Traveling Western Russia
Flags, Bags, and Russia
Flag: Tricolor of white, blue, and red.
History: The Russian flag was actually based on the Dutch flag, so the story goes. According to this story, Peter the Great wanted to turn Russia into a modern state, and a functioning navy would be a large part of that. He adopted the current Russian flag for merchant ships in 1699 and it became very popular. This would then replace the black, orange and white flag that the Tsars had tried to impose by the 19th century. The flag would receive a makeover to the hammer and sickle of Communism, but, with the fall of the USSR, the tricolor came back to existence.
My experiences there
So I expressly specify Western Russia because I haven’t been further east than about Nizhny Novgorod. It is on my bucket list, but still needs to be ticked off! So with that said, I have actually been as far north as Murmansk, and as far south as Sochi. I have lived in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, traveled to Pushkin, Tver, St. Petersburg, Suzdal, Tsarskoe Selo, Tula, Kazan, Bor, Melikhovo, and Yasnaya Polyana. With almost 6 months spent in Russia, there are really so many places I love. Here are just a few.
Moscow
If you ask many people that have visited Russia which they like better — Moscow or St. Petersburg — you’ll pretty much hear St. Petersburg every time. While I think St. Petersburg is great, if I could only visit one place in Russia, it would be Moscow. Without really much of a debate. Here is why:
Red Square: I still remember the first time I stepped through the gates from Revolution Square and into Red Square and saw the beautiful cupolas of St Basil’s. It was actually the 9th of May, or Victory Day in Russia. With the tanks, the parade, everything. It was really something special, and Red Square is still one of my favorite places I have been to. Not to mention you are a 5–8 minute walk from the entrance to the Kremlin, can see Lenin’s waxed body (which is actually a must-see in my opinion), and can enter a number of great museums. If you want to see Lenin’s body, understand you must leave all bags, phones, and cameras in a little hole in the wall (literally) that is located right across from the gate entrance to visit Lenin. Where else can you see the actual body of a world leader? Also, you have to go inside St. Basil’s. If you are lucky they will have a quartet in there singing. It is magnificent.
The Kremlin: With a couple historic churches and a a great museum, the Kremlin is definitely worth visiting. The churches are the final resting place of many of the Tsars, and even Ivan the Terrible is buried there. Pretty cool.
Museums: I love museums, and Moscow has so many of them. What I love most about Moscow is actually not the big art or history museums (although they are fantastic) — it is the museums of Russia’s literary world that I love the most. Explore Chekhov’s, Pushkin’s, Tolstoy’s, and Dostoevsky’s houses, learn more about them as people, and see where so many literary classics were written. Plus, these museums are more intimate and the people that work there are genuinely nice and interested. If you want to go to some more main stream museums, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War are two of my favorite Russian museums.
Moscow State University: there are 7 sisters, as they’re called, in Moscow. They are 7 almost identical buildings built across the city. MSU is one of them, and arguably one of the prettiest. In addition, the road in front of the university leads to a great view over the city. From there you can stand where Napoleon stood, looking over a burning Moscow as the locals had torched it, and thought to himself, “this can’t be the place.”
Cathedral of Christ the Savior: Just an absolutely stunning cathedral a short walk from the Kremlin. The interior is also magnificently painted and ornate. If you are lucky you may see someone high up in the Russian Orthodox church here.
Metro: Moscow has some of the most stunning architecture in their Metro. Definitely worth riding around and seeing some of the art!
St. Petersburg
Next stop — St. Petersburg. The more glamorous, European feeling city of northern Russia was built on the bodies of slaves and forced labor by Peter the Great in the 1600s. Paint a grim picture? Well don‘t let that put you off. Peter the Great had a picture of a modern, metropolitan Russia, with a great Navy. St. Petersburg would be put on the international map, and, leading up to the end of WW1 and the Bolshevik takeover, was one of the great cities of Europe. The main seat of government moved back to Moscow with the beginning of Communism and Moscow has remained the capital since. So with that, here are a couple of my favorite spots.
The Hermitage: One of the best art galleries in Europe — this monster of a museum takes a couple days if done properly. If you are like me and don’t want to do that, then do some homework before you go and grab a map. My highlight of the museum is Rembrandt’s The Prodigal Son — a monumental (literally) painting that is just stunning.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood: Built on the location where Alexander II was fatally wounded by nihilists in 1881, the church was finished in 1907, and rivals St. Basils in Moscow. The cupolas here are truly incredible.
Peter and Paul Fortress: The fortress that held prisoners, the final burial places of Tsar’s, and some smaller museums. For me what is most interesting here is that this is the final resting place of what people believe is the remains of the Romanov family. There is a little exhibition on finding the remains and dedicating the site which was interesting.
Museums: Another great city for museums, what a surprise. My highlights here are the museums regarding the NKVD and secret police and the Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad. Little do people know that Leningrad was surrounded and cut off from supplies for 900 days during WWII. This museum tells that story, and it is a grim one.
Enjoy the view from St Isaac’s Cathedral: Take a hike to the top of the cathedral for the best bird’s eye view of St. Petersburg.
Ride the Rails
One of my favorite things to do in Russia is to take the train. Strange, I realize. But it is such a great time, and if you are willing to speak with the other people around you, you get some great stories.
My favorite trip was a 37 hour train ride form Moscow to Murmansk — the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. Murmansk wasn’t all that special itself, but the train ride will always be something I remember. If you can, ride with the locals in Platzkart.
Head out to a village
If you are in or around Moscow, a trip out to a village would be something I would absolutely recommend. There are a number that you can go to — Yasnaya Polyana where Tolstoy is buried, Melikhovo where Chekhov lived and worked, the old historic villages of Suzdal and Vladimir. There is something special about the Russian country side where you get a better feel for the more real Russia.
The End
So those are some of my suggestions if you are traveling in Western Russia — not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, but hopefully it can give you some ideas.
