|
RUSSIA
TRIP REPORT
July 18-30, 2004
Michael Wellner
It was certainly an adventure that will be long remembered by all who participated! After all, how often does one get to go to the former Soviet Union – and not just to the “big cities” of Moscow and St Petersburg, but to the small out-of-the-way genuinely historic “Russian” villages and towns as well?
That was precisely the good fortune enjoyed by some
twenty-five Rensselaer alumni and their spouses and guests who sailed
off on the “Passage of Peter The Great” on July 18th, 2004.
Included in the group were:
Michael Wellner ’64 (tour leader) and his son
Keith
Steve Martin ’62, and his wife Judy
Stu Benton ’62, and his wife Cheryl
John Dedyo ’53, and his wife Miriam
Rick Koch ’58, and his wife Carolyn
Fred Best ’58
John Hinchen ’62, and his wife Gail
Henry Sneck ’51, and his wife Erye
Don Bunk ’55, and his wife Marjorie
Don Parkinson ’55, and his wife Patricia
Al Rosenzweig ’62, and his wife Susan
Larry and Linda Nissnbaum, traveling with the Rosenzweigs
Carole Porter (wife on an alum) and her daughter Lisa Aitken
The adventures began on July 18th, with smooth and comfortable
overnight flights to Moscow, where were immediately transferred to our
deluxe river boat, the “Ilya Repin” (history buff quiz:
Who was Ilya Repin?), that was to be our hotel for the next twelve days
(no packing and unpacking on this trip!).
Moscow is a sprawling city of some ten million people,
home to the Kremlin and the seat of the national government. In its
center lies Red Square (no the “Red” has nothing to do with
the Communists), bounded by the walls of the Kremlin, the incredibly
beautiful and colorful St Basil’s Cathedral, the unbelievably
ornate old GUM department store, and the red-brick Historical Museum.
And adjacent to the Kremlin, on one side of the Square, is Lenin’s
tomb --- with Lenin himself well-preserved and on display for all to
see!
Although we had three days in Moscow, you could easily
spend a month taking in the history, the museums, the shops, and the
endless museums and churches (the Soviets did not destroy them all).
And a ride on the Moscow Metro was a treat for all! Nothing like the
NY City subway, that’s for sure!)
On the evening of the third day we set sail, on the
mighty Volga River, for the historic town on Uglich, a town on Russia’s
Golden Ring. Next stop on the cruise was the city of Yaroslavl, known
as the “Florence of Russia.” Yaroslavl once served as the
capital of old Russia, and features the Church of Elijah the Prophet.
Other stops included Goritsy, an ancient Russian village closed for
many years to western visitors, Kizhi Island (on Lake Onega), and Mandrogi,
en route to the spectacular city of St. Petersburg (formerly known as
Leningrad).
The scale of the country is hard to grasp, and even
harder to communicate here. Even after the break-up of the Soviet Union,
it spans 11 time zones, from the Baltic to the Pacific, and is home
to an incredibly diverse range of ethnic groups who look nothing alike,
but all of whom are “Russian.” Traveling through the elaborate
waterway system between Moscow and St Petersburg (much of it built by
Stalin at an incredible cost in human lives), you see endless virgin
forests, with very little (if any) sign of people. In addition to literally
millions of acres of timber, Russia also holds vast reserves of both
oil and natural gas. But extraction of these natural resources is incredibly
difficult, since so much of them are located in very hostile climate
zones. It is quickly apparent that the Russians do not have an easy
lot in life. But everywhere we went the people were friendly and outgoing
(even though English is not widely spoken), and happy to see us.
Our last stop, St. Petersburg, was unquestionably the
highlight. St. Petersburg is a relatively new city (built in the early
1700’s by Peter the Great), of just incredible beauty. Designed
by French and Italian architects, the city has a definite “European”
flavor, very different from the very Russian (and Soviet) Moscow. All
the stories that you have heard about the Hermitage are true –
only more so! It is – in a word – unbelievable. It outdoes
Versailles, has more artwork than any museum that you have ever visited,
and must not be missed. Add to that Peter’s palace at Peterhof,
and numerous other museums, churches and palaces, and St. Petersburg
is a city that has to be on everyone’s “must-see”
list.
All in all everyone agreed that the trip was, in a word,
fantastic! And the only question on everyone’s lips as we said
good bye to old and new friends alike, was “Where are we going
next year?”
Click
here to visit the RAA Worldwide Travel Program page, and get more information
on all the exciting trips planned for the coming year.
|
