Russia and the Baltic States September 7-September 12, 2017
A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip through Russia and the Baltics from September 7—October 17, 2017. Volume 1. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2017 Cover: Church of the Resurrection, Rostov Kremlin
Russia and the Baltic States September 7-October 17, 2017 Although this trip was motivated by our decision to attend the first international meeting of the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies in Russia, we extended our travels by increasing our time in Moscow and St. Petersburg; touring the historic towns of Russia’s Golden Ring; and visiting Kaliningrad, the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, and Helsinki. This marked a return to Russia for both of us, as we were there during the Soviet era (I visited in 1985 and Jake, in 1964). The Soviet Union at that time was very different that the Russia we found today. There is a new vitality evident in Putin’s Russia, and the flush of Europeanization has added color and energy to the streets of its great cities. However, Russia’s history and culture endure, and we savored the architecture of its great churches, the wealth of its fine museums, and the thrill of its performing arts. We found it interesting to visit the enclave of Kaliningrad, cut off from Russia geographically and historically, and obviously still suffering an identity crisis. We continued by car through the Baltics, visiting the three UNESCO Old Towns of Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn before crossing the Baltic Sea to Helsinki for our final three days before flying home.
Volume 1: The Golden Ring
Thursday, September 7
En Route to Zurich
We began with our usual taxi to the Thompson Center where we took the Blue Line to O’Hare. Security was chaotic, reminding us more of Delhi than of a major US airport. Part of the problem was that we picked the line that was three times as slow since the screener was in training and had to ask her yawning supervisor about every dark shadow she was unable to identify. Fortunately, we still had enough time for a glass of wine in the Swissport Priority Lounge before boarding Swiss flight 007 for Zurich. After a short delay which we were told was attributed to an incorrect amount of fuel that was ordered, we pushed back at 3:04 pm. After a dinner topped off with Swiss chocolates (I ate Jake’s) we tried to get some sleep.
Friday, September 8
to Sergiyev Posad
Only on a Swiss airline would you be served chocolate for breakfast, but I enjoyed that indulgence before we touched down at 6:15 am. We had an hour and a half to change terminals for the short hop to Geneva. In Geneva, we caught a flight to Moscow on Swiss Global’s new C-Series Bombardier jet. That flight was 3 ½ hours, getting us there at 3:20 pm. We figured that this would give us plenty of time to pick up our rental car for the drive to Sergiyev Posad, our first stop driving Russia’s Golden Ring. We were relieved that Swiss had succeeded in transferring our bags onto our three flights in spite of short turn-around times. We got our rubles in the cash machine. However, our luck ran out at that point. The rental car that Jake had booked with credit card points did not make it into Avis’s computer. After some negotiating, another company was able to provide an Opel Mokka sport utility vehicle that accommodated our luggage. We were finally on the road at 5:30 pm, heading right into Moscow’s Friday afternoon traffic. It took us 3 ½ hours to drive 122 kilometers to Sergiyev Posad. The ancient towns that comprise the Ring were built between the 11th and the 17th centuries and in many ways, are considered the birthplace of Russian culture. The roads were good and well maintained; the problem was with their design. At one point, two six-lane highways merged into one six-lane highway, creating a massive jam-up. Although we saw several accidents, none were major. However, any vehicle involved must stay in place, further clogging things up. At 9:30 pm, we pulled up at the Old Hotel Lavra. Built in 1822 as pilgrim accommodation, it is a large structure, located adjacent to the monastery complex. Although it retains an austere demeanor, our room was clean and pleasant. We quickly fell into bed, trying not to think of how many hours it had been since we left our apartment in Chicago.
Saturday, September 9
to Rostov Veliky
Breakfast was served in the monastery refectory at simple wooden tables surrounded by religious murals. We were encouraged by the staff to sample such dishes as fish balls, milky hot cereal, and cherry Jell-O. There was a large assortment of breads that we saw several people taking away in small bags.
The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius
After depositing our luggage in the car, we went through the gates of the monastery complex, established by the 14th century monk, Sergius Radonezhsky. The 16th century Assumption Cathedral greeted us with its brilliant blue and gold-starred domes shining in the sunlight. A brightly-painted chapel stands near the cathedral’s west wall. Sergius Well Chapel was built over a sacred springs; we watched as pilgrims filled plastic water bottles with holy water. We saw a number of monks dressed in black robes and wearing tall klobuki hats that made them appear even taller than they were. Most had streams of babushka ladies following them, hoping to have a word or receive a blessing. The Refectory Church of St. Sergius, dating from 1686, is painted in a colorful checkerboard pattern and is filled with 19th century paintings and carved columns. Nearby stands the most significant building in the complex, Trinity Cathedral, the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Trinity Cathedral Sergiyev Posad a UNESCO site
Assumption Cathedral Sergiyev Posad
Refectory Church of St. Sergius Sergiyev Posad
We left at 10:45 and continued north 56 km to Pereslavl- Zalessky, located on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo. Founded in 1152 by Prince Yury Dolgoruky ("the long-armed"), Pereslavl-Zalessky was strategically located on major trade routes. Its center is marked by the ancient limestone Cathedral of the Transfiguration, completed in 1157. It is the oldest architectural monument in northeastern Russia. Today is has a fresh coat of white paint and stands picturesquely in a grassy field bordered by colorful zinnias that were alive with bees and butterflies. A statue of Alexander Nevsky hovers protectively nearby. There are several other churches in the vicinity, their onion domes painted a fading green. We found them in various stages of decay, as weeds worked their way between the falling bricks. We could still discern the remains of the town’s 12th century earthen walls.
Transfiguration Cathedral Pereslavl-Zalessky
We followed back roads north towards Rostov, stopping to take pictures of the vernacular wooden houses with gingerbread- trimmed windows that we passed. When Jake turned down one narrow street, we realized that these little houses stand only one deep along the road.
Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery Rostov Veliky
Fifty kilometers north of Pereslavl, Rostov Veliky was at one time one of the wealthiest towns in Russia and a major center of early Christianity. We stopped for a view of SpasoYakovlevsky Monastery, founded in 1390. The monastery’s main cathedral, St. Demetrius, is not its oldest. It was built in the classical style, with five central green domes, between 1795 and 1800. The oldest, The Conception of Anna Church, stands nearby. It was originally built in 1686, and had at one time served as the monastery’s main church. We wandered over to a group of women outside the entrance who were selling dried fish, onions, honey, and knitted socks. I had hoped for some photographs, but learned through their gestures that they were happy for me to take pictures of their wares, but not of them. Entering the center of town, we saw the gleaming silver domes of the 17th century Rostov Kremlin accented against a backdrop of gathering storm clouds. We strolled through the lovely complex, and I climbed the worn steps and traversed the kremlin walls while Jake wandered below, wondering where I was. From my perch, I could see the banks of Lake Nero, perfectly framing the west side of the kremlin. As it neared 5:00, we checked into the Selivanov Hotel, just a few blocks away. Rather than going out again, we joined an anniversary party and a small group of German tourists for dinner at the hotel, enjoying all the activity around us.
Lake Nero Rostov Veliky
Church of the Resurrection Rostov Kremlin
Rostov Kremlin Lake Nero
Rostov Kremlin
Sunday, September 10
to Plyos
After an unremarkable breakfast buffet, we checked out and were on the road
Towering above, the temple's fifteen green onion domes are trimmed in gold.
to Yaroslavl by 9:30. Located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl
Nearby, a 45-meter high bell-tower was added in the mid-1690s. We made our
Rivers, the town was founded in 1010 as an outpost of the Principality
way slowly through wet, unkempt vegetation around the facade, marveling at
of Rostov Veliky. Although the city has a population of nearly 600,000 and is
the incredible details. Inside, the entire interior is covered
heavily industrial, its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We
with frescoes depicting Christian saints and biblical topics painted by Dmitry
began our visit by trying to find St. John the Baptist, a 17th century church
Plekhanov and Fyodor Ignatyev in 1694-1695. I spent nearly an hour in the
considered to be the epitome of the Yaroslavl school of architecture. It was
corridor, marveling at the frescos and the filtered light that illuminated the low,
built in 1671-1687 on the bank of Kotorosl River in the Tolchkovo District,
vaulted ceilings through arched windows. Inside, the frame of the church's
which at that time was the wealthiest part of the town. Today, the area is a
iconostasis remains, but the icons have since been removed, leaving only the
seedy industrial suburb. After being fooled by the green cupolas of the Church
empty frames. Somehow, the look of these frames reaching all the way to the
of the Miracle of St. Nicholas, we renegotiated our GPS and eventually found
ceiling was strangely haunting. It was one of the most magnificent churches I
the church after crossing under a crumbling highway underpass and driving along
have visited, made particularly evocative by the quiet drizzle outside and the fact
a rutted muddy road. What we found was truly glorious. The red brick walls
that we had it much to ourselves. No wonder this incredible place has been
and dome drums are covered with richly glazed tiles and intricate brickwork.
memorialized on the back of the 1000-ruble note.
St. John the Baptist Church Yaroslavl a UNESCO site
The rain intensified as we drove into Yaroslavl to the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior, founded in the 12th century and part of a complex filled with a number of buildings that are now used as exhibition halls. We continued along an attractive area of nice homes and winding roads to Strelka Park, stretching to the point of land between the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. On the way, we stopped to see the Annunciation Cathedral and a monument dedicated to the founding of Yaroslavl.
Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior a UNESCO site
Annunciation Cathedral Yaroslavl
It was nearly 2:00 when we headed along the M-8 to Plyos. The drive took us through rolling, forested land, the highway dotted with warning signs for moose and deer. We passed through Kostroma and arrived at the artist colony of Plyos at 4:00 pm. We drove along the shore, noting the profusion of fish restaurants, houseboats, and handicraft shops. Russian couples and families sauntered along the river, holding hands and pausing to take pictures. Up a steep hill, we arrived at Chastniy-Visit where we are staying this evening. Owned by a Russian woman and her French husband, it has a prime location on a bluff overlooking the Volga. The inn has only eight rooms and an English garden. While Jake organized things for tomorrow, I enjoyed walking amongst the hollyhocks and sunflowers and browsing in the adjacent gift shop, filled to bursting with local handicrafts. We had dinner in the small dining room, sitting next to each other facing the river below. Vlad, our host, served us fish from the lake and fresh local delicacies along with their special home-distilled nastroiki, made from plums.
Plyos
Monday, September 11
to Suzdal
It rained most of the night; I kept waking up to the sound of the wind. At 2:30 am, I got up and looked out of the window. I thought I was seeing the northern lights and stumbled around in the dark, feeling for my camera. In the morning, I showed Jake the pictures I took, but he thought it was probably the moon behind the clouds. Still, it looked very strange to me. When we came down for breakfast, Natalia took our order for eggs and served a full breakfast that included omelets, mini pancakes with cream and homemade preserves, and an orange smoothie. We sat at the same table as we had last night, enjoying the view from our perch over the river valley. Before we left, Natalia took me to the adjacent house and showed me the cellar, its shelves filled with beautifully canned fruits, vegetables, and preserves. She gave us a small jar of the berry preserves we had enjoyed at breakfast and a bag of homemade poppy seed rolls for us to take with us. Indeed, when we drove away, we felt that we were saying good-bye to friends.
Ivanovo
The road to Suzdal took us through Ivanovo, an unappealing city of nearly half a million. It left an impression of trolley cables, garish billboards, and ugly mid-rise apartment buildings.
Suzdal
We arrived in Suzdal at noon. The Lonely Planet describes Suzdal as the “diamond� in the Golden Ring. Perhaps that is an exaggeration, but it remains an attractive town of wooden gingerbread houses and monastic churches that looks much as it might have more than 100 years ago.
We visited the open-air Museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasant Life, wandering through peasant houses typical of the region. Old women dressed in traditional costumes sat inside, but I was surprised that they did not want to be photographed.
Museum of Wooden Architecture and Peasant Life Suzdal
The Monastery at St. Euthymius was founded in the 14th century. As we walked to the entrance, I saw a young boy selling souvenirs. He was wearing a t-shirt printed with a photo of Vladimir Putin sporting aviator sunglasses. Below, the words “Mr. President� were boldly emblazoned in silver.
The seven-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration dominates the monastery complex. Built in the late 16th century in the old Suzdal-Vladimir style, its walls are covered with restored frescoes that date from 1689. The Gold Treasury is tucked into an unobtrusive building where we were captivated by a number of burial shrouds that were portraits created in thread. They had a naive sincerity that we loved. We poured over a collection of miniature carvings under magnifying glass.
Cathedral of the Transfiguration Suzdal
Gold Treasury Monastery at St. Euthymius
Suzdal Kremlin
Cathedral of the Nativity a UNESCO site
At Suzdal’s Kremlin, we visited the 13th century Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral, its blue domes spangled with gold stars. The original 13th century damascene door is mounted by the entrance. The interior is sumptuous, with 13-17th century frescos covering every surface.
We drove around Suzdal after leaving the Kremlin, noting other monasteries and numerous new vernacular homes that are still being constructed in the old style. This evening we are staying at Nikolayevsky Posad, a manicured resort of sorts that we find rather strange. Our large room is decorated with an appalling sofa and armoire that look as if they were bordello cast-offs. After the last few days of heavy meals, we decided to skip dinner this evening and catch up on sleep.
Tuesday, September 12
to Vladimir
The drive from Suzdal to Bogolyubovo this morning was 30 kilometers. We parked the car near some train tracks and set out on the kilometer-long cobblestone path across the meadows to visit the Church of the Intercession at Nerl. We felt like pilgrims as we walked through the countryside to see this solitary 12th century church tucked into the bank of the River Nerl where it flows into the Kliazma. According to legend, Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky built it in memory of a beloved son who was killed in battle. The church stands only 60 feet high, but its slender white walls soar heavenward. The stone carvings that decorate the facades depict a naĂŻve King David, with birds and beasts intently listening to his music. It is said to be a perfect example of Russian architecture. We found it enchanting. As we walked back across the fields, we passed a number of local people and noticed that although we smiled at them, no one made an attempt to return a pleasant look or make eye contact. [We learned later that it is a particularly Russian characteristic that smiles and pleasantries are not normally exchanged between strangers, and is considered odd.]
Church of the Intercession at Nerl
Twelve kilometers on, we reached Vladimir, a town of 350,000 that boasts a cluster of exquisite churches and cathedrals that are some of the oldest in Russia. The city was founded in 1157 when Prince Bogolyubsky chose it as his capital. It flourished until the gruesome siege of 1408 when power was transferred to Moscow. Driving into the city, we first saw Vladimir’s Golden Gate, part defensive tower and part triumphal arch. We parked next to the entrance to the Cathedral of St. Demetrius, completed by local builders in 1197. The decorations on the glistening white facade include over a thousand carvings.
Vladimir
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
—Psalm 150:6
Cathedral of St. Demetrius Vladimer a UNESCO site
Prince Vladimir II
Assumption Cathedral a UNESCO site
We continued along the bluff above the city to the statue of Vladimir II Monomakh, 1053-1125, the Grand Prince of Kievan Rus' and namesake of the town. Nearby, Assumption Cathedral stands, its golden domes shining in the afternoon sun. Construction of this white stone version of the red brick Byzantine churches began in 1158. Inside amongst the gold leaf and icons, the real treasures are the Last Judgment frescos by Andrei Rublyov and Daniil Chyorny, painted in the early 15th century. Their harmonious colors and graceful forms still portray God’s promise of mercy and heavenly peace.
Frescos by Andrei Rublyov and Daniil Chyorny
It was a short distance to Voznesenskaya Sloboda where we are staying tonight. This hotel might have the best location in the Golden Ring. Ours is a woodpaneled Russian-styled room that starkly contrasts with the “nouveau bordello” décor of last night’s accommodations. As the sun was setting, we enjoyed ice-cold vodka and a leisurely dinner of river perch and fresh vegetables on the terrace of the hotel’s Restaurant Krucha, with a wonderful view of the river valley below. We realized that we were the only nonRussians there and decided that it was the perfect conclusion of our trip around the Golden Ring.
Faces of
Russia
ITINERARY September 7 to October 17 September Thursday
7
Depart: O’Hare International Airport, ORD, Terminal 5 on Swiss International Airlines Flight LX 007 (Airbus A330-300) at 15:05 (20 minutes late); Seats 34A and 34B. EN ROUTE TO ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
Friday
8
Arrive: Zurich International Airport, ZRH, Zurich, Switzerland, at 06:20 (on time); (4,429 air miles); 1 hour, 35 minute layover in Zurich Depart: Zurich International Airport, ZRH, Swiss International Airlines Flight LX 2802 (Airbus A320) at 07:55 (on time); Seats 30F and 30G Arrive: Geneva (Cointrin) International Airport, GVA, Geneva, at 08:45 (on time); (143 air miles); 1 hour, 35 minute layover in Geneva Depart: Geneva (Cointrin) International Airport, GVA, Swiss Global Airlines Flight LX 1336 (Bombardier CS300) at 10:45 (25 minutes late); Seats 10A and 10C. Arrive Domodedovo International Airport, DME, Moscow, Russia; Terminal1 at 15:20 (25 minutes late); (1,507 air miles) Activities: Domodedovo Airport: different car agency, not Avis, using Sapphire points; 17:20: (delivery one hour, 20 minutes late): Opel Mokka Turbo, compact SUV, odometer: 51,653 km, auto transmission Route: Domodedovo Airport to Sergiev Posad (122 km Old Lavra Hotel: Junior Suite with Double Bed: Room 316 Prospekt Krasnoy Armii 133, Sergiev Posad SERGIEV POSAD, RUSSIA cloudy, drizzle: 55° 122 km
Saturday
Sunday
9
10
Breakfast: Old Lavra Hotel Route: Sergiev Posad, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky Sites: Sergiev Posad: Trinity Monastery of St Sergius (UNESCO): Trinity Cathedral, Cathedral of the Assumption, Chapel-at-the-Well, Bell Tower, Vestry, Refectory, Church of St Sergius Pereslaval-Zalessky: Danilov Monastery: Trinity Cathedral; Kremlin: Cathedral of the Transfiguration Church of Peter Metropolitan, Nevsky Monument Rostov Veliky: Spaso-Yakovlevsky Monastery: St Demetrius Cathedral, Cathedral of Conception of Saint Anna; Rostov Kremlin: Assumption Cathedral, Bell Tower, Gate-Church of St John, Gate-Church of Resurrection, Metropolitan’s House: Church of the Savior, White Chamber, Red Chamber Dinner: Rostov Veliky: Selivanov Hotel Restaurant Selivanov Hotel: Junior Suite: Room 301 5 Okruzhnaya Street, Rostov Veliky ROSTOV VELIKY cloudy, then sunny: 60° 141 km Breakfast: Selivanov Hotel Restaurant Route: Rostov Veliky, Yaroslavl, Kostromo, Plyos Sites: Yaroslavl: St John the Baptist Church at Tolchkovosloboda, Bell Tower; Historic Center of Yaroslavl (UNESCO): Kremlin: Monastery of the Transfiguration; Cathedral; Church of the Epiphany; Church of Elijah the Prophet: frescos, Belfry Tower; Strelka Park; Volga embankment
Kostromo: Volga River Bridge Plyos: Town Center: Volga embankment, Church of Resurrection, House with a Mezzanine Shopping: Ples: Hotel Chastny Vizit: handicrafts Dinner: Ples: Hotel Chastny Vizit restaurant Russko-Frantsuzsky Hotel Chastny Vizit: Double Room: Room 9 7 Gornaja Sloboda Street, Ples PLYOS cloudy, drizzle: 60° 242 km Monday
11
Breakfast: Hotel Chastny Vizit restaurant Route: Plyos, Ivanovo, Suzdal Sites: Suzdal: Museum of Wooden Architecture: Church of the Transfiguration; Monastery of St Euthymius: Church of the Annunciation over the Gates, Bell Tower, Cathedral of the Transfiguration: frescos, Assumption Refectory Church, Hospital Chambers: museum, St Nicholas Church; White Monuments of Suzdal (UNESCO): Kremlin: Korsunsky (Golden) Gates, Nativity of Virgin Cathedral, Archbishop’s Palace; Trading Arcades Best Western Art Hotel Nikolaevsky Posad: Junior Suite: Room 512 138 Lenina Ulitsa, Suzdal SUZDAL sunny, cloudy: 60° 182 km
Tuesday
12
Breakfast: Best Western Art Hotel Nikolaevsky Posad restaurant Route: Suzdal, Bogolyubovo, Vladimir Sites: Bogolyubovo: Church of the Intercession on the Neri; Church of the Nativity of the Virgin; Palace of Prince Bogolyubskogo Vladimir: White Monuments of Vladimir (UNESCO): Golden Gate, Cathedral of St Demetrius, Statue of Vladimir II Monomakh, Assumption Cathedral: Rublev frescos; The Chambers Dinner: Vladimir: Park Hotel Voznesenskaya Sloboda: Restaurant Krucha Park Hotel Voznesenskaya Sloboda (Ascension Settlement), Room 21 14B Voznesenskaya Street, Vladimir; VLADIMIR clear, sunny: 68° 296 km
Wednesday 13
Breakfast: Park Hotel Voznesenskaya Sloboda: Restaurant Krucha Route: Vladimir, Domodedovo Airport, Moscow Activities: arrival Domodedovo Airport: return rental car at 13:15; arrival by Gett Taxi at Moscow hotel at 15:15 Sites: Moscow: Red Square ;St Basil’s Cathedral Drinks: Moscow: Metropol Hotel: Chaliapin Lounge Dinner: Moscow: Bürgermeister Beer Restaurant Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel: Deluxe King: Room 501 Petrovka St-Bld 11, Moscow MOSCOW cloudy, then sunny: 73° 242 km Total kilometers driven on Golden Ring: 1,225 km
Thursday
Friday
14
15
Activities: Moscow Metro; cruise on Moscow River; Bolshoi Theater: Boris Godunov opera: 19:00: Amphitheatre, Right side, Row 1, seats 5 and 6 Lunch: en route river cruise Sites: Metro Stations: Komsomolskaya, Prospect Mira, Novoslobodskaya, Belorusskaya, Mayakovskaya, Ploshchad Revolyutsil, Kievskaya; round trip Moscow River cruise from Kievskaya to Novospassky Bridge: Zaryadye Park, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Peter the Great Statue, St Vladimir Statue; State Tretyakov Museum; Bolshoi Theater. Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel: MOSCOW sunny, rainstorm: 63° Breakfast: Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel Sites: Kremlin (UNESCO): Borovitskaya Tower, Kutafya Tower, Alexander Park, Tomb of Unknown Soldier, Trinity Tower Gate, Cathedral of the Dormition, Cathedral of the Annunciation, Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, Church of the Deposition of the Virgin’s Robe, Ivan the Great Bell Tower, Assumption Cathedral, Arsenal, Armoury, Diamond Fund Exhibition, Borovitskaya Tower; Red Square(UNESCO): St Basil’s Cathedral, GUM Department Store, Lenin’s Tomb, Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Spasskaya Tower; Kitay Gorod District: Tretyakovsky Archway Shopping: toy ornaments Snacks: GUM Department Store Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel MOSCOW sunny, then cloudy: 72 °
Saturday
16
Breakfast: Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel Sites: National Hotel; Central Telegraph Building; Tverskaya District, Pushkin Square, Gorky House Museum; Patriarch’s Pond, Bulgakov Museum; Tchaikovsky Concert Hall Dinner: LavkaLavka Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel MOSCOW occasional sun, cloudy: 65°
Sunday
17
Breakfast: Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel Activities: FABS Tour begins: Guides: William Butler, Elena Shelepchikova, Alexander Gromov Sites: National Union of Bibliophiles facility Shopping: antiquarian bookshops: Falanster, Moskva, Dinner: LavkaLavka; Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel MOSCOW cloudy, rain: 65°
Monday
18
Breakfast: Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel Activities: FABS Tour Sites: Kitay Gorod District: Synod Printing House, Statue of Ivan Federov, Lubyanka Building, Russian State Historical Library (Director: Dr. Mikhail Afanasiev); Church of the Trinity in Nikitniki, Stauropegic John the Baptist Convent, Moscow Choral Synagogue; Ex-Libris Museum (Curator: Ludmila Shustrova), Miniature Books Museum Shopping: Vladimir Markov: miniature books Lunch: Our Daily Bread Dinner: Pushkin Café Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel MOSCOW clear, sunny: 70°
Tuesday
19
Breakfast: Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel Activities: FABS Tour; Bolshoi Theater: 19:00: Don Quixote ballet: Orchestra stalls, Left side, Row 5, seats 29 and 30; Sites: Russian State Library: Museum of the Book; Apartment of Leonid Chertkov (President of Moscow Club of Bibliophiles) Drinks and snacks: Chertkov apartment Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel MOSCOW cloudy: 55°
Wednesday 20
Breakfast: Moscow: Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel Activities: FABS Tour; train to St. Petersburg (rail distance: 635 km) Sites: Moscow: Leo Tolstoy Home and Museum; Lunch: Moscow: Starbucks Depart: Moscow at Moskva Oktrabrskaya Railway Station, on Train 772AA, 1st class at15:40; Car 2, Seats 15 and 16 Arrive St. Petersburg at Sankt-Peterburg Glavny Railway Station, at 20:10 Dinner: train en route Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel: Junior Suite, Room 701 4, Pochtamtskaya Street, St. Petersburg ST. PETERSBURG clear, sunny: 60°
Thursday
Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: FABS Tour Sites: National Library of Russia (Natalia Speranskaya, Curator): Rare Books Division, Faust’s Cabinet, Voltaire’s personal library, library card; Nevsky Prospekt: Singer Building, Yeliseev’s Food Emporium, Gostiny Dvor market; Historic Center of St Petersburg (UNESCO); General Staff Building (Bashmakov Collection of livre d’artiste books); Palace Square: Alexander Column, Winter Palace Lunch: Restaurant Abrisukov Dinner: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel lobby restaurant Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG clear, sunny, 55° to 70°
Friday
Saturday
21
22
23
Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: FABS Tour; Sites: Winter Palace, Atlantes; State Hermitage Museum Research Library: Grand Duke Maximilian’s study; Rare Books from St Petersburg (Petr Suspitsyn publisher) Dinner: farewell FABS dinner at Gogol Restaurant Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG cloudy: 45° to 60° Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: FABS Tour ends after morning Sites: A. S. Pushkin Library and Museum (Victoria Kozlovsky, Director); Meeting with “Biron Stables” Bibliophile Club;; Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood; Griboyedov Canal; Singer Building; Yeliseev’s Food Emporium; Fontanka River: Anichkov Bridge; Anna Akhmatova Museum F Shopping: Ex libras etchings of Nina Kazimova Dinner: Stroganoff Steak House with Sharon Gee and Greg Krisilas Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG clear, sunny: 45°- 65°
Wednesday 4
Monday
9
Breakfast: Restaurant Neiburgs Sites: Historic Center of Riga (UNESCO): Old Riga (Vecriga): Town Hall Square, Riga Cathedral, Latvian Riflemen Monument, Three Brothers, Arsenāls Exhibition Hall, Swedish Gate, Kronvalda Park, Antonias Street-Embassy Row; Art Nouveau area: Strelnieku, Elizabetes and Alberta Streets, Riga Art Nouveau Center; Bastion Hill; Cat House; St Peter’s Church Dinner: Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs (beer hall) Neiburgs Hotel RIGA clear, sunny 38°- 50°
Breakfast: Kaliningrad: Hotel Kaiserhof Activities: taxis to and from train stations; train to Vilnius via Kaunas (6 hours, 02 minutes, rail distance 342 km) Depart: Kaliningrad Pass Yuzhniy Railway Station on Train 0804A, Second Class Coach 05K, Seats 021 Lower and 023 Lower at 09:28 (on time) Arrive Vilnius Railway Station at 16:30 (local time, on time) Dinner: Vilnius: Meat Lovers’ Pub Stikliai Hotel - Relais & Chateau: Double Room: Room 315 7 Gaono Street, Vilnius VILNIUS, LITHUANIA cloudy, rain: 40°- 50°
Tuesday
10
Breakfast: Restaurant Neiburgs Sites: Art Museum Riga Bourse; Museum of Decorative Arts (former Church of St. George); Blackheads House; St John’s Church; Mentzendorff House; Freedom Monument; Riga Art Nouveau Center; St Peter’s Church and interior Shopping: linens, lap rug, scarves, bag, pillow Brunch: Kaspara Dilana Konditoreja Dinner: Restaurant Neiburgs Neiburgs Hotel RIGA all rain 43°- 48°
Breakfast: Stikliai Hotel Sites: Historic Center of Vilnius (UNESCO): Vilnius University: Smuglewicz Library; Cathedral Square: Cathedral Belfry, Vilnius Cathedral and interior, Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania: Museum, Observation Tower; Church of St Anne; Bernadine Church and Monastery; St Michael the Archangel Church: Church Heritage Museum; Amber Museum-Gallery; Pilies Street; Town Hall Square; Jewish Ghettos, Stikliu Street Shopping: linen, amber earrings Dinner: Lokys Restaurant Stikliai Hotel VILNIUS rain, cloudy, clear: 40°- 52°
Wednesday 11
Breakfast: Hotel Kaiserhof Sites: Leninsky Prospekt and Fish Village Districts Shopping: six amber necklaces Dinner: Skipper Hotel: Fish House Hotel Kaiserhof KALININGRAD cloudy, rain 50°- 60° $1.00 US Dollar (USD) = 0.84 Euros (EUR) 100 EUR = USD $118.92 Time GMT 3:00 (8 hours ahead of Chicago) in Baltics and Helsinki
Thursday
Friday
5
6
Saturday
7
Breakfast: Stikliai Hotel Sites: Cathedral Square; Pilies Street; Vilnius University: Church of St John, Grand Courtyard; Ausros Vartu Street: Gates of Dawn Shopping: icon medal, amber heart Dinner: Notre Vie; drinks: Stikliai Hotel Stikliai Hotel VILNIUS overcast, clear 45°- 55°
Sunday
8
Breakfast: Vilnius: Stikliai Hotel Activities: Vilnius: car delivery to hotel 09:00: Prime Car Rent: grey Toyota Corolla: Estonian License 864-BTL, odometer: 15,649; manual transmission Route: Trakai, Siauliai, Latvian border, Riga Sites: Trakai, Lithuania: Trakai Castle Siauliai area, Lithuania: Hill of Crosses (Kryziu kalnas) Dinner: Riga: Restaurant Neiburgs Neiburgs Hotel: Studio Apartment with double beds: Room 402 25/27 Juaniela, Riga RIGA, LATVIA rain to sunny 40°- 50°
Breakfast: Riga: Restaurant Neiburgs Activities: drive to Tallinn: speeding fines in Estonia; return rental car Route: Riga, Estonian border, Parnu, Tallinn Sites: Tallinn: Three Sisters Dinner: Tallinn: Bordoo Restaurant at Three Sisters Hotel Three Sisters Hotel (Relais et Chateau): DeLuxe Double Room: Room 7 Pikk 71/tolli, Tallinn TALLINN, ESTONIA sunny to rain 40°- 48° Total kilometers driven in Baltic States: 698 km
Thursday
12
Breakfast: Three Sisters Hotel Sites: Old Town (Vanalinn) of Tallinn (UNESCO): Draakoni Gallery, Great Guild Hall and Estonian History Museum, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Town Hall Square, Town Hall and Tower, Lower Town Walls, St Nicholas Orthodox Church, Niguliste Museum, St Olaf ’s Church, Dinner: Olde Hansa; dessert: Maiasmokk Cafe Three Sisters Hotel TALLINN all rain 40°- 48°
Friday
13
Breakfast: Three Sisters Hotel Sites: Toompea Castle, Estonian Parliament Building, St Mary’s Lutheran Cathedral, Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral, Patkui Lookout, Long Leg Gate; Town Hall Square, Town Hall and Tower, Town Council Pharmacy, Tallinn City Museum, Fat Margaret and Estonian Maritime Museum Dinner: Lieb Restoran Three Sisters Hotel TALLINN cloudy 40°- 51°
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
24
25
26
Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: round trip hydrofoil to Peterhof (29 km west) with Marie and Richard Oedel Sites: Peterhof (Petrodvorets): Monplaisir: Bath Building, Yellow Hall, Catherine annex; Lower Park; Grand Cascade: Fountains, Grottoes of the Grand Cascade; Grand Palace: Reception Halls, Imperial Apartments, Chinese room; Hermitage St Petersburg: Alexander Garden; Admiralty; St Isaac’s Square: St Isaac’s Cathedral and interior Lunch: Peterhof: Shtandart Restaurant with Oedels Dinner: St Petersburg: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel lobby Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG clear, sun: 48°- 65° Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: boat trip of canals and river; tour by van to Tsarskoe Selo Sites: St Petersburg: canal and Neva River tour; Stroganov Palace: Andrei Tarkovsky exhibit; Gostiny Dvor market; Russian Vodka Museum Pushkin: tour by van to Tsarskoye Selo: Catherine’s Palace: Grand Hall, Amber Room, Agate Rooms, Jasper House, Marble Staircase, Private apartments; Catherine Park: Palace Chapel, Great Pond, Grotto Pavilion; Dinner: St Petersburg: Russian Vodka Room No. 1 Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG clear, sunny: 48°- 62° Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel with Oedels Activities: original Mariinsky Theater: La Sylphide ballet: Stall seats 16 and 17 Sites: Moika Canal, Yusupov Palace; Mariinsky Theatre Dinner: Sadko Restaurant Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG cloudy: 45°- 55°
Wednesday 27
Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: State Hermitage Museum Sites: State Hermitage Museum: second and third floors: 13th to 19th century European collections , Jordan Staircase, Apartments Shopping: Ex Libris: print Drinks: Craft Brew Cafe Dinner: Gogol Restaurant with Sharon Gee and Greg Krisilas Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG cloudy: 48°- 60°
Thursday
Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: Academic Maly Drama Theater: Three Sisters play: 19:00: Main floor, Row 4, seats 14 and 15 Sites: State Hermitage Museum: third floor and lower levels: Asiatic collections, Diamond Treasury; General Staff Building: Shchukin and Morosov Galleries, impressionist and post-impressionist collections Dinner: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel lobby restaurant Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG clear, sunny: 45°- 55°
28
Friday
Saturday
29
Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: original Mariinsky Theater: Marriage of Figaro opera: 19:00: Stalls Row 11, places 14 and 15 Sites: Arts Square: State Russian Museum: Mikhailovsky Palace and Benois Wing: Art of Old Russia and Russian paintings 18th to 20th centuries, icons; Kazan Cathedral: Our Lady of Kazan icon; Bank Bridge; Mariinsky Theatre Dinner: Sadko Restaurant Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG clear, sunny: 48°- 60° 30
OCTOBER Sunday 1
Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Sites: Museum of Political History; Ss Peter and Paul Fortress: Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral and interior, tombs of Peter the Great and Romanov Tsars including Nicholas II and family, Trubetskoy Bastion; Vasilyevsky Island: Strelka, Stock Exchange, Custom House, Rostral Columns; Kunstkamera (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography); Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace Drinks: Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace: Xander Bar Dinner: Hotel Astoria: Lichfield Bar Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG cloudy: 45°- 55° Breakfast: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Sites: Admiralty and Nevsky Prospect Districts Tea: Hotel Astoria Shopping: children’s watch, ornaments Dinner: Gras Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel ST. PETERSBURG cloudy: 45°- 55°
Monday
2
Breakfast: St Petersburg: Renaissance St. Petersburg Baltic Hotel Activities: taxis to and from airports; flight to Kaliningrad (one hour, 30 minutes, 495 air miles) Depart: Pulkovo International Airport, LED (23 km south), Terminal 1, on Aeroflot Airlines (operated by Rossiya Airlines) Flight AFL 6327/SU 6327 (Airbus 319) at 16:25 (on time), Seats 15D and 15E; Aeroflot Lounge Arrive: Khrabrovo Airport, KGD, (24 km north) at 17:15 (on time) Shopping: hockey caps Dinner: Kaliningrad: Hotel Kaiserhof lobby bar Hotel Kaiserhof, Double Room: Room 303: River view Oktyabrskaya Street, Kaliningrad KALININGRAD (Königsburg) cloudy, rain, sunny: 40°- 50°
Tuesday
3
Breakfast: Hotel Kaiserhof Activities: boat trip of canals and river Sites: Amber Museum in Dohna Tower; House of Soviets; Lower Pond; Kant Island: Kaliningrad Cathedral (UNESCO): Kant’s Tomb, interior, Wallenkrodt Library; Fish Village; boat trip of canals and Pregolya River including Museum of World Ocean Dinner: Dinner: Hotel Kaiserhof lobby bar Hotel Kaiserhof KALININGRAD rain, cloudy, clear: 45°- 60°
Saturday
14
Breakfast: Tallinn: Three Sisters Hotel Activities: taxi to terminal; ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki (58 nautical kilometers); taxi to hotel Depart: Tallinn D-Terminal on Tallink Shuttle Star, 10:30 (on time) Arrive Helsinki West Harbor Terminal 2 at 12:30 (on time) Dinner: Helsinki: Ravintola Aino Hotel Kämp: Deluxe Double: Room 618 29 Pohjoi esplanadi, Helsinki HELSINKI, FINLAND cloudy, rain 38°- 46°
Sunday
15
Breakfast: Hotel Kämp Brasserie Sites: Kluuvi Design District; Stockmann Department Store; Argos House; Central Railway Station (Saarinen); Fabianinkatu Building; Pohjola Insurance Building; Finnish National Theatre; St Nicholas Lutheran Cathedral (Engel); Senate Square, Alexander II Statue; South Harbor Shopping: Galerie Forsblom Hotel Kämp HELSINKI cloudy 48°- 52°
Monday
16
Breakfast: Hotel Kämp Brasserie Sites: Academic Book Store (Aalto); Rautatalo Office Building (Aalto); Stora Enso Building (Aalto); Finlandia (Aalto); Helsinki Music Center (Kivistö); Kiasma Museum Contemporary Art (Holl); Kamppi Chapel (K2S); Temppeliaukion Church (Suomalainen); South Harbor: Old Market Hall; Trillby & Chadwick Shopping: glass bowl Dinner: Emo (Bib); drinks: Trillby & Chadwick Hotel Kämp HELSINKI cloudy 42°- 54°
Tuesday
17
Breakfast: Hotel Kämp Brasserie Activities: taxi to Helsinki train station; bus to airport; flights to Chicago; L and taxi home Depart: Depart: Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, HEL, Terminal 1, on Lufthansa Flight LH 2463 (Airbus A321) at 12:50 (15 minutes late); Seats 9D and 9E Arrive: Franz Josef Strauss Airport, MUC, Munich, Germany, Terminal 2 at 14:30 (25 minutes late); (978 air miles; 2 hours, 40 minutes). Depart: Franz Josef Strauss Airport, MUC, Terminal 2, on Lufthansa Flight LH 434 (Airbus 340-600) at 16:05 (30 minutes late); Seats 37A and 37C Meals: in flight: Arrive O’Hare International Airport, ORD, Terminal 5 at 18:35 (10 minutes late); (4,515 air miles; 9 hours, 50 minutes) CHICAGO Helsinki: cloudy 45°; Chicago 72° Total kilometers in Russia by air: by rail: by road:
2,094 km 495 km 635 km 964 km
Total kilometers in Baltic States by rail: by ferry: by road:
1,136 km 380 km 58 km 698 km
Total kilometers in Europe by air: by rail: by ferry: by road:
3,230 km 495 km 1,015 km 58 km 1,662 km
A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip through Russia and the Baltics from September 7 —October 17, 2017. Volume 1. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2017
V. 1