A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma – that’s how one great politician characterized Russia. Is it really so? Last Summer I had a chance to visit Russia’s two capitals; the trip was short but intense and quite exciting.
Planning the trip and getting Russian visa.
It was a spontaneous idea. Long ago we booked a private boat to cruise Croatia. When the time came to search for airfare, I found an attractive option via Moscow. I thought if we were going through Russia anyway why not to stop there for a few days. Great idea but here comes the reality. The first thing to learn was to visit Russia you need a visa. Google search on Russian visa returned a long list of requirements.
To apply you need an application (to be filled online but then still printed and brought to in-person appointment), a valid passport, one photo, and also (a quote from the Embassy website) a confirmation of the hotel reservation, a confirmation of reception of the tourist, and a register number from the Uniform Federal Register of the Tour Operators of the Federal Tourism Agency.
These hurdles are probably a turn off for most people considering such a trip, but as I was about to learn, when dealing with Russia have patience and don’t rush for judgment. Yes, the application form is long, but questions are simple and it does not take long to fill out. A worldly and confusing passage about the Uniform Federal Register is actually a one-page letter that Russian incoming tourism entities are very well aware of. Most hotels provide such a letter within 24 hours for free via email if you book a stay at that hotel. If you stay at a small bed and breakfast, Airbnb or with a family, there are plenty of online services that provide the letter for you for a nominal charge. Then get a photo, make sure your passport is valid 6 months after your departure from Russia date, print out an application and a letter you received from a hotel or a hosting service, and you are ready to apply.
If you leave in New York, Washington DC or Houston areas, you are lucky as there are Russian consulates there and you can submit your application directly and pay only a consular fee. The access is strictly by appointments that you should request online at a consulate site. Start looking for an appointment at least three months in advance to get your visa in time. You (not your representative or an agent) must apply in person however if you travel with a group or a family on the same dates and itinerary, only one person from the party may submit all applications. The visa fee payment is accepted in the form of USPS money order only.
However, do not despair if this option is not feasible for you. There are Russian Visa processing centers that have a much more flexible attitude. You can apply by mail or show up with no appointment, you can get an application photo there, you can delegate the procedure to your representative or an agent, if needed you can get a visa in a much shorter time even in the same day, and you can use all form of payments. The service charge is reasonable –$33 plus the consulate fee. If however, this does not work for you either, the is also an option to obtain the visa via one of the visa services or via your travel agency. Speaking about fees – the consular charge for all kind of tourist visas is $160 for standard processing time (officially 20 working days but most of the time done in 2 weeks or less. The price goes up if you need the visa faster up to a whopping $600 for the same day service.
The embassy recommends 3-year multiple entry visas, so if you return to Russia within 3 years you won’t need to apply again, and even if you don’t – the fee for a single entry is the same. I did not want to pay for a Russian visa more than absolutely necessary and chose to apply directly at a consulate. The earliest available date for a visa appointment was about in two months, so I was right to start the process early.
I booked an appointment and I started planning the actual trip. Marina and I decided on two days in St. Petersburg and one day in Moscow. Our daughter with a friend traveled with us, they have never been to Russia before so they wanted to stay in Moscow one extra day. There are plenty of accommodation options in both cities, but more in Moscow. All major hotel chains have properties there, and the rates are good due to a favorable exchange rate To utilize my stash of IGH points I booked two rooms at Crown Plaza Ligovsky in St. Petersburg at just 30K per room per night. There are several IHG hotels in the city, but Crown Plaza had the best location – right off Nevsky prospect, St. Petersburg’s main thoroughfare. In Moscow, the choice was even better. We contemplated booking Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton, even they were affordable, but at the end decided on Marriott Grand Hotel on Tverskaya street – just minutes walk from the Red Square. I made reservations online and emailed hotels asking to send for The Uniform Federal Register nonsense. I received them via email the very next day, our visa paperwork was ready.
The next task was to get from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Two Russian capitals are connected by all means of transportation from airplanes to riverboats, but we decided to take a train. The expresses make 403 mile-long journey in less than 4 hours, and depart almost hourly from Moscow train station in St. Petersburg that is conveniently located right across from Crown Plaza hotel. There are sleek bullet style “Sapsan” trains but we chose “Nevsky Express”. This unique though a bit old-fashion train leaves at 1pm and arrives at 5pm so we could have lunch while traveling. This is the only train that has a full-service restaurant – Sapsans only have bistros. The reviews said that the seat configuration is 3 X 3 in a glass door compartment, it feels a bit like you are in a fish tank, but the ride is much quieter than in an open coach. I booked the train tickets on Russian railways website: there is English version, credit cards are no problem, and the booking process is mostly straightforward.
The form advises you to enter your name exactly as it appears in your passport but then asks your paternal name (your father’s name). Obviously, there is no paternal name in US passports. I typed “X” in a paternal name box (we could put N/A or real names I guess). This was never questioned.. Also, as we learned later the seat map did not show the actual configuration correctly. I thought I booked four seats together, but we ended up in adjacent compartments. It was not a big deal as we spent most of a trip to a restaurant car anyway, but if seating is important to you, I suggest double checking at a ticket office.
Time flew and the day of the interview at the consulate came. The Russian mission in New York is located in a posh Upper East Side 91th Street right near Central Park. Unlike other recently shut down Russian diplomatic entities in the USA this is an actual Consulate and not a spy safe house. The elegant French maison was initially built by Vanderbilt – Sloane couple at the beginning of the 20th century and was one of the grandest private residences in the city at that time. It went a long way before becoming a Russian property but still keeps its grandeur look (which partially explains those high visa fees as the maintenance surely costs a lot). The appointment itself was fast and non-eventful. A guard at the entrance checked my name against a list of appointments and quickly let me in, there was only one person ahead of me at the visa window, and within minutes I handed my papers to the clerk. He examined the pages, asked a few simple questions, and directed me to the cashier to pay the fee. The visas were ready in 10 days the countdown to the trip began.
St. Petersburg
Aeroflot is the only airline that flies from the USA to Russia directly, and it only flies to Moscow. Interesting to know it is one of the oldest airlines in the world operating under same name since it started flying in 1923. The Russian capital has 4(!) international airports (I already wrote about it in an earlier post), but the largest Sheremetyevo is Aeroflot’s hub and has frequent connections to other Russian cities including St. Petersburg. Aeroflot is a part of Skyteam alliance but booking on points via Delta or Air France/KLM will cost a lot especially in business class. The smart way is to book via Aeromexico. It charges only 50K each way for a business class ticket to Russia which you can transfer from Amex Membership Rewards. The transfer is not instant, but Aeromexico holds the reservation until points reach your account. Aeroflot business class excided my expectations. The seats were spacious and lay flat, the service was punctual and meals delicious. Unfortunately, due to sanctions, a cheese platter was not available (no kidding), but wine choice was adequate. The thunderstorm hit New York area right before the takeoff, so JFK was at a ground stop. The delay was over two hours – obviously, we were missing the connecting flight to St. Petersburg. We worried but a flight attendant assured that everything would be taken care of. She was right! We were rebooked on the next flight in an hour and arrived with a minimal delay.
Unlike Moscow, St. Petersburg has only one airport that is not that far from the city. It took about 30 minutes to get to Uprising Square –Crown Plaza was just around a corner. As époques and rulers changed so did the city toponymy. The name itself made a round trip from St. Petersburg to Leningrad (with a short detour to Petrograd) and then back to St. Petersburg. Uprising Square commemorates events in 1917 Russian Revolution. It got its name in 1918 after the Bolsheviks took control and managed to keep it till present.
Hotel Crown Plaza Ligovsky was surprisingly good, may be one of the best in its brand. The building used to be a school but a few years ago was acquired by IHG and completely remodeled. The lobby was a medium size, without an excess of ornaments but convenient and functional. Behind a reception, there was a souvenir shop (don’t shop – you find better variety at lower prices elsewhere) and a restaurant (don’t eat – for the same reason).
Our room was on the top level and had the floor to ceiling wall to wall window that if needed could be closed by a mechanical shade. The view was right at the train station plaza, but with the excellent soundproof the noise did not bother us at all. We settled, unpacked, refreshed and had some rest after a long trip. In the evening we stepped out to Nevsky Prospect that was beautifully lit and rightfully rivaled Paris Champs-Élysées. It is an excellent place for sightseeing, however for a good value dinner avoid its touristy eateries and turn to adjacent streets.
We ate at Smoke BBQ restaurant on Rubinstein. American style steak houses are a cool novelty in Russia. An owner tried and to some degree succeeded in creating a Texas ambiance. We ordered grilled vegetables and baby ribs with a local beer. The food was delicious though a bit heavy, so after the meal, we took a walk before returning to the hotel. The area is called Vladimirskaya, and if you are Dostoyevsky fan that where he and many of his characters lived. Built mostly in the middle of the 19th century for low-income renters it never was a posh part of the capital, but the recent renovation and development brought a lot of life here. We walked along Vladimirsky street, reached our hotel and called it a day.
The next day was fully designated to explore St. Petersburg. The breakfast at the hotel was $15 per person. We politely declined and had a morning meal at a café just next door – a very nice and cozy Russian version of IHOP. The food was excellent and cost half of a hotel price, especially good were “syrniki” – Russian cheesecakes in the form of pancakes that are served warm. After breakfast, we met our guide for a historical center walking tour.
For two centuries St. Petersburg was the main city of Imperial Russia until Bolsheviks moved the capital to Moscow in 1918. Czar Peter the Great ordered the construction of his new residence on an empty swamp just conquered from Sweden in 1703.Miraculously the beautiful city was built from scratch. Nevsky Prospect was and still is St. Petersburg main thoroughfare, the imperial façade and the most desirable place to see and be seen. Naturally, the most part of our tour was along and around Nevsky. St. Petersburg impresses and inspires, especially if you are lucky to be there on a warm sunny day. We were blessed with the weather and enjoyed our time to the fullest. The czar’s planners designed the city in the beautiful proportional classical style. To the credit of consequent authorities, St. Petersburg original look was preserved through times (unlike Moscow but more on it later).
We walked toward the Admiralty and observed a palace after a palace, a monument after a monument, and even retail stores were historical and architectural gems. We stopped by Elyseevsky Gastronomy that now is more a tourist attraction than a shop. The visitors observe Russian delicacies on display from dozens of types of caviar to a chocolate blob in the form of Lenin’s head.
Walking few blocks down is probably Nevsky most interesting point. Czar Alexander I ordered the construction of Kazan Cathedral in 1801 and later it was dedicated to commemorate the victory over Napoleon in 1812 war. The architect decided to use St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome as a prototype but instead of placing it on some kind of a square put it right on the city main street with the colonnade stretching along. We stepped inside to see the interior.
Among numerous artifacts commemorating that war, we noticed the keys of Berlin. After Napoleon invasion failed, the Russian army went on the offensive and chased the French troops all the way to Paris. Along the way, they captured Berlin – that time an ordinary Prussian town. By the customs of that time, the elders presented the city keys to the victors. These keys along with keys from other conquered places are kept in Kazan cathedral ever since. During the World War the Nazis wanted the keys back, they siege St. Petersburg for 900 days but failed to capture it and were eventually defeated. Maybe the keys were the reason?
Facing the cathedral on the left side and behind, across Nevsky there is an astonishing Christ the Savior on the Blood cathedral. For some it may reassemble St. Basil on Red Square in Moscow but only from a distance. It was built in 19th century exactly at the place where Czar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 (therefore called on the Blood). The bridge across Griboedov canal is the best place to take pictures.
We continued on passing among other beautiful buildings the Stroganov Palace (of Beef Stroganoff fame) to Moika river embankment where a booked private boat was waiting for us for St. Petersburg rivers and canals tour.
Before boarding, we stopped by Mamma Roma restaurant (Russian analog of Olive Garden) and got pizzas, salads, pasta, and a large bottle of Pino. The lunch cruise was relaxing and delightful.
We went into a mighty Neva river, then to smaller and quieter inner rivers and canals. From the water St. Petersburg looked different and even more beautiful.
The ride took an hour and a half, just the right time to finish the picnic.
After pizza and wine, we would not mind a nap, but it was not in our program. Of course, there was much more to see in St. Petersburg, but we wanted to have at least a glimpse of its imperial suburbs – places where czars had their summer residences. We choose Pushkin –Czarina Catherine park and palace. The original town name was Tsarskoye Selo (Czar’s village), but in the Soviet era, it was renamed after the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin who studied there. Pushkin town is about 30 miles from St. Petersburg, the arranged mini-bus was waiting for us by the pier, the ride took almost an hour as we drove from the center via recent quarters to Pulkovo highway and a belt road.
The palace is the baroque style gem and features the famous Amber room.
The adjacent park is equally nice, designed in a traditional manner with English and French garden parts and is kept impeccably well. We visited it on a late afternoon and took the best pictures of the whole trip.
Our tour ended there. We parted with the guide and took a 30-minute walk from the park through the town to the train station. The town itself was heavily damaged during the war (the Nazis were here), most of the buildings were constructed in the 1940th and 1950th. Nevertheless, the town is upscale, green, clean, comfortable and a very desirable place to live for St. Petersburg folks who can afford it. From the station, a suburban train brought us to the city center at an architecturally interesting Vitebsky Vokzal.
We took the metro to our hotel which was just two stops away and noticed its style and decor to compare to Moscow’s later on. The dinner that night was at Russkaya Rybalka (The Russian Fishing) restaurant on Krestovsky island. Naturally, it had a seafood menu. We had an excellent sturgeon with a lot of appetizers and then tasty desserts to finish the feast.
Next morning was bright and sunny, but sadly we had to leave St. Petersburg. Our train was in the afternoon, so we still had some time to explore the city a bit more. Our last visit was at the Hermitage museum.
It hosts one of the best fine art collections in the world. It was started by czars and therefore located in the Imperial Winter Palace.
After czars, the collection became a national museum and the must-see place for anyone visiting St. Petersburg even for a short time.
The exposition was enormous, but we were in a rush so to optimize the time I arranged a guide who whisked us inside past the queue and showed all the museum highlights in just two hours (almost impossible task but our guide Nataliya handled it splendidly).
The time after the tour was pretty much the race against the clock. We caught Uber at the Palace square and (luckily with no traffic) got back to the hotel. Strategically our bags were already packed, so all needed was a checkout. Even though the train station was across the street, we had to enter through a central entrance to pass security which was a bit of a walk. Still, we boarded the train in time.
We settled in our seats and right after the departure headed to the restaurant car. A chicken caesar salad was stupendous, pretty fresh and quite eatable. The restaurant car was more spacious than a cramped compartment, so we hang there after we finished the meal. The first half of a way from St. Petersburg was mostly woods, then as we were getting closer to Moscow, the landscape became more diverse. We crossed Volga river at Tver.
After that it was less than an hour to the destination, the area outside became more and more urban and quickly turned to Moscow suburbs. On the train, we were offered a meet and greet taxi service at a rip off price $30 per ride (street taxis are about twice cheaper, and Uber costs even less), but been pressed in time I sighed and booked it. I believe it was worth it as a driver met us right at a carriage door and led straight to a car through the chaos of a train station plaza. The ride to Marriott Grand Hotel took about 30 min on Sadovoye Koltso (Garden Ring). We did not see any gardens though, just big city traffic. We arrived at the hotel and entered the lobby. The Moscow part of the trip had begun.
Moscow
Moscow isn’t St. Petersburg, you realize it at the first moment you arrive at the official Russian capital. While proper, classical and phlegmatic St. Petersburg is to fall in love at first sight, an energetic, chaotic, and somewhat barbarian Moscow guards its affections. So what you might not like the byzantine labyrinths of its central streets, the elbowing crowds and the loud attitude on display everywhere – “if you make it there you make it anywhere” so truly applies here. Every Russian knows all roads to success in any walk of life lead to Moscow.
Marriott Grand Hotel huge lobby was hustling and bustling at that busy afternoon hour. A dozen receptionists worked hard checking in guests, but a line seemed to stay unabated. I noticed Marriott Elite sign by one of the clerks and moved right there. In a split of a second between a checked in guest left and a next in line could approach I jumped in and announced my Marriott Gold status. A clerk showed no emotion but took my confirmation paper, did few computer keystrokes, apparently confirmed that I indeed was an elite, checked me in quickly and even gave a suite upgrade and access to an executive lounge. Well, sometimes it pays to be rude!
The suite at Marriott Grand hotel was huge with a bedroom separated from the living room, two TV’s, two bathrooms and also a full kitchen with a side by side refrigerator. Too bad we were only here for one night. After settling, we went to check the executive lounge. The lounge was nicely set on two levels with large windows overlooking Moscow city skyline. The evening chef oeuvres were served. We had a dinner reserved in a couple of hours but had few bites with a glass of chardonnay.
The dinner was booked at Rukav (Sleeve) art café in Taganka neighborhood – a half an hour metro ride from our hotel. The place was cozy, with an artistic decor although a bit kitschy to our taste. To enter the dining room it looks like you must slide down a pipe but don’t worry there is stairs as well. Most of the guests were tourists, but the ambiance was not touristy at all. A band of musicians in retirement age played American jazz. We felt relaxed, let down our guards a bit and ordered way more food we could consume.
As usual, after stupendous Russian dinners, we needed a good walk before going to bed, so we headed to Red Square. It was night, but the symbolic place was fantastically lit and full of people.
The significant part of the square was fenced off for some kind of a festival that either just happened or was about to happen, the grandeur view was obstructed and that was a disappointment.
Still, the illuminated buildings, the Kremlin towers, St. Basil cathedral looked beautiful, we took tons of pictures then walked about a mile off the square along Tverskaya street to our hotel and had a well-deserved rest.
The next day was our last in Moscow and Russia, but before leaving, we had a walking tour of Red Square and surrounding sites. After the breakfast at the lounge that was adequate but mediocre, we met our guide at the hotel lobby and headed down Tverskaya Street toward Kremlin.
We passed Pushkin Square (the great Russian poet loved both Russian capitals), then Kamergersky Lane, a pedestrian street, recently renovated in 19th-century belle époque style. Unlike more democratic Arbat here is where affluent, well-to-do Muscovites spend their past time in numerous posh restaurants and night clubs.
Approaching Red Square, it was hard to miss a massive red brick white roof building blending with Kremlin walls. It actually was built at the end of the 19th century and now accommodates Russian State historical Museum – a must-see for Russia’s history buffs. Just before entering the square you see the Four Seasons (former Moscow) hotel on your left and the Ritz – Carlton (former National) hotel on your right. As the grandest hotel in Moscow, Ritz hosted both the current and the former US presidents and has a somewhat tainted reputation as infamous “pee” tapes were allegedly made here.
Finally, we were at Red Square. Last night it was magically lit, but now in the morning sun, it looked totally different. Unfortunately, the fence that obstructed the wholesome view was still there, the souvenir shops were opening, and the hordes of tourists started arriving. Usually, the best view to Lenin Mausoleum, the Kremlin wall and towers is from the opposite side of the square, the grand shopping gallery named the State Department Store (yes really), but now we had to walk around the fence and get to the Kremlin side too close to for a panoramic view. We saw Mausoleum still functioning. Although not that long as in Soviet times, the line to enter was still formidable (maybe because this attraction was free). Behind the Mausoleum was Kremlin separated from the square by a monumental red brick wall. Hovering above the wall was the top part and the baroque roof of Great Kremlin Palace
We walked to the other side of the square to see the majestic St. Basil Cathedral. While its multi-color domes became a signature view of Moscow the actual story of this unique masterpiece is rather dramatic. Built in the 16th century as one of the wonders of the world it later was abandoned and at some point during Stalin rule designated to be blown up as it was in the way of Red Army parades. A legend says on the eve of the destruction the Moscow principal architect chained himself to the building and proclaimed that if the cathedral is blown he is to be blown as well. The demolition was canceled, the cathedral is still there. It is nicely restored and now features icons and ancient Russian artifacts. Although not originally belonging to the cathedral the interior creates the ambiance of that époque. Unlike seeing Lenin’s corps , you have to buy a ticket to visit, but it is well worth the fee.
Past the cathedral is Moskva (Moscow) river and the bridge across it. We walked halfway on the bridge to the excellent vantage point with a magnificent panoramic view of the city.
The area on the other side of the bridge is called Zamoskvorechye (Beyond Moscow river). It was also heavily reconstructed in the 20th and 21st centuries but feels more humane. Many great museums and theaters are located there including the famous Tretyakov Gallery. Facing Kremlin and St. Basil cathedral, on the right side we saw a somewhat awkward looking park. The “old city” that used to be in that area was totally demolished in 1960th to make space for the Soviet-style “Rossiya” hotel – at that time the largest in the world. In the new era, the hotel was demolished, and a park was created in its place. The park, however, does not look great and Muscovites’ opinion about it differs. While some insist that a bad park is better than no park, others lament the old hotel saying that it’s functionality overweighed it’s ugliness as it was a moderately priced accommodation option for Moscow visitors at a great location and then it was gone. The opposite side of the hotel –turned – park offered an astonishing view of the Kremlin wall and towers. A bit further you see the main Russian Orthodox cathedral – Christ the Savior. Build initially in the 19th century this cathedral was less lucky than St. Basil as it was entirely demolished by Bolsheviks in 1931. For a long time, a public swimming pool was located there. Then it also was leveled, and the new cathedral was built – even more significant than the original. The new cathedral is grandiose, and the inside decorations are marvelous. It is very well worth the visit but keep in mind the conservative dress is required (no shorts or mini-skirts).
From the bridge, we returned to the Red Square to see the guards change at the eternal fire by the Unknown Soldier tomb. It was about 10-minute walk passing the places we already visited, so I decided it was a good moment to ask our guide what he thinks about Putin. He answered that Putin is incredibly popular among many Russians including himself as he brought prosperity and stability to the country. In response, I gently pointed out that a lack of democracy may be a too big price to pay for prosperity which is a relative term anyway. I got a firm pushback, something like “who are you to judge,” and dropped the topic for good. Conveniently, we arrived at the change of the guards’ place and focused our attention on it. The ceremony takes place every hour on the hour and even though it is no comparison to one at Buckingham palace still entertaining to watch as specially trained cadets demonstrate their unique marching technique.
After the ceremony, it was the time to part. Marina and I had to go back to the hotel and then to the airport to fly to Croatia while our daughter and a friend stayed in Moscow and continued with the tour. What we missed and they enjoyed was a visit to Kremlin. This fortress inside the city is the Russian president official residence, but the historical part of it is open to the public. With the general admission ticket, you see beautiful churches and some other relics like the “Czar – Cannon” that never actually fired. A coveted extra admission to the Armory Chamber is somewhat challenging to get, but the guide was able to arrange it. That night Polina and a friend dined at Michelin mentioned White Rabbit restaurant and liked it very much.
That was our blitz tour of Russia. We saw so much in these three days, yet it was just a tiny fraction of what we could and should possibly see, and that was only two cities! Do come here and stay longer, one day we will go back too, that time for a more extended visit