Thinking of going to Moscow?

We thought about it and did it September 21, 2013. We would like to share how we did it and explore options on how to visit this great city.

Because we were staying in St. Petersburg, we chose a "Day Trip".

We found a guide on the internet and contacted her. We asked her the best way and day to visit Moscow. We agreed Saturday would be good and the Sapsan train is the preferred way to travel. We booked our e-tickets for the train on the internet.

The day began early with an accuweather check. It showed brilliant sun all day - in St. Petersburg (1 of only 35 days a year) and rain all day in Moscow. Walking to the Metro station we began the long ride down to the underground train.

The early morning Metro

This is the Moscow train station in St. Petersburg

And here is the Sapsan at rest

After scanning our tickets and a walk through a metal detector ( which we set off) we walked to wagon #3. Showing our passports to the attendant , we were seated by 0630 and ready to ride !

After we were seated we received this overhead greeting

Russian Railways welcomes you aboard ! We soon found out that every thing would be in Russian first and then in English. Our launch time was reached - and we were off.

Here is some information about the Sapsan

http://www.russiantrains.com/en/page/sapsan-train

As the sun began to rise we saw some fog , but a clear sky just outside of St. Petersburg @ 125 mph.

We settled in for the 4 hour train ride to Moscow.

Appreciate your posting of these visuals in connection with your rail trip to Moscow and back. As noted below, we did this "adventure" in 2008 via the air routes. Keep sharing your nice and interesting visuals. Below are a few of mine showing the "prizes" to be enjoyed in Moscow. Fortunately, we had three days on our cruise stop in St. Petersburg, making this one-day trip work better.

The high-speed train connection does make a big, big difference currently. We did the one-day Moscow trip in 2008 by the air connections. I'll offer up some added background, along with various pro/con factors for your consideration. My wife thought it was lots of money, but she viewed it as very much worth it after completing the trip as a "once in a lifetime" experience.

CON FACTORS: It's a long day! Leave the ship early (greeted by a small welcoming band dockside); get back to the St. Petersburg airport around midnight and back to the ship a little before 1 am. Moscow is a super large city of over ten million people. There has been huge growth in the suburbs of this city during the past decades or so. Traffic and time from the airport to the main downtown takes about an hour, but the train takes your directly into the heart of this large city. Since we had to drive in from the airport, we had a good feel as we traveled into town through the coach windows about the “new Moscow” with its suburban growth, commerce, advertising, capitalism, big box stores, etc.

PRO FACTORS: Moscow has its unique history, sights and sites, from Ivan the Terrible up through Lenin, Stalin and the new Russian leaders of today. After a long ride in from the airport on the outer edge of this large metro areas of 17.3 million (with 10.5 million in the city), we stopped at a new hotel for coffee/tea/break. Then, we rode the Moscow subway and saw a couple of their very unique and artistic stations. Stalin at the time called these stations “People’s Palaces”. This Moscow Metro was first opened in 1935 and now has 182 stations, 12 different lines,187 miles of routes and carries seven million passengers each weekday. It’s the world second busiest subway system. This subway ride offered a good sampling of real life for people who live and work in Moscow. We then saw more key places enroute, including the home of the Bolshoi Ballet, KGB Headquarters, various Stalin-era buildings, etc. Then we went to the Kremlin with its 19 historic towers. WOW, we were really there!

Inside the Kremlin are three key “super stars”. First, was the State Armoury with its spectacular Faberge Eggs, plus so many carriages, crowns, gowns, jewels, etc. Second are the various historic Cathedrals within the Kremlin Walls, plus the Tower Bells, Icon art, etc. This includes the Cathedral of the Annunciation built in the 1480’s and having such spectacular wall murals and icons. Third, was the Great Kremlin Palace with its spectacular reception halls, inlaid wood floors, gold and more gold, fancy ceilings, etc. The Czars were crowned here, plus the current heads of the Russian government, etc. The size and scale of these areas are hard to describe in words, let alone reflect and capture the history that has happened in some of these rooms dating back to the late 1400’s. We have seen lots of great palaces all over Europe, but this is something above and beyond for the eyes, heart and brain.

Then, we saw more building inside the walls of the Kremlin. We went outside of the Kremlin Walls and walked next door to adjoining Red Square, seeing St. Basil’s and the re-done Gum Department Store. Red Square is so historic, especially having grown up seeing the military May Day parades there, visuals of Lenin’s Tomb, etc. Have the words “spectacular” and historic been used too much? Maybe, but it fits for many of these unique places. St. Basil’s was built 1555–1561 on the order of Ivan IV (the Terrible). It was the tallest building in Moscow until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower (266 feet tall) in 1600 inside the Kremlin Walls. To be able to “CONTRAST” and compare Moscow and St. Petersburg during these three short days adds to the benefits of seeing both of these great Russian capital cities. Each is a very different and special city.

We finished with dinner in the Central Writers’ Club, a one hundred years old mansion made into a restaurant with crystal chandeliers, rich wood panelling, fireplaces, and antique balustrades.

Is one day too short and limited? YES! You can, however, do and see lots in only that one short day. You get a small sampling above. How often do you get to Russia? The Cold War might not come back in full force, but there are going to be increasing and revisited tensions in future years involving Russia and getting access there. They have done this tour many times and have its details down well and timing perfected. Let us know any questions, thoughts or reactions.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 120,278 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Walking on the famed Red Square of Moscow. This square separates the Kremlin, as the former royal citadel and the current official residence for Russia's President, from a historic merchant quarter. Red Square is often considered the central square of Moscow and all of Russia, because Moscow's major streets originate from here. The name Red Square comes neither from the color of the bricks nor from the link between the color red and communism. The name came about because of a Russian word that can mean either "red" or "beautiful". This word, per Wikipedia, has the meaning "beautiful", was originally applied to Saint Basil's Cathedral. Then, later, the meaning was transferred to the nearby square. It is believed that the square acquired its current name in the 17th century. Red Square was the leading stage and trade center for Moscow. Ivan the Great decreed that trade should only be conducted from person to person, but later these rules were relaxed and permanent market buildings began appearing on the square. After a fire in 1547, Ivan the Terrible reorganized the lines of wooden shops on the Eastern side into market lines and part of that transitioned into what is now GUM department store that adjoins this famed square.:

St. Basil's sits on Red Square and dates back to its 1555-61 construction on the orders of Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV). It commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan and marks the geometric center of the city. This location has been the hub of its growth for Moscow since the 14th century. It was the tallest building in Moscow until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600. This church was near destroyed in the 1930’s when Stalin was in control.:

The domes of the historic church inside the walls of the Kremlin:

This is the interior for Moscow's most historic church, Assumption Cathedral or the Cathedral of the Dormition, inside the Kremlin walls. It is the mother church of Muscovite Russia. The church stands on Cathedral Square and was built in 1475–1479 by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravanti. It was erected on the spot of an older 14th century cathedral of the same name:

The famed KGB (Secret Police) Headquarters in Moscow where many entered and did not exit (alive) during the 1950’s and 1960’s:

Here is a small sampling of the Kremlin Royal Treasures of the Czars: Eggs & Jewels inside the famed State Armoury in Moscow. One of the oldest museums in Moscow, it was established in 1808 and located within the Kremlin Walls. It originated as the royal arsenal in 1508 during when it was in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons, jewelry and various household articles of the Tsars. There are ten Fabergé eggs in the Armoury collection (all Imperial eggs). This is the most Imperial eggs, and the second-most overall Fabergé eggs, owned by a single owner. The Trans-Siberian Railway Egg is a jeweled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé in 1900 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife. The exterior of the 1900 Trans-Siberian Railway egg is made of onyx, silver, gold, and quartz, and is decorated with colored vitreous enamel. The lid of the egg is hinged, has an overlay of green enamel, and is decorated with inlaid leaves of acanthus. On top of the lid is a golden three-headed eagle in gold with the Imperial Crown. The interior is lined with velvet. A route map of the Trans-Siberian Railway is engraved in silver across the face, with major stations marked by a precious stone, forming a belt around the egg. The egg is supported by three griffins made of gold-plated silver on a stepped triangular base of white onyx.:

Scuba and Terry, thanks for sharing the information and beautiful pictures.

One question... I assume the one day tour is similar to the St Petersburg tours, in that you don't need to obtain a Russian Visa if you are booked through a Russian tour agency?

Scuba and Terry, thanks for sharing the information and beautiful pictures. One question... I assume the one day tour is similar to the St Petersburg tours, in that you don't need to obtain a Russian Visa if you are booked through a Russian tour agency?

Appreciate the nice comments and good question from our friend in Las Vegas. YES, if your cruise is there three days or less . . . AND . . . you are with a licensed travel/tour firm, then there is no need to do a Russian Visa. You cannot take that one- or two-day train to Moscow and back unless you either have a visa or are with an appropriate such firm traveling with you.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 144,153 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

The announcements on the train requested turning off phones. We quietly greeted and introduced ourselves (In Russian) to our table mates . It seems that we were the token foreign passengers and we quickly realized that on the train (Like most public transport), people don't usually speak unless they have a question or know one another. Even when they do it's respectful of others privacy with no loud talking or phone calls." I could get used to this" I thought to myself. Reading was the norm and listening to music was socially acceptable. Out came the Eyewitness Travel Moscow and cued Al Stewart's Road to Moscow on the mp3. After a quick nap and a snack we noticed that the movie Moscow does not believe in tears was playing on the TV and people were seemed surprised that we knew the movie.

The next thing we knew, the train was arriving in Moscow !

Exiting the train , we headed for the station.

Irina was waiting for us at the end of the platform and it was starting to rain. " Welcome to Moscow and it's weather" she said. " Nine months of expectations and three months of disappointment" she remarked. We headed to the Metro for a tour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_Metro

As you can see , at 11 in the morning and we still had an empty Metro. Saturday or Sunday is the way to tour Moscow with a minimum of crowds

The first station that we visited was Komsomolskaya which is named for the Communist Youth League

Here is a mosaic from the ceiling

And at the end of the station was comrade Lenin

The Kievskaya Station is dedicated to the friendship between Russia and the Ukraine and is named after it's Capital - Kiev

It features idealized mosaics in the Soviet realism style

The Ukraine was the bread basket of the Soviet Union so agriculture and handicraft is displayed prominently in it's mosaics.

Because it is on the ring line #5 , it connects with #3 and #4 line and can get very busy.

Thank you for these wonderful reviews. We are going to St. Petersburg for two days on the Brilliance next May. We have decided we want to go to Moscow for one of the days....your great photos make me want to go even more now! :D

The train ride of 8 hours (4 hours one way) and only 8 hours in Moscow doesn't sound perfect. Should we look for a tour guide who will take us by plane? Any recommendations? We would not want to undertake this on our own.

Thank you for these wonderful reviews. We are going to St. Petersburg for two days on the Brilliance next May. We have decided we want to go to Moscow for one of the days....your great photos make me want to go even more now! :D

 

The train ride of 8 hours (4 hours one way) and only 8 hours in Moscow doesn't sound perfect. Should we look for a tour guide who will take us by plane? Any recommendations? We would not want to undertake this on our own.

Congratulations on your upcoming TA and Baltic cruise and thank you for your kind comments. We did a TA in April of 2009 , followed by a 10 day stay in St. Petersburg. It's really a great time for the weather. Going to Moscow from St. Petersburg on a 2 day stay is going to be an either/ or proposition. Unless you can do a post cruise stay , it will be either Moscow or St. Petersburg . If its your first visit to Russia , we would recommend that you stay in St. Petersburg. It will save you travel time and money and there is more than enough to do in 2 days. If you decide on Moscow , many of the cruise ship offer this trip. We don't normally use or recommend the ship's tours but Moscow would be an exception. Few if any private tours offer this option for 2 days. If you chose to DIY with a Visa you could fly and meet the guide in Moscow and stay overnight. The problem with a 2 day stay is that Sapsan leaves before your ship arrives in port on the first day and arrives after your ship leaves on the second day. A more radical plan that we considered was to jump ship (With the Captain's permission) with a Russian Visa and stay longer in St. Petersburg / Moscow. Because we wanted more time in Russia , we cancelled our post TA Baltic cruise and just stayed in St. Petersburg.

Our last Metro stop before entering Red Square was Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Square of the Revolution). The hall contains life size sculptures of 'everyday people' who made The Revolution and the Metro possible.

Rubbing the nose of this border guards dog is said to bring good luck. I was amazed to see how many people touched this dogs nose after we stepped away.

This last 'every day person' is Lyudmila Pavlichenko who was credited with 309 kills as a sniper during WWII.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyudmila_Pavlichenko

Upon leaving the Metro station we were greeted by a steady rain and it was time to pop the umbrellas. After entering through The Resurrection Gate we stopped to take a picture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_Gate_and_Chapel

And turning around , there is was - Red Square ! I felt like like Dorothy opening the door in OZ. All of my childhood fears of ICBM rockets , goose stepping troops , 1 PM air raid sirens on Saturday , bomb shelters and duck and cover drills at school flooded my memory! Focusing on the task at hand , I had to learn to shoot pictures with one hand while holding an umbrella with the other. The first picture is Marshal Zhukov , a war hero

mounted on a horse , in front of The Historical Museum.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgy_Zhukov

Kazan Cathedral was consecrated in 1636 by Prince Pozharsky and stood for 300 years until Joseph Stalin destroyed it in 1936. This faithful reconstruction was completed and consecrated in 1993.

There was a sea of umbrellas watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I could only get a picture by holding the camera overhead. If you look carefully, you can see his rifle beneath his raincoat.

The crowd thinned as they quickly marched away

But I sprinted ahead to capture a video clip

It was raining harder so we headed for GUM in hopes that the rain would abate.

GUM (pronounced goom) was the name given to this building after the Revolution in 1921. It was built in 1893 and currently has over 1000 shops. A banner proclaims 120 years.

This was one of my favorite photos of our trip. Watching a game of Bridal tug of war.

Maybe they were here shopping for this Mother In Law Cake. It features poisonous mushrooms on top ( I think they are sugar but didn't try them ).

We moved on to Yeliseev's Gastronom. The original store is in St. Petersburg.

http://russiapedia.rt.com/prominent-russians/business/grigory-yeliseev/

This is their souvenir shop

With no sign of the rain stopping it was time to pop the umbrellas and head out to Red Square. The square is about 500 yards long.

The small platform in front of St. Basil's is called The Lobnoe Mesto. It is where the Tsar and patriarch would address the people at various times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobnoye_Mesto

Even in the rain and overcast skies the cathedral is striking !

To the right of the photo is The Savior's Tower. It was the main entrance to the Kremlin and stands 230 feet tall.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spasskaya_Tower

We thought we would go inside of St. Basils to dodge rain and see what the interior looked like. Here's the porch.

Fancy doors

Walls

Iconostasis

And here is a view of Red Square with everything labeled

Wow! What else can be said. The photos and your trip are amazing! We have booked a Baltic cruise for June, 2014. We had not considered going to Moscow and after reading your blog, we are still not. BUT if we ever are lucky enough to come back sometime, it will definitely be on our TO DO list! Thank you for sharing the pics, vids and memories!

Jim and Pam

Hi: I am new to CC and we are going on our first cruise in June 2014 with Crystal Cruises. Scuba - I would like to find out more about your Moscow trip - not sure how one goes about emailing here, but could you please email me at pbartschmid@gmail.com ?

Hi: I am new to CC and we are going on our first cruise in June 2014 with Crystal Cruises. Scuba - I would like to find out more about your Moscow trip - not sure how one goes about emailing here, but could you please email me at pbartschmid@gmail.com ?

Welcome to Cruise Critic ! We are honored to be your first post. Don't be afraid to ask questions and browse the threads on CC. They are many experienced people willing to help and share with your upcoming trip. We are emailing now.

Wow! What else can be said. The photos and your trip are amazing! We have booked a Baltic cruise for June, 2014. We had not considered going to Moscow and after reading your blog, we are still not. BUT if we ever are lucky enough to come back sometime, it will definitely be on our TO DO list! Thank you for sharing the pics, vids and memories!

 

Jim and Pam

Hi Jim and Pam, how was the Fall in Michigan this year ? DW is a Michigander and we met in Michigan. We love spending the fall there. Congratulations on your Baltic cruise. We fell in love with St. Petersburg when we visited there on our 2006 cruise. You will have 2 full and enjoyable days there. Is it possible to do a post cruise stay in Moscow or St. Pete. ? We wished that we did when we first went because there a lot that we missed and wanted to see things at our own pace. It would be much quicker and cheaper to fly from Copenhagen than another transatlantic flight from Michigan. If you have not seen our thread on St. Petersburg - you may want to check it out.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1775172

In front of St. Basil's Cathedral is a statue of a butcher Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitniy Pozharskiy. When Moscow was occupied in 1612 by the Polish Army , they raised a volunteer group to repel the invaders.

To me, the most amazing church in Moscow is The Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

After Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 , the strategy of retreat and destroy (scorched earth) was employed by Russia to allow Napoleon to enter Moscow. He found it in ruins - burned by the residents. When winter arrived on October 19, Napoleon began the long retreat to France. Along the way with no food , the winter and the Russian people attacking , the French troops were decimated. 600,000 troops had entered Russia and less than 60,000 left alive. To celebrate the victory Tsar Alexander ordered the Cathedral built to thank Christ for the victory.

In 1931 Joseph Stalin blew up the cathedral to build a skyscraper - The Palace of the Soviets , that would be taller than The Empire State Building. It would feature a giant statue of Lenin on top. The plans were abandoned when Germany invaded in 1941. After the war , it became a giant pool when construction was needed for housing. It was rebuilt beginning in 1995 , and was completed in 2000.

There was a crowd at the door and we waited in the rain and cold. It was beautiful inside (no pictures allowed). We stayed about an hour and the crowd had left and we took the second picture in the rain. A quick Metro ride to the train station and we said goodbye to our guide Irina.

http://www.newbyzantines.net/byzcathculture/christsavior.html

We returned to St. Petersburg on the Sapsan 1st Class. It included dinner , a drink and internet connections. The internet only works with a Russian phone service - so it did not work for us. The chairs reclined , so we got a nice nap after a long day.

Hi Jim and Pam, how was the Fall in Michigan this year ? DW is a Michigander and we met in Michigan. We love spending the fall there. Congratulations on your Baltic cruise. We fell in love with St. Petersburg when we visited there on our 2006 cruise. You will have 2 full and enjoyable days there. Is it possible to do a post cruise stay in Moscow or St. Pete. ? We wished that we did when we first went because there a lot that we missed and wanted to see things at our own pace. It would be much quicker and cheaper to fly from Copenhagen than another transatlantic flight from Michigan. If you have not seen our thread on St. Petersburg - you may want to check it out.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1775172

Ok, so now that I spent hours looking at and reading your posts, I see why you suggest a post tour. There is no way to see everything in only 2 days. But thank you so much for your information on SPB. We are really looking forward to our visit and want to get the most out of it.

We had snow flurries today in Michigan. Our fall was pretty short which means winter will be pretty long. We will survive though because we have 2 cruises to look forward to... Caribbean in February and the Baltic in June!

Thanks again for the great photo review and tips! I'll keep reading...

Jim

Ok, so now that I spent hours looking at and reading your posts, I see why you suggest a post tour. There is no way to see everything in only 2 days. But thank you so much for your information on SPB. We are really looking forward to our visit and want to get the most out of it.

 

We had snow flurries today in Michigan. Our fall was pretty short which means winter will be pretty long. We will survive though because we have 2 cruises to look forward to... Caribbean in February and the Baltic in June!

 

Thanks again for the great photo review and tips! I'll keep reading...

 

Jim

It sounds like a couple of great cruises coming your way. The Western Carib. is our most common trip cause we dive in all 4 ports. It's a great way for you to beat that long winter ! My wife's sister (from Bay City) does a girl cruise every winter to beat the cold and avoid the Spring breakers. We would encourage you to prioritize in St. Petersburg - you won't get to see it all in 2 days so pick the best for you. Please know your camera well before you visit ! The sites will come fast and furious so you want to catch them all. I had some new lenses and made some rookie mistakes and muffed some good shots ! If we can answer any questions - give us a holler. Joe

Thank you for your great report and photos! We will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days next June on Legend of the Seas. I arranged private tours in St. Petersburg on days 1 and 3, and to Moscow on day 2 - all with Alla Tours. I previously visited St. Petersburg in 2005, and am especially looking forward to visiting Moscow this trip.

Thank you for your great report and photos! We will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days next June on Legend of the Seas. I arranged private tours in St. Petersburg on days 1 and 3, and to Moscow on day 2 - all with Alla Tours. I previously visited St. Petersburg in 2005, and am especially looking forward to visiting Moscow this trip.

Good to know that Nancy has these great Russian locations on her future, upcoming list. That assumes she survives her earlier “down under” visit, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice sailing, departing Sydney, going from Australia to Auckland/NZ doing 14 days on this ship we loved in the Med in June 2011. Nancy will be "riding" with us on this Aust-NZ cruise. Will share more on Russia with Nancy while we are sailing on this early 2014 adventure.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 123,372 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Thank you for your great report and photos! We will be in St. Petersburg for 3 days next June on Legend of the Seas. I arranged private tours in St. Petersburg on days 1 and 3, and to Moscow on day 2 - all with Alla Tours. I previously visited St. Petersburg in 2005, and am especially looking forward to visiting Moscow this trip.

Sounds like the perfect plan NancyIL ! Maybe something old and something new in St. Petersburg and something Red in Moscow! Did anyone watch Miss Universe in Moscow ? We enjoyed seeing the locale shots at night - something that we missed on our day trip. It also confirmed what we observed when we were there. Moscow like St. Petersburg has the majority of it's main sites located in a very small area. Catherine's Palace , Peterhof and Moscow require an amount of travel time equal or greater than the time spent there. There is the additional cost to Moscow as well. But it's great that you have 3 days and have seen some of St. Petersburg before so it made your decision easy. If you look at the map of Moscow you will see that most of the sites are very close together

and can be seen in a day, but Petersburg requires several days or more for maximum enjoyment.

Red Square and The Kremlin are next to each other and , in the lower left corner, is The Cathedral of Christ the Savior - all within walking distance.

We will be taking the Sapsan from Moscow to St. Petersburg next summer. Is there much of a difference between first class and coach? We're booked in coach as the TA says there's not all that much difference for the money. Also, do you have any opinion on whether to ride on the left or right, facing forward, headed to St. Petersburg? I want to get the best views.