Imperial Waterways of Russia

It can be difficult to get a handle on this vibrant and sprawling capital, which amazes visitors with its stunning contrasts. A panoramic tour with a knowledgeable local guide will introduce you to the most famous sights: the Kremlin, Bolshoi Theatre, Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral and Tverskaya Street, which are all close together in the heart of the historic city. Sparrow Hill, on the right bank of the Moscow River, gives you a fabulous view of the city below, as well as of the Moscow State University. A bit farther afield, you’ll see such landmarks as the New Maiden Convent, Bow Hill and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Step off your motorcoach for a short walking tour of Red Square, the historic heart of the nation; it has, over the centuries, been the site of national celebrations, coronations, executions, hand-to-hand battles and May Day parades glorifying Communist might. These days you are more likely to find huge rock concerts or large-scale fashion shows held on the square itself, but the mystique of the space remains intact, and any visitor can sense echoes of its tumultuous history.

You’ll notice many restaurants in this busy neighborhood; choose one to experience a typical Moscow lunch with the locals—your knowledgeable guide will happily recommend venues, as well as dishes you should be sure to try.

Green, blue and silver onion domes top colorful churches along the Volga, announcing that you have arrived in Uglich. Like other Golden Ring cities, it was founded in the Middle Ages and played a major role in regional trade and politics in the 16th century, but it is chiefly known for the death of Prince Dmitry, the 10-year-old son of Ivan the Terrible whose murder was blamed on Boris Godunov. Legend, history, art and mystery come together under the blue domes of the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood, so named because it was built where the child’s body was found. Inside you’ll see magnificent frescoes dating from the 1700s and icons from the 17th and 18th centuries, painted by the finest imperial icon artists, and you’ll learn a little about Prince Dmitry, whose tale has been told in Russian fiction and opera for centuries.

The ship docks within walking distance of the town, so you may browse through charming local shops and stroll along the promenade where vendors offer a great selection of souvenirs. You might want to take in Wonderful Assumption Church; with its three octagonal spires and onion domes, it is an outstanding example of 16th-century Russian Orthodox architecture.

Stroll through Yaroslavl’s UNESCO World Heritage–designated city center, which reflects both its late- medieval roots and, with its wide, tree-lined streets and attractive parks, the urban planning ordered by Catherine the Great. Step inside the exquisite Church of Elijah the Prophet, a masterpiece of Orthodox architecture whose interior is covered in frescoes, from the floor to the top of the domes high overhead. Along with religious imagery you’ll see scenes of daily life—peasants harvesting hay, weddings, animals—that give you a sense of how ordinary people lived in this area during the 17th century, when the paintings were made. At the outdoor market, where you’ll find locals shopping for fruits and vegetables, you can taste some of the excellent local cheeses or purchase a bottle of Russian vodka.

Travel a short distance to the banks of Lake Siverskoye, where one of the most beautiful monasteries in the country, St. Cyril, has stood fast against the ravages of war and politics for 600 years. Sturdy fortress walls that kept out Polish and Lithuanian invaders—but not the Bolshevik revolution—enclose a complex of 11 churches. Though the monastery was disbanded in the 1920s, monks have returned, so part of the complex is now a museum and part is an active monastery. Within the monastery’s museum you will find some exceptional icons depicting the history of St. Cyril.

You’ll also tour the small community nearby and gain a unique perspective on everyday life in this part of the world.

Note: Goritsy and Kirillov are located in a rather remote part of Russia, and while Uniworld always endeavors to provide the finest transportation, you may find that motorcoaches in this area do not meet our usual standards.

Be sure to come up on deck as the ship approaches Kizhi Island. The silhouette of the amazing Church of Transfiguration looms out of the water, its multiple onion domes impossibly intricate—and utterly unmistakable. After the ship docks at the island, a guide will take you through the famous open-air museum, which features 89 fascinating samples of traditional wooden architecture. Very simple wooden structures represent the first settlements on Kizhi, which appeared between the 10th and 12th centuries, but the jaw-dropping UNESCO- designated Church of Transfiguration is the ultimate in Russian fairytale architecture. Its 22 shimmering shingled domes were built without a single nail in 1714. Less ornate log and shingle buildings from throughout Northern Russia have been assembled here—cottages, barns and windmills, as well as churches—to create a window into the architectural heritage of the region. You can see what life was like for 19th-century inhabitants of the region in a re-created peasant house furnished with items typical of the time and place.

Ramble through the area known as the Old Village, made up of traditional buildings moved from other locations and rebuilt here, with the Cruise Manager. There was a village on this site in earlier times, but it was destroyed during WWII. The village that stands here now gives international visitors an idea of how Russians lived in the 19th century. It isn’t just for international visitors either; Russians come here to experience life as their forebears knew it, staying in the little cabins, feeding livestock and cooking on wood stoves. Observe craftspeople in the workshops creating beautiful handmade items: miniature Fabergé-style eggs mounted as pendants, Karelian birchwood boxes painted with exquisite scenes and gorgeous dolls in traditional costumes. Stroll from studio to studio, admiring these treasures, and when you are ready for a break, sample the best piroshki in Russia. A highlight of your visit to Mandrogi will be a traditional and rustic shashlik picnic lunch (weather permitting), with shish kebab and all the trimmings, as well as local entertainment.

No visit to Russia would be complete without experiencing the world-renowned Russian ballet. And today you get to experience Russia’s distinctive style of ballet in the city where it originated. One of the finest gifts of Peter the Great—whose move to modernize Russia included embracing Western dance forms—ballet became the exemplar of Russian culture. From Pavlova to Baryshnikov, the Russian stages have been graced with dancers of extraordinary talent and breathtaking grace. As the orchestra strikes up and the dancers come onstage, you’ll be enchanted by their virtuosic performance.

Russia’s window on the West, St. Petersburg melds exuberant Italian architecture with an austere Nordic setting, all bathed in the dancing light reflected from the waterways that wind through the city. You’ll see magnificent palaces, cathedrals and monuments that fill the historic city center in two ways today—via a panoramic tour and from the water. Travel down Nevsky Prospect (the street was intended to lead from the Winter Palace to Moscow) from the vast neoclassical palace toward the spire of the Admiralty building, and take in such sights as St. Isaac’s Cathedral—real gold sheathes that massive dome—the ornate blue-and-white Smolny Cathedral, the Field of Mars and the state university. Unlike the Italianate architecture of so much of St. Petersburg, the Church of Our Savior on Blood boasts the ornamented onion domes found in traditional Orthodox churches, so its profile is unmistakable.

Water is as omnipresent in St. Petersburg as it is in Venice, casting a unique luminous glow on every gilt dome and neoclassical façade. Three rivers and innumerable canals crisscross the city, and hundreds of bridges span those waterways. Board a canal boat for a cruise down the Fontanka and Moika rivers, where aristocrats built their palaces, and Kryukov Canal, which links the two rivers and where many famous artists and composers lived. This fascinating tour will give you an incomparable view of the city’s beautiful buildings and bridges.

After the tour, you’ll have time for lunch at the place of your choice (your guide will be happy to offer restaurant suggestions, as well as local dishes to try) before exploring on your own. A motorcoach will also be available to take you back to your ship.

Founded by Catherine the Great, the Hermitage is one of the premier museums in the world, composed of five buildings and housing some three million works, ranging from the Stone Age to the contemporary. Among the ancient artifacts is a seventh-century Scythian stag made of gold, along with numerous other astonishingly beautiful pieces from the nomadic cultures of Russia. Nearly all of the Western European masters, from Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo to Édouard Manet and Auguste Rodin, are represented, and there is also an extensive collection of Russian art and artifacts. The impressionist collection, a closely guarded secret for five decades, is now world famous. Following your tour, St. Petersburg is yours to explore on your own. Shuttles will be available to take you to and from the ship, so you could spend more time among the marvels of the Hermitage before returning to the ship.

First developed during Peter I’s reign, when it was a modest 16-room mansion that he gave to his wife, Catherine (for whom the estate is named), this vast palace owes its extraordinary grandeur to Empress Elizabeth, Peter the Great’s daughter. She lavished enormous sums on it, hiring architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli to completely redesign the palace and the finest artists of the day to embellish its interiors. Twenty staterooms are open to the public, each more opulent than the last. The Amber Room was Rastrelli’s masterpiece: Sheathed in panels of amber mosaic (given to Peter the Great by Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia) that were augmented with gemstone mosaics, mirrors and gilding, the stunning room was used to set off collections of amber pieces and fine porcelain. Unfortunately, the original room was dismantled by Nazis and sent to Germany, where the amber panels were lost. The room you see today is the result of a meticulous—and hugely expensive—restoration project that took two decades. Your tour will also take you through the beautiful neoclassical rooms designed for Catherine the Great by her favorite architect, Charles Cameron, and out into the grounds, which boast a lake (with boathouse), grottoes, fountains, pavilions, formal parterres and semi-wilderness areas.

After the palace visit, you’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant serving traditional Russian cuisine.

Spend the rest of your day in St. Petersburg exploring the city on your own. You could tour Aleksandrovsky Park, where you’ll find bronze miniatures of the major architectural works of St. Petersburg, along with a tribute to the key architects who designed the buildings. The replicas were created by famous Russian sculptor Alexander Taratynov. You could stroll along the Neva embankments and admire the elegant granite barriers erected to protect the city from flooding, which are adorned with sculptures of sphinxes and lions. The grocery store Yeliseyevsky, on Nevsky Prospect, is a gourmand’s delight. Even if you aren’t in the market for caviar or chocolates, it’s worth visiting just for its marble counters and stained-glass windows.