Destination Insights: The Volga River

THE VOLGA RIVER

TM

ABOARD VOLGA DREAM MOSCOW, UGLICH, YAROSLAVL GORITSY窶適IRILLOV, KIZHI, MANDROGY VALAAM, PETERHOF, ST. PETERSBURG

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VOLGA MOSCOW TO ST. PETERSBURG ABOARD

VOLGA DREAM

Once the dominant power of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Russia is now an independent country, the largest in the world. It spans more than 17 million square kilometers of Europe and Asia and ranks eighth in world population. At the beginning of the 1930s, when a drought made it necessary to link Moscow to a plentiful water supply, Stalin solved the problem by building a canal connecting to the Volga. The project was more complex than either the Panama or the Suez Canals, and comprised 240 separate construction works, including: - 7 concrete dams - 8 earthen dams - 11 locks (a height difference of 161 feet) - 8 hydroelectric power stations - 5 pump stations - 15 bridges

A L E I S U R E LY C R U I S E D OWN THE V OLGA We loved cruising the Volga waterways, from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

We were on rivers, lakes, and canals from Moscow to St. Petersburg, experiencing more than 1,000 years of history, from picturesque villages and onion-domed churches nestled in pine forests to modern cities built on the shores. Along the way, we enjoyed musical performances, art museums, and grand palaces.

CONTENTS Moscow 6 Embarking Volga Dream 14 Uglich 18 Yaroslavl 28 Goritsy—Kirillov 39 The Locks 46 Kizhi 49 Mandrogy 58 Valaam 66 Volga Dream 76 Language Lessons 62 Peterhof 87 St. Petersburg 96

MOSCOW

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FROM

Moscow’s origins as a symbol of Russian spiritual and political power date from 1147, so it’s no surprise that today the city of more than 10 million people is Russia’s major political, economic, religious, financial, cultural, educational, scientific, industrial and transportation center. “The most expensive city in the world” is home the largest number of billionaires in the world.

T HE

AIRPORT

MOSCOW RED

SQUARE A “kremlin” is a walled citadel; all major Russian cities have one. The Kremlin is the one in Moscow’s Red Square, which is even more impressive than I had anticipated. Some of the Red Square’s walls—which are up to 20 feet thick and 55 feet high—date from the late 1400s.

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MOSCOW GUM

MOSCOW

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GUM

We walked through the famous GUM department store, now a showcase of expensive shops.

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MOSCOW

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M ET R O

Moscow is also home to one of the world’s busiest metro systems. We hopped on, and visited three museum-like stations.

TRET YAKOV

G ALLER Y

MOSCOW

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RESTAUR ANT

“G ALLER Y

This “apple chapel” (as I like to think of it) is lined with gilded bas reliefs of erotic encounters.

O F

ARTIST”

MOSCOW PARK

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GODUNOV

FALLEN

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IDOL S

RESTAUR ANT

VOLGA DREA M

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E M B AR C AT I ON

The 2300-mile-long Volga is Europe’s largest river, draining most of western Russia and providing hydroelectricity, irrigation, excellent fishing grounds, and fertile valleys.

The Northern River Station is one of Moscow’s well-known architectural sites. Constructed of granite and marble, and embellished with arcades and galleries, it is shaped like an early 20th century double-decker river steamer. Many architects, sculptors, and artists contributed to the design and decoration of this 500-foot-long structure.

VOLGA DREA M

Bread and salt—and vodka—are a traditional Russian welcome.

The luxurious MS Volga Dream—the most elegant yacht on the Volga— seems more like a charming floating hotel, with a library, lounge-bar, and sundeck. The friendly, gracious service, sumptuous cuisine and thoughtful planning made us feel right at home.

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K A LYA S I N

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CHURCH

Rising 230 feet out of the Volga, the Church of the Trinity belfry is all that is left of the old town of Kalyasin.

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T R I N I T Y

VOLGA RIVER SCENES

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UGLICH The five-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration was constructed in the early 18th century.

Its interior is one huge vault covered with both frescoes and painted icons.

UGLICH

Upriver 170 miles (274 km) from Moscow is Uglich, an industrial city which is rightly considered to be one of the wonders of Russia’s Golden Ring.

Our guide, Olga, explained that Uglich is a city of 37,000 people, “and you will become acquainted with all of them.”

The first three of our Uglich acquaintances greeted us with their rendition of When the Saints Go Marching In.

Uglich is known for embroidered costumes, matryoshka stacking dolls, and other goods, which are sold at the improvised markets at the quay or in kiosks.We braved the Road of Temptation (right).

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UGLICH

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Uglich is known for producing watches; until recently, the Tschaika clock factory here manufactured five million timepieces per year, including the wellknown enamel and filigree watches which are popular with both Russians and foreign tourists. And, like any self-respecting Russian city, Uglich is known for its liqueur and vodka distilleries, which use “only ecologically pure products� (honey, forest berries, and cranberries). The town is also known for producing cheese and two kinds of mineral water; one prevents stomachaches and the other treats nervous breakdowns.

UGLICH CHURCH

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S T. D I M I T R I

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ON

THE

BLOOD Ivan the Terrible Founded in 1148, Uglich flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries and was the favorite city of Ivan the Terrible (one of the last rulers of the Rurik dynasty) during the 16th century. Ivan the Terrible—cruelest of the Russian Tzars—had seven wives and only four sons, the first two of whom died, leaving son number three, Fyodor (a religious and sickly child who was not fit to rule) and son number four, Dimitri, as contenders for the throne. Ivan the Terrible used Uglich’s town kremlin as a place of exile for his seventh and last wife, who lived there with Dimitri.

Who Spilled Dimitri’s Blood?

In 1591, when young Dimitri was found in the palace courtyard with his throat slashed, an alarm bell was rung to notify the people of Uglich. The prevailing theory is that Fyodor’s friend, advisor, and brother-in-law, Boris Godunov, had Dimitri murdered so he could claim power, which in fact Godunov did, by assuming regency on behalf of Fyodor. (Pushkin’s play, Boris Godunov, tells the tale.) But Dimitri’s death was ruled an “accident” and no one was held officially responsible. As “punishment” for the deed, the alarm bell was thrown from its tower, its tongue (clapper) was cut out, it was whipped, and finally it was banished. Citizens of Uglich were forced to carry the bell—all 703 pounds of it—to Siberia. Fifteen years later, Dimitri’s body was still well preserved, and he was declared a saint.

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UGLICH CHURCH

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BLOOD

UGLICH PAL ACE

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PRINCE

The Time of Troubles Dimitry’s death ended the Rurik dynasty and precipitated the political crisis known as the Time of Troubles, during which three “False Dimitris” tried to claim the throne and the Poles invaded Russia, burned Uglich, and massacred its population.

The Romanovs The Romanovs, who succeeded the Rurik dynasty, canonized the martyred tsarevich and turned Uglich into a place of pilgrimage. A chapel originally marked the spot where Dimitri died; it was replaced by a stone church, and replaced again in 1692 by the Church of St. Dimitri on the Blood, a lovely building with red walls and blue domes encrusted with gold stars.

Uglich flourished under Catherine the Great in the second half of the 18th century. A chapel originally marked the spot where Dimitri died; the Church of St. Dimitri on the Blood was erected in 1692.The Church of St. Dimitri on the Blood is heated in winter with an 18th century cast-iron floor.

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UGLICH AROUND

TOWN

UGLICH

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UGLICH AROUND

TOWN

UGLICH AROUND

TOWN

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YA R O S L AV L CHURCH Yarolsavl, a city of 640,000 and an important harbor on the Volga, is 155 miles northeast of Moscow at a point where the river reaches a width of more than 2600 feet. It is one of the oldest and bestknown cities in Russia’s “Golden Ring,” a group of cities that played a significant role in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Founded in 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise (who is depicted on Russia’s 1,000 ruble note), the city is connected with such famous Russian cultural figures as actor Fedor Volkov (who founded the Russian theater), poet Nekrasov, and painter Savrasov, as well as with “the first woman spaceman” Valentina Tereshkova, who studied and worked here.

The Church of the Epiphany, erected in 1684, is topped with 5 green domes and decorated with colorful glazed tiles bearing tendrils, flowers and geometric patterns.

OF

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EPIPHANY

YA R O S L AV L CHURCH

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TR ANSFIG UR ATION The Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery was founded in the 12th century. Since Yaroslavl’s buildings were all made of wood, the entire city was razed six times by fires. The monastery’s cathedral or Cathedral of the Transfiguration, erected in 1516, is the oldest surviving building in Yaroslavl.

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YA R O S L AV L FLORENCE

In 1991 everything belonged to the state. Only 5% of flats belonged to private individuals. But now 85% are private. Inflation is 8-12% per year.

Unemployment is only 1%. Our guide explained further: “You can choose what to do—to work or not—without special permission. We have freedom of the soul.

But freedom is very expensive. If you are healthy and you want to earn money, it is possible. But it is not so good if you are retired.

It is very hard. Excuse me, the press conference is over now. To hear the rest of what I think will take many nights and much vodka.”

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NORTH

YA R O S L AV L “FREEDOM

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VER Y

EXPENSIVE” If St. Petersberg is the Venice of the North, Yaroslavl is certainly the Florence of the North. In the 17th century Yaroslavl was Russia’s second richest city (after Moscow), and home to many churches and monasteries, which today continue to house frescoes second in importance only to Florence’s collection. Three years ago, UNESCO reviewed the city’s 4,000 icons—the best collection in Russia—and moved many to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow (where we surely saw every one). Yaroslavl is also home to a stunning collection of icons.

The 17th century Church of Michael Archangel.

The Soviet trinity—the hammer, sickle, and star— represent the unity of soldier, worker, and government.

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YA R O S L AV L M AR K ET PL ACE

We supported Yaroslavl’s economy by spending 500 rubles (about $20) to buy spices from a friendly vendor in the local market.

YA R O S L AV L M AR K ET PL ACE

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YA R O S L AV L Yaroslavl looked shabby, with peeling paint, many overhead wires, and perpetually gray skies. But it is currently undergoing massive restoration efforts, in an attempt to be fittingly resplendent for its millennial anniversary in 2010. Alexy, our good-humored guide, pointed out building after building that was shrouded in scaffolding but “will be completed in two years.”

Yaroslavl is home to 30 factories, an oil refinery, a shipyard, a brewery, a “factory of strong alcohol,” and eight universities, including a medical academy, a polytechnic university, a school of drama and theater, and a pedagogic institute. Its 17 hotels house 1,200 guests, and charge the same ultrahigh rates as hotels in the center of cities like Moscow and Venice.

Princess Anna, daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, married Henry I of France.

Grafitti outside the Hall of Artists.

Ornately painted wooden boxes at the Exhibition Hall of local artists were priced as high as $1,000 each.

YA R O S L AV L

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The Russian folkloric ensemble Serpentine was organized in 1988.

The Yaroslavl Treasures Museum is housed in the Spassky Monastery building. Short doorways both helped keep out the winter cold and forced entrants to bow in respect. We weren’t allowed to take photos of the dazzling pieces inside: icons and icon frames decorated with gold, silver, pearls, silver threads and filigree, enamel, embroidery, and jewels. There were also miniature ivory carvings, coinage, intricate needlework, regal fabrics, and crowns, clerical robes, crosses, lamps, chalices, bowls, book covers, and other articles decorated with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, jasper, beryl, mica, satin, lace, and gilding.

YA R O S L AV L

This bell ringer at the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral played beautifully with ten bells, tied by strings to each finger and thumb.

This lovely small chapel is named for the patron saint of Alex III, the sainted soldier-prince Alexander Nevsky ... and for the personal patron saints of the other 15 people who provided money for the chapel.

Legend has it that Yaroslav the Wise killed a bear on the spot where the town was founded.

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YA R O S L AV L

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Our guide translated: “If you have not bought something in the museum shop, you have wasted your day.”

7° C = 44.6° F; unseasonably cool for a September day. In Yaroslavel it traditionally snows on October 14, and the locals say, “Before lunch it is autumn; after lunch, winter comes.”

The Church of Elijah the Prophet (1615) is one of the city’s most beautiful churches, with frescoes of the prophets Elijah and Isaiah. The frescoes’ stories are read beginning at the upper left of the south wall and spiraling around to the west wall. The huge iconostasis (or icon screen) wall separates the nave from the sanctuary in Orthodox churches. The Holy Doors in the center of the bottom row are flanked by icons of the Virgin Mary on the left and Christ on the right.This church was built in only three years, and the frescoes were painted by 15 artists in only three months.

During the Soviet era, it was transformed into a “museum of atheism.”

G O R I T S Y— K I R I L L O V

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Approaching Goritsy, the Volga is met by gently rolling hills— a welcome break from the monotonous flatness we’ve seen so far. The forests are still lush in September, with scattered maples just beginning to turn scarlet. Meadows, occasional lakes, and small wooden houses with gingerbread trim complete the picture.

We are told it sometimes gets as cold as -50° C (-58° F) — that’s below zero—in Goritsy, and that it is too cold to grow the cabbages, onions, and buckwheat people subsist on elsewhere in northern Russia.

A common aphorism here is, “we have nine months of winter, followed by three months of disappointment.”

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G O R I T S Y— K I R I L L O V The Church of the Resurrection is situated on the grounds of the Resurrection Convent, to which many women of noble birth were exiled throughout Russia’s history. Damaged during the Soviet era, the nunnery is once again open and functioning, with seven nuns, three novices, a kitchen garden, and a few cows. A holy spring attracts pilgrims.

Many famous icon painters came from the area and Goritsy is still home to more than 2,000 icons (about three per resident!). The least expensive of the icons is insured for $1,000,000.

Ivan the Terrible was conceived in Goritsy after his father had attempted for more than 20 years to sire a son. As a big thank-you to the monks, Ivan’s father built a big cathedral here, now known as the Goritsky Monastery of Dormition.

KIRILLOV

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KIRILLOV

42 The area’s main attraction is 5 miles past Goritsy in the town of Kirillov: the KirilloBelozersky Monastery, founded in 1397.

St. Kirill, or Cyrill (pronounced “cereal” by our guide) is said to have had a vision in which the Blessed Virgin told him to head north and found a monastery. He did so, living here for a year in complete solitude before building the Dormition Church (now the Dormition Cathedral).

The church and settlement at Kirillov, which were later surrounded with 30-foot high walls, served as a northern bastion protecting Moscow’s territory from Polish and Swedish attack.

Cooperating in this way with Moscow meant the monastery received generous donations and gained political influence.

Kirillov reached a zenith during the middle of the 18th century, “possessing 20,000 serfs, 400 villages, huge amounts of property, and a salt mine.”

KIRILLOV

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A cathedral and several 16th and 17th century churches, as well as one of the world’s finest collections of Russian icons, remain. Equally notable, however, is the monastery’s dark history: Ivan the Terrible not only had his own cell in the cloister, but also planned to take monastic vows here.

Once important as a political prison, eventually the monastery was secularized and turned into a museum.

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KIRILLOV

An interesting storefront selling jars of honey. 9

KIRILLOV

The Cyrillic Alphabet The origin of the Cyrillic alphabet is unclear, but it is often attributed to a 10th century follower of St. Cyrill. Subsets of the alphabet are used in the languages of Belarus, Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and several eastern European countries, as well as Russia.

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THE LOCKS

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The Volga Dream passed through 18 locks between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Locks are automatic, but communication between onshore operators and the onboard crew is essential, as the ship must be maneuvered through and there is very little room for error.

On receiving the go-ahead signal from the lock operator, the ship enters the lock, occasionally accompanied by other vessels, depending on their size and the size of the lock. The lock can be thought of as a large, rectangular concrete chamber with doors on each end. Some locks are as much as 60 feet wide and 600 feet long, so multiple vessels can pass through at once.

The ship is 50 feet wide, and most locks are only 54 feet wide.

THE LOCKS

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The entrances to the locks, called heads, consist of two gates, each weighing as much as 123 tons. A red light warns that the lock is closed; a green light notifies ships that they may enter. Once the ship is completely inside the lock, the gate winches shut, enclosing the ship within the lock.

On the other side of the heads, an additional set of gates, each weighing as much as 175 tons and made of wrought iron, is closed. Electric winches are again employed, this time to raise special shields from 23 colossal pipes through which water rushes at a rate of 325 cubic yards per second.

Using chains, ships are locked to a rail that moves up and down to help keep the ships stable and to keep them from knocking against the walls of the chamber. The ship either rises or falls, depending on its orientation, until it rests at the same level as the upcoming waterway.

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VOLGA RIVER SCENES

KIZHI A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE CHURCH OF THE TR ANSFIG UR ATION At the northeastern tip of Lake Onega lies Kizhi Island, originally a pagan sanctuary; the island’s name comes from an ancient word meaning “island of games.” Kizhi has an open-air museum renowned for its excellent ensemble of wooden architecture.

Highlights include the Church of the Intercession and the stunning Church of the Transfiguration, with five concentric rings of wooden domes, crowned by yet another dome; the 22nd dome is positioned directly over the church’s altar. The 9-domed Church of Intercession, a “winter church,” heated with stoves, was constructed in 1764.

The elegant Transfiguration Cathedral, crowned with 22 cupolas, is a masterpiece of Russian wooden architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a “summer church” with no heating, and was built in 1714. Services were held here for more than 200 years, until 1937, and restoration began in 1949. The church was built of pine, entirely without nails; the logs were intricately notched.

Legend has it that one man constructed it with one axe, after which he threw the axe into the depths of Lake Onega and cried, “Never again!”

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KIZHI

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Of the many multidomed wooden churches built during the reign of Peter the Great, only the Church of the Transfiguration (1713-14) survives. Together with the Church of the Intercession (1764) and a 19th century bell tower, it is located on the remote Kizhi Island. Wooden churches have occupied the pogost (country churchyard) here since the 13th century.

More vulnerable to deterioration than masonry structures, they require constant care.

The island was occupied by the Finns—who took good care of the structures— during WWII. Today, political turmoil within Russia, growing tourism—actively promoted by the local museum administration—and increased development in the area threaten the site.

The problems in the older church are especially troublesome. At present, it is supported from within by structural scaffolding.

Without appropriate treatment, the structures— including the precious iconostasis and decorated altar elements inside the churches—will be lost within 10-15 years.

KIZHI

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The church’s 30,000 shingles are made of aspen, a hardy wood that swells to keep out rainwater, and glows in innumerable colors at sunset.

KIZHI

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This Russian farm house was also a barn with the animals on the lower level, and living quarters above.

Kizhi’s open-air museum also features farmhouses, barns, mills, and belltowers, all constructed of wood in the traditional Russian fashion. For conservation reasons, it is not possible to enter many of the buildings, but two are available for entry: a Russian farmhouse and the banya, a small wooden hut housing the traditional Russian sauna.

53 Kizhi’s small venomous snakes won’t kill you—unless you have a heart problem—but it’s best to stay on the pathways, just in case.

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KIZHI

The tiny Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus, built in the late 14th century, is Russia’s oldest wooden church. Believing the church to have curative powers, pilgrims have been known to chew off pieces of the logs in hope of being healed.

KIZHI

Perhaps Russians made lace and created intricate wooden inlaid pictures during their long winter nights.

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KIZHI

Local folks including the “Park Ranger.”

Russian steam bath (bayna) interior / Below: exterior view

KIZHI RUSSIAN

WOODEN

Wood was the main building material in medevial Russia, while stone was something of a rarity.

As a result, early Russian homes as well as churches and palaces were all made of wood.

The various types of building materials all stem from the isba, the typical North Russian log cabin or farmhouse. Walls consist of horizontal logs joined at the corners. Windows and doors were inserted into the walls following construction. Little more than an axe was necessary to build such a house. In fact, using an axe rather than a saw ensured that resin stayed in the wood, and the structure lasted longer.

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ARCHITEC T URE

The farmhouse was made up of a heated multi-purpose room for living, cooking, dining, working, and sleeping; and the pantry, which were linked by a passage.

An upper floor was often added, bringing more light in winter and enabling the family to live above the snow-drifts. The floors were linked by stairs on the outside, which in turn led up to the attic.

This three-part construction was also used for churches: nave, chancel and vestibule. Churches were given steeply pitched roofs to distinguish them from houses.

But even this simple structure spawned a number of variations, such as an octagonal floor plan

and pitched roof, or the fourdomed church. Decorative elements often had a practical function, such as serving as rain gutters.

In and around towns, streets and paths were secured with split logs to prevent carts from getting mired in the springtime mud.

The wooden boards had to be replaced about every ten years.

Metal nails were introduced during the mid-19th century, but they damaged the wood, so were not considered “progress.�

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MANDROGY A

ROM ANTIC

VISION

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PA ST

MANDROGY Mandrogy, “a rather known station of tourism and rest,� was a state-mandated visit; all ships passing by were required to stop so passengers could admire the complex of farmstead-type houses, craft workshops, a school, a mill, horse stables, and a rabbit farm.

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MANDROGY

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CR AFTSPEOPLE

More than 150 people live in Mandrogy full time, and another 200 come to work here every day. Skilled craftspeople are available to instruct visitors as they learn to weave, embroider, paint matroyshhkas, make pottery, and carve or engrave wood.

Earned resources are distributed among members of the Mandrogy collective, and children study free of charge. “Educators are with the children 24 hours a day. The children spend their holidays in different countries of the world, where they study the history of the planet and its peoples. Apartments are built for the pedagogues.�

MANDROGY

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MANDROGY

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VODK A Vodka, the national drink of Russia, is a beverage “suited to all occasions.”

The word is a derivative of voda (water), and means “little water.”

Made from potatoes, corn, or wheat, licensed-produced vodka is 80 proof (40% alcohol). Some experts believe that vodka, as we know it, dates from the 14th century. Others credit Peter the Great with bringing potatoes—and strong drink—to Russia around the turn of the 17th century.

Although vodka was taxed, there were no restrictions on consumption, assuring the drink’s popularity and providing the state with a lucrative income. Historical sources chart extreme quantities consumed in Russia over the centuries, regardless of social status. The last czar is said to have financed 25% of the national budget with vodka taxes, and Stalin more than 50%.

Approximately four billion liters of vodka are consumed in Russia per year, amounting to up to 38 bottles of vodka per adult. Perhaps contributing to the high consumption rate, drinking vodka is the traditional means to seal business contracts and the ritual is central to any celebration.

MUSEUM

MANDROGY VODK A

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MUSEUM

In 1985, Gorbachev made a valiant attempt to restrict the population’s consumption of vodka. His campaign was hugely successful in the short term, with smaller, statecontrolled quantities of alcohol produced and a decrease in alcohol-related deaths.

But demand exceeded supply, and bootleg vodka was soon produced. Under Yeltsin, the state monopoly was lifted, but some 60% of Russian vodka is still produced illegally.

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MANDROGY

Mandrogy is a collective with two inviolable rules: “nobody drinks [alcohol] and nobody steals in the village.�

This slide is used by children in the winter, when it is covered with ice.

MANDROGY

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VA L A A M A

SPIRITUAL

CENTER

There are 13 bells in this tower; the largest weighs 14 tons.

Photo courtesy of local photographer Nataly Savyoy (see page 74).

VA L A A M TR ANSFIGUR ATION

MONA STER Y One of several granite crosses on shore.

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VA L A A M TR ANSFIGUR ATION

Remote and severe, Valaam has long been known as a center of spiritual life, “convenient for those who search for solitude.” The island weathers as many as 50 major storms each year, with waves as high as six meters. The Valaam monastery is one of the strictest in Russia, and a local proverb is: “The one who has never seen Valaam does not know how to pray.”

Today, 400 people—including 150 monks—live on the island, along with a 100-year-old garden and nearly 400 apple trees. All the dirt on the rocky island was brought in by boat. There are also two hotels, a bakery, a school, and a prison here. Many Russians make pilgrimages to Valaam, and anyone is welcome to stay for as long as they wish, for 1,000 rubles/day (about $40), which includes bread, water, milk, and porridge.

MONA STER Y

VA L A A M

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This shopkeeper was eating eggs from a frying pan for breakfast. At left you can see the frying pan on a stump of wood a few feet away from the kiosk.

Resurrection Skeet (below) was a tourist attraction with a dance hall during the Communist era.

How to become a monk First, you must “desire it with all your heart.” Then, spend seven years in a monastery, and give all your money and property to the church. Monks may not marry, and once they’re “in,” they stay for a lifetime; it’s nearly impossible to leave. If a monk changes his mind and marries, “the marriage will not be happy, and the children will be sick.”

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VA L A A M

VA L A A M

A beautiful a capella chorus inspired us to buy CDs here.

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VA L A A M SKEETS A skeet is a compound with a church and residential rooms, and often a garden and cemetery as well. Monks live here in silence, fasting and meditating. Gethsemane Skeet (this page, with blue domes) was referred to as the Yellow Skeet during Communist times, when nothing could have a religious name. “Patriarch Alexi loves this place, and visits often.�

VA L A A M

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VENDORS

Beer and smoked fish were sold at many of the kiosks in Valaam.

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VA L A A M LOC AL

PHOTOGR APHER

This photographer, Nataly Savyoy, who lives on the island, was selling postcards and videos of her ethereal shots of Valaam. She used a Cannon D40—pretty flashy for this backwoods locale.

WAR M

H E ADS

VA L A A M AT

THE

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WHARF

This friendly local wore a baseball cap that said: USA California.

Valaam‘s harbor was home for this elegant yacht, the Alexi II, that was a gift from Putin to the monastery (notice the government’s doubleheaded eagle seal). e

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VOLGA DREA M

VOLGA DREA M

Completely rebuilt in 2007, the Volga Dream has 58 cabins, a capacity of 111 passengers, and a crew of 63. In contrast, the first incarnation, built in 1959 and called October Revolution, had a passenger capacity of 400 and also carried cargo, including watermelons, tomatoes, auto parts, and sugar.

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VOLGA DREA M

VOLGA DREA M August and September are typically quite windy, and the weather is notoriously changeable. If waves are higher than two meters, ships are not allowed to enter the lakes, and must find a safe place to tuck away and wait out the storm.

We caught a few rays, despite the unseasonably cool weather.

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VOLGA DREA M RUSSIAN

Russian lacquer art developed from the art of icon painting, which came to an end with the collapse of Imperial Russia in 1917. The icon painters, who previously had been employed by supplying not only churches but also people’s homes—where icons were the main decorations—needed a new way to make a living. Thus, the craft of making papier-mâché decorative boxes developed.

How they’re made Six to eight layers of paper are affixed to a form with rice flour glue, creating a wood-like base. After the base has dried, it is sealed with up to ten layers of light lacquer, and dried in a furnace. The surface is then rubbed with pumice to help control the paint flow. A sketch made with a needle on paper—is transferred to the box, and the design is painted. Some of the more intricate designs are painted with one single hair from a squirrel or wolf. Gold leaf is mixed with gum Arabic glue for greater control, and “the tooth of a wolf is used to burnish the gold.” After the layers of lacquer and gold have been completed, the piece is once again dried in a furnace. Finally, it is cooled and polished to a mirror-like finish.

What to look for No Russian lacquer artwork is presently considered genuine piece unless it bears the signature of a recognized artist from one of four villages: Palekh, Fedoskino, Mstera, or Khouly.

A box of true value offers three-dimensional figures and precision of line. On some fakes, a postcard or picture has been laminated on the top. This is easily spotted with a magnifying glass or by feeling for the faint ridge made by the appliquéd card.

L ACQUER

WARE

VOLGA DREA M BEHIND

THE

SCENES

We enjoyed tours of the Volga Dream’s bridge and engine room. The ship is 314 feet long and 49 feet wide, with a draft of 7.9 feet. She runs on three 500horsepower diesel engines, and has a maximum speed of 13.5 knots. Four generators provide 75 kilowats of onboard power. The bridge has four radios for receiving shore instructions “which are like law,” two radars, a GPS, a telegraph, an axiometer, several switchboards, a gyrocompass, a magnetic compass, a sonar system, and more than 400 temperature indicators.

Captain Igor Miryasov

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VOLGA DREA M RUSSIAN

The Volga Dream’s Cruise Director, Olga Kovalenko, made learning fun with her beginning Russian lessons. We reviewed the Russian alphabet, the sounds represented by each of the letters, and practised a few basic phrases.

L ANGUAGE

VOLGA DREA M BEHIND

THE

SCENES

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VOLGA DREA M

VOLGA DREA M

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VOLGA DREA M

Plenty of good comfort food— served by friendly and attentive staff— built up our insulation.

PETERHOF

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PETERHOF THE

G R E AT

PAL ACE

We donned blue booties to avoid scratching the elaborate parquet floors. Wish we could have taken photos inside.

PETERHOF SUMMER

PAL ACE

OF

THE

CZ ARS

FOR

300

YE ARS

Peterhof houses the monumental, Versailles-inspired Great Palace, built in 1715. Filled with gilding, mirrors, extravagant ornamentation, and flickering candlelight, the palace was famous for its grand summer balls.

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PETERHOF NEVER-ENDING

The spectacular gardens at Peterhof are even better when they turn the fountains on.

G ARDENS

PETERHOF

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PETERHOF

PETERHOF

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PETERHOF VENDORS

PETERHOF

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S T. P E T E R S B U R G CHURCH

of

the

The neo-Russian style Church on Spilled Blood marks the place where Alexander II was mortally wounded by assassins in 1881. The church is covered inside and out with more than 75,000 square feet of mosaics made of smalt—glass with mineral pigments added.

S AVIOR

on

the

SPILT

BLOOD

S T. P E T E R S B U R G St. Petersburg is an exquisite city of grand palaces and innumerable canals, founded in 1703 by Czar Peter the Great as his “Window on the West.” With its sensational architecture, unique museums, colorful history and, during the summer months, poetic “white nights,” St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And with a population of approximately five million, it is also Russia’s biggest transport hub, and a leading industrial, scientific and cultural center.

St. Petersburg’s best-known statue, the Bronze Horseman, was cast in 1782 and bears the simple inscription: To Peter I from Catherine II. Peter is depicted as a Roman hero, with a crown of laurels. His horse crushes a serpent representing “evil forces on the way to victory.”

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S T. P E T E R S B U R G

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PETER

AND

PAUL

C ATHEDR AL

Now a museum, St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral is the resting place of Russian czars, from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.

S T. P E T E R S B U R G S T.

St. Isaac’s is constructed of a stone so soft it’s claylike when mined.

After exposure to air, the stone hardens, and will last hundreds of years. Below its gilded dome— which, at 333 feet in height, dominates St. Petersburg’s skyline—this magnificent church was nearly black (critics referred to the somber structure as “the inkwell”) until its exterior was cleaned in 2003.

I S A AC’S

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S T. P E T E R S B U R G THE

RUSSIAN

MUSEUM

S T. P E T E R S B U R G THE

HER MITAGE

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THE

H ER MITAGE

The three million items in the Hermitage’s art collection would take a person several years to view ...

Leonardo da Vinci: Madonna and the Child (the Litta Madonna)

Doesn’t this look like a naked Mona Lisa? It’s attributed to “the daVinci school.”

Rafael: Madonna and Child (the Madonna Conestible)

S T. P E T E R S B U R G THE

HER MITAGE

We were treated to a special, private tour, and will probably never again see the Hermitage this uncrowded.

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S T. P E T E R S B U R G THE

H ER MITAGE

This room contains 360 portraits of the Russian generals who fought Napoleon.

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S T. P E T E R S B U R G C ATHE R I N E’S

PAL ACE

S T. P E T E R S B U R G C ATHERI N E’S

PAL ACE

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108 “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”

—Miriam Beard

Laurie McAndish King—Award-winning travel writer and photographer—has been published in Smithsonian magazine, National Geographic affiliate iExplore.com, the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Travelers’ Tales’ The Best Women’s Travel Writing, and many other venues. www.LaurieMcAndishKing.com James Shubin—Publisher, Award winning Book Designer, & Photographer—has been designing and producing custom travel books since 2005. He has also taught collegelevel design and photography, and is the owner and principal of a San Francisco area design studio and book publishing company. He is also know as The Book Alchemist. www.ShubinDesign.com/books Destination Insights—This book is available at www.DestinationInsights.com

We learned much of the information in this journal from local tour guides, the ship’s crew, signage at museums, and various books and brochures we came across.

We have not confirmed accuracy.

All photographs are by Jim Shubin and Laurie McAndish King. info@destinationinsights.com © 2013 Destination Insights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission from the authors or the publisher, Destination Insights.

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