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If you are not as interested – or have already visited – the classical programs, if you want to experience particular aspects of Russian life, or simply to expand on classic tour, my ‘special interest’ tours offer options – from Historical and Literature tours to Honeymoon and Extreme sport programs to experiences of Russian life that traditional excursions cannot offer.
You can spend all day fishing in one of the resorts along the shores of Lake Ladoga, study the Russian language, learn how to cook – or simply eat – classical Russian cuisine in traditional settings, get an inside look at World War II from the Russian perspective, and visit sites associated with the Siege of Leningrad, and much, much more — tailored to your interests and hobbies.
The Siege of Leningrad Tour
Recently, the city and world marked the 60th anniversary since the end of World War II. Our country and city suffered at an almost unimaginable scale during time. The bravery and courage of the citizens of Leningrad, as the city was called during that period, is well-known throughout Russia and the world. There are still a few veterans of this time alive, a few of them my personal friends — and if you wish, we have an opportunity to visit and talk with some of them.
If you want to know more about life of people during the war and what helped them to survive, this tour is for you. We will visit the Piskorevskoye Cemetery (site of mass ‘common graves’ of civilians and soldiers), Siege Memorials (including documentary films that will help you to understand the atmosphere of those days), the Museum of the Siege of Leningrad (on Solanoy Street), the Artillery Museum (including the photograph of my grandfather). My own family, along with just about every family native to this city, experienced this period of history deeply, so I give this tour with personal stories and, as with everything, a great deal of passion.
Jewish heritage in St.Petersburg
The first Jews appeared in St .Petersburg at the time of the city’s founding. They were very few and belonged to Czar Peter’s inner circle. During this tour you will learn about life of Jewish population from the 18th-20th centuries to the present days. We will visit the historical district of Kolomna which was the centre of Jewish life. One of the sights here is famous roster of Jewish alumni. You will visit Great Choral Synagogue (the second largest synagogue in Europe), which was never closed down and functioned throughout even World War II.
Historical Tours
St. Petersburg of Peter the Great
This tour iincludes a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the log cabin of Peter I, Holy Trinity square and other places connected with Peter I and the founding of the city.
Nests of the Russian Nobility
A special tour for those who want to get acquainted with everyday life of Russian noble families, including visits to the Yusupov and Stroganof Palaces. The day is topped off with dinner at the Noble Nest Restaurant.
St. Petersburg: The cradle of the Russian Revolution
If you want to know more about the political history of Russia, or just walk the paths of the revolutionary soldiers during the famous October 1917 Revolution led by Lenin, this is the tour for you. It also includes a visit to the Aurora battleship and Museum of Russian Political History.
Royal Residences in the city
For two centuries St.Petersburg was a beloved home for the members of the Russian Royal Family. Many of the palaces that belonged to them still survive. This tour is for those who would like to know more about members of this family and their history – arguably the richest royal family in Europe.The tour includes a visit to Summer Palace of Peter I and the Yelagin Palace of Empress Maria Fiodorovna.
Churches of St.Petersburg
St. Petersburg has been a multi-religious city since its founding. During this tour you’ll visit a Catholic Church, Protestant Church, Choral Synagogue, Russian Orthodox churches, and Mosque. The tour includes attending a service in Russian Orthodox Church.
Architectural Styles of St.Petersburg
The entire center of the city is denoted as an Architectural Landmark by UNESCO – and protected as such. The architecture spans from the Baroque to Classical, Empire Style, Northern Modern and Soviet Realism of the 1930s – as well as more contemporary.
Literature Tours
St. Petersburg is a mysteriously beautiful city and has been the inspiration for countless Russian and foreign authors. Despite the transformations of the last 300 years, there are still places that have preserved the ornate luxury of Pushkin and the gloomy depression of Dostoevsky. During these tours you will visit the places connected with the characters of their books. Each of these tours includes a visit to memorial apartment-museums of famous writers.
Dostoevsky in St.petersburg
Pushkin in St.Petersburg
Nabokov in St.Petersburg
Ahmatova in St.Petersburg
Musical Tours
As well as a muse for writers, the city was the home to a pantheon of famous musicians and composers – Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Musorgsky, Borodin, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Shostokovich, just to name a few. This tour includes a special visit to a museum of musical instruments, homes and museums dedicated to individual composers, rehearsals in the famous Mariinsky Theatre, and of course as many concerts and ballets as we can fit.
Modern Art in St. Petersburg
There are not only world-famous galleries of classical art here in the city, but galleries of modern art as well, where you can enjoy masterpieces of contemporary artists and even meet the artists, or buy something special. Maybe this purchase will become the beginning of the New Hermitage?
Feel Yourself Russian Tours
A dinner in a Russian family during which you will see and learn traditions of a typical Russian family.
An open air picnic party with traditional Russian shashlik in a country house of a typical Russian family.
A visit to a typical Russian sauna (Banya)
A visit to a typical Russian village house, meeting a family.
A visit to a local exotic Ostrich farm, with dinner there
A visit to a typical Russian secondary school, meeting with teachers and students, attending lessons(only during the academic year).
Much, much more – tailored to meet your interests and schedule.
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