System. Be sure to be back on board ship in time for the 5:30 p.m. sailing. The captain’s welcome reception will be followed by dinner. This evening we sail through the Moscow Canal, which connects to the Volga. Opened in 1825 and rebuilt in the 1930’s, the canal required seven concrete dams, eleven locks, five bridges, and the opportunity for eight hydroelectric plants. An entertainment program is followed by dancing as we glide along.
Day 5 ~ 19, Wednesday - Cruising ~ Uglich
Relax and enjoy the scenery as we travel the mighty Volga and enjoy three wonderful meals a day aboard ship. We stop in Uglich, a beloved old town, but infamous for the murder of Dimitry, son of Ivan the Terrible, on the site of which is the Church of Prince Dimitry the Martyr. We will also visit the Cathedral of the Transfiguration and the Palace of the Tsarevich Dimitry. While cruising, every day provides an opportunity to learn about Russia’s history, folklore, crafts, art and cuisine, and even the opportunity to learn basic Russian. Entertainment is offered every evening.
Day 6 ~ 20, Thursday - Cruising ~ Jaroslav
Jaroslav, an important port with a population of 627,000, stretches for 18 miles on both banks of the Volga. Founded in the 11th century by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, its magnificent monuments include the Transfiguration Monastery, the Chapel of Alexander Nevsky, and St. Elijah’s Church, with frescoes and icons that constitute a veritable museum of Russian painting.
Day 7 ~ 21, Friday - Cruising ~ Goritsy
We continue northward. The western river banks are hilly and lush, those on the eastern bank are flat and low—the result of the eastward rotation of the earth. Goritsy is a tiny settlement, but nearby is the great Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (St. Cyril of Lake Beloya), its vast area protected by mighty walls, sufficiently strong to repel Polish invaders. Of note are the entry gate with refrectory (1519) and the churches of Gabriel the Archangel and St. Cyril (both 1780). The Dormition Cathedral’s main icon was painted by Andrey Rublev. The monastery museum contains a treasure-trove of magnificent icons.
Day 8 ~ 22, Saturday - Cruising ~ Kizhi
Today we sail on Lake Onega, the second largest lake in Europe and one of its purest. Our destination is the island of Kizhi, the magnificent and remote repository of ancient wooden buildings brought here from all over northern Russia and restored to form a glimpse of its past. Its most famous structure is the Church of the Transfiguration with its 22 domes, built in 1714 without a single nail or piece of iron. The only tools used were chisels and axes. Nearby is the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos (a winter church with a stove for heat). There are also homes, barns, and windmills.
Day 9 ~ 23, Sunday - Cruising ~ Mangrogi
Our stop for today is Mangrogi, a quaint riverside village. (If this village has a church and priest, we might have an opportunity to attend an Orthodox worship). We have time to mingle with the villagers and observe daily rural Russian life. Shop for hand-made souvenirs and visit the house of one of the families.
Day 10 ~ 24, Monday - St. Petersburg
Arrival in St. Petersburg is scheduled for this morning. Created by Czar Peter to rival Venice, its 101 islands, 66 canals, and hundreds of bridges have secured its reputation as the most beautiful city in the country. Upon arrival we’ll be treated to a panoramic city tour. This afternoon’s sightseeing tour will include a visit to Peter and Paul Fortress, Peter the Great’s original outpost against the Swedes. Its historical significance is felt to this day by the presence of every Romanov tomb from Peter I following. Next we visit St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the city’s largest church. For this evening, we suggest an optional ballet performance at the Bolshoi.
Day 11 ~ 25, Tuesday - St. Petersburg
This morning we’ll visit the Hermitage Museum, formerly the Winter Palace, home of the last six czars. A treasure trove of three million exhibits, including its 7th-century BC Scythian gold; classical Roman sculpture; Italian art with works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, and Caravaggio; and Spain for El Greco, Ribera, Murillo, and Zurbaran. And of course the Dutch collection with works by Roger vander Weyden, Rubens, Van Dyck, and many Rembrandts. For those with more contemporary tastes there are works in great numbers by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso. The afternoon is at leisure for more time to explore the Hermitage. Other options are also available and will be discussed before our departure.
Day 12 ~ 26, Wednesday - Pushkin, Vienna
After saying farewell to the crew of the M/S Anton Checkhov, we leave for Pushkin and Catherine the Great’s Palace. This baroque palace, while not as big as Versailles, nonetheless rivals it for opulence. Its great Hall of Mirrors and Amber Room are literally incomparable. Not far from the palace is the Lyceum where the great poet, Alexander Pushkin studied. After our visit it’s on to the airport for check-in with Austrian Airlines for our flight to Vienna. While en route to the airport, enjoy your box lunch. The two hours we lost on the way from Vienna to Moscow are now regained. Thus our departure time from St. Petersburg is at 3:50 p.m. with arrival in Vienna at 4:35 p.m. Following passport control and customs, transfer to a nearby hotel for overnight accommodations.
Day 13 ~ 27, Thursday - Return
After breakfast, transfer back to the airport to check in for our non-stop flight to Chicago. Arrival in Chicago is scheduled for 2:20 p.m. For those of the group continuing on to Grand Rapids, the United Airlines flight departs Chicago at 3:55 p.m. with arrival in Grand Rapids at 5:51 p.m. We hope you had a great trip and we look forward to seeing you on another Witte Travel tour or cruise.
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