All Colours of Russia

TRAVEL ASSOCIATES

l ALL COLOURS OF RUSSIA l ALLE FARBEN RUSSLANDS l TOUS LES COULEURS DE LA RUSSIE l TODOS LOS COLORES DE RUSSIA l TUTTII COLORI DELLA RUSSIA l l l

RUSSIA

Hardly you will find more informative source about travel to Russia than this brochure you are holding in your hands…Even if telling these words we exaggerate a little, we are certain that the information we painstakingly during over 15 years of our devoted work in tourism and presented on these pages, will reveal Russia brightened with more colours than what you might have seen before.

In this revised edition you will find a thorough detailed coverage of Russia’s most attractive travel destinations along with wide variety of tours: from brilliant Westernlike Saint Petersburg and the ancient ever-beating “heart of Russia” – Moscow – to small charming towns of Golden Ring, the fascinating Kamchatka, a mysterious land of active volcanos and a fortnight-long Trans-Siberian Railway journey.

Hotels of all categories, museums and exhibition halls, various restaurants and night clubs – all carefully selected and updated information without doubt will help you and your clients to be prepared for an acquaintance with Russia, so diverse, so bright and every time so new!

Via these pages we encourage you to come and Discover All Colours of Russia.

You are welcome to join us on this venturous journey!

Yours faithfully, Versa Travel St. Petersburg

Tari Tour Moscow

P.S. We are very grateful to all our overseas partners and indeed it has been a great pleasure working together through all these years, up to date and believe the same in future.

Most of you are not just partners, but our dear cherished friends.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

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Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

CONTENTS

RUSSIA...................................................................................................... 4 THE NORTHERN CAPITAL - SAINT-PETERSBURG About the city.............................................................................................. 6 Museums and palaces of Saint-Petersburg................................................. 8 Christian cathedrals in Saint-Petersburg................................................... 12 Temples of the world’s religions in Saint-Petersburg............................... 13 Museums of famous people of Saint-Petersburg ..................................... 14 Theatres of Saint-Petersburg . .................................................................. 14 Tsars’ residences in Saint-Petersburg suburbs.......................................... 15 Hotels in Saint-Petersburg ....................................................................... 17 Restaurants of Saint-Petersburg ............................................................... 22 Night-life in Saint-Petersburg................................................................... 23 THE CAPITAL OF RUSSIA – GOLD-DOMED MOSCOW About the city .......................................................................................... 24 Museums and palaces of Moscow............................................................ 26 Christian cathedrals in Moscow . ............................................................. 27 Theatres of Moscow.................................................................................. 28 Museums of famous people of Moscow................................................... 28 Residences in Moscow suburbs............................................................... .29 Hotels in Moscow..................................................................................... 31 Restaurants of Moscow . .......................................................................... 33 Night-life in Moscow................................................................................ 33 GOLDEN RING Cities of the Golden Ring......................................................................... 34 Golden Ring hotels................................................................................... 36 THE NORTH-WEST OF RUSSIA Cities of the North-West........................................................................... 37 Republic of Karelia................................................................................... 38 Hotels of the North-West.......................................................................... 39 KALININGRAD (KENIGSBERG) The country of amber................................................................................ 40 About the city .......................................................................................... 40 Hotels in Kaliningrad................................................................................ 40 THE RUSSIAN COAST OF THE BLACK SEA The sea resort – Sochi, Gelendzhik, Anapa.............................................. 41 Mountain resort – Krasnaya Polyana........................................................ 41 Hotels in Sochi . ....................................................................................... 42 SIBERIA AND THE FAR EAST Cities in Siberia......................................................................................... 43 Cities and regions of the Far East ............................................................ 43 Hotels in Siberia and the Far East . .......................................................... 45 Tours of Russia Tours in Saint-Petersburg Classical Saint-Petersburg........................................................................ 47 In Dostoevsky’s footsteps......................................................................... 48 New Year in Saint-Petersburg................................................................... 49 Tours in Moscow Moscow . .................................................................................................. 50 Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.................................................................. 51 Russian Banya – Bathhouse. Excursion “Learn about Sanduny”............. 52 Moscow – Golden Ring – Veliky Novgorod – Saint -Petersburg....................................................................................... 53 “The Silver Crown” coach tour................................................................. 54 The Solovetskie Islands tour..................................................................... 55 Historical tour........................................................................................... 56 Lake Baikal tours...................................................................................... 57 Kamchatka tour......................................................................................... 58 Trans-Siberian Railway Tour ................................................................... 59 INCENTIVE TOURS IN RUSSIA........................................................ 60 Transport................................................................................................. 63

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Russia

Capital: Moscow Population: 149 909 089 people Area: 17 075200 square km.

Religion: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism Official language: Russian National currency: rouble Dialing code: 007 Time Zone: 2 hours ahead of Central European time Electricity: 220 V

Russia with its area of 17 million sq km., is really vast In the Far East, on the Chukotskiy Peninsular, a new day breaks 9 hours earlier than in Moscow. It takes a week by train or 10 hours by air to cross the country from its western frontier to the Pacific Ocean. During this 10 hour flight, the airplane will fly over the tundra, taiga, steppes and deserts. The nature of Russia is striking and unique in many aspects. It is not mere chance that 24 national parks and 84 nature reserves are situated here. More than a half of the territory is covered by forests.

The population of Russia is about 142 million people. There are 13 cities with the population of more than a million citizens in Russia; the largest ones are Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.

The Russians (the Slavs) account for 80 percent of the population of Russia. More than a hundred nationalities live in Russia, speak their own language and speak fluent Russian as well. About 30 percent of the citizens of Russia profess atheism; the majority of believers adhere to the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Volga, the most full-flowing river in Europe, is situated in Russia. However, many Siberian rivers, for example, the Lena, the Amur, the Enisei and the Ob` considerably surpass it in length. The largest lake in the world is located in Russia; because of its size and due to the fact that its water is salty, it is more frequently called a sea, namely the Caspian Sea. The deepest fresh water lake, the famous Baikal, as well as the highest peak Elbrus in the Caucasus is also situated in Russia.

Russia is the coldest country in the world. In the majority of regions, winter lasts for 4-5 months, in the North it lasts for 9 months. Even in Moscow, which is situated in a temperate climatic zone, a temperature of minus 30º Celsius is not rare.

That is why, the Russians wear famous fur-caps, which tourists like to buy as souvenirs. The majority of foreigners regard high snowdrifts in the streets of Russian cities as something exotic, as they could see so much snow only at mountain resorts before.

The Russians are real book lovers. One can see a lot of passengers reading in the underground and in buses. There are always many people in bookshops and in front of newsstands. It is true, that they are still not eager to learn foreign languages in Russia – the isolation of the Soviet society under the totalitarian regime is to blame.

The young people, of course, diligently study foreign languages, mainly English, but it is quite difficult to communicate with representatives of the elder generation in other languages except for Russian. The Russians are slow in harnessing but fast in riding. These words, which precisely characterize the Russian reality, were uttered

by Otto fon Bismarck. The Russians are gifted people. We are proud of our famous fellow countrymen. The world is indebted to Russia for such writers as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov.

The five Russians – Bunin, Sholokhov, Pasternak, Solzhenitsyn and Brodsky – were awarded Noble prize in literature. Pieces of music by Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Rakhmaninov, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Shnitke are performed all over the world. Malevich and Kandinsky, representatives of so-called Russian Avant-Garde, won fame owing to their innovation Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

in the art of painting. Russian classical ballet is famous all over the world. Such names as Anna Pavlova, Galina Ulanova, Maya Plesetskaya, Rudolf Nuriev and Mikhail Baryshnikov are familiar to every educated person.

Discoveries and achievements of Russian scientists in the field of chemistry, nuclear physics and aeronautics are generally known. Speaking as for inventions, when the authorship is concerned, in Russia they hold a different opinion from the one held in the rest of the world. Foreigners are really surprised when they hear that the Russians consider themselves the inventors of the steam locomotive, the filament lamp and the radio.

There are, of course, a lot of spheres in which the priority of the Russians is not disputed. In 1961, Russia (then the U.S.S.R.) launched the spaceship with the man on board into the space.

Successes achieved by the Russians in sports are generally known: the outstanding results at the Olympic Games, the world records of swimmers and weightlifters, the international achievements of gymnasts and figure skaters, the wins of the national hockey team. The majority of the world champions in chess are Russian.

In essence, Russia offers an unlimited range of opportunities for everybody who wants to take a rest, who is eager to travel and learn. The appearance of many cities and their monuments has considerably changed in the last years. It is hard to recognize Kazan and Samara on the Volga, Pskov and Novgorod in the north. The same is true for small towns such as Suzdal, Torzhok, Veliky Ustyug, Izborsk, Rostov Veliky and Myshkin.

Everywhere one can meet renovated churches and central historical areas of cities, revived in their old beauty, as well as new sights. Lovers of special adventures will surely enjoy travelling in Russia. No other country in the world has such a variety of preserved nature and animals that have never heard the shot of a gun, and variety of nationalities with their original culture and traditions. The Kamchatsky Peninsular, Lake Baikal, a Middle-Siberian mountain range - the Sayans, the delta of the Volga, and the Russian North are unique. Travels to the North Pole, to the Komandor`s islands, and to the mysterious Putoranskye mountains in the basin of the Lower Tunguska are great adventures.

And all this grandiose, immeasurably vast and beautiful country is called Russia.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Russia

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg

St. Petersburg

SaintSaint-Petersburg Petersburg The Northern capital – Saint-Petersburg

The city on the Neva, glorified by a lot of poets and immortalized by famous artists, attracts tourists not only by its numerous museums, but by the glamour of the White Nights. Today it is the second largest city of Russia, a centre of culture and arts, the “tourist capital” of the country. Being the native city of the current president, Saint-Petersburg is acquiring a new political image. Every year a number of international events, markets, festivals, political and business meetings are held in the city.

In comparison with other large cities of Russia and even of the whole world, Saint-Petersburg is a young city, it was founded by order of Peter the Great on May 27, 1703. The first city construction was a fortress named Saint-Petersburg. The fortress became the centre of the city, and later, the last resting-place of Peter the Great. Today it is called the Peter and Paul Fortress, and its original name was given to the city that developed around the fortress on the numerous islands in the delta of the Neva River.

A great number of foreign architects, engineers, and artists came to Saint-Petersburg to make Peter the Great‘s wishes about creation of a European city in Russia come true. The leading European and Russian architects, working side by side, created a great number of splendid architectural monuments: the Stock Exchange, the Admiralty, the Academy of Sciences, the Winter Palace, the Smolny Convent, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and many others. From 1712 to 1918 Saint-Petersburg was the capital of Russia, the residence of all Russian tsars.

Saint-Petersburg has been renamed three times: at the beginning of the First World War the city got the name of Petrograd, after the death of Lenin in 1924, the city was renamed Leningrad. In 1991, after the referendum, the historical name was returned to the city. In Russia, SaintPetersburg is a “European oasis”, which has its own image.

Saint-Petersburg has been preserving this image for over 300 years of its existence in spite of the Revolution, the Civil War, and 900 days of the Siege during the Second World War. Come to this city and see what was glorified by poets and immortalized by famous artists.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg Museums and palaces of Saint-Petersburg

The State Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage is one of the oldest and at the same time the largest museums in the world. If you are going to come to Saint-Petersburg, you should include a visit to the Hermitage into your plans. The museum collection is displayed in five historical buildings (the Winter Palace, the former tsars’ residence, the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage, the New Hermitage and the Hermitage Theatre). About 3 million items, from prehistoric till modern times, are kept in the museum, and one can view them in more than 400 splendid rooms. There are about 2500 paintings by famous artists (Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Cezanne, Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh etc.), cameos and gems, decorated clocks, objects of gold and silver, porcelain, statues, antique vases, a large collection of coins and medals, tsars’ dress, thrones, tsars’ carriages, collections of weapons and many other exhibits.

After the construction of the Winter Palace, Catherine the Great, an eager collector, ordered to put up the Small and the Big (today the Old) Hermitages to house her art collections. The New Hermitage was the last to appear. Nicolas I opened the New and the Old Hermitages as the public museum in 1852. Since 1918, after the abolition of the monarchy, and the revolution, the Winter Palace has been gradually converted to the museum. Today the Old and the New Hermitages mainly display paintings. The majority of the state rooms are situated in the Winter Palace.

Open: from 10.30 a.m. till 6 p.m.; on Sundays till 5 p.m.

Closed: on Mondays

Address: 34, Dvortsovaya Emb. www.hermitagemuseum.org

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

Sightseeing tour During the city sightseeing tour you will see the most beautiful sights of the former Imperial capital of Russia. The golden spire of the Admiralty is one of the symbols of St.Petersburg and a compositional centre of the central part of the city. Three streets like a trident of Neptune come from the tower of the Admiralty, among which is the city’s main street – Nevsky Prospekt, a street of expensive shops and hotels, restaurants and cinemas. A lot of churches of different confessions are located on this street.

The most remarkable ones of which are the ancient-looking Kazan Cathedral and the picturesque Church of Resurrection or Saviour the Spilt Blood Church, owing its second name to the cruel fact in the Russian history –the murder of the Russian Tsar Alexander II who was assassinated at this spot.

Not far from the Admiralty there is the main square of the city – the Palace Square. This architectural ensemble includes a majestic Empire style building of General Staff, the Alexander Column, the monument glorifying the Russian Emperor Alexander I, the winner of the war of 1812 against Napoleon, and the former residence of the Russian Tsars – Winter Palace, magnificent building of the Russian baroque style. Now the halls of the palace contain the works of art of the collection of the biggest museum of Russia – the Hermitage.

From the Palace square one can see the golden dome of St Isaac’s Cathedral, one of the biggest large-domed cathedrals in the world. From the viewing platform of the upper colonnade of the cathedral one can admire a splendid panorama of the city.

At the other side of the cathedral near the Neva river there is one more city’s landmark– an equestrian statue to its founder Peter the Great, better known as the Bronze Horseman.

The Point of Vasilievsky Island is the favourite place of the locals and guests of the city. Here one can have a magnificent view of the city and the city’s oldest construction – the Peter and Paul Fortress. The highest building of the fortress is the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul with its golden spire dominating over the flat banks of the city’s low-lying islands. It also is the last resting place of the Russian Tsars of the Romanov dynasty.

Close to the Peter and Paul Fortress in the Bigger Nevka river there is another object of note attracting the guests of the city – Aurora Battleship, famous for being a symbol of the October Revolution of 1917, as the blank shot fired from Aurora on 25th of October was a signal to start the storm of the Winter Palace. At all the remarkable 16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg sights of the city the tourists usually have photostops during the sightseeing tour which generally lasts for 4 hours.

One can refer to the city’s unique things a phenomenon of White Nights, the period that lasts from late May to the mid-July during which it never gets dark at night.

City tour by one of such nights will give an opportunity to enjoy the city’s beautiful sights, bring a great pleasure and unforgettable memories!

The State Russian Museum

The Russian Museum has one of the largest collections of Russian art. There are more than 400000 paintings, sculptures, objects of applied and folk art in the museum. The Russian Museum was founded by Alexander III in 1895, and opened in 1898 in the Michael’s Palace (arch. K. Rossi).

The exhibition of the museum covers the period from ancient Russian art (Russian ancient icons) to the art of the beginning of the 20th century (Avantgarde paintings) and includes works of the famous paiters Vrubel, Repin, Serov, Aivazovsky, Kandinsky, Malevich, Korovin. Ceiling paintings, moulded ornamentation, lamps, and furniture are preserved in the rooms of the palace.

Open: from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m.; on Monday till 4 p.m.

Closed: on Tuesdays Address: 2, Inzhenernaya Street http://www.rusmuseum.ru/eng/home

St. Isaac’s Cathedral St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the most magnificent church of Saint-Petersburg, one of the most exquisite creations by the architect O. Montferrand. The largest cathedral can hold 10000 people. The huge gilded dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral (26 metres in diameter) dominates the city centre, and it is visible from Peterhof. The largest church of Russia was built for more than 40 years, from 1818 to 1858. Its purpose was to represent Russia as a new great European empire. More than half a million of serfs participated in the arduous constructional works. Outside the cathedral is adorned with 112 granite columns, each column weighs 114 tons. From the colonnade of the dome one can admire the splendid panorama of the city.

Open: from 11 a.m. till 6 p.m.

Closed: on Wednesday

Address: 1, Isaakievskaya Square http://www.cathedral.ru

The Church of Resurrection (Saviour on the Spilled Blood)

This cathedral was built in the memory of the Russian tsar Alexander II; it was modelled on St. Basil Cathedral in Moscow, in Pseudo-Russian Style (1907, arch.

Parland). The cathedral was erected on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was mortally Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg The Peter and Paul Fortress The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded by Peter I on a small island (Hare Island) in 1703, during the Northern War. It is the oldest construction of the city. The Fortress Museum includes: the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul (the 18th century, arch. Trezzini) with the tomb of Peter the Great and other Russian tsars, the prison of the Trubetskoy Bastion, different temporary exhibitions: “the History of Saint-Petersburg”, “the Museum of the Gas-dynamic Laboratory”, “the History of the Mint”, “the Printing Shop”.

Open: from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Closed: on Wednesday and the last Tuesday of every month

Address: Petropavlovskaya Fortress http://www.spbmuseum.ru/peterpaul

The Yusupov Palace The palace was built in 1780 in Classical style by the famous architect Vallin de la Mothe. Then the aristocratic Yusupov family used it for accommodation of their collection of paintings. The Yusupovs ranked among the richest dynasties of the country. From the beginning to the middle of the 19th century the work on the interior was completed; we can see that original interior now. The rich and luxurious interior can compete even with the Winter Palace. There is a home theatre for 180 spectators in the palace where public and private concerts are still performed.

The exposition of the mysterious murder of the tsar’s favourite Rasputin that took place in this palace attracts a great number of visitors.

Open: from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Address: 94, river Moika Emb.

http://www.yusupov-palace.ru/index_en.htm

wounded by terrorists. Mosaics, designed by famous Russian painters Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Koshelev, Ryabushkin, dominate the interior and the exterior decoration.

Open: from 11 a.m. till 6 p.m.

Closed: on Wednesdays Address: 26, Griboedova canal Emb. http://www.cathedral.ru

The Cruiser Aurora Museum At the point where the Bolshaya Nevka flows out of the Neva, the famous Cruiser “Aurora” has been permanently moored since 1948. This war battle ship underwent the baptism of fire in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) in the Battle of Tsushima; it participated in the First World War, in two Russian Revolutions and in the Second World War. The cruiser played a decisive role during the Revolution of 1917. On October 25, at 9.45 p.m., the blank shot that it gave it was a signal for the storming of the Winter Palace. The next day, Lenin’s appeal “To the Citizens of Russia” was broadcast from the radio station of the Aurora. In this way, the entire world was informed about the victory of the Bolsheviks. From 1923, the Aurora was converted into a training ship, and it participated in the defence of Leningrad during the Second World War. The cruiser was turned into a museum after a thorough restoration. The exhibition is devoted to the history of the cruiser.

Open: from 10.30 a.m. till 4 p.m.

Closed: on Monday and Friday Address: Petrogradskaya Emb. http://www.aurora.org.ru

The Menshikov Palace The Menshikov Palace, erected in 1720, is the first large masonry structure of SaintPetersburg. The first architect of the palace was the Italian architect Fontana, then the German architect Gottfried Schadel. The palace was constructed for Alexander Menshikov, the first governor of SaintPetersburg. Prince Alexander Menshikov was a close friend and the counsellor of Peter the Great.

It was the most sumptuous palace of the city at that time. Even Peter the Great lived at Menshikov’s sometimes. At the same time the palace became an ideal place for holding celebrations and guest receptions.

After the exile of the prince, his palace was expropriated. Later, it accommodated an elite cadet school. The building and the interior are designed in the Dutch Style.

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Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg Alexander Menshikov, like the Tsar, had a liking for the Dutch style. Now the Menshikov Palace is a branch of the Hermitage. The exposition acquaints us with the Russian culture of the first quarter of the 18th century.

Open: from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Closed: on Monday Address: 15, Universitetskaya Emb. www.hermitagemuseum.org

The Mikhaylovsky Castle (Engineers’ Castle) The castle was constructed by the order of Paul I. He wanted his new residence to be made in the form of a fortified castle, to feel secure against attempts on his life.

However, as a result of the palace coup Paul I was strangled in the bedroom of the castle. From 1817 the castle housed the Central Military Engineering College.

Among its graduates, there were a lot of famous people, for example, the writer Dostoevsky.

Peter the Great’s Summer Palace In the Summer Garden, Peter the Great Summer Palace is located on the small island which is formed by the Neva, the Fontanka, the Swan Canal and the Moika.

The Summer Palace was built by the Italian architect Domenico Trezzini in 1714 and served as a residence of Peter the Great.

While the construction work was underway, the tsar lived in a wooden cabin on the other bank of the Neva. In comparison with the palaces of Peter’s successors, the two-storey palace looks rather modest. The facades of the palace are adorned with nine bas-reliefs on maritime subjects – they are works by the famous Prussian sculptor Andreas Schluter. The interiors of the palace are unique and original. One can also see works of art of the beginning of the 18th century, Dutch oak furniture, a genuine Russian turnery workshop (turnery was one of the passions of the tsar), portraits and clothes of the tsar and a cunning meteorological instrument from Dresden.

Open: May 1 – November 10, from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m.

Closed: on Tuesday Address: Kutuzova Emb. http://www.rusmuseum.ru

The Russian Ethnographic Museum The exposition is dedicated to the life styles, customs, traditions and folk art of different nationalities of Russia. In 1911, the architect Svin’in erected the present day building next to the eastern wing of the Russian Museum. The collection of the museum numbers about half a million exhibits from different regions of the former U.S.S.R.

Exhibitions: “A portrait gallery of the Russian aristocracy of the 18–19th centuries”, “the sculptural portrait of the 18th century”. In front of the main facade, Paul ordered to establish a monument to Peter the Great with the inscription “From greatgrandson to great-grandfather”.

Open: from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Closed: on Tuesday Address: 2, Sadovaya Street http://www.rusmuseum.r

The Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great - Kunstkammer (Chamber of Curiosities) The museum was founded in 1879. Rich collection acquaints the visitors with the culture of the people of Asia, Africa, Australia and American Indians.

Open: from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Closed: on Monday and the last Tuesday of every month Address: 3, Universitetskaya Emb. http://www.kunstkamera.ru/en

Boat trip There are more than 70 rivers and canals in the city with around 400 bridges across them. All the bridges over the Neva are raised to allow large vessels pass through at night between April and October, when the river is navigable. At that same time various pleasure boats ply around St. Petersburg - so following different routes one can see city’s main sights from the water.

The looming silhouettes of the bridges, the grandeur of the waterways, the granite embankments with their various piers and slipways, the 18th and 19th century palaces and parks on the banks of the Neva and the canals, architectural landmarks in the form of the domes and spires of churches and cathedrals, visible from a long way off - all this contributes to the unique appearance of the “Venice of the North”, one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Recommended period: May - September

Open: from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Closed: on Monday and the last Friday of every month Address: 4/1, Inzhenernaya Street http://eng.ethnomuseum.ru

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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Saint-Petersburg Christian cathedrals in Saint-Petersburg Orthodoxy is a traditional religion of the Russians. Protestantism is among the historically oldest denominations in SaintPetersburg along with Orthodoxy. The first Evangelical-Lutheran community of Apostle Peter appeared in 1703. The Dutch and the Germans were the first Protestants in Saint-Petersburg; later, there were the Finns, Swedes, Estonians and others. Services were conducted in the English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian and Russian languages. Nowadays only a few churches belong to the state and function as city’s museums. After the revolution of 1917, many churches were either demolished or converted into civil institutions. Since 1988, the millennium anniversary of the baptism of Russia, more and more churches have been used for their direct purpose. Today St. Petersburg numbers over 250 denominations and religious associations, among them there are more than 130 associations of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2 parishes of the Armenian Church, 7 parishes of the Roman-Catholic Church, 19 associations of the EvangelicalLutheran Church etc.

Above the intersection of the cross a dome rises to a height of 71 metres. From 1932 to 1990 it housed the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. Today the cathedral belongs to the community again, and it is the main cathedral of the city.

In the northern transept of the cathedral Field Marshal Kutuzov is buried on the spot where he, according to the legend, prayed in 1812 before setting out for the war against Napoleon. The revived iconostasis includes the miracle-making icon of Kazan Mother of God, which was found in Kazan in 1579.

Address: 2, Kazan Square http://www.kazansky-spb.ru

Alexander Nevsky Monastery (Lavra)

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In the beautiful place where the Kryukov Canal meets the Griboedov Canal, a sumptuous Baroque church stands. It was built in 1762 by the architect Savva Chevakinsky, and consecrated in honour of the patron saint of all sailors, St. Nicholas. The Baroque Style exterior, with white columns and capitals on light blue background, resembles a masterpiece by Rastrelli, the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo. Everyday religious services as well as baptism, wedding and funeral services are held there.

Address: Nikolskaya Square, 1

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan

The Kazan Cathedral is one of the most outstanding edifices in St. Petersburg. This grand semicircular-shaped cathedral stands right in Nevsky Prospekt. It owes its name to the miracle-making icon of the Virgin of Kazan. The construction work lasted for ten years, and the cathedral was completed in 1811. The architect Andrey Voronikhin strictly modelled it on St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome. Tsar Paul I, who commissioned the architect, had been fascinated by St. Peter’s Cathedral during his visit to Rome, and decided to have something similar in his own city. Nevertheless, an absolutely original architectural monument appeared.

After the victory over Napoleon in 1812, the cathedral became a national monument.

Two sculptures in front of the cathedral immortalized Field Marshal Kutuzov (on the left) and his predecessor Field Marshal Barclay de Tolly.

One of the sides of this cross-shaped building faces Nevsky Prospekt, and joins a colonnade of Corinthian columns (13 metres high each) arranged in four rows.

The Epiphany St. Nicholas’ Marine Cathedral

Alexander Nevsky Monastery (Lavra) was founded by Peter the Great in 1710 as the Monastery of the Holy Trinity Saint Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky in honor of the victory over the Swedes in 1240. In 1724 the relics of Alexander Nevsky were transferred from the city of Vladimir to St.Petersburg – Alexander Nevsky Monastery. It is located at the end of Nevsky prospekt. In 1726 Slavonic, Greek and Latin Seminary was opened. In 1797 the monastery got the lavra status (the highest rank of the monastery in the Orthodox Church).

The monastery complex comprises The Holy Trinity Cathedral, one of St.Petersburg’s main functioning places of worship, the Tikhvin and Lazarus cemeteries where the outstanding Russian men as Dostoyevsky and Tchaikovsky are buried. There are also the graves of celebrated general Alexander Suvorov; scholar Mikhail Lomonosov; architects Giacomo Quarenghi and Carlo Rossi; composers Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Moussorgsky, Rubinstein, Rimsky-Korsakov and many others.

Address: Ploschad Alexandra Nevskogo http://lavra.spb.ru

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

The Smolny Cathedral In 1748, Empress Elizabeth commissioned her court architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli to design a convent. The architect managed to combine Russian Style with Western Baroque in a beautiful way. After the death of Elizabeth, the building work was held up, as the new empress Catherine II liked a different style and dismissed Rastrelli. The Baroque style was not in fashion any longer. Only in 1835, Nicolas I ordered the architect Vasily Stasov to complete the construction of the cathedral. In 1764 (on the orders of Catherine), the constructed, but still not decorated cathedral housed

an educational establishment for girls of noble origin. After the construction of the Smolny Institute in 1808, the educational establishment moved there. In the evenings concerts of classical music are held in the Smolny Cathedral.

Address: 3/1, Rastrelli Square http://www.cathedral.ru 16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg St. Vladimir’s Cathedral The baroque style church was built in 1769 to house the miracle-working icon of Vladimir Mother of God. The bell tower was erected a bit later in early neo-classical style. After the reopening at the beginning of the 1990s, the church is actively attended again.

Address: Kuznechny lane, Vladimirsky pr. http://vladimirsobor.spb.ru

The Lutheran St. Peter’s Church

sical Style, is situated in the yard, between two houses in Nevsky Prospekt. In Soviet times, it was closed. Today it is a house of worshiping for the Armenian community, and opened to the public.

Address: 40, Nevsky pr.

The Roman-Catholic St. Catherine’s Church

The early classical style Roman-Catholic St. Catherine’s Church was built to the design of the architect Vallin de la Mothe in 1783. It can be recognised by its magnificent green dome. Tombs of several famous people, for example, the last king of Poland are placed here. In front of the church, right in Nevsky Prospekt, an open air souvenir market is situated.

Address: 32, Nevsky pr. http://www.catherine.spb.ru/index_en.php

Temples of the world’s religions in Saint-Petersburg The Mosque Among new inhabitants of the city in the time of Peter the Great, there were the Muslim Tatars. In 1914, the mosque was built to the design of the architects N. Vasil’ev and A. Gogen. The building work was financed by Muslim Communities.

The tops of the minarets are decorated with turquoise tiling.

Address; 7, Kronversky pr.

The Buddhist Temple The most northern Buddhist temple of Europe was founded at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Dutch Church

The church was built to the design of the architect Aleksandr Bryullov in 1830.

In the Soviet era, the church, constructed in neo-romanesque Style for the German community of St. Petersburg, was used as a swimming pool. Nowadays regular evangelistic services are held here.

Address: 22-24, Nevsky pr.

The Armenian Church The construction of the edifice, which was built in 1780, was funded by an Armenian merchant. The church, created in Clas-

Address; 91, Primorsky pr.

Built in classical style to the design of the architect P. Jacot in 1836, the church served the European, mainly Dutch, communities for Christian services. The neighbouring buildings, to the west of the Fontanka River, were inhabited by Dutch families.

Address: 20, Nevsky pr.

The Synagogue The St. Petersburg synagogue is the second largest jewish temple in the world.

The building of the synagogue was constructed in Eastern moorish style on the orders of Emperor Alexander III in 1893.

The Synagogue has been restored recently; the building has gained its original appearance.

Address: 2, Lermontovsky pr.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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Saint-Petersburg Museums of famous people of Saint-Petersburg The Museum of Fyodor Dostoevsky He was one of the greatest and most talented novelists not only in Russia, but in the whole world.

He changed more than 20 flats during 33 years of living in Saint-Petersburg. He favoured flats in corner houses at crossroads in the vicinity of a church. Dostoevsky lived here from 1878 till his death in 1881. The museum has been restored; the flat looks like it was in the time of Dostoevsky.

Open: from 11 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Closed: on Monday and the last Wednesday of every month Address: 5/2, Kuznechny Lane http://eng.md.spb.ru

The Museum of Alexander Pushkin Alexander Pushkin is called the father of Russian literature.

He is the most famous Russian poet, an author of more than 700 lyric poems and a large number of stories, dramas and short stories, the person who wrote more than 800 letters and interpreted folk tales, which are read by every child in Russia. It was a tragedy for Russia when he died at the age of 37 in the prime of his glory. Pushkin was mortally wounded at a duel, and died two days later in this flat in St. Petersburg. In this flat there is a museum now. The majority of rooms have been redecorated and furnished in a new way. The study, however, is preserved as if Pushkin has just left it.

The exposition includes furniture, books and articles that belonged to the great poet. The library of the Pushkin Museum consists of about 4500 volumes in different languages. Among them there are the books by the authors whom Pushkin admired the most: Byron, Dante, Heine, Shakespeare and Voltaire.

Open: from 10.30 a.m. till 5 p.m.

Closed: on Tuesday and the last Friday of every month Address: 12, Moika River Emb. http://www.museumpushkin.ru/info/moykainfo.php

Theatres of Saint-Petersburg The Mariinsky Theatre (the former Kirov Theatre) It is one of the largest and oldest theatres in Russia. The theatre is famous all over the world. Its auditorium, in which the atmosphere of the tsars’ period is still alive, 14

can seat 1760 spectators. The history of the theatre dates back to 1783. The theatre was remodelled in 1859 (arch. Kavos) and got the present-day appearance.

Here, In October 1860, the first Russian opera – “Life for the Tsar” by Mikhail

Glinka – was performed for the first time.

The theatre was named in honour of Maria, the wife of Alexander II. Operas of great Russian composers were staged here. World-known stars such as E. Lavrovskaya, F. Shalyapin, M. Kshesinskaya, A. Pavlova, T. Karsavina, V. Nizhinsky, M. Fokin and G. Ulanova performed in the Mariinsky Theatre. One of the most famous contemporary ballerinas working in the theatre is Diana Vishneva. Valery Gergiev, one of the best conductors of the world, is the chief conductor and the art manager of the theatre. Here, one can see first-class ballet and opera performances; operas are executed in the language of the original. Classical Russian ballets to the music by Tchaikovsky such as “Swan lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Nutcracker”; operas by Tchaikovsky: “Eugene Onegin”, “Queen of Spades”, “Boris Godunov” by Musorgsky etc. are staged here. The theatre is as famous as the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Mussorgsky. Ballets by Tchaikovsky, for example, “Nutcracker” have never stopped being performed here.

Address: 1, Iskustv Square

The Aleksandrinsky Theatre The theatre, built in Classical Style to the design by the architect Carlo Rossi in 1832, can seat 1500 spectators. The theatre company, made up of pupils of the Cadet School, was set up on the orders from Elizabeth in 1756, and became the first permanent company in Russia. Prior to moving to the present building, the actors performed on different stages. The main facade of the rectangular building overlooks a square; it is decorated with a six-Corinthian column loggia. The loggia is framed by niches with sculptures of the Muses. The attic floor is crowned by the chariot of Apollo. The sides of the building are decorated with eight-column porticoes.

The auditorium looks magnificent. The boxes and the stage are richly ornamented with velvet and gilded wood carvings. The theatre was named after Empress Alexandra, the wife of Nicolas I. In the Soviet era it was called Pushkinsky in honour of the famous Russian poet. Classical works are frequently staged here, for example, “Hamlet” or “Three Sisters” by Chekhov.

One of the greatest and the most important premieres was “The Inspector General”

by Nikolai Gogol’ in 1836. In summer ballet performances are organised in the theatre.

Address: Ostrovskogo Square, 2

The Hermitage Theatre

Address: 1, Teatralnaya Square

The Mikhailovsky Theatre

The theatre is named in honour of the Grand Duke Mikhail. It was designed by the architect A.Brullov in 1833. The first works by new Russian composers who were not popular among the aristocracy (foreign operas were in fashion at that time) were staged for the 1st time here. At the end of the 19th century, the theatre eventually won deserved recognition. The building that houses the theatre was formerly called the Mussorgsky Theatre, in honour of the famous Russian composer Modest

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

The Hermitage Theatre is a part of the Hermitage Complex. The noble former tsars’ court theatre was founded by Catherine the Great in 1785. The entire European repertoire was performed here. After the death of Catherine II in 1796, the theatre was closed. All the attempts to revive the theatre were unsuccessful. Only in 1989, after repair and restoration, the theatre was opened again. The theatre has its own orchestra. The orchestra tours abroad for the most part of the year. That is why concerts of classical music are quite rare here. On the stage of the theatre classical ballet and operas are performed.

Address: 34, Dvortsovaya embankment

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg Tsars’ Residences in Saint-Petersburg suburbs Pavlovsk

Nickolaevsky Palace Not far from the British embankment there is a magnificent Grand Duke’s Palace, built in the middle of 19th c. by the architect A.Stakenshneider in the style of Italian Renaissance, and named after its former owner – Nickolaevsky Palace. The elegant façade of the palace is decorated with three rows of pilasters and numerous ornamental details. The palace main staircase adorned with grey granite columns and white marble vases preserves the magnificent appearance of old times. In 1895–1918 there was an Institute for girls of the noble origin located in the palace. After the October Revolution of 1917 the palace was given to the trade union organizations and was renamed the Palace of Labour. Now the palace is used as a place for the city concerts. Every evening folk shows “Feel yourself Russian!” are held here.

Address: 4, Truda Sq.

The Pavlovsk palace and park complex is an outstanding monument of Classicism of the second half of the 18th century. It is located about 27 km. from Saint-Peresburg.

Founded in 1777, Pavlovsk was a private residence of Russian Grand Dukes till the October Revolution of 1917 except for the period of the reign of Paul I, who used Pavlovsk as his state residence. The palace was remodelled to be a state residence by the architect Brenna. A brilliant constellation of talented masters worked on the creation of Pavlovsk for 50 years. Those were the architects: Cameron, Brenna, Quarenghi, Voronikhin, Rossi, Kozlovsky, Martos and Mettenleiter. Interiors of numerous state rooms of the palace and private apartments of Maria Fedorovna strike by their harmonious beauty. Everything is designed to amaze the visitor: the unique style of decoration of every room, the collection of works of art–gifts of European royal courts and commissioned items: paintings, tapestries, vases, sculptures, furniture, silk fabrics, bronzed articles, – everything successfully preserved in evacuation during World War II. The Pavlovsk Palace is open from 10.00a.m. till 5p.m.(closed on Friday and the 1St. Monday of every month)

Gatchina Gatchina is a country residence located to the south of St. Petersburg. For the first time Gatchina was mentioned at the beginning of the 18th century when Peter the Great gave it to his beloved sister Natalia Alekseevna. From then on, the residence changed its masters many times. Eventually it was bought by Catherine the Great, and she gave it to her favourite Grigory Orlov. Here, in Gatchina, the Empress ordered and financed the construction of the palace.

The Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi was in charge of the construction. He designed the palace in English Style with turrets and underground passages. The construction work lasted for 15 years. After the death of Grigory Orlov, Catherine II bought the palace from his heirs for one million roubles.

It was a huge sum of money at that time.

Later, she gave the whole palace complex Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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Saint-Petersburg Peterhof The palace-and-park ensemble of Peterhof is a historical and architectural monument of 18-19 centuries. A summer residence of Peter the Great, Peterhof Complex with its palaces, parks and fountains, meant to be a symbol of victory of the Russians over the Swedes, is perhaps the most famous suburb of Saint-Petersburg. The construction works started in 1714 and in 1723 the complex was solemnly opened.The appearance and the inner decoration of the palaces (Grand Palace, Monplaisir, Marly, Hermitage) underwent several changes according to the fashion and to the tastes of the ruling Emperors and Empresses but the layout of the Lower Park remained mostly as it was intended

by Peter the Great. Hundreds of fountains, ornamental patterns of parterres, golden statues in the Lower Park and the Upper Garden are real masterpieces that impress everybody who comes there.

Besides the Grand Palace with its 300meter suite of rooms created by the master of Baroque style F.B.Rastrelli, there are 20 museums with permanent and temporary exhibitions in Peterhof Complex (Special Treasury, Catherine’s Block, Cottage, Bath Block, etc).

The Grand Palace Museum and Special Storeroom are open from 10.30a.m. till 5p.m.(closed on Monday and last Tuesday of every month) The Cottage Museum is open from 10.30a.m. till 5p.m.(closed on Monday) Monplaisir Museum is open from 10.30a.m. till 5p.m.(closed on Wednesday) Catherine’s Block is open from 10.30a.m. till 5p.m.(closed on Thursday)

Pushkin/ Tsarskoe Selo Tsarskoe Selo is a suburb of Saint-Petersburg, located about 25 km. to the south of St. Petersburg, and famous for its palaces and parks. This suburb is of a special importance, as it is closely connected with the life and the creative work of a great Russian poet Pushkin. The town bore the name of Pushkin from 1937 to 1992. The palace-park ensembles of Tsarskoe Selo were formed during a century and a half. During the reign of Empress Elizabeth Tsarskoe Selo became a state residence. The architect Rastrelli designed a sumptuous palace, a diamond of Russian Baroque; a regular style park was laid out in front of the palace. In the second half of the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine the Great, several rooms of the palace were redecorated by Cameron in Classical style; besides the regular park a landscape park appeared. The main gem of the Catherine Palace is the Amber Room, revived by the time of the celebration of the tercentenary of Saint-Petersburg.

Catherine’s Palace is open from 10.00a.m. till 5p.m.(closed on Tuesday and last Monday of every month) Alexander’s Palace is open from 10.00a.m. till 4.30 p.m.(closed on Tuesday)

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Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Hotels in Saint-Petersburg

to her son Paul. During the World War II the Gatchina Palace was badly damaged and the most part of the palace collection of art was taken away. Restoration works were held for more than 60 years and nowadays some of the state rooms and the Arsenal Halls with the collection of European and Russian paintings and weapons are open to the public.

The Gatchina Palace is open from 10.00a.m. till 5p.m.(closed on Monday and the 1St. Tuesday of every month)

Constantinovsky palace in Strelnya – “The Palace of Congresses” state complex

“The palace of congresses” state complex combines the functions of a modern business centre, historical and cultural reserve and governmental residence. Constantinovsky palace is a part of it. The park and the palace complex including Constantinovsky palace was revived by the 300th anniversary of the city (2003). Originally it was founded by Peter the Great in 1720.

The palace was a summer residence of Grand Duke Constantin Nikolaevich family and his children in the 19th century.

Today the visitors of Constantinovsky palace can learn about its history and see the restored interiors of the palace, reception rooms and permanent exhibitions of the Hermitage Museum.

Saint-Petersburg

Grand Hotel Europe *****

Sokos Palace Bridge *****

Location: in the historical centre of the city, close to the main street of the city – Nevsky Prospekt, not far from the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Kazansky Cathedral Built/renovated: 1887/1991 Number of rooms/floors: 301/5 Address: 191011, Russia, St.Petersburg, Mikhailovskaya St. 1/7 Metro: Nevsky Prospekt, Gostinny Dvor Web: www.grandhoteleurope.com Tel: +7 812 329 60 00

Location: on Vasilievsky Island, in the historical centre of St. Petersburg.

Built: 2006 Number of rooms/floors: 278/7 Address: 199004, Russia, St.Petersburg, Birzhevoi pereulok 2-4 Metro: Vasilievsky Island Web: www.holidayclubspa.com Tel: +7 812 335 22 00

Grand hotel Emerald *****

Rocco Forte Hotel Astoria *****

Location: in the historical centre, not far from Nevsky Prospekt, close to the Smolny Cathedral Built: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 90/5 Address: 193036, Russia, St.Petersburg, Suvorovsky pr. 18 Metro: Ploshchad Vosstaniya Web: www.grandhotelemerald.com Tel: +7 812 740 50 00

Location: in the historical centre of the city, in St.Isaac’s Square, near the Hermitage, the Admiralty, and the Kazansky Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 1912/2001 Number of rooms/floors: 232/7 Address: 190000, Russia, St.Petersburg, Bolshaya Morskaya St. 39 Metro: Nevsky Prospekt Web: www.thehotelastoria.com Tel: +7 812 494 57 57

Rocco Forte Hotel D’Angleterre *****

Radisson SAS Royal Hotel *****

The Complex open from 10.00a.m. till 6p.m.(closed on Wednesday)

Location: in the historical centre of the city, in St.Isaac’s Square, near the Hermitage, the Admiralty, and the Kazansky Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 1912/1991 Number of rooms/floors: 192/5 Address: 190000, Russia, St.Petersburg, Bolshaya Morskaya St. 39 Metro: Nevsky Prospekt Web: www.angleterrehotel.com Tel: +7 812 494 56 66

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

Location: in the city centre, close to the Russian Museum, and the Aleksandrinsky Theatre.

Built/renovated: 2001 Number of rooms/floors: 164/7 Address: 191025, Russia, St.Petersburg, Nevsky pr. 49/2 Metro: Mayakovskaya Web: www.radissonsas.com Tel: +7 812 322 50 00

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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Saint-Petersburg Corinthia Nevsky Palace *****

Renaissance St.Petersburg Baltic Hotel *****

Baltic Star Hotel *****

Location: in the city centre, close to the Aleksandrinsky Theatre and the Kazansky Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 1993 Number of rooms/floors: 282/8 Address: 191025, Russia, St.Petersburg, Nevsky prospekt 57 Metro: Mayakovskaya Web: www.corinthia.ru Tel: +7 812 380 20 01

Location: in the historical centre of the city, close to St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the Admiralty, near Nevsky Prospekt.

Built/renovated: 1930/2003 Number of rooms/floors: 102/8 Address: 190000, Russia, St.Petersburg, Pochtamtskaya Str. 4 Metro: Nevsky Prospekt Web: www.renaissancehotels.com Tel: +7 812 380 40 00

Location: Strelna, 20 km. of St.Petersburg, close to the Constantinovsky Palace.

Built: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 106/4 Address: 198515, Russia, St.Petersburg, Strelna, Berezovaya alley 3 Web: www.balticstar-hotel.ru Tel: +7 812 438 57 00

Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 *****

Location: in the city centre, close to the Hermitage.

Built/renovated: 1853/2005 Number of rooms/floors: 197/9 Address: 191186, Russia, St.Petersburg, Moika river Embankment, 22 Metro: Nevsky Prospekt Web: www.kempinski-st-petersburg.com Tel: +7 812 335 91 11

Ambassador ****

Location: in the historical centre of the city, opposite the Palace Square Year built/renovated: 1858/1997 Number of rooms: 29 Address: Russia, St.Petersburg, Moika river embankment, 59 Metro: Gostiny Dvor Web: www.eliseev-palace.ru Tel: +7 812 312-78-42

Our hotel ****

Location: in the city centre, close to Mariinsky Theatre and St. Nicholas’ Naval Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 1812/2003 Number of rooms/floors: 255/5 Address: 190068, Russia, St.Petersburg, Rimskogo-Korsakova pr. 5-7 Metro: Sadovaya Web: www.ambassador-hotel.ru Tel: +7 812 331 88 44

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Taleon Imperial Hotel *****

Location: in the historical centre on Vasilievsky island, 7 minutes drive to Nevsky prospekt.

Built: 2006 Number of rooms/floors: 58/8 Address: 199178, Russia, St.Petersburg, 11th Liniya 50 Metro: Vasilievsky Island Web: www.nashotel.ru Tel: +7 812 323 22 31

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky ****

Location: in the historical centre on Vasilievsky island, 5 minutes drive to Nevsky prospekt.

Built: 2009 Number of rooms/floors: 255/7 Address: 199034, Russia, St.Petersburg, 8 - Liniya, 11-13 Metro: Vasilievsky Island Web: www. shotels.ru Tel: +7 812 335 22 05

Sokos Hotel Olympic Garden ****

Location: in the historical centre of the city, 5 minutes drive to Nevsky prospekt.

Built: 2008 Number of rooms/floors: 348/8 Address: 190013, Russia, St.Petersburg, Bataisky pereulok 3A Metro: Tehnologichesky institute Web: www. shotels.ru Tel: +7 812 335 22 70

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg Park Inn Pulkovskaya ****

Park Inn Pribaltiyskaya ****

Petro Palace Hotel ****

Location: in Moskovsky prospekt, 20 minutes drive to the city centre.

Built/renovated: 1981 Number of rooms/floors: 840/7 Address: 196240, Russia, St.Petersburg, Pobedy Sq. 1 Metro: Moskovskaya Web: www.rezidorparkinn.com Tel: +7 812 740 39 00

Location: on Vasilevsky Island, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, 15 minutes drive to the city centre and the sea passenger terminal.

Built/renovated: 1978 Number of rooms/floors: 1200/15 Address: 199226, Russia, St.Petersburg, Korablestroiteley Str. 14 Metro: Primorskaya Web: www.pribaltiyskaya.ru Tel: +7 812 329 26 26

Location: in the city centre, close to the Hermitage and St. Isaac’s Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 2005 Number of rooms/floors: 194/7 Address: 190000, Russia, St.Petersburg, Malaya Morskaya Str. 14 Metro: Nevsky Prospekt Web: www.petropalacehotel.com Tel: +7 812 571 28 80

Novotel St. Petersburg Centre ****

Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Vasilievsky****

Holiday Inn Moskovskiye Vorota�****

Location: in the city centre, close to Nevsky prospekt and the Moskovsky railway station.

Built/renovated: 2005 Number of rooms/floors: 233/9 Address: 191025, Russia, St.Petersburg, Mayakovskogo str., 3A Metro: Mayakovskaya Web: www.novotel.com Tel: +7 812 335 11 88

Locati on: on Vasilievsky island, right in the historic centre of St. Petersburg.

Year built/renovated: 2009 Number of rooms: 214 Address: 199178, Russia, St.Petersburg, 2-nd line of Vasilievsky island 61/30 Metro: Vasileostrovskaya Web: www.marriott.com Tel: +7 812 380-40-11

Location: in the historical centre of the city, 10 minutes drive to Nevsky Prospekt Year built/renovated: 556 Number of rooms: 20 Address: 196084, Russia, St.Petersburg, Moskovsky pr 97A Metro: Moskovskiye Vorota Web: www.holidayinn.com Tel:+7 812 448-71-71

Guyot Hotel ****

Arkadia ****

Helvetia Suite Hotel ****

Location: on the Petrogradskaya Side, close to the TV tower Built/renovated: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 48/5 Address: 197376, Russia, St.Petersburg, Professora Popova Str. 23 Metro: Petrogradskaya Web: www.guyot.spb.ru Tel: +7 812 347 56 28

Location: in the city centre, not far from the Kazansky Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 2003 Number of rooms: 15 Address: 190000, Russia, St.Petersburg, Moika river Embankment, 58-a Metro: Nevsky Prospekt Web: www.arkadiahotel.ru Tel:+7 812 571 61 73

Location: in the city centre, close to Nevsky prospekt Built/renovated: 1828/2003 Number of rooms/floors: 59/3 Address: 191025, Russia, St.Petersburg, Marata Str. 11 Metro: Mayakovskaya Web: www.helvetia-suites.ru Tel: +7 812 326 53 53

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

19

Saint-Petersburg

20

Oktyabrskaya ***

Moskva ****

Arbat Nord ****

Location: in the city centre, opposite Moskovsky railway station Built/renovated: 1851/2006 Number of rooms/floors: 659/5 Address: 191036, Russia, St.Petersburg, Ligovsky pr. 10 Metro: Ploshchad Vosstaniya Web: www.oktober-hotel.spb.ru Tel: +7 812 578 15 15

Location: in Nevsky prospekt, opposite the Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

Built/renovated: 1976/2000 Number of rooms/floors: 825/7 Address: 193317, Russia, St.Petersburg, Aleksandr Nevsky Sq, 2 Metro: Ploshchad Alexandra Nevskogo Web: www.hotel-moscow.ru Tel: +7 812 333 24 44

Location: in the city centre, near the Saviour-Transfiguration Cathedral Built/renovated: 2002 Number of rooms: 20 Address: 191014, Russia, St.Petersburg, Artilleriyskaya Str. 4 Metro: Chernishevskaya Web: www.arbat-nord.ru Tel: +7 812 703 18 99

Okhtinskaya ***

Andersen Hotel ***

Sankt-Petersburg ***

Location: on the bank of the Neva, 15 minute drive to the city centre, close to the Smolny Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 1991 Number of rooms/floors: 290/14 Address: 195027, Russia, St.Petersburg, Bolsheokhtinsky pr. 4 Metro: Novocherkasskaya Web: www.okhtinskaya.spb.ru Tel: +7 812 222 86 02

Location: on the Petrogradskay Side, close to the TV Tower Built/renovated: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 140/5 Address: 197022, Russia, St.Petersburg, Chapygina Str. 4 Metro: Petrogradskaya Web: www.andersenhotel.ru Tel: +7 812 740 51 40

Location: on the bank of the Neva, close to the Cruiser “Aurora”.

Built/renovated: 1970/2000 Number of rooms/floors: 410/5 Address: 194044, Russia, St.Petersburg, Pirogovskaya Embankment 5/2 Metro: Ploshchad Lenina Web: www.hotel-spb.ru Tel: +7 812 380 19 11

Ladoga ***

Azimut *** (Former “Sovetskaya”)

Dostoevsky ***

Location: in Eastern District of the city, close to Ladozhsky railway station.

Built/renovated: 1964/1994 Number of rooms/floors: 110/5 Address: 195213, Russia, St.Petersburg, Shaumyana pr. 26 Metro: Novocherkasskaya Web: www.ladogahotel.ru Tel: +7 812 528 52 00

Location: on the bank of the Fontanka river, not far from the Mariinsky Theatre and St.Nicolas’ Naval Cathedral Built/renovated: 1967/2001 Number of rooms/floors: 985/18 Address: 190103, Russia, St.Petersburg, Lermontovsky pr. 43/1 Metro: Baltiyskaya Web: www.azimuthotels.ru Tel: +7 812 740 26 40

Location: in the historical centre of the city, close to St.Vladimir’s Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 214/7 Address: 191022, Russia, St.Petersburg, Vladimirsky pr. 19 Metro: Vladimirskaya Web: www.dostoevsky-hotel.ru Tel: +7 812 331 32 00

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg Alexander Platz ***

Rossiya ***

Russ ***

Location: 10 minutes drive to city centre.

Built/renovated: 2006 Number of rooms/floors: 47/5 Address: 192007, Russia, St.Petersburg, Voronezhskaya Str. 53 Metro: Ligovsky Prospekt Web: www.eurasia-hotel.ru/apl/ Tel: +7 812 490 48 10

Location: in Moskovsky Prospekt, close to the Victory Park Built/renovated: 1962/2005 Number of rooms/floors: 390/10 Address: 196128, Russia, St.Petersburg, Chernyshevskogo Sq. 11 Metro: Park Pobedy Web: www.rossiya-hotel.ru Tel: +7 812 329 39 32

Location: in the city centre, near the Saviour-Transfiguration Cathedral Built/renovated: 1984 Number of rooms/floors: 172/4 Address: 191028, Russia, St.Petersburg, Artilleriyskaya Str. 1 Metro: Chernishevskaya Web: www.hotelruss.spb.ru Tel: +7 812 273 46 83

The Brothers Karamazov ***

Pushka Inn ***

Location: in the historical centre of the city, near Nevsky Prospekt Built/renovated: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 28/4 Address: 191119, Russia, St.Petersburg, Sotsialisticheskaya Str. 11 Metro: Dostoevskaya Web: www.karamazovhotel.ru Tel: +7 812 335 11 85

Location: in the historical centre of the city, on the bank of the Moika River, close to the Hermitage.

Built/renovated: 1880/2001 Number of rooms/floors: 27/4 Address: 191186, Russia, St.Petersburg, Moika River Embankment, 14 Metro: Nevsky Prospekt Web: www.pushkainn.ru Tel: +7 812 312 09 13

Location: in the historical part of the city, 10 minutes drive to Nevsky prospekt Built/renovated: 1848/2006 Number of rooms/floors: 28/5 Address: 192007, Russia, St.Petersburg, Ligovsky pr. 249 Metro: Ligovsky Prospekt Web: www.comfitel.ru Tel: +7 812 346 50 70

Best Corner

Marco Polo

Ibis ***

Location: in the historical centre of the city, near St. Vladimir’s Cathedral.

Built/renovated: 2004 Number of rooms: 14 Address: 191002, Russia, St.Petersburg, Zagorodny pr, 11 Metro: Dostoevskaya Web: www.bestcorner.spb.ru Tel: +7 812 713 13 92

Location: on Vasilevsky Island, 10 minutes drive to the city centre.

Built/renovated: 1874/2004 Number of rooms/floors: 23/4 Address: 199178, Russia, St.Petersburg, 12th Line of Vasilevsky Island, 27 Metro: Vasileostrovskaya Web: www.mpolo-spb.ru Tel: +7 812 449 88 77

Location: near Moskovsky railway station and Nevsky prospekt.

Built/renovated: 2007 Number of rooms/floors: 221/5 Address: 191040 , Russia, St.Petersburg, Ligovsky pr, 54 Metro: Ligovsky Prospekt Web: www.ibishotel.com Tel: +7 812 6220100

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

City Hotel Comfitel ***

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

21

Saint-Petersburg Restaurants in St. Petersburg Russian Empire Address: Nevsky pr, 17 Metro Station: Nevsky Prospekt Tel: +7 812 571 24 09 Web: www.concord-catering.ru Opening hours: from 6 p.m. till the last guest Cuisine: Russian Triton Address: Fontanka river embankment, 67 Metro Station: Sadovaya/Sennaya Ploschad

Tel:+7 812 310-94-49 Web: www.triton.su Opening hours: 12:00 – 02:00 Cuisine: European Palkin Address: Nevsky pr., 47 Metro Station: Mayakovskaya

Tel: +7 812 7035371 Web: www.palkin.ru Opening hours: from 6 p.m till the last guest Cuisine: Russian, European Aquarel (restaurant on water) Address: Dobrolyubova pr., 14 Metro Station: Sportivnaya

Tel:+7 812 320 86 00 Web: www.aquarel.net Opening hours: from 12 a.m. till the last guest Cuisine: Russian, European

22

The Noble Nest Address: Dekabristov str., 21 Metro Station: Sennaya Ploschad

Tel: +7 812 312 09 11 Web: www.dvgnezdo.ru Opening hours: 12:00-24:00 Cuisine: Riussian, French Demidov Address: Fontanka river embankment, 14 Metro Station: Nevsky Prospekt

Tel:+7 812 272-91-81 Web: www.rest-demidov.narod.ru Opening hours: from 12 a.m. till the last guest Cuisine: Russian

Tandoor Address: Voznesenskiy pr., 2 Metro Station: Vasileostrovskaya

Tel: + 7812 312-38-86 Web: www.tandoor.restaurant.ru Opening hours: from 12 a.m. till the last guest Cuisine: Indian Saint-Petersbug Address: Griboedov Canal embankment, 5 Metro Station: Gostiny Dvor Tel: + 7812 314-49-47 Opening hours: from 12 a.m. till the last guest Cuisine: Russian, European Oliva Address: Bolshaya Morskaya str., 31 Metro Station: Gostiny Dvor

Podvorye Address: Pavlovsk, Filtrovskoe shosse, 16 Tel: +7 812 466-85-44

Tel: + 7812 314-65-63 Web: www.tavernaoliva.ru Opening hours: 12:00 – 24:00 Cuisine: Greek Web: www.podvorye.ru Opening hours: 12:00 – 23:00 Cuisine: Russian Bolshaya Oranzhereya ( Great Orangery) Address: Peterhof, Lower park, Great Orangery pavillion

Tel: + 7812 450-61-06 Web: www.greatorangery.com Opening hours: 12:00 – 23:00 Cuisine: Russian, European

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

Troika Address: Zagorodny pr., 27 Metro Station: Dostoevskaya, Tehnologicheskiy Institut, Vladimirskaya Tel:+7 812 713 -55-19 Web: www.troika-spb.ru Opening hours: from 12 a.m. till the lateSt. guest Cuisine: European, Russian Idiot* Address: Moika river embankment, 82 Metro Station: Sennaya Ploschad Tel:+7 812 315-16-75 Web: www.idiot.restoran.ru Opening hours: 11:00 – 01:00 Cuisine: Vegetarian cuisine * Find it in our program in Dostoevsky’s footsteps on page 48.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Saint-Petersburg Bukharin Dvor

Address: Nevsky pr., 20 Metro Station: Gostiny Dvor

Konyushenny Dvor Address: Griboedov Canal embankment, 5 Metro Station: Gostiny Dvor (exit to kanal

Sunduk (Chest) Art –club (café) with live music Address: Furshtadskaya street, 42 Metro Station: Chernyshevskaya Tel:+7 812 740 18 20 Web: www.sunduk.restoran.ru Chaplin Art -Club Address: Chaikovskogo, 59 Metro Station: Chernyshevskaya Tel: +7 812 272 66 49 Web: www.chaplin-club.ru

Tel: +7 812 312-91-60 Opening Hours: 12:00-23:00 Cuisine: Russian, European

Night life in Saint-Petersburg If you still have energy to explore Saint-Petersburg, welcome to see night life of the city. Concert halls, various cafes, bars, restaurants, night clubs offer different entertainments to any taste.

Jazz Club Address: Bolshoi pr., Petrogradskaya Side, 98 Tel:+7 812 346 16 31 Metro Station: Petrogradskaya

Griboedova) Tel:+7 812 315 76 07 Web: www.kondvor.ru Golden Dolls

Address: Nevsky pr., 60 Metro Station: Gostiny dvor

Jazz Philharmonic Hall Address: Zagorodny pr., 27

DISCO-BARS, ART-CAFÉS, Magrib Address: Nevsky pr., 84/86 Tel: +7 812 275-12-55

Tel: +7 812 571-33-43 Web: http://www.golden-dolls.ru

Metro station: Ploshchad Vosstania Web: www.magrib.a-alliance.ru Metro Address: Ligovskiy pr., 174 Tel: +7 812 766 02 11 Metro station: Ligovsky prospekt Web: www.metroclub.ru Apollo Address: Izmailovskiy pr., 12 Tel: +7 812 575 04 07

Led Limon Address: Griboedov Canal embankment, 6 Metro Station: Gostiny Dvor (exit to kanal Griboedova) Tel:+7 438 14 50 Web: www.ledlimon.com Blesk Address: Peter and Paul Fotress, 3 Tel: +7 812 932 2606 Metro station: Gorkovskaya

Tel:+7 812 764 85 65 Web: www.jazz-hall.spb.ru Metro Station: Vladimirskaya JFC Jazz Club Address: Shpalernaya str., 33 Tel:+7 812 272 98 50 Web: www.jfc.sp.ru Metro Station: Chernyshevskaya Jimi Hendrix Blues Club Address: Liteyny pr., 33 Tel:+7 812 279 88 13 Metro Station: Chernyshevskaya Red Club Address: Poltavskaya str, 7

Decadance Address: Scherbakov pereulok,17 Metro Station: Vladimirskaya, Dostoevskaya Tel:+7 812 947 70 70 Web: www.decadance.md Rossi’s club Address: Rossi street,1/3

Tel:+7 812 277 02 94 Web: www.redclub.com Metro Station: Ploshchad Vosstaniya

Metro station: Technologichesky Institut Web: www.apollo-club.ru Revolution Address: Sadovaya str., 28 Metro Station: Gostiny Dvor Tel:+7 812 717 59 15 Web: www.revolution-club.ru

Tel:+7 812 710 40 16 Metro Station: Gostiny Dvor

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

23

Moscow

Moscow

Moscow Moscow The capital of Russia – gold-domed Moscow

The heart and the capital of Russia, Moscow is a city of world significance and the largest megapolis in the country. The first record of Moscow found in an old Russian manuscript dates from 1147, when it was an obscure town in a small province.

From that date onwards, Moscow started to grow and over following centuries due to fruitfull efforts of its rulers expanded from one of the outposts on the border of the Vladimir-Suzdal Princedom to the main city of Russia.

24

In 15th century the Kremlin, the official seat of Moscow rulers, acquired its present day appearance. The red brick towers and walls were designed and built by Italian architects, specially invited by the Grand Prince Ivan III Vasilyevich. This great ruler unified the Russian principalities and finally established the status of Moscow as the national capital.

The legend “Moscow is the third Rome” emerged at the same time.

The modern layout of Moscow is similar to the structure of an onion: ring streets are located as concentric circles around the oldest city centre. The pattern of rings and radials is evidently marking the historical stages of Moscow’s growth. The centre of all rings is Kremlin and the world famous Red Square. Successive epochs of development are traced in the Boulevard Ring and the Garden Ring (both following the line of former fortifications), the Moscow Little Ring Railway, and the Moscow Ring Road. From 1960 to the mid-1980s the Ring Road was the administrative limit of the city, but several areas of the largely greenbelt zone beyond the road have been annexed since then. Among the most famous Moscow streets are Arbat street and Kutuzov prospekt.

Today’s architectural silhouette of Moscow is also recognizable owing to the socalled Seven Sister buildings constructed

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

in the 1940s and 1950s by Stalin’s direct order. The most famous are Moscow State University on Sparrow Hills and the Ministry of foreign Affairs in Smolenskaya Square. These pompous spired sky-scrapers has become inevitable landmarks, and its already as impossible to imagine Moscow without them as to imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower!

In recent years the appearance of the city has greatly changed. Moscow is getting more and more beautiful. The reconstruction of the enormous Christ the Saviour Cathedral with golden lustrous domes, the skilful remodelling of Manege Square, the recreation of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, and the Resurrection Gates are eloquent examples of it. Present Moscow is the eastern metropolis of art and culture.

The capital is rich in museums and art galleries, has its unique historic sites, and numerous restaurants to different tastes.

Apart from the busy centre, in former suburbs there are tree-shadowed parks and several country estates, formerly owned by Russian Tsars and nobility. “Old Russian” Moscow, with the population of over 10 million people, is overflowing with vitality and dynamism. In fact, the experience of getting to know this beautiful city can be very much rewarding if you only take the time and trouble to explore it with care and devotion.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Moscow

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

25

Moscow Museums and Palaces of Moscow

are decorated with frescoes, icons, precious stones and gold. In the Kremlin near the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great (81 m. in height) the Tsar-Bell, the largest bell in the world, rests on the pedestal. It weighs 202 tonnes; its height is 6.14 m.

Sightseeing tour of Moscow

Working hours: from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed: Thursday Address: Kremlin, Museums of the Kremlin

A city tour is an excellent way to get a good idea of the city. It will take you to the most remarkable sights of the Russian capital with photo stops at the best picture taking points including Red Square, St. Basil’s the Blessed Cathedral, the Kremlin, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour once blown up by the Communists and only recently built anew, the White House of Russian Government, KGB Headquarters, Novodevichiy (New Maiden) Convent, Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill devoted to the victory of the Russian arms over the Nazi Germany, the observation platform on the Sparrow Hills with a breathtaking view on Moscow from this most elevated point of the city.

The State Armoury Chamber The State Armoury Chamber is one of the oldest museums in Russia. The building of the Armoury Chamber was constructed in 1851 by the architect K.A.Ton specially to house the museum with its world famous collection of jewels. The first mention of the Armoury Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin was in 1508. The museum possesses a supremely rich collection of masterpieces of home and foreign, decorative and applied art of the period from the 4th to the beginning of the 20th century. The bulk of the collection is made up of objects of noble metals, armour and arms.

Marvellous works by Russian goldsmiths and silversmiths of the 12th to the beginning of the 20th century: dippers, the priceless regalia of the tsar’s power and objects that belonged to the tsar court ceremonial from the 13th to 18th centuries are displayed in two rooms of the Armoury Chamber. The Armoury Chamber is an encyclopaedia of the Russian history; each exhibit is a genuine art monument.

At the beginning of 1880s he ordered that a building for the art collection should be constructed in Lavrushinsky Lane. Only after the death of Pavel Mikhailovich the building of the gallery was enlarged to the sketches by the famous Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov and redecorated in the style correspondent with its purpose. The current exposition comprises the ancient Russian icons of the 12th to 17th centuries as well as paintings, drawings & sculptures of the 18th and 19th centuries along with the Russian avant-garde school among the items.

Working hours: from 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Closed: Monday Address: 10, Lavrushinsky Lane.

The Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin is the centre of the Russian State, a former residence of Russian Tsars. The Russian historian Nicolay Karamzin said: “the Kremlin is a place of great historical recollections.”

No doubt the Kremlin and Red Square are the most important sights and at the same time symbols of the whole Russia. Since 1992 the Kremlin has been housing the residence of the president of the Russian Federation; that is why tourists can visit only the part of the Kremlin grounds on which cathedrals, the Armoury Chamber (the oldest museum of Russia) as well

The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts The museum is situated in the premises of the former Museum of Fine Arts in the old Moscow street Volkhonka. The building of the museum was constructed to the design by the architect R.Klain in

Working hours: from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed: Thursday Address: Kremlin, Museums of the Kremlin

as the so-called Diamond Fund, a unique collection of precious stones and jewellery, are situated. The interiors of the cathedrals 26

The State Tretyakov Gallery It is a world known museum that stores thousands of works of art from ancient Russian icons to modern paintings. Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov,the founder of the gallery, started to collect the best works by Russian artists in 1856 and continued to do it for 40 years till his death.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Moscow 1898–1912. The museum is named after the greatest Russian poet and writer Pushkin.

The museum constantly increases its collection. The collection of the museum numbers about 5000 paintings, 35000 drawings and engravings, as well as 100000 coins and medals. The exposition of the museum offers an opportunity to get acquainted with the development of the world art from prehistoric period till the present.

Christian Cathedrals in Moscow

The Resurrection Church in Kadashi This church was built from 1687 to 1713 and ranks among the most outstanding monuments of Moscow Baroque. The funds for the construction of the church were donated by the inhabitants of the city district Kadashovskaya Sloboda, a settlement of weavers and other craftsmen. Frankly speaking, this temple was constructed considerably earlier, but in 1860 it was profoundly remodelled and got its present day appearance: on a massive rectangle, one can see three rows of tracery festoons of white stone. The double columns at the corners of the rectangle, the window openings, decorated with curved little columns, the delicate carving in white stone make this temple one of the most beautiful in Zamoskvorechye District.

Christ the Saviour Cathedral

Working hours: from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Closed: Monday Address: 12, Volkhonka street

The Novodevichy Convent

The convent was founded at the beginning of the 16th century and was originally one of the most important “guards” of Moscow in the south-west. It is a beautiful architectural monument and one of the most famous convents of Russia. It was established by Basil III, the father of Ivan the Terrible, in commemoration of the reconquering of the old Russian town Smolensk by Russia in 1524 after the Lithuanian invasion. Over all these years the convent was often the venue of many dramatic historic events. Its walls were the witnesses a Boris Godunov’s acception of the Russian Crown. From here started the expulsion of Polish invaders in 1612. Also here Peter the Great’s half-sister Sofia was forced to take the veil. In the oldest stone building, the Smolensk Cathedral, you can see it’s 16th century frescoes and fantastic icons on display, made by the greatest tsars’ masters of that time. Since 1994 in the summer there are religious services in the Cathedral.

On the convent’s grounds there are graves of the tsars’ relatives, members of boyars families, participants of Napoleonic War of 1812 as well as of writers and historians.

Working hours: from 10 a.m. to 5.15 p.m. in winter; from 10 a.m. to 5.30 in summer Closed: Tuesday, the first Monday of each month Address: 1, Novodevichy lane.

In the 19th century, Christ’s the Saviour Cathedral was built in memory of all the perished in the war of 1812. It was designed by the architect Constantine Ton in Russian-Byzantine Style. The décor of the cathedral was created by the best painters of that time. The cathedral was consecrated in 1883 and became one of the symbols of Russia. During Stalin’s rule the cathedral, as many other churches, was destroyed.

Some parts of the décor were kept in different museums of Moscow. In 1994 Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov took the decision to reconstruct the cathedral. The corner stone was laid in 1995, and now the gilded domes of the cathedral light up the capital of Russia.

Address: Volkhonka str., 15

Address: B.Yakimanka, 46

St. Ioann’s the Warrior Stone Church

The Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Fili The church, built in 1690-1694, was sponsored by Lev Naryshkin, the uncle of Peter I. In this case, we are talking about a perfect example of Moscow Baroque (it is also called Naryshkin Baroque). This very tall and slender church rises on the high terrace. The church has five tiers and a state staircase that leads to the upper floor.

Address: Novozavodskaya str., 6

The church was constructed in Bolshaya Yakimanka Street in 1709-1717 in traditions of the church architecture of that time: the church itself, the belfry and the refectory. During the epoch of Peter I, some alterations were made: the semicircular that was added in the middle of the wall and the balustrade, surrounding both the lower tiers, imparts a peculiar beauty to the church.

Address: B.Yakimanka, 46

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

27

Moscow Theatres of Moscow

for 1500 seats, and it is full every evening.

The people whose names the theatre bears were outstanding figures of Russian theatre.

The Bolshoi Theatre of Opera and Ballet

Address: 17, Bol. Dmitrovka

The State Kremlin Palace The building of the State Kremlin Palace was constructed in Khrushchov’s times from 1959 to 1961. The auditorium can seat 6000 spectators. Until 1991, the palace served for holding congresses of the Communist Party, and now it is used for opera and ballet performances.

The Bolshoi Theatre is the centre of Russian musical culture. The theatre was founded in 1776 and it was called the Peter’s Theatre then. But that building was destroyed by the great fire of 1812. To the design of the architects Osip Bove and Andrei Mikhailov a new building to house the theatre was constructed in 1825.

The auditorium of the theatre is luxuriously decorated, and it can seat 2300 spectators. The Bolshoi Theatre possesses one of the largest companies in the world.

It was formed in 1770. The ballet company of the Bolshoi Theatre was represented by such outstanding personalities as Bessmertnova, Maksimova, Ulanova, Plisetskaya, Liepa, Godunov, Gordeev. The famous opera singer Fyodor Shalyapin was faithful to the Bolshoi Theatre and performed on its stage from 1899 to 1918. The evening spent in the Bolshoi Theatre will fill you with unforgettable memories.

Address: 1, Teatralnaya Street.

The Moscow Musical Theatre named after Stanislavsky and NemirovichDanchenko

The Alexander Pushkin Museum The museum was opened in 1986. The flat that accommodates the museum was rented by the poet before his marriage to Natalia Goncharova. The just married lived in this house for the first three months of their life together.

All the exposition takes up 2 floors. The exhibition on the ground floor gives an idea of the appearance of Moscow before the fire of 1812. It was the time of the poet’s youth. The Pushkins lived on the ground floor. Only some of the exhibits are the poet’s personal possessions; a poet’s writing desk, for example, and family portraits are among them.

Address: 53, Arbat street

Address: Kremlin, Museums of the Moscow Kremlin

The Old Moscow Circus The Old Moscow Circus was opened after the restoration in 1990. It is one of the most famous circus enterprises of the world. Owing to the fact that the circus performers are graduates of the most prestigious circus schools of Russia, the programme of the Moscow State Circus can be considered as unique in its way. During a varied and exiting performance with clowns and acrobats with their breathtaking skill, all the family can immerse themselves in the fantastic world of the circus.

Address: 13, Tsvetnoy boulevard

Russian ballet is usually associated with the Bolshoi Theatre. But it is not the only theatre that gained world recognition. Together with the Bolshoi Theatre, there are other brilliant ballet theatres. The Moscow Musical Theatre after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko occupies a special place among them. The theatre successfully combines the traditions of Russian classical ballet school and the achievements of modern forms. It is situated in the centre of Moscow in Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street.

The auditorium of the theatre is designed 28

Museums of famous people in Moscow

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

The Anton Chekhov Museum The building that houses the Anton Chekhov Museum is a two-storey structure of unusual architecture. It was put up to the design of the architect V.Afanasev in 1873.

The museum was established in 1954. The study and the bedroom of the writer bear a memorial character. In other rooms, the literary exhibition that tells us about the first years of Chekhov in Moscow, about his study at Moscow University, and his literary activity in Moscow is displayed.

Address: 6, Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Street

The Lev Tolstoy House-Museum When you think of Lev Tolstoy, you imagine him at Yasnaya Polyana, the beautiful estate, where he wrote his most famous novels. However, when Lev Tolstoy’s elder children were ready to graduate from governesses and tutors to gymnasia, and when Tolstoy’s wife Sophia insisted on spending winters in Moscow, Tolstoy “with horror” agreed to the move. The 16room wooden home was built in the early 1800s and miraculously survived Napoleon’s invasion in 1812. Tolstoy arranged for some reconstruction and moved his family – his wife Sophia, seven children, and servants – to Moscow in spring 1882.

Here the family would spend 19 winters, and Tolstoy would write some of his most famous late works.

In this house the writer was visited by I.A.Bunin, M.Gorky, K.S.Stanislavsky, F.I. Shalyapin and many other illustrious people of Russian culture.

The setting in the museum is preserved as it was during Tolstoy’s lifetime. On the ground floor in the dining room a table is laid for dinner. The bedrooms of his daughters, Tatiana and Mary, are also open to visitors. On the first floor Tolstoy’s study is situated.

Address: 21, Lev Tolstoy Street

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Moscow Residences in Moscow suburbs Kuskovo

Kuskovo is a marvellous architecturalpark ensemble, a country residence of the 18th century with a regular style park, straight paths, marble sculptures arranged in a strict order, ponds and other rivers, an original landscape park and magnificent architecture. The architectural ensemble charms and delights a lot of generations of people who value beauty. In the 18th century, ceremonial receptions, sumptuous assemblies, and noisy celebrations became fashionable here. Count P.B.Sheremetev, the owner of Kuskovo, perhaps, the richest landowner in Russia, converted his estate into “a country house for enjoyment outside of the city”. In 1918 the Kuskovo estate received the status of a museum, which guaranteed preservation of the valuables kept there. In 1932, the Museum of Porcelain was housed here, which was reorganised into the State Museum of Ceramics later.

Kolomenskoye

This beautiful former Russian Tsars’ country estate is situated in outer Moscow on the high right bank of the Moscow River. The architectural ensemble consists of genuine masterpieces of old-russian architecture. Among other quite picturesque churches, dating from the 17th century, there rises the Kolomenskoye’s loveliest structure – the Ascension Church, constructed, as a legend puts it, to honour the birth of the future first Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1532. The church is notable for being one of the first stone tent-roof temples in Russia. The museum is also

distinguished by the great number of the examples of the Russian wooden architecture, brought from different regions of Russia. Particularly famous with visitors is so-called Peter the Great’s wooden cabin, brought from the city of Arhangelsk, where in 1700s the Emperor was supervising ship and fort building.

Today Kolomenskoe is a popular venue for folk festivals that acquaint people with the history of Russia.

Ostankino Ostankino is the former residence of Count Sheremetev, a monument of architecture and art of the 18th century.

Ostankino village, located near Moscow, became Sheremetevs’ property in the middle of the 18th century. The palace and the park were a place of noisy celebrations and visits of the royalty. Emperor Paul I, Polish King Ctanislav Ponyatovsky and Alexander I stayed in Ostankino at different times. Even in the exquisite epoch of the 19th century the Ostankino Palace stood out because of its luxury, a valuable collection of paintings, sculptures and rare

ment, and finally a district of Moscow, Tsaritsyno patiently awaited its rebirth in the New Millenium. By today due to the combined efforts of both the federal and Moscow City government the majority of the architectural monuments have already undergone restoration. The restoration of the Grand Palace - the former great historical ruin - was completed in 2007.

Large-scale landscaping of the immense park and the ponds was also carried out.

Tsaritsyno, a jewel of Russian culture, undoubtedly has a grand future and awaiting its new visitors!

masterpieces. All the rooms and living quarters were decorated with sculptures of Cupid, Psyche and other mythological heroes. Nowadays the palace accommodates the Museum of Works of Art by Serfs.

Tsaritsyno Architectural and park ensemble of Tsaritsyno is a remarkable historical and cultural monument of the 18th-19th centuries. Long time ago the village Chernaya Gryaz (Black Dirt) was located on the site of Tsaritsyno. It belonged to the Kantemir Princes. In 1775 Catherine II bought the patrimony and called it Tsaritsyno Selo.

Later they started to call it simply Tsaritsyno. Catherine II ordered the architect Vasily Bazhenov to design an architectural ensemble in Gothic style for her own summer residence. However, Catherine II did not like the palace, and the empress ordered to demolish it. Some time later, Matvey Kazakov was employed for the construction of a new palace. But in 1797, in a year after Catherine’s death, construction works were fully stopped. Over the two hundred years the palatial ensemble had turned into majestic ruins…

One of the favorite places for Muscovites to spend time outdoors, a fashionable countryside area, later a city-type settle-

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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Moscow STALIN’S BUNKER

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Historical museum complex “Reserve command center of the Supreme commander-in-chief of Red Army I.V. Stalin during The Second World War period starting from 1941 to 1945 y.” in Izmailovo.

“Stalin’s Bunker” is a branch of Central museum of Armed Force.

Complex was finished and opened for visitors in 1996 y.

The creation of this object takes period of the “thirties” of the last century.

To prepare country for defense Stalin decided to go on cunning Foreign policy.

With each step they were making Stalin was trying to make them sure that they work on peaceful building and that Germany is Good friend and a partner.

In the end of the “thirties” in the USSR, in the regime of the extremely high confidentiality USSR were working on military building.

At the same time in Moscow a building of the subway system was started. To make this project more peaceable the best sculptors and artists were invited to do interior of the stations.

Underground communications with the military functions were in a few times bigger by its size than the subway so that the military part of it was a total state

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

secret. This part was also called “second subway”.

During the War there were about 2000 people. But outside no one could see any one. All life was passing by in the under ground regime. Entrances and exits were situated far away from the object.

By this, the total cover was provided.

“The Stalin’s Unit” is: 1. The session Hall of the Supreme command chief of the Red Army; 2. I.V.Stalin’s work cabinet; 3. I.V.Stalin’s rest room; 4. Dining room; 5. Generals room (High command room); 6. Rooms of the militant service and securing.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Moscow

Hotels in Moscow Ritz Carlton *****

President *****

Baltschug Kempinski Moscow *****

Location: in the city centre, near the Kremlin and Red Square Built: 2007 Number of rooms/floors: 334/10 Address: 125009, Russia, Moscow, Tverskaya Str., 3 Metro: Tverskaya Tel: +7 495 225 88 88 Web: www.ritzcarlton.com

Location: in the central part of the city Built: 1983 Number of rooms/floors: 210/12 Address: 103134, Russia, Moscow, Bolshaya Yakimanka Str., 24 Metro: Oktyabrskaya Tel: +7 495 239 38 00 Web: www.president-hotel.ru

Location: in the historical centre of the city, opposite the Kremlin, close to Red Square Built: 1992 Number of rooms/floors: 232/8 Address: 113035, Russia, Moscow, Balchug str., 1 Metro: Novokuznetskaya Web: www.baltschug.ru Tel: +7 495 230 65 00

Marriott Grand *****

Metropol *****

Golden Ring *****

Location: in the city centre, not far from Red Square and the Bolshoi Theatre.

Built: 1996 Number of rooms/floors: 392/9 Address: 103050, Russia, Moscow, Tverskaya str., 26 Metro: Mayakovskaya Web: www.marriott.com Tel: + 7 495 937 00 00

Location: in the city centre, close to Red Square and the Bolshoi Theatre.

Built /renovated: 1903/1991 Number of rooms/floors: 375/5 Address: 103012, Russia, Moscow, Teatralny proezd Âź Metro: Okhotniy Ryad Web: www.metropol-moscow.ru Tel: + 7 499 927 60 00

Location: in the city centre, close to the biggest International Exhibition Centre Built/renovated: 1970/1998 Number of rooms/floors: 247/23 Address: 199121, Russia, Moscow, Smolenskaya Str., 5 Metro: Smolenskaya Web: www.hotel-goldenring.ru Tel: +7 495 725 01 00

Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow *****

Le Royal Meridien National *****

Renaissance ****

Location: in the city centre, not far from Red Square.

Built: 1999 Number of rooms: 219 Address: 109012, Russia, Moscow, Neglinnaya str., 4 Metro: Lyblyanka Web: www.moskva.park.hyatt.com.ru Tel: +7 495 783 12 34

Location: in the city centre, near the Kremlin, Red Square, the Bolshoi Theatre Built/renovated: 1903/1995 Number of rooms: 221 Address: Russia, Moscow, Mokhovaya str., 15/1 Metro: Okhotniy Ryad Web: www.national.ru Tel: +7 495 258 70 00

Location: in the city centre, close to the Olimpiysky Sports Complex Built: 1991 Number of rooms: 475 Address: Russia, Moscow, Olimpiysky pr. 18/1 Metro: Prospekt Mira Web: www.renaissancehotels.com Tel: +7 495 931 90 00

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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Moscow

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Holiday Inn Sokolniki ****

Aerostar ****

Cosmos ****

Location: not far from the city centre Built: 2006 Number of rooms/floors: 523/25 Address: 107014, Russia, Moscow, Rusakovskaya str., 24 Metro: Sokolniki Web: www.hi-sokolniki.ru Tel: + 7 495 786 73 73

Location: not far from the city centre Built: 1991/2008 Number of rooms/floors: 271/9 Address: 125993, Russia, Moscow, Leningradsky pr., 37, bulding 9 Metro: Dinamo Web: www.aerostar.ru Tel: +7 495 988 31 31

Location: 10 minutes drive from the city centre, not far from the Olimpiysky Sports Complex Built: 1979 Number of rooms/floors: 1777/25 Address: 129366, Russia, Moscow, Mira pr., 150 Metro: VDNKH Web: www.hotelcosmos.ru Tel: + 7 495 234 10 00

Historical Hotel Sovetsky ***

Holiday Inn Lesnaya ***

Budapest ***

Location: not far from the city centre Built: 1952 Number of rooms/floors: 100/5 Address: 125040, Russia, Moscow, Leningradsky pr., 12 Metro: Dinamo Web: www.sovetsky.ru Tel: +7 495 960 20 00

Location: in the business centre of the city Built: 2005 Number of rooms/floors: 301/11 Address: 125047, Russia, Moscow, Lesnaya Str., 9 Metro: Belorusskaya Web: www.holiday-inn.com Tel: + 7 495 244 36 31

Location: in the city centre Built: 1876/2006 Number of rooms/floors: 121/5 Address: Russia, Moscow, Petrovskaya line, 2/18 Metro: Teatralnaya Web: www.hotel-bedapest.ru Tel: +7 495 921 10 60

Arbat ***

Izmailovo Alfa ***

Izmailovo Beta***

Location: in the city centre, close to Arbat Street.

Built: 1968 Number of rooms/floors: 105/6 Address: 121002, Russia, Moscow, Plotnikov pereulok, 12 Metro: Smolenskaya Web: www.hotelarbat.ru Tel: +7 495 244 76 35

Location: not far from the city centre, close to Izmailovo Kremlin Built: 1980 Number of rooms/floors: 940/28 Address: 121002, Russia, Moscow, Izmailovskoye Shosse, 71, bulding A Metro: Partizanskaya Web: www.hotel-alpha.ru Tel: +7 495 988 82 92

Location: not far from the city centre Built: 1980 Number of rooms/floors: 1000/28 Address: 121002, Russia, Moscow, Izmailovskoye Shosse, 71, bulding 2A Metro: Partizanskaya Web: www.izmailovskaya.ru Tel: +7 495 988 82 92

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Moscow Restaurants in Moscow

Godunov Address: Teatralnaya square, 5/1 Metro: Teatralnaya

Pushkin Address: Tverskoy boulevard, 26 A Metro: Pushkinskaya/Gorkovskaya/ Tverskaya

Tel: + 7 495 739 00 33 Type: restaurant Web: www.cafe-pushkin.ru Opening hours: 24 hours Cuisine: Russian

Tel:+7495 698 44 80 Web: www.godunov.net Type: restaurant Opening hours: from 12 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Cuisine: Russian Sudar’ Address: Kutuzovsky pr., 36A Metro Station: Kutuzovskaya

Yar Address: Leningradsky pr., 32/2 Metro: Dinamo

Tel: + 7 495 951 97 93 Web: www.ofsobranie.ru Type: restaurant Cuisine: European, Russian Kitaigorodskaya Stena (China-town Wall) Address: Varvarka str., 14 Metro Station: Kitay-gorod Tel: + 7 495 698 49 61 Web: www.kitay-gorod.ru Type: restaurant Opening hours: from 8 a.m. till 12 p.m.

Cuisine: Russian, Tatar, European Tridevyatoye Tsarstvo Address: Arbat, 4 Metro: Arbatskaya Tel: + 7 495 291 85 88 Type: restaurant Opening hours: from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m.

Cuisine: Russian, European

Night life in Moscow Disco, Rock and Jazz Clubs Night Flight Address: Tverskaya str., 17 Tel: +7 495 629 41 65 Web: www.nightflight.ru Metro station: Tverskaya Tel: +7-499-249-69-65 Web: www.sudar.ru Type: restaurant Opening hours: from 12 a.m. to the last visitor Cuisine: Old Russian

Tel: +7 495 960 20 04 Type: restaurant Web: www.yarservice.ru Opening hours: from 12 a.m. to 05 a.m.

Cuisine: Russian Red Square Address: The Historical Museum, Red Square Metro: Teatralnaya, Okhotny ryad Tel: +7 495 692 11 96 Web: www.redsquare.ru

Silver Age Address: Teatralny proezd, 3/3 Metro Station: Kuznetsky Most/Lubyanka Tel: +7-495-6261352 Type: restaurant Opening hours: from 12 a.m. to to 12 p.m.

Cuisine: Russian, European Ofitserskoe sobranie Address: Chernigovsky pereulok, 9/13, building 2 Metro Station: Novokuznetskaya, Tretyakovskaya

Type: restaurant Opening hours: from 12 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Cuisine: Russian Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

B-2 Address: Bolshaya Sadovaya str., 8 Tel: +7 495 650 99 18 Web: www.b2club.ru Metro station: Mayakovskaya B.B.King Address: Sadovaya-Samotechnaya str., 4/2 Tel: +7 495 299 82 06 Web: www.blues.ru/bbking Metro station: Tsvetnoy bulvar Fabrique Address: Kosmodamianskaya Emb, 2 Tel: + 7 495 953 65 76 Web: www.fabrique.ru Metro station: Novokuznetskaya Kitaisky Letchik (Chinese pilot) Dao-Da Address: Lubyansky Proezd, 25 Tel: +7 495 623 28 96 Web: www.jao-da.ru Metro station: Kitay-Gorod 16 tons Address: Presnensky Val, 6, building 1 Tel: + 7 495 253 53 00 Web: www.16tons.ru Metro station: Ulitsa 1905 Goda

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

33

Regions of Russia

Regions fo Russia Regions of Russia

THE GOLDEN RING

Vladimir

Golden Ring towns tour is the most popular coach tour, because during the journey one can see more than 10 large and small towns of the north-east of Russia. Unique architectural monuments, works of art, and beautiful nature attract thousands of local and foreign tourists every year.

Vladimir is located 190 km to the north-east from Moscow on the Klyazma River. Founded in 1108 by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the town acquired more and more significance and became the capital of Great Vladimir-Suzdal Principality.

Numerous religious and civil structures that are reckoned as the most important monuments of Russia appeared. The unique Assumption Cathedral is a symbol of the city. It was built in 1158-1160 as the residence of the bishop and the prince. For many centuries this structure with white walls and five domes served as a model for many other Orthodox churches including the cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin.

The other highlights of Vladimir are the Golden Gate and Dmitrievsky Cathedral which was built in 1194.

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Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Regions of Russia

Suzdal

The impressive Ipatiev Monastery was constructed in the picturesque place in the estuary of the Kostroma and the Volga rivers. It was erected in the 13th century, and from the very beginning it served as a fortification protecting the town. Kostroma is the only town of the country in which the original layout of the town centre is preserved.

Yaroslavl

The unique town-museum Suzdal is located 220 km to the north-east from Moscow in the typical Russian landscape.

With more than 300 historic buildings, Suzdal is the best preserved ancient Russian town. For the first time the town was mentioned by its name in a manuscript in 1024. In the Middle Ages Suzdal was the capital of different princedoms. In the 15th century it was eventually annexed to Moscow Principality; it lost its political significance but became one of the largest religious centres of Russia. There are two largest cloisters in Suzdal: Spaso-Efimiev Monastery and Intercession (Pokrovsky) Convent. Both cloisters are well preserved.

The oldest part of the town is the Kremlin with the Nativity Cathedral, constructed in the 13th century. Taking a walk around the town one can marvel at numerous buildings of the 18–19th centuries.

Kostroma Kostroma is the northern town of the Golden Ring. It is located 372 km to the north-east from Moscow, where the Kostroma River flows into the Volga. For the first time the Town of Kostroma was mentioned in the Russian chronicals in 1252, though it was founded a bit earlier.

fused in a particular way and coloured with oxides of metals in different colours.

Finift is used for ornamentation of articles of gold, silver, and copper.

Yaroslavl, one of the oldest cities in Russia, is located on the Volga, 282 km from Moscow. According to the legend, Prince Yaroslav the Wise founded a fortress here in 1010 after he had defeated a huge bear on this spot. The rampant bear is depicted on the coat of arms of the city. Owing to the location at the intersection of important trade routs, Yaroslavl became one of the most important trade centres of Russia. On the territory of the Saviour’s Monastery, founded in the 12th century, the oldest building of the city – the Transfiguration Cathedral – is situated. Elia’s the Prophet Church was constructed in 1647–1650; its iconostasis is a masterpiece of Russian Baroque style.

Rostov Veliky Rostov is located on the picturesque bank of Nero Lake, approximately 200 km. from Moscow. Founded in 862, Rostov is older than Moscow, and it was the capital of the great princedom for a long time. It was an important political, economic, cultural and religious centre of Russia at that time.

The Assumption Cathedral, built in the 16th century, is the most important church of the city. The cathedral architecturally harmonises with the walls and the towers of the Rostov Kremlin. Rostov Veliky is famous for its enamels – finifts. It is glass

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

Sergiev Posad The town of Sergiev Posad (former Zagorsk) is situated 70 km to the north-east from Moscow. It was named in honour of Sergius Radonezhsky, a great saint of Russian land; his relics are kept in the TrinitySergius Lavra. The history of the monastery numbers more than 600 years. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia, a historic centre of the Orthodox Church, a genuine treasury of Old Russian Art. Though the monastery was closed by the communists in 1919, it has become the administrative and spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church since 1946. The heart of the monastery is the Assumption Cathedral.

Built in 1422, the Trinity Cathedral is the oldest edifice of the monastery, some of frescoes were painted by Andrey Rublev, the greatest icon painter of medieval Russia. These magnificent cathedrals as well as St. Sergius’ Church, the Metropolitan Palace, Chapel at the Well, a refectory, a treasury and gate-churches which form one of the greatest Russian monastery attracts thousands of toursts.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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Regions of Russia

Golden Ring Hotels

Vladimir, Hotel Vladimir **

Vladimir, Hotel Russian Village (wooden houses) **+

Location: in the historical centre of the city Built: 1956 Number of rooms/floors: 83/4 Address: 600006, Russia, Vladimir B.Moskovskaya str., 74.

Web: www.vladimir-hotel.ru Tel: +7 4922 32 44 47

Location: 10 minutes drive to the city centre Built: 2002 Number of rooms: 51 Address: Vladimir, Moskovskoye shosse, 5a Web: www.rusderevnya.ru Tel: +7 4922 38 36 90

Suzdal, Hotel Pushkarskaya Sloboda (Palaty) ***

Suzdal, Hotel complex Goryachie Kluchi Hotel Goryachie Kluchi (Hot Springs) **** Hotel Bashenki (Towers)****

Location: on the bank of the Kamenka river opposite the historical city centre Number of rooms/floors: 68/3 Built: 2005 Address: 601293, Russia, Suzdal, Lenina str., 43 Web: sloboda-gk.ru Tel: +7 4923 12 33 50

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Location: not far from historical city centre Number of rooms: 29, 45 Address: 601260, Russia, Suzdal, Korovniki str., 14b Web: www.parilka.com Tel: +7 4923 12 40 00

Suzdal, Hotel Sokol ***

Location: in the city centre, in Trade Square, near Suzdal Kremlin Number of rooms/floors: 39/3 Address: 601293, Russia, Suzdal, Torgovaya Ploschad, 2a Web: hotel-sokol.ru Tel: +7 4923 12 09 87

Suzdal, Tourcenter Suzdal

Location: 10 minutes drive to the city centre Built: 1972 Number of rooms/floors: 205/2; 100 motels Address: 601291, Russia, Suzdal, Korovniki str.,45 Web: www.ststour.ru Tel: +7 4923 12 15 30

Kostroma, Hotel Volga

Yaroslavl, Hotel Yubileinaya ***

Yaroslavl, Ring Premier Hotel ****

Location: in the city centre Built: 1977 Number of rooms/floors: 209/10 Address: 156005, Russia, Kostroma, Yunosheskaya str.,1 Web: www.gkvolga.ru Tel: +7 4942 54 62 62

Location: 5 minutes walk from the the city centre, on the bank of the Kotorosl river Built: 1973 Number of rooms/floors: 220/8 Address: 156005, Russia, Yaroslavl, Kotoroslnaya emb., 11a Web: www.yubil.yar.ru Tel: +7 4852 30 92 59

Location: in the cultural and business centre of the city Built: 2004 Number of rooms/floors: 122/6 Address: 55 Svobody st, Yaroslavl, 150000 Russia.

Web: www.ringpremier-hotel.ru Tel: +7 4852 58 11 58

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Regions of Russia THE NORTH-WEST OF RUSSIA Veliky Novgorod Veliky Novgorod, one of the oldest towns in Russia, is located on the place where the Volkhov River flows out of Ilmen Lake.

Novgorod appeared as a political centre of Slavic and Finnish tribes in the 9th century.

For a long time Novgorod was a political centre that controlled the Russian territory from the Baltic and Finland in the west to the northern Urals in the east. It was one of the largest trade centres at the intersection of the trade routs between the Baltic and the Volga.

A special way of life, spiritual freedom and territorial autonomy contributed to the development of arts and culture. Here one can see a unique masterpieces of the Old Russian architecture of the 11-17th centuries. Many of them are situated in the Novgorod Kremlin erected in 1044.

The oldest stone building of Russia is St. Sophia’s Cathedral (the Holy Wisdom of God). The interior decor of the cathedral – its icon stand, works of ancient Russian fine art and other monuments of Byzantine, European and Russian art. The Granovitaya Chamber, a rare monument of Gothic architecture, which was built in 1433 with the help of German craftsmen, and the Sophia Belfry (1439) with bells of the 16-17th centuries deserve special attention. To the south of Novgorod, on the left bank of the Volkhov, the Yuriev Monastery with the magnificent George’s Cathedral is situated.

Near the monastery, the open-air “Vitoslavitsy” Museum of wooden structures from Novgorod Region is situated.

Pskov Pskov is a town-museum in the open air. The centre of the city is a reserve of UNESCO. In 2003 Pskov marked its 1100 anniversary. The western location influenced the whole history of the city. It was a political and cultural centre of Western Russia, moreover, the most important trading place with European countries.

Here, you will also find unique masterpieces of architecture such as the Transfiguration Cathedral with frescoes of the 12th century in the Mironezhsky Monastery, the Pskovian Kremlin, which is crowned by the Trinity Cathedral, and countless churches in the marvellous Pskovian architectural style. The school of fresco and icon

which was previously built in caves and thus defined the name of the town (Pechery is a derivative from the word “peschery” that is Russian for caves), is situated here.

The 16th century was the golden age of the monastery. In that period it acquired a great significance not only as a spiritual, but also as a cultural centre. Today the monastery has 11 churches; 3 of them are situated in caves. The fortress walls and the belfry with old bells are also noteworthy. painting that preserved and developed the traditions of Byzantine culture appeared in Pskov. Icons of the 14–16th centuries, the frescoes of the Town of Dovmont and the Metelovskaya Assumption Church are excellent examples of it.

Izborsk For the first time Izborsk was mentioned in the chronicles in 862, which means that the town is older than Moscow and Pskov.

Marvellous nature and Old Russian architecture are combined here – lakes, rivers, bubbling brooks and numerous chapels; peculiarly ringing springs-waterfalls, socalled “Slovenian Springs”, the Izborsk Fortress; the Izborsk-Malsk Valley, the ruins of the Malsk Monastery and the large memorial stone cross that is believed to mark the grave of the legendary king Truvor.

Pechery It is one of the oldest towns of Pskovian Area. The charming appearance of the town is determined by a picturesque valley with karst caves and a monastery complex of the 15-20th centuries. The ancient Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery,

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Pushkin Hills

The Mikhailovskoe Museum Complex (also called the Pushkin Hills) situated in Pskovian Region is a place of pilgrimage of all lovers of Russian poetry. Alexander Pushkin, a great Russian poet, lived here. The surroundings are extremely picturesque in this area, a typical Russian landscape: the Sorot River, an old mill, a three-century oak in the park of Trigorskoe, shady alleys… On the hill near the walls of the Svyatogorsky Monastery, Pushkin was buried in 1837.

Old Ladoga Today Old Ladoga is a village in Leningrad Region. It has a rich history. Old Ladoga is one of the oldest towns of Russia; for the first time it was mentioned in the Russian chronicles in 862. Owing to the advantageous location on the bank of the Volkhov River, this town became the largest centre of Ladozhsky Region in the 10th century. In 1144, the stone Kremlin was built here. In the 15th century, it was remodelled and fortified.

Nowadays one can marvel at the massive towers and walls, from which the picturesque panorama of Ladoga opens. The St. George Monastery is the oldest stone structure (the 11th century) in the north of Russia. The preserved mural “the Miracle of George about the Serpent” makes it world-famous. On the banks of the river 16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

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Regions of Russia St. Nicolas’s Cathedral, St. Ioann’s Church and St. Basil’s Church are situated.

Petrokrepost’ (Shlisselburg)

The fortress, located on a small island on the Neva river and known under the names of Oreshek, Noteburg, Shlisselburg and Petrokrepost’, has a century-old history.

The territory around the Neva was a scene of Swedish-Russian battles in the 13-17th centuries; and the fortress, built by order of Prince Yuri, was regarded “a key” to the domination over the north of Russia. In the 19th century, the fortress was used as a prison. The defence of the fortress during World War II is a heroic episode in its history. Today on the territory of the fortress, the historical museum is situated.

preserved unique forest biocenosis. Over 5 percent of the Republic’s whole area is declared national parks and nature reserves.

There are over 61000 lakes, 27000 rivers and 29 reservoir storages. The countryside and the climate of Karelia are influenced by the largest freshwater European reservoirs – Lakes Onega and Ladoga together with the salt-water body of the Arctic White Sea. Lakes and swamps contain about 2000 cubic kilometres of fresh water. Karelia is rich in cultural and historic places visited by thousands of tourists.

Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk is the capital of Karelia.

The city was founded by order of Peter I, on the bank of Onezhskoe Lake in 1703. An iron cannon foundry was built in Petrozavodsk for arming the Russian troops in the war against the Swedes. The foundry was famous not only for cannons, but for decorative casts as well. The village that appeared nearby was called the settlement of Peter. By order of Catherine II the settlement was renamed the city of Petrozavodsk. Now the city numbers about 300000 inhabitants.

REPUBLIC OF KARELIA

The first spa in Russia (1719) opened by Peter the Great not far from Petrozavodsk - “Martial Waters” - was named after Mars, the god of war and iron. The Russian Emperor visited the spa four times, each time recovering from illnesses and ailments. It became not only a famous health centre but also an unique object of the historic and cultural heritage of Russia.

The Republic of Karelia is located in the northwestern part of Russia. Its total territory is 172 400 square kilometres with a population of 800 000 people. The capital of the Republic is Petrozavodsk situated on the shore of Lake Onega. Karelia is a land of blue lakes and green forest. Forest covers almost 15 million hectares of the territory in Karelia. Nearly 90 percent of the forest is pine and spruce, the most valuable timber on the world market so. It is not by chance that timber makes up more than 70 percent of the entire export. Karelia has 38

The three islands, the three strongholds of Orthodox culture unconquerably stand on the boundaries of Karelia defending the peace and the calm in the hearts of northlanders. These are the islands of Kizhi in the south, Valaam in the west, Solovky in the north.

churches, and belfries. The main and the most impressive sight on Kizhi Island is the 20-domed Transfiguration Church, built in 1714 without the use of nails, only with the help of axe and chisel, out of small porous and straight-layered pinewood.

The other structures were transported in dismantled way to the territory of the reserve from different villages in Trans-Onezhie and the whole Karelia; after that they were assembled, established, and restored.

Among them there is the Ressurection of Lazarus Chapel, the oldest wooden building on the territory of Russia. It is more than 600 years old.

UNESCO has declared the Kizhi Architectural Ensemble a World Heritage Site because its monuments constitute some of the finest examples of wooden architecture in the world.

Valaam Archipelago consists of the main island, called Valaam, and fifty small ones. The climate and natural history of the island are unique because of its position in the Lake Ladoga.

The island is covered with a virgin forest of pine-trees; there is a great number of inner lakes. The main sight of Valaam is the Saviour’s Transfiguration Monastery, founded in the first half of the 10th century by the Greek missionaries – the Reverend Sergius and Gherman. Surrounded from all the sides by the waters of Ladoga, the monastery, with its natural economy, became in fact “the state in the state” in the middle of the 19th century. On the island monks grew gardens and vegetable kitchen gardens unknown for the severe climate, put up churches, small and secluded monasteries, and trade missions. Nowadays the monastery is functioning.

Kizhi The beauty of the Russian North, the pearl of Karelia in Lake Onega is the island of Kizhi.

This region bears the name of the Onezhskie Skerries – a concentration of large and small islands with winding channels between them. The whole island, founded in 1966 is an open-air reserve. The basis of the museum is the Kizhi architectural ensemble, consisting of two multi-domed

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Hotels of the North-West You will never forget your motor boat tour to Valaam! During the whole tour you can admire the fascinating scenery of Russian nature, magnificent walls of old monastery, golden domes of churches which found their reflection on canvases of Russian artists – Shishkin, Kuindzhi, and others.

Solovetsky island Today the island of Solovetsky in the White Sea attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Scientists state that there is no expanse of water on the planet like the White Sea. The rock drawings of Besov Nos are the object of thorough examination of Karelian researchers. This is just a small part of the abundant rock art heritage of the inhabitants of ancient Karelia.

In Karelia one can find vast tracts of mature forest and a lot of parks. The Vodlozersky National Park is a bright example.

There are no nature reserves with the same unparalleled beauty, diversity of species and natural resources anywhere else Northern Europe. The preserved area of this park is nearly half a million hectares. Some species of flora and fauna that cannot be found anywhere else. Area reserved there for future generations. This park is the largest virgin forest area in Europe. Karelia takes good care of its unique territories.

Regions of Russia

Veliky Novgorod, Beresta Palace ****

Veliky Novgorod, Intourist ***

Location: close to the historical centre of the city.

Built: 1991 Number of rooms/floors: 195 Double Rooms, 11 Semi-Suites, 3 Suites, 1 President-Suite/5 Address: Studencheskaya str., 2a Web: www.beresta-hotel.ru Tel: +7 8162 94 09 10

Location: in the centre of the city, on the bank of the Volkhov river Built: 1977 Number of rooms/floors: 118 rooms – 1 President-Suite, 2 Semi-Suites, 3 Suites, 9 Single Rooms, 103 Double Rooms/3 Address: Velikaya str., 16 Web: www.intourist.natm.ru Tel: +7 8162 17 50 89

Veliky Novgorod, Volkhov ***

Veliky Novgorod, Sadko ***

Location: in the centre of the city, close to the Kremlin.

Built/renovated: 1958/2000 Number of rooms/floors: 127/5 Address: Predtechenskaya str., 24 Web: www.novtour.ru/volkhov.html Tel: +7 8162 11 55 05

Location: in the centre of the city, close to Yaroslav’s yard Built/renovated: 1965/1999 Number of rooms/floors: 169/5 Address: Fedorovsky ruchey str., 16 Tel: +7 8162 66 30 04

Pskov, Heliopark Old Estate ****

Pskov, Rizhskaya ***

Location: in the centre of the city, on the bank of the Pskova River Built/renovated: 2005 Number of rooms: 50 (41 double room) Address: Verkhnyaya Beregovaya 4 Web: www.heliopark.ru Tel: +7 8112 79 4545

Location: in the centre of the city Built/renovated: 1980/2000 Number of rooms: 265 (6 rooms for 3 people, 14 double rooms) Address: Rizhsky prospekt 25 Web: www.pskov-hotel.narod.ru Tel: +7 8112 56 22 23, 56 76 12

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Regions of Russia

Hotels in Kaliningrad Kaliningrad, Hotel Kaliningrad ***

KALININGRAD (KENIGSBERG) The Country of Amber The western region of Russia – Kaliningrad Region- is called “the Country of Amber”. In the settlement of Yantarny 90 percent of all the world recourses of amber are concentrated. From 600 to 800 tonnes of amber are mined there annually. The amber factory in Kaliningrad manufactures more than 350 kinds of different goods: jewellery, frames for paintings, vases, statuettes, and souvenirs. In Kaliningrad Museum of Amber one can marvel at unique items of amber, from decorations to household articles, made in different times.

and for protection of newly-converted Christians”.

Little has remained since that old time; during the centuries medieval towns were reconstructed many times. Kenigsberg experienced the large upsurge in the 1720th centuries. Present-day Kaliningrad combines the features of a contemporary Russian and European city in a marvellous way. The German and the Russian histories intertwined here and gave a new form to the city. The huge Kenigsberg Cathedral, built in 1333, is considered to be a symbol of the city. Now the bells of the cathedral play the starting melody of the Fifth Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven every hour. Near the cathedral the tomb of Immanuel Kant, who is regarded to be one of the three most important philosophers - together with Plato and Aristotle, is situated. The parish of St. Judith which is called St. Nicholas’s now, the oldest church on the Zamlandsky Peninsula, is also worth to visit. Among the most popular sights there is the largest museum of amber located in the “DerDon” Tower.

The Kurshskaya Spit is a unique creation of nature of the region. Jutting out into the sea for 70 km, it is from several hundred metres to four kilometres wide, with high (up to 68 m) sand dunes. Here you feel yourself as in a real desert. It is a national park, and in some places which are dangerous because of possibility of landslides, it is allowed to go only along specially marked paths. The dune slopes are reinforced with fascines. The varied relief of the dunes in combination with the greenery of forests, the bright whiteness of sand beaches, and the blue of the endless Baltic Sea attract countless tourists here.

About the city Every city which originated in the distant past has legends connected with its foundation. But Kenigsberg appeared without any legends as a result of a crusade. The city was founded in 1255 “in honour of Christ, 40

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

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Location: in the old part of the city.

Built/renovated: 1970/2002 Number of rooms/floors: 235/9 Address: Russia, Kaliningrad, Leninsky pr., 81 Tel: +7 4012 35 05 31

Kaliningrad, Hotel Moskva ***

Location: in the old part of the city.

Built/renovated: 1930/2002 Number of rooms/floors: 171/5 Address: Russia, Kaliningrad, Mira pr., 19 Tel: +7 4012 93 77 01

Kaliningrad, Olimpic ***

Location: in the east part of the city, close to Sackheimer Gate Built/renovated: 2002 Number of rooms/floors: 45/3 Address: Russia, Kaliningrad, Moskovsky pr., 175 Tel: +7 4012 77 77 88 16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

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Regions of Russia dro mineral resources gives a great opportunity for high-qualified medical treatment in sanatorium and resort complexes.

A carnival in honour of opening a holiday season is traditionally held in Gelendzhik; the Gelendzhik Bay is the only place in the world where the international hydro-air show is organised.

The Russian coast of the Black Sea – Sochi, Gelendzhik, Anapa The Black Sea Coast of Krasnodarsky Region is located on the same geographic latitude with the Adriatic Sea, the Italian and French Riviera, and bears a strong resemblance to them. The chain of mountain ridges of the Large Caucasus embraces the seaside in the form of an amphitheatre, protecting it against penetration of cold winds and precipitations from the north-east. Owing to this fact a holiday season lasts here from the beginning of May till the end of October. During the warm period, there are 12 overcast days at the most. Even rains do not cause a nuisance – after 1-2 hours of the warm downpour with the storm, the bright sun comes out.

The proximity to the Caucasus determines the character of beaches in the region: from Adler to Tuapse gravel-pebble beaches stretch, between Gelendzhik and Anapa narrow pebble beaches predominate, and in the area of Anapa there are yellow sandy and white shell beaches.

River on the frontier with Abkhazia. The city of Sochi was founded in 1838 and developed owing to its unique healing springs; the most famous of them is Matsesta. During the stay in Sochi one can visit a great number of sights: - Krasnaya Polyana is a mountain resort located at a height of 600 metres, at the foot of Aigba.

- Yew-tree and boxtree grove offers an opportunity to see a forest of the pre-glacial period. Even in sunny days greenish shade reigns here. In the reserved grove one can stroll along desert tracks among centuryold trees grown with moss and lianas. At the end of the track a magnificent bird’s eye view of a canyon opens.

- The Agursky Canyon. On the bottom of the canyon the fast Agura River flows; it is famous for its 20 metre high waterfalls.

From the Agursky Canyon, a path leads to Akhun Mountain, to Eagle cliffs.

- The Akhshtyrskaya Cave is the oldest site where primitive men lived. There is a beautiful view of the canyon and the Mzymtu River from a height of 120 metres.

- The Vorontsovskie Caves, located in the upper reaches of the Kudepsa River, are one of the largest subterranean labyrinths of the world. It is a particular world with the mysterious luminescence of stalactites.

Air is sterilely clean here.

Moreover, in Sochi one can have a walk around the Arboretum, admire singing fountains, and visit the aqua park “Amphibious”. Sochi is famous for its facilities of sanatoria and health resorts.

Gelendzhik is a resort on the Black Sea Coast of Russia. It has a unique climate, and it is rich in variety of nature, historical monuments, and the treasures of old legends.

The combination of dry subtropic climate, mountains, sea, evergreens, and hy-

Sochi is the longest city in Russia. It extends along the eastern Coast of the Black Sea for 145 km from the Shepsi River to Psou Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

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Anapa is the northern resort on the Black Sea Coast of the Caucasus. It is situated at the junction of the Large Caucasus and the Tamansky Peninsula.

The climate of Anapa resembles the Mediterranean one – moderately humid; winter is mild with frequent rains; snowfalls are rare and of short duration. From the middle of April, a sunny weather becomes stable. Abrau Dyurso is famous as the homeland of the Soviet champagne.

Unique, covered with legends, mountain Abrau Lake is situated in a picturesque setting with subtropical vegetation. In Anapa one also can visit the “Georgippia” Archaeological Museum, Sauk-Dere (wine repositories with halls for wine-tasting, located in the mountains), attend a dolphin show.

Krasnaya Polyana At the distance of 40 km from Sochi there is a marvellous mountainous country Krasnaya Polyana. Krasnaya Polyana Resort is located at the height of 550 m above sea-level, 8 km. from Krasnaya Polyana Settlement, which is situated in 42 km from the city of Adler (a district of Sochi) , and in 15 km from the watershed of the Large Caucasus Mountain Range, on the border of the Caucasus State Reserve.

The unique combination of mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers running down to the Black Sea with its mild climate gives extraordinary beauty and charm to this place. Mountains shield the settlement from cold air masses. That is why the climate of Krasnaya Polyana is mild and relatively warm. The average temperature in July is +23º C, but it can be very hot in summer (+40º C). In winter the depth of snow reaches one and a half metre; the average temperature in January is +0.4º C. However, temperature can drop to 22.5º C. The flora varies from subtropical to alpine.

There are the complexes of mountain

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Regions of Russia

Hotels in Sochi

hotels and ski lodges in Krasnaya Polyana provided with all modern equipment, and a cableway more than 5 km long, delivering tourists to the snow-covered steep slopes at a height of 2238 m above sea-level. Here one can get a clear idea about the grandeur of the beauty of the Large Caucasus Mountain Range and take up almost any kind of active tourism or just have a walk in the mountains.

There are the following services provided at the resort: - Mountain skiing and snowboarding - Canyoning and rock-climbing - Hikes and ascents - Gliding - Helicopter tours - Horse riding - Helly-ski and rafting - Fishing and picnics - Mountain bike riding

Krasnaya Polyana is called Russian Switzerland, and it is not by chance that it became a favourite place for a holiday for millions of Russian people and foreign guests.

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Radisson SAS Lazurnaya Hotel ****

Radisson SAS Lazurnaya Peak Hotel ****

Location: hotel is located in the centre of Sochi near the beach, not far from Adler Built: 1993 Number of rooms/floors: 287/18 Address: 354024, Russia, Sochi, Kurortniy Pr.,103 Web: www.radissonsas.com Tel: +7 495 411 7777

Location: in a picturesque Krasnaya Polyana area surrounded by Caucasus Mountains at height as 540 m above the sea level, 47 km far from Black Sea shore, 70 km to Sochi city center, 30 minutes drive to Adler airport.

Built: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 117/6 Address: 354024, Russia, Sochi, Krasnaya Polyana, Zaschitnikov Kavkaza str., 77 Web: www.peakhotel.ru Tel: +7 495 411 7766

Hotel Zhemchyzhina ***

Hotel Prometey Club ****

Location: situated in the centre of Sochi, in several meters from Black Sea. Built: 1973 Number of rooms/floors: 982/15 Address: 354002, Russia, Sochi, Chernomorskaya str., 3 Web: www.zhem.ru Tel: +7 8622 66 11 88

Location: situated in the centre of Lazarevskoe, near the Black Sea. Built: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 325/5 Address: 354200, Russia, Sochi, Lazarevskoe, Rechnaya str., 2A Web: www.prometeyclub.ru Tel: +7 8622 906 906

Boarding House Olympic-Dagomys

Boarding House Sheksna

Location: ideally situated near the Black Sea Built: 1981 Number of rooms/floors: 346/5 Address: 354207, Russia, Sochi, poselok Dagomys, Leningradskaya str., 7A Web: www.olimp.sochi.ru Tel: +7 8622 90 13 90

Location: situated in 32 km from the centre of Sochi, in green zone, near the beach.

Built: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 349/5 Address: 354209, Russia, Sochi, Vardane, Lvovskaya str., 8/5 Web: www.sheksna.ru

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Regions of Russia SIBERIA AND THE FAR EAST Siberia Siberia is extremely varied. The division into regions can be made in a quite arbitrary way: western and eastern Siberia, Altai, Tuva and Khakasiya, the Sayan Mountains, Trans-Baikal, Yakutia, the Far North. The length from the east to the west is 7000 km; from the north to the south it is 3500 km Siberia has a total area of 10 million sq km.

Rich in natural resources, Siberia is still not explored in all aspects. 300 years ago Mikhail Lomonosov, a Russian scientist, predicted that the power of Russia would grow at the expense of Siberia. Here, in Siberia there are rich gas and oil fields, gold and diamond deposits, reserves of wood; there is an abundance of fir-bearing animals, fish, and colossal reserves of the purest water.

Hydro-electric power stations are built on the rivers of Siberia. Everything is tremendous here: the Ob’, the Irtysh, the Enisei, the Angara, and the Lena Rivers, the Altai and Sayan Mountain Ranges, Lake Baikal and Lake Teletskoye. The main part of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was built at a turn of the 20th century and has a length of 9332 km, runs through Siberia.

Siberian frosts are something special; the temperature drops to - 40 - 50º Celsius. But in summer, in the south, the temperature reaches + 30º Celsius; and one can swim, though the temperature of water rises only to + 17+18º Celsius. In the south of Siberia large cities – Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk – are located.

No doubt that the gem of eastern Siberia is Lake Baikal, which contains approximately a fourth of the world reserves of fresh water. The water of the lake is so clean and transparent that a white disc of 30 centimetres in diameter, lying at a depth of 40 meters, can be discerned.

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg was founded on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, on the

bank of the beautiful Iset’ River, in 1723.

Yekaterinburg is the capital of Ural. The city is situated on the border of two parts of the world – Europe and Asia. The population of Yekaterinburg is more than a million people. It is the main cultural centre of Ural.

More than 600 historical and cultural monuments are concentrated in the city. Numerous churches and chapels make the panorama of the city very picturesque.

Novosibirsk The city is unofficially called the capital of Eastern Siberia. Novosibirsk, appeared after the construction of Trans-Siberian Railway at the end of the 19th century, and reached a population of 1.4 million people very quickly. In Novosibirsk the centres of the Siberian branches of Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences are located. There are seven theatres in the city; it is no mere chance that a depiction of one of them – the State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet – is the symbol of the city.

The large building of the railway station and a block of 100 flats, the House of Lenin and the ensemble of the central square including the opera theatre, determine the architectural appearance of Novosibirsk.

The pre-Revolutionary buildings – the Museum of Regional Studies, the House of Officers, St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – survived through the time.

Krasnoyarsk, the third largest city in Siberia, lies on the Yenisei River. The city was founded in July 1628 as a Russian border fort. The most popular place of attraction for tourists visiting Krasnoyarsk is the huge national nature reserve Stolby (Rock Pillars). Stolby covers an area of 470 km² with numerous giant extraordinary shaped granite rocks up to 100 meters high. Stolby is also a major rock climbing location. Other popular showplaces include the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station dam, the Karaulnaya Gora hill with the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel, a number of historical buildings: the Intercession Cathedral, the Annunciation Cathedral, the St. Trinity Cathedral, John the Baptist Church, the new Michael the Archangel Church etc.

Irkutsk Irkutsk is one of the oldest Russian Cities in Siberia. It is located on the Angara River. It is the nearest city to Lake Baikal; one of the largest tourist centres of Russia.

Irkutsk was founded at a junction of trade

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routes in the middle of the 17th century.

The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway connected the city with Moscow and Vladivostok. At present Irkutsk is one of the largest industrial, scientific, and cultural centres of Eastern Siberia.

The museums of Irkutsk are rightfully considered to be ones of the best museums in Russia: the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Mineralogy, Saviour’s Church of the 18th century, the Museum of Wooden Architecture, and the Museum of History of Irkutsk. Irkutsk is a starting point for excursions to Lake Baikal. Baikal is one of the oldest lakes in the world (about 25 million years); it is the deepest lake in the world. Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world. Baikal Lake was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

This light-blue gem of Siberia, surrounded by a chain of mountains, is beautiful all year round.

Ulan-Ude Ulan-Ude, like many other Siberian cities, was founded by Russian explores in the 17th century. 1666 is traditionally considered to be the year of foundation of the city. The city of Ulan-Ude is the centre of national and cultural development, a scientific centre, and a centre of Tibetan medicine. The Buryatsky Scientific Research Centre (RAN) with 4 institutes is located in the city. Scientific works

by Buryatsky scientists in the fields of Tibetan medicine, biology, history, geology, ecology are widely known not only in the country, but also abroad. There are 4 professional theatres in Ulan-Ude. The Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of History, the Ethnographical Museum of the Peoples of Trans-Baikal, and the Geology Museum have rich collections.

The Far East The distance between Moscow and Vladivostok is more than 9000 km and the difference in time between the Far East and Central Europe is 10 hours! The inhabitants of the Far East region, however, do not feel cut off from the rest of the world. From the most important cities of the Russian Far

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Regions of Russia East – Vladivostok and Khabarovsk - there are direct air communications with Japan, South and North Korea, Thailand, and the USA, and also sea communications with Japan and South Korea. The Trans-Siberian Railway, with branches leading to the frontier and the Coast of the Pacific Ocean, passes through the whole region.

Here, winters are very cold, dry and sunny, and, consequently, very beneficial for health. Owing to a very low humidity of air, even very strong frosts are very easy to bear. July, August, and September are the most favourable period to visit the Far East.

The nature of the Far East offers a lot of surprising things to a European. Here there is the sea with sandy beaches, fabulous underwater views, and an excellent opportunity for motor-ship trips, the virgin taiga, mountain rivers with waterfalls and rapids, caves, curative mineral water springs.

The fauna is unique due to its variety.

No wonder that hunting is one of the most popular occupation at leisure time in the Far East. In general, tourism is being actively developed for those who want to have a rest and find adventures, and also for lovers of walking and skiing.

Khabarovsk Khabarovsk is one of the largest cities of the Russian Far East; it is an administrative, industrial, and cultural centre of Khabarovsk Area. At present Khabarovsk is rightfully regarded as the capital of the Far East Region. The history of Khabarovsk is connected with the development of the Amur River and the Pacific Ocean. On May 31, 1858 soldiers of the Siberian Battalion founded the outpost called Khabarovka, in honour of Erofei Khabarov, an explorer of the Far East in the 17th century. In 1893, Khabarovka was renamed Khabarovsk.

Now Khabarovsk is the largest industrial, transport, cultural, and scientific centre of the Far East.

Vladivostok Vladivostok is the largest city in Primorsky Area, and in the Russian Far East on the whole. It is an industrial, transport, scientific, and cultural centre; it is the largest seaport on the Russian Coast of the Pacific Ocean. Vladivostok was founded in 1860. Unlike other large cities, the status of Vladivostok – the largest seaport on the eastern border of Russia – predetermined its promotion to the position of the leading cultural centre; and the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway influenced the development of the urban and regional city.

Vladivostok is the largest historical centre of Primorsky Area. There are over 200 monuments. The new and the old have mingled together in the architectural appearance of the city. Buildings of the end of the 19th century – the beginning of the 20th century stand side by side with buildings constructed at the end of the 20th century.

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territory, the Kamchatka Valley of Geysers is beyond comparison. Here, one can get prophylaxis and treatment for almost all known diseases.

Dwelling houses – monuments of Russian wooden architecture of the end of the 19th century are also present.

The sanatorial and resort area of the city has all-Russian significance. The best health centres of Siberia and the Far East are located here.

The Primorsky Museum of Regional Studies named after Arsenyev, the Museum of the History of the Pacific Navy, the Museum of Oceanography stand out among the other museums because of their collections; there is an oceanarium as well.

Kamchatka The Kamchatka Peninsular is situated in the far east of Russia and Asia. It is a land of striking contrasts – fire and ice, deserts studded with geysers and lush vegetation.

Kamchatka is unusual. It is a land of volcanoes: extinct, dormant, active…

The Kronotsky Reserve is a marvellous part of the peninsular; it is one of the largest reserves in Russia. The gem of the Kronotsky Reserve is the world famous Valley of Geysers; every visitor of Kamchatka strives to see it. This phenomenon is so beautiful and unique. Large geysers can be found only in Iceland, in the Yellowstone Park in the USA, and in New Zealand; small ones are located in California, Japan, and in Tibet. But by beauty, by the magnificence of the view, and by the number of gushing springs concentrated on a limited

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

Sakhalin Island, the Kurils Islands In the country Sakhalin Region is the only area situated on 59 islands, including Sakhalin Island with Moneron and Tuleny Islands located near it, and two lines of the Kuril Islands. The territory of Sakhalin and the Kurils Islands, and contiguous areas of water of the Japanese and Okhotskoe Seas are a part of the transitional zone between the continent and the ocean.

The mysterious Kurils are a paradise for every romantic-traveller. Difficulty of access, uninhabited territory, geographical isolation, active volcanoes, severe climate, scant information do not scare tourists, on the contrary they increase a desire to get to the foggy, fire-spitting islands – the former Japanese Army military fortresses, still concealing a lot of mysteries deep underground. The Kurils are a narrow chain of islands that connects two worlds – Kamchatka and Japan – like a delicate bridge. The Kurils are a part of the Pacific volcano ring. The islands are the tops of the volcano ridge, jutting from the water only 1 – 2 km. high, and stretching for a lot of kilometres down into the depths of the ocean. All in all, there are over 150 volcanoes; 39 are active ones.

The presence of numerous thermal springs, some of them being curative, is connected with the volcano functioning.

Chukotka A large part of Chukotka is located in the eastern hemisphere; about a half of the territory of Chukotka is beyond the Polar Circle. Chukotka is one of unique places in Russia owing to its characteristics, the number of unusual natural complexes where ecological, ethno-ecological, and scientific tours as well as adventurous tours can be organised. Chukotka has great recreational possibilities: hunting, fishing, perfect conditions for water- tourism.

Sea excursions and trips around the estuary allow the tourists to see the magnificent and picturesque bays, gulfs and islands with bird colonies, and the diversity of the animal kingdom. Winter skiing and snowmobile tours will reveal the grandeur and severe beauty of this northern land to travellers. Excursions by helicopter, when during several minutes of flight the tourist will be above the city, the smooth surface of the sea and the estuary, cliff precipices and the flat tundra, will give a profound idea of this land. For lovers of exotic things, it will be interesting to visit national villages, reindeer farms, nomad camps, to spend a day (or night) in the yaranga (local people’s house). One can appreciate the originality of the culture of local peoples by looking at the indigenous handicrafts – bone carving, beads fancywork and others.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Regions of Russia

Hotels of Siberia and Far East Yekaterinburg, Atrium Palace *****

Yekaterinburg, Oktyabrskaya ***

Novosibirsk, Sibir ***

Location: in the centre of Yekaterinburg near the main governmental institutions, office blocks and entertainment facilities.

Built: 1998 Number of rooms/floors: 131/17 Address: Yekaterinburg, Kuibysheva St., 44 Web: www.atriumhotel.ru Tel: +7 343 359 60 00

Location: in the city center, all major city attractions of Yekaterinburg are in 10 minutes drive from the hotel.

Built: 1985 Number of rooms/floors: 66/4 Address: Yekaterinburg, S.Kovalevskoy St., 17 Web: www.hotel-okt.ru Tel: +7 343 374 15 95

Location: close to historic and cultural attractions, as well as to administrative and financial establishments.

Built: 1991 Number of rooms/floors: 211/14 Address: Novosibirsk, Lenina St., 21 Web: www.hotel-sibir.ru Tel: +7-383-2231539

Novosibirsk, River Park Ob Hotel ***

Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarsk ***

Krasnoyarsk, Siberian Safari Club ***

Location: close to the city centre Built: 1993 Number of rooms/floors: 277/15 Address: Novosibirsk, Dobrolubov St., 2 Web: www.riverpark.ru Tel: +7 383 266 74 00

Location: in the city centre Built: 1992 Number of rooms/floors: 240/8 Address: Krasnoyarsk, Uritsky St., 94 Web: www.hotelkrs.ru Tel: +7 3912 74 94 16

Location: on the bank of the Yenisei river, 10 minutes drive from the city center.

Built: 2003 Number of rooms/floors: 35/4 Address: Krasnoyarsk, Sudostroitelnaya St., 117A Web: www.hotelsafari.ru Tel: +7 3912 61 33 35

Irkutsk, Irkutsk ***

Irkutsk, Angara ***

Location: in the city centre, on the bank of the Angara River Built: 1978 Number of rooms/floors: 245/8 Address: Russia, Irkutsk, Gagarin bulvar, 44.

Tel: +7 3952 25 01 67

Location: in the city centre (Kirov square) Built: 1969 Number of rooms/floors: 280/7 Address: 664042, Russia, Irkutsk, Sukhe-Bator St., 7 Web: www.hotel-angara.ru Tel: +7 3952 25 51 05

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

Irkutsk, Sun hotel ****

Location: in the business centre of the city Number of rooms/floors: 50 Address: 664050, Russia, Irkutsk, Baikalskaya St., 295B Web: www.sun-hotel.ru Tel: +7 3952 255910

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

45

Regions of Russia Ulan-Ude, Geser ***

46

Ulan-Ude, Buryatiya ****

Khabarovsk, Parus***

Location: in the city centre Built: 1997 Number of rooms/floors: 63 Address: 670000, Russia, Ulan-Ude, Ranzhurov St., 11 Web: www.bbc.ru/qa/otel.html Tel: +7 3012 215383

Location: in the business centre of the city Built: 1993/1997 Number of rooms/floors: 217/12 Address: 670000, Russia, Ulan-Ude, Kommunisticheskaya St., 47a Tel: +7 3012 211505

Location: in the city centre, on the bank of the Amur river Built: 1896/2003 Number of rooms/floors: 82/2 Address: 680000, Russia, Khabarovsk, Shevchenko Str., 5 Tel: +7 4212 327570

Khabarovsk, Intourist ***

Vladivostok, Gavan ****

Vladivostok, Vladivostok ****

Location: in the city centre Built: 1977/2004 Number of rooms/floors: 283/10 Address: 680000, Russia, Khabarovsk, Amursky Bulvar, 2 Tel: +7 4212 312313

Location: on the Shkot peninsula – 5 min drive from the historical and business centre Built: 1993 Number of rooms/floors: 57/7 Address: 690065, Russia, Vladivostok, Krygina St., 3 Web: www.gavan.ru Tel: +7 4232 495363

Location: in the historical centre of the city Built: Number of rooms/floors: 419 Address: 690091, Russia, Vladivostok, Naberezhnaya St., 10 Web: http://azimuthotels.ru/content/?id=9 Tel: +7 4232 411941

Vladivostok, Hyundai ****

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky ****

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Avacha ****

Location: in the historical and business centre of the city Built: 1997 Number of rooms/floors: 155 Address: 690091, Russia, Vladivostok, Semenovskaya St., 29 Web: www.hotelhyundai.ru Tel: +7 4232 402233

Location: not far from the city centre Built: 1987 Number of rooms/floors: 70 Address: 683000, Russia, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Karla Marksa Prospekt, 31 Web: http://petropavlovsk-hotel.ru Tel: +7 41522 50374

Location: in the city centre Built: 1997 Number of rooms/floors: 94 Address: 683003, Russia, Vladivostok, Leningdarskaya St., 61 Web: http://avacha-hotel.ru Tel: +7 4152 42-73-31

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Tours of Russia

Classical Saint-Petersburg 4 days/3 nights (arrival by airplane or by their coach)

Recommended period: all the year round Destination: Saint-Petersburg Main sights: the Hermitage, the summer residence in Peterhof Accommodation: Hotel “Rossiya”***/ Hotel “Azimut *** /Hotel “Park Inn Pulkovskaya”**** or Park Inn Pribaltiyskaya **** Meals: breakfast Transport: coach Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in St.Petersburg, a city which is only over 300 years old but which has witnessed many historic events. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703 on the marshy lands, it turned into one of the world’s architectural masterpieces. The city still bears the odour of splendour of the Imperial capital, which you can sense during the transfer to the hotel.

Day 2 After the breakfast in the hotel a sightseeing tour features St Isaac’s Cathedral, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Admiralty, Nevsky Prospect, the Palace Square, the Senat’s Square, the Cruiser Aurora, the Church on the Spilled Blood, the Kazan Cathedral. This day you will also enjoy an included visit to the Hermitage Museum located in the Winter Palace – former residence of Russian Tsars - to see one of the world’s largest collections of paintings of such celebrated masters as Da Vinchi, Rembrandt, Titian, Rafael, and works of art including Egyptian carvings and Impressionist paintings.

Day 3 After the breakfast in the hotel you will visit the fabulous gardens and fountains (operating in summer) of Peter the Great’s summer residence in Petergof, located at the coast of the Baltic Sea in 25 km from the city. For over 200 years the Great Palace in Petergof was used for official ceremonies, lavish feasts and formal receptions.

Day 4 Breakfast. Transfer to the airport or the railway station.

Package price from

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

223 euro per person.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

47

Tours of Russia

In Dostoevsky’s footsteps in st. petersburg Itinerary Day 1 Arrival. Transfer to the hotel.

Accommodation in the hotel the Karamazov Brothers, located in the historical centre of St. Petersburg and 20 minutes walk from Nevsky prospekt. Hotel is situated close to the Church of Vladimirskaya Mother of God and Dostoevsky’s Apartment, a museum now, where the famous Russian writer finished his last novel “The Karamazov Brothers“. The interior of this small hotel carries you away to the refined Petersburg of the second half of the 19th century. And only the high standards of service and the extensive list of amenities will remind you of the 21st century. We pay your attention to the fact, that each room of the hotel is named after female characters of Dostoyevsky’s novels: Grushenka and Katerina are from “The Karamazov Brothers“, Nastasia Philipovna and Aglaya are from “Idiot”.

Dinner at the hotel. Overnight.

Day 2 Breakfast. City sightseeing tour with special emphasis on the places connected with Dostoevsky’s life and work, so you would feel the atmosphere of the White Nights - a short story written by Fyodor Dostoevsky about love, dreams, happiness and loss. You will discover why St.Petersburg materialistic society could not accept Prince Myshkin, the main character of novel Idiot, though it praised his values. And of course you’ll get an opportunity to follow in Rodion Raskolnikov’s, the main hero of the world famous Crime and Punishment, footsteps.

Lunch at the restaurant “Idiot”.

Visit to the apartment of Dostoevsky where he lived the last period of his life (The museum of Fyodor Dostoyevsky (18211881) opened in 1971 in the house where the writer rented his last apartment). The flat on the 2nd floor was restored according to the archival materials and the reminiscences of the writer’s contemporaries. The memorial part of the exposition includes the hall, the washroom, the drawing-room, Dostoevsky’s study, the dining-room, the room of the writer’s wife, and a nursery.

Visitors can see Dostoevsky’s personal belongings, which for the most part were donated to the museum by his descendants.

It was here that he worked on his Diary, his famous Speech on Pushkin and completed his last novel The Karamazov Brothers.

The rest of the day at leisure.

Day 3 Breakfast. Check-out. Day at one’s own disposal. Transfer for departure.

Package price from

48

247 euro per person.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Tours of Russia

In Russia many things look different and even…

New Year

New Year’s eve party of 2010 in Saint-Petersburg!!!

29.12.2009 Arrival. Meeting with a guide at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.

Welcome drink at the hotel. Accommodation.

30.12.2009 Breakfast. Excursion “Winter Petersburg” with the visit to St. Isaac’s Cathedral.

Free time in the city centre.

31.12.2009 Breakfast. Excursion to Pavlovsk. “Countryside imperial residences”. Riding in a sledge-and-three, a buffet table with vodka and Russian snacks: pancakes with caviar.

New Year’s banquet with the program at the hotel.

01.01.2010 Late breakfast. Excursion “The Entertainment of the North Palmyra” - about holidays and amusements in St. Petersburg during 18th - the beginning of 20th centuries. Meeting with Grandfather Frost (Russian Santa Claus). New Year’s congratulations.

02.01.2010 Breakfast. Transfer to the airport.

Package price from

333 euro per person.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

49

Tours of Russia

MOSCOW 4 days/ 3 nights Recommended period: all the year round Destination: Moscow Main sights: the Moscow Kremlin, The Museum of Fine Arts named after A.Pushkin.

Accommodation: Hotel Cosmos ****, Hotel Izmailovo Alfa *** Meals: half board Transport: coach Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Moscow. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Dinner at the hotel.

Day 2 Breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel. Guide and coach service for the excursions.

Sightseeing tour of the city: Kremlin embankment, photostops at the Cathedral of Our the Saviour, Novodevichy Convent, the Sparrow Hills with observation platform and the view of Moscow State University, photostops at Poklonnaya Hill with Victory Park, Tverskaya Street and Red Square with views of St. Basil Cathedral, Kremlin walls.

Dinner in the restaurant of the hotel.

Day 3 Breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel. Guide and coach service for the excursions.

Visit to the heart of Moscow-the Kremlin-with cathedrals, the Pushkin Fine Art Museum.

Dinner in the restaurant of the hotel.

Day 4 Breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel.

Transfer to the airport or to the railway station.

Package price from

50

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

286 euro per person.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Tours of Russia MOSCOW – ST. PETERSBURG 7 days/6 nights Recommended period: all the year round Destinations: Moscow, St.Petersburg Main sights: the Moscow Kremlin, Sergiev Posad, the Hermitage, summer residence Tsarskoye Selo Accommodation: Hotel Rossiya ***/ Izmailovo Alfa ***; Hotel Pribaltiyskaya ****/Cosmos **** Meals: breakfast Transport: coach Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Moscow. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Day 2 Breakfast.

Sightseeing tour of the city: Kremlin embankment, photostops at the Cathedral of Our the Saviour, Novodevichy Convent, the Sparrow Hills with observation platform and the view of Moscow State University, photostops at Poklonnaya Hill with Victory Park, Tverskaya Street and Red Square with views of St. Basil Cathedral. Excursion in the territory of the Kremlin, the historical centre of the Russian capital. Visit to two magnificent cathedrals of the Kremlin.

Day 3 Breakfast.

Guided tour to Sergiev Posad, located 75 km from Moscow, visit to the Trinity Sergiev Monastery (Lavra).

Departure to St. Petersburg by night train.

Day 4 Arrival in St.Petersburg. Breakfasrt in a city restaurant.

Sightseeing tour: Nevsky prospekt, Palace embankment, Spit of Vasilevsky Island, view of Kazansky Cathedral, the Admiralty, the monument to Peter the Great, photostop at Our Saviour on the Blood Cathedral, St.Isaac’s Cathedral, Palace Square. Excursion to St. Peter and Paul’s Fortress.

Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Day 5 Breakfast.

Excursion to the Hermitage, the largest museum in Russia, that has 3 million items which are displayed in 4 buildings of the Hermitage Complex.

Day 6 Breakfast.

Trip to Tsarskoye Selo, a summer residence of Russian Tsars, approximately 18 km. from St.Petersburg. Visit to the Catherine Palace and the park.

Day 7 Breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel.

Transfer to the airport or to the railway station.

Package price from

558 euro per person.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

51

Tours of Russia Russian Banya – BATHHOUSE The Russian baths is one of the most amazing characteristic features of traditional Russian culture. Sandunovskiye Baths or “Sanduny” is one of the oldest and the most popular public baths in Moscow. It is located in the center of the city, and it has separate sections for men and women, as well as private rooms, beauty shops, massage rooms, and laundry.

Sandunovskiye Baths has unique interior: there is a large hall and 13 rooms (for different number of people – from 3 to 8) all decorated in a different styles - Russian, Greek and Turkish.

Address: Neglinnaya street 14, building 3-7 Metro: Kuznetskiy Most Tel: + 7 495 625 46 31 Web: www.sanduny.ru Opening hours: from 8 a.m. till 10 p.m

Excursion “Learn about Sanduny” The duration of the excursion is about an hour: 30-40 minutes in the territory of the complex and 20-30 minutes of the demonstration of a historical film.

The group will see and learn about: - The buildings which are architectural monuments - What was here before and where the Neglinka River has gone - How and when Sandunovskeye baths were constructed - Why they are called “Sandunovskiye” - About the owners - About the Moorish courtyard - The biggest swimming pool with columns (30-40th of 20th century) -Why there is a Turkish hall in the Russian bath - Specificity of Russian baths - Good traditions of a bath and regulations of the bath - “Sanduns” restaurant and its peculiar features - Photos of Old Moscow on the walls of the restaurant - Historical film about Sanduns Package price from

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25 euro per person.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Tours of Russia MOSCOW – GOLDEN RING – VELIKY NOVGOROD – SAINT-PETERSBURG Recommended period: April - October Destinations: Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal, Novgorod, St.Petersburg Main sights: the Moscow Kremlin, Rozhdestvensky Cathedral in Suzdal, St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, the Hermitage, Catherine Palace Accommodation: Izmailovo Alfa *** hotel, Hotel Pushkarskaya Sloboda ***, Sadko *** , Park Inn Pribaltiyskaya **** Meals: breakfast Transport: coach Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Moscow. Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 2 Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of the city: Kremlin embankment, photostops at the Cathedral of Our the Saviour, Novodevichy Convent, the Sparrow Hills with observation platform and the view of Moscow State University, photostops at Poklonnaya Hill with Victory Park, Tverskaya Street and Red Square with views of St. Basil Cathedral. Excursion around the territory of the Kremlin, the historical centre of the Russian capital. Visit to two magnificent cathedrals of the Kremlin.

Day 3 Breakfast. Departure to Vladimir. Sightseeing tour in Vladimir with photostops at the Golden Gates, Cathedral of St. Dmitry.

Visit to Assumption Cathedral. Departure to Suzdal. Overnight in Suzdal.

Day 4 Breakfast. Sightseeing tour in Suzdal with photostops at the Suzdal Kremlin, the Convent of Intercession and Spaso-Efimiev Monastery. Excursion to Rozhdestvensky Cathedral. Departure to Moscow. Overnight train to Veliky Novgorod.

Day 5 Breakfast. Sightseeing tour in Veliky Novgorod including visits to the Kremlin and St. Sophia’s Cathedral. Excursions to the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 6 Breakfast. Departure to Saint-Petersburg. Excursion to Tsarskoye Selo. Visit to Catherine’s Palace with the Amber room. Accommodation in the hotel.

Day 7 Breakfast. Sightseeing tour: Nevsky prospekt, Palace embankment, Spit of Vasilevsky Island, view of Kazansky Cathedral, the Admiralty, the monument to Peter the Great, St. Peter and Paul’s Fortress; photostop at Our Saviour on the Blood Cathedral, St.Isaac’s Cathedral, Palace Square.

Excursion to the Hermitage, the largest museum in Russia, that has 3 million items which are displayed in 4 buildings of the Hermitage Complex.

Day 8 Breakfast in the restaurant of the hotel. Transfer to the airport or to the railway station.

Package price from

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

660 euro per person.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

53

Tours of Russia “Silver Crown” coach tour 5 days/4 nights Starting point: St.Petersburg Recommended period: May - October Destinations: Petrokrepost, Old Ladoga, Novgorod, Pskov, Izborsk, Pechery, the House-Museum in the village of Mikhailovskoe Main sights: the Oreshek Fortress, the Ladoga Fortress, St. Sophia’s Cathedral, Novgorod Kremlin, the Museum of Wooden Architecture, the Yuriev Monastery, Pskovan Kremlin, the Trinity Cathedral in Pskov, the Mironezhsky Monastery, the Izborsk Fortress, the Slavic Springs, the Pskovo-Pechersky Assumption Monastery, the Pushkin House-Museum in the village of Mikhailovskoe Accommodation: 3-star hotels or 4-star in Pskov and Novgorod Meals: full board Transport: coach Itinerary Day 1 Departure from St.Petersburg to Petrokrepost. Visit to the Oreshek Fortress. Trip to Old Ladoga. Visit to the Ladoga Fortress and the Museum of Local Lore and History.

Departure to Novgorod.

Accommodation in the hotel. Night at the hotel.

Day 2 Sightseeing tour in Novgorod, including visit to the Kremlin and St. Sophia’s Cathedral.

Excursions to the Museum of Wooden Architecture and the Yuriev Monastery.

Return to the hotel. Night at the hotel.

Day 3 Departure to Pskov. Arrival in Pskov.

Sightseeing tour of the town, including visit to the Kremlin and the Trinity Cathedral.

Accommodation. Night at the hotel.

Day 4 Trip to Izborsk and Pechery. Visit to the Izborsk Fortress, the Izborsk-Malsk Valley and the Slavic Springs. Trip to Pechery. Visit to the Pskovo-Pechersky Assumption Monastery.

Return to Pskov. Night at the hotel.

Day 5 Trip to Pushkin’s Hills. Visits to the Pushkin House-Museum in the Village of Mikhailovskoe, estates in the villages of Trigorskoe and Petrovskoe, the Svyatogorsky Assumption Monastery.

Return to St.Petersburg.

Package price from

54

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

247 euro

per person.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Tours of Russia

Solovetskie Islands Tour 6 days/5 nights Starting point: St.Petersburg Recommended period: May - September Destinations: Belomorsk, the Solovetsky Monastery Main sights: the ensemble of the Solovetsky Monastery Accommodation: the Hotel Complex Solovki Meals: full board Transport: train, motor ship Itinerary Day 1 Departure from St.Petersburg to Belomorsk.

Day 2 Arrival in Belomorsk. Trip to the Solovetskie Islands. Accommodation. Dinner. Walking tour along the sea shore with a visit to the labyrinths. Sauna (Russian bath) - optional.

Day 3 Breakfast. Excursion “The history and the architecture of the Solovetsky Monastery”, a visit to the museum exhibition.

Lunch. Coach trip to Sekirnaya Mountain. Free time.

Day 4 Breakfast. Tours “Along the blue and yellow streets of the islands”, “Botanical gardens”. Lunch. Free time.

Day 5 Breakfast. Free time. Dinner. Departure to Belomorsk. Transfer to the railway station. Departure to St.Petersburg.

Day 6 Arrival in St.Petersburg.

Package price from

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

323 euro per person.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

55

Tours of Russia Historical tour 9 days/8 nights Starting point: St.Petersburg Recommended period: May - September Destinations: Petrozavodsk, island of Kizhi, the Solovetsky Monastery, Belomosrko-Baltic Canal Main sights: Island of Kizhi, the Solovetsky Monastery, Belomorsko-Baltic Canal Accommodation: 3* hotel and the hotel complex “Solovki” Meals: half board Transport: train, motor ship Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Saint Petersburg. City sightseeing tour. Dinner in the restaurant. Departure from St.Petersburg to Petrozavodsk by night train.

Day 2 Arrival in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia. Breakfast in a restaurant (Karelian cuisine).

Accommodation. The trip to the island of Kizhi by hydrofoil. The excursion around the Kizhi Architectual Ensemble and the historic village of the 19th century. Return to Petrozavodsk. Sightseeing tour.

The coach trip to the historic village of Kinerma. Walking tour around the village with the visit to a chapel. This small 17 houses village is a unique monument of folk wooden architecture of the Karelian-Livviks. Dinner in the Karelian house. Return to Petrozavodsk. Overnight.

Day 3 Breakfast. Visit to Belomorsko-Baltic Canal. Lunch in Medvezhyegorsk. Visit to the defensive constructions (the complex of the Finnish defensive fortifications of the Second World War, a unique system of military-engineering constructions, still impressive with its scale and unconventional methods of building). Return to Petrozavodsk. Dinner.

Day 4 Breakfast. Departure to Belomorsk by bus. Lunch. The bus trip to see the ancient rock drawings hammered by ancient people, the contemporaries of the Neolithic. The rock drawings of Besov Nos are the object of thorough examination of Karelian researchers.

This is just a small part of the abundant rock art heritage of the inhabitants of ancient Karelia. Departure from Belomorsk to Kem. Accommodation in the hotel.Dinner.

Day 5 Breakfast. Leaving Kem for the islands of Solovky (2,5 hours by motor boat). Accommodation in the hotel. The excursion around the central architectural complex, the Solovetsky monastery, the Transfiguration cathedral, household buildings, a refectory, turrets, the exhibition “The History of the Solovky camp”. Lunch. The bus tour to the mountain of Secir with the visit to the Voznesensky small monastery, St.-George’s church, the cross of worship, and the panorama of the Solovky islands. Dinner.

Day 6 Breakfast. The boat trip to the island of Anzer (2,5 hours by boat). The excursion to the island of Anzer , one of the biggest islands of Solovky (10 hours). Two small monasteries (skits) were built here in the 17-18 centuries. Tourists will have an opportunity to see diverse landscapes, islands, to visit small monasteries, to learn a lot about the history of different periods of the island of Anzer (the island used to be a monastery and a concentration camp). Doggy-bag lunch.Departure from the island by boat (2,5 hours).

Return to the hotel. Dinner.

Day 7 Breakfast. Free time on the island. Lunch. Leaving Solovky for Kem (2,5 hours by motor boat). Accommodation in the hotel. Dinner.

Day 8 Breakfast. Departure to St.Petersburg.

Day 9 Arrival in St.Petersburg. Breakfast Transfer to the airport.

Departure from St.Petersburg.

Package price from

56

822 euro per person

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Tours of Russia Lake Baikal Tour Starting point: Irkutsk Recommended period: June – the middle of October Main sights: Lake Baikal, Museum of Lake Baikal, Museum of Wooden Architecture of the 17-19th centuries, Irkutsk Regional Museum.

Destinations: Irkutsk, Lake Baikal Accommodation: 3* hotel Meals: BB Transport: coach Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Irkutsk. Transfer from Station/Airport to hotel located on Lake Baikal in Listvyanka (70 km from Irkutsk). Guided sightseeing tour in Listvyanka Village, visit to Museum of Lake Baikal. Overnight in Listvyanka.

Day 2 One-hour boat trip along the shore of Baikal. Visit to Wooden Architecture Museum (23 km from Listvyanka). Lunch at the restaurant in taiga-forest on the bank of the Angara River. Transfer to Listvyanka. Overnight in Listvyanka.

Day 3 Transfer to Irkutsk. Guided sightseeing tour in Irkutsk, visit to Irkutsk Regional Museum. Overnight in Irkutsk.

Day 4 Transfer from hotel to Station/Airport. Departure from Irkutsk.

Package price from

460 euro per person.

Lake Baikal Tour. Irkutsk – Ulan-Ude Starting point: Irkutsk Recommended period: June – the middle of October Main sights: Decembrists Museum, Museum of Wooden Architecture, Museum of Lake Baikal, Ethnographical museum, Ivolginsky Dasan Destinations: Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Ulan-Ude Accommodation: 3* hotel Meals: BB Transport: coach, train, ferry Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Irkutsk. Transfer from Station/Airport to hotel. Overnight in Irkutsk.

Day 2 Sightseeing tour of Irkutsk, visit to Decembrists Museum. Departure to Lake Baikal. Visit to Wooden Architecture Museum. Guided sightseeing tour in Listvyanka Village, visit to Museum of Lake Baikal and fish market. Transfer to Irkutsk. Overnight in Irkutsk.

Day 3: (Wed, Sat) Guided tour along Transsiberian Railway to the village Slyudyanka. Trip by train along Lake Baikal shore by Circum Baikal Rail Road to Port Baikal with photo stops en route. Ferry to Listvianka and then to Irkutsk by coach.

Overnight in Irkutsk.

Day 4 Transfer from hotel to railway station. Departure to Ulan-Ude. Guided sightseeing tour in Ulan-Ude, visit to Ethnographical museum. Overnight in Ulan-Ude. Day 5 Guided tour to Ivolginsky Datsan. Transfer to Station/Airport.

Package price from

766 euro per person.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

57

Tours of Russia Kamchatka tour Starting point: Moscow Recommended period: July-August-the middle of September Main sights: Mutnovsky and Gorely Volcanoes, Bystraya river, Valley of Geysers Destinations: Kamchatka Peninsula Accommodation: 3* hotel, camping Meals: as per program Transport: coach Itinerary Day 1 Arrival in Moscow. Transfer from Station/Airport to hotel. Overnight in Moscow BB. Day 2 Orientation tour of Moscow, transfer to Airport. Flight to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Day 3 Arrival in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Transfer from airport to the city. Overnight in the hotel Day 4 Transfer to the camp “Mutnovsky� located at the altitude of appr. 1000 m. Photo stop at Vilyuchinsky Waterfall. Bathing and lunch at the hot springs Rodnikovie. Fixing the camp at the foot of Mutnovsky Volcano, dinner in the camp, overnight in the tents.

Day 5 Full day hiking to the crater of the Mutnovsky volcano (22 km, appr 10 hours). Light lunch during hiking. Dinner in the camp, overnight in the tents.

Day 6 Transfer to the foot of Gorely Volcano. Climbing the Gorely volcano (10 km, 5-6 hours). Gorely is easy to climb from all sides and offers superb views of the neighboring volcanoes Mutnovsky and Viluchinsky. Light lunch during hiking. Transfer to Paratunka, overnight in the rest base with waterpool of thermal water.

Day 7 Transfer to Malky Village. Visit to the Malky hot springs. Lunch.

Start of rafting tour along the Bystraya river. Dinner in the camp, overnight in the tents.

Day 8 Full day rafting (6-8 hours). Light lunch. Dinner in the camp, overnight in the tents.

Day 9 Half day Rafting up to the Karymaisk. Light lunch. Transfer to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Overnight at hotel BB. Day 10 Helicopter excursion to the Valley of Geysers. Overnight at hotel BB. Day 11 Motorboat trip around Avachinskaya Bay. Lunch. Overnight at hotel BB. Day 12 Transfer to Airport. Arrival in Moscow. Transfer from Airport to hotel.

Overnight in Moscow BB. Day 13 Transfer from hotel to Station/Airport.

Package price from

58

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

1578 euro per person.

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Tours of Russia Trans-Siberian Railway Tour Starting point: Moscow Recommended period: all year round Main sights: the Moscow Kremlin, Lake Baikal, Trans-Siberian Railway Destinations: Moscow, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok Accommodation: Hotels in Moscow, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok Meals: as per program Transport: Trans-Siberian express train, coach Day 1 Arrival in Moscow. Meeting with guide and transfer to the hotel. Overnight.

Day 2 Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of Moscow. Excursion to the Kremlin and to the Armoury Chamber. Visit to the Red square with view of St Basil Cathedral. Overnight.

Day 3 Breakfast. Free time. Transfer to Yaroslavsky Station for departure for Krasnoyarsk.

Day 4 - 5 Breakfast in the train.

Day 6 Arrival in Krasnoyarsk. Transfer to the hotel. Sightseeing tour of Krasnoyarsk. Overnight.

Day 7 Breakfast. Excursion to the National Reserve “Krasnoyarskiye Stolby�.

Lunch. Excursion to Yenisei Hydro Power Station. Free time. Transfer to Railway Station. Train to Irkutsk.

Day 8 Arrival in Irkutsk (in the evening). Transfer to the hotel. Overnight.

Day 9 Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of Irkutsk. Excursion in Decembrists Museum. Departure for Lake Baikal. Excursion to the open-air museum Tailtsi. Arrival in Listvyanka.

Excursion in Limnological Museum (Baikal Lake museum). Walk in Listvianka with visit to the fish market. Return to Irkutsk. Overnight.

Day 10 Breakfast. Departure for the excursion along Trans-Siberian Railway to Slyudyanka.

Tour around Slyudyanka, visit to the Marble railway station. Train by Old Railway along Lake Baikal shore to the port Baikal with photostops. Ferry to Listvyanka.

Transfer to Irkutsk. Overnight.

Day 11 Breakfast. Transfer to the railway station. Arrival in Ulan-Ude. Transfer to the hotel.

Sightseeing tour of the city. Excursion to the Ethnographical museum. Overnight.

Day 12 Breakfast in the hotel. Excursion to Ivolginsky Datsan. Transfer to the railway station.

Departure to Vladivostok.

Day 13 - 14 Breakfast in the train.

Day 15 Breakfast. Arrival in Vladivostok. Sightseeing tour of the city. Excursion to the Submarine.

Visit to the observation platform. Bout-trip in the Amur Bay. Overnight.

Day 16 Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Moscow. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight.

Day 17 Breakfast. Excursion to Sergiev Posad. Visit to Troitse-Sergieva Lavra. Return to Moscow. Overnight.

Day 18 Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for departure back home.

Package price from

2196 euro per person.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

59

Incentive tours INCENTIVE TOURS IN RUSSIA Incentive travel becomes more and more popular in recent years. The success of a business depends greatly on the staff work therefore companies are looking for the effective ways to create positive relations and work environment, motivate staff, support and improve their activity and to reward the best employees.

Holding business meetings, conferences, seminars, product and service presentations in different locations in the world combined with sightseeing and recreation gives a unique chance to solve important business goals in a relaxed, entertaining and exiting atmosphere, to make the event unforgettable and raise company’s image.

Russia with its boundless expanses, rich history, active scientific, business and cultural life and ever developing host facilities now is one of the most attractive destinations for incentive tourism.

Moscow and St.Petersburg as well as other Russian cities, having a wide range of exhibition spaces, city and hotel conference halls, comfortable hotels, cosy restaurants with excellent cuisine is a good choice for a successful corporate event.

Having a vast experience in this field we create customized tour packages individually designed to suit the clients’ requirements, expectations and budgets.

The right combination of work and rest makes incentive trips the most valuable.

Therefore we enrich our programs with city sightseeing tours, excursions to museums, visits to art galleries and theatres, with gala dinners, receptions, theme parties, active games and a lot of other entertaining activities.

Here are some ideas that can be used to make the incentive tour very special, exciting and unforgettable for your clients.

the special programs in which the famous musicians, opera singers and ballet dancers or Russian folklore and Gipsy musical groups will perform.

We can organize classical receptions in the style of 19th century, balls and masquerades in one of the numerous Imperial palaces in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow, or ceremonial dinners in the magnificent interiors accompanied by old-style music played by strings or harpsichord. Private concerts of classical music in the state rooms of the former Imperial summer-residences in the city suburbs or private ballet performances in the home theatres in the former palaces of Russian nobility can be also provided, as well as a the concerts with

Saint-Petersburg and Moscow can give much more opportunities than the most demanding traveler could imagine.

Participants can bring from the tour their own exclusive piece of art. The talented

A growing number of hotels newly built or renovated recently in Russia allows us to offer our clients the most appropriate accommodation: in luxurious world famous hotel chains or in small but cosy minihotels located in the city centre or close to the event site. Safe and modern transport operated by experienced drivers, polite and attentive assistants, knowledgeable interpreters and guides working with us for many years guarantee high quality of the service, good coordination and smooth run of the tour.

The programs of the tour can be based on the events or activities connected with the professional interests of the participants.

In addition to conferences, meetings and seminars we can arrange visits to various enterprises, factories, plants, to medical, project and educational centres and institutes.

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Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Incentive tours

experts could reserve their vivid memories by making professional photographs, portraits and even sculptures! Painting master classes can be arranged in world famous art studios where distinguished teachers will help to awake hidden abilities and to express feelings and emotions through creative work.

Visiting of Vladimir, Suzdal or Velikiy Novgorod, the Old Russian towns, can be turned into the cheerful feast. The participants will stay in traditional Russian wooden izbas (log cabins) with the original interiors in old Russian style, try traditional Russian food made in the izba’s oven and tea made in samovar and take a steam bath

in Russian banya (bathhouse). Riding in sledge-and-free in winter and swimming in the mirror-like lakes in summer, folk dances and songs to balalaika music will please any demanding taste.

For those who want to take a closer look at rural life of Russian people we can offer a visit to a farmstead, where the clients

If tired of big cities clients can gain one more out-of-order experience visiting ecological settlement situated in the most beautiful natural landscapes, 6 hours drive from Saint-Petersburg. There one can see way of living, which our ancestors led several centuries ago. A sort of commune consisting of large families keeps houses, cultivates vegetables and raises live-stock to provide itself with everything it needs.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

61

Incentive tours

will be able to see the process of milking a cow at the diary-farm, making honey at the apiary or admire pedigree horses at the stable-farm.

To take a closer look at traditional Russian crafts one can visit different workshops – pottery, smithy, joiner’s workshop, iconpainting workshop - and even participate in some of the processes - matryoshka (wooden dolls) painting, forging or clay molding .

Visits to the local families and acquaintance with life and habits of the typi-

62

cal Russian family can be also provided.

Our programs can be based on different kinds of vehicles. Flights by supersonic crafts are for those who love a thrilling experience. For the programs we can provide Russian supersonic planes MIG-23,(-25,29), SU 30 with professional pilots which are operated at the aerodrome in town of Zhukovsky near Moscow, a place familiar to everybody who is interested in airplanes as here MAKS (International Air and Space Saloon) takes place every 2 years.

Different types of motor-ships and boats can be rented for river excursions along the historical centre of the cities and riverside recreation areas with good conditions for picnics.

Trips by helicopter or retro-train that give an opportunity to admire the magnificent panorama of the cities and discover the sights inaccessible when travelling by coach can be also arranged.

For lovers of the active life and adventures we can offer exciting road trips by jeeps in the area of virgin nature, so-called Russian safari, kayak trips in Karelia, or military tours during which the participants will be able to visit former soviet military sites, drive the Soviet tanks by themselves or as members of a crew and see military vehicles and aircrafts that participated in different

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

wars. We can also organize team events, such as paintball, a play very popular in Russia now.

For lovers of fishing and hunting we can provide different kinds of tours in the environs of the cities, including such activities as cooking of the fish soup on the bonfire or competition for catching the largest fish or having a largest catch, or tours in the faraway places of Far East and Siberia, where participants can feel like being the real hunters in the surroundings of the unexplored wild nature.

Travelling to the eastern part or Russia is thrilling itself - endless expanse of taiga, rocky shores of Baikal Lake, mysterious Altai, volcanoes and geysers of Kamchatka, canyons and the waterfalls of Russian North amaze by its beauty and make feel that our world is a unique and perfect creation of the Universe!

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

Transport Our fleet of coaches consists of more the fifty different vehicles such as Neoplan Tourliner P 22 L (2008), Setra 415 HD (2008), Volvo B12 (2006) and others. Our coaches are equipped with 45 – 57 seats, air condition, WC, refrigerator, GPS navigation system, DVD, CD, microphone, board-kitchen, coffee-machine.

Also we use a wide range of vehicles from luxury chauffeur cars to touring and executive coaches to suit every budget and type of operation.

Versa and Tari Tour are members of Global Passenger Network – an elite group of networks representing the best motor coach and travel companies in the world.

Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com

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idua ndiv nd i up a Gro TRAVEL ASSOCIATES

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Office 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg 191024 Russia tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax:Office +7-812-324-7113 47, 5, Bakunina pr.

St. Petersburg, 191024, Russia e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com tel: +7-812-324-7112 fax: +7-812-324-7113 url: www.versa.ru

e-mail: incoming@versa-travel.com url: www.versa.ru

16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow 127006 Russia tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 16, bldg 2, Sadovaya Triumfalnaya str.

Moscow, 127006, Russia e-mail: levmar@tari.ru tels: +7-495-650-0961, 694-0492 fax: +7-495-258-5682 url: www.taritravel.com e-mail: levmar@tari.ru url: www.taritravel.com