R U S S I AD E S T I N A T I O N O F T H E M O N T H

Described by Churchill as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”, Russia is a vast, fascinating and often bewildering country, which holds a unique allure for discerning travellers with a sense of adventure. It is a land of contrasts, from austere

Soviet architecture to the colourful spires and domes of Orthodox churches, and from the fanciful rococo palaces of St Petersburg to the imposing fortifications of Moscow’s Kremlin.

It is also a country which has given birth to some of the world’s greatest writers, artists and composers, and visitors today can see places associated with Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Checkov, explore museums and galleries which house works by the great masters

of Europe and Russia, discover churches adorned with golden icons, and perhaps take in world-class ballet at the renowned Mariinsky or Bolshoi Theatre.

The Kirker Concierge will help smooth the way with reserved tickets for an opera or ballet, excursions with an expert English-speaking local guide, and Kirker will arrange your Russian visas, comfortable private transfers, and accommodation

in carefully-selected hotels in the best locations.

Kempinski Baltschug ***** Deluxe, MoscowThis modern hotel is ideally situated five minutes’ walk from Red Square with views across the river to the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral. There are 230 rooms and suites, the ‘Baltschug Grill’ offering modern European cuisine and an indoor swimming pool.

3 night price from £1,494

Hotel Astoria ***** Deluxe, St. PetersburgWith wonderful views of St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the Mariinsky Palace, the Astoria offers 169 luxurious rooms and suites, furnished in the contemporary style that is synonymous with Rocco Forte Hotels. Astoria Café serves traditional Russian and international cuisine for lunch and dinner, afternoon tea is served in the Rotonda Lounge and drinks in the Lichfield Bar.

4 nights for the price of 3 from 1 November - 31 March 2018 - price from £1,158, saving £120

RECOMMENDED HOTELS

Prices include flights, private transfers, accommodation with breakfast, Russian visa service, Kirker Guide Notes and the services of the Kirker Concierge.

We feature a wide range of hotels in Russia, including Rocco Forte Hotels’ two properties in St Petersburg. For those visiting St Petersburg or Moscow for a short break we particularly recommend the following:

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To make a booking please contactyour independent travel agent

KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS & MUSIC HOLIDAYS

THE PALACES & GALLERIES OF ST. PETERSBURGSIX NIGHT ESCORTED HOLIDAYS | 13 APRIL, 7 SEPTEMBER & 5 OCTOBER 2018

Kirker Holidays provides a range of carefully crafted escorted holidays, with fascinating itineraries designed for those with an interest in history, art, architecture, gardens and music. Groups typically consist of 12-22 like-minded travellers, in the company

of an expert Tour Lecturer. Single supplements available on request.

Peter the Great was a man with a vision, determined to show that Russia was looking to the West, not the East for its inspiration and ideals. How better to do this than to build a new city on the Baltic Sea? Today, the legacy of his ambitions and achievements

is displayed in St Petersburg’s monumental buildings of state, great churches and cathedrals, ornate theatres and legendary art collections at the Hermitage – which all add up to create one of the most rewarding experiences for modern day visitors.

The itineraryWe stay for the duration of the holiday at the 4 * Angleterre, a Rocco Forte Hotel overlooking St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Beginning with an introductory panoramic tour of the city, we shall see the Peter & Paul Fortress and Cathedral, the simple log cabin where Peter the Great lived as his city grew around him, the Menshikov Palace and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. We will also head out of the city itself to the sumptuous summer palaces built for members of the Imperial family: Pavlovsk, built for the son of Catherine the Great, the magnificent Catherine Palace at Pushkin, and Peterhof, with its gardens and fountains leading down to the shores of the Baltic Sea. We also visit the wonderful collection of art and icons on display in the Russian Museum, the Fabergé Museum which is housed in the Shuvalov Palace, and of course, the Hermitage – one of the world’s greatest collections of Old Masters, Impressionists, antiquities, ceramics, porcelain and jewellery.

Price from £2,370 per person for six nights including flights, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, one lunch, four dinners, a Russian visa service, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer.

Catherine Palace

ART, MUSIC & LITERATURE IN MOSCOWFIVE NIGHT HOLIDAYS | 19 APRIL & 11 OCTOBER 2018

Moscow is the spiritual and political heart of Russia, and for those who wish to understand the country, a visit to the city of Tolstoy, Chekhov and Dostoevsky is an essential experience. Our tour will encompass dazzling Orthodox cathedrals, imposing Soviet era monuments, and the spectacular treasures of the Tsars at the Kremlin. The Imperial dynasties also fostered Russia’s greatest writers and artists during the 19th century, and we shall explore several writers’ houses and important art galleries.

The itineraryTracing the lives of Russia’s great writers and composers we will visit the house where Leo Tolstoy lived and entertained the elite of Russian society, and visit two estates outside the city: Melikhovo, where we see the picturesque rural wooden house where Anton Chekhov, lived and worked from 1892; and Klin, where Tchaikovsky lived and composed The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and his one-act opera Iolanta. At the Novodevichy Convent, one of the most peaceful and spiritual places in Moscow, we will see the last resting places of many important figures in Russian culture and history.In addition we shall visit Red Square and the Kremlin, including its impressive Armoury Museum and the Cathedral of Archangel Michael where we see the tomb of Moscow’s founder, Prince Ivan I. We will see Moscow’s greatest art collections at the Tretyakov Gallery, the world’s most important collection of works by Russian artists; the Pushkin State Museum, home to European Old Masters; and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Our base for the duration is the 4* Hotel National, located a short walk from Red Square.

Price from £2,282 per person for five nights including flights, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, two lunches, two

dinners, a Russian visa service, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer.

Novodevichy Convent

Our separate tours to Moscow & St Petersburg in April and October run consecutively, so why not book both for a comprehensive insight into Russian culture? Travel by first class train between the two cities is included. Price from £4,170 per person for 11 nights.

KIRKER CULTURAL TOURS & MUSIC HOLIDAYS

THE ROMANOVS & REVOLUTIONThe Centenary of the October Revolution

A SEVEN NIGHT HOLIDAY | 6 NOVEMBER 2017

In the centenary of the ‘ten days that shook the world’, we will retrace the events of 1917 from the Winter Palace in St Petersburg to Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow. We shall see the resting places of the Romanovs, key locations in the Revolution,

and the legacies of the Soviet era which remain today.

We begin our journey in St Petersburg, where we will be based for four nights at the 4* Superior Hotel Angleterre. One hundred years to the day since the October Revolution began we shall discover the events of 1917, from Rasputin’s assassination and Finland Station, where Lenin returned from exile, to the Aurora Cruiser, which fired the shots signalling the start of the Revolution. We will also visit the city’s great museums, including the Russian Museum, with its extraordinary collection of Russian art; the Political History Museum, and the vast Hermitage Museum. Travelling to Moscow by high-speed train, we will spend the next three nights at the 4* Deluxe Baltschug Kempinski. In the capital we will see evidence of the Soviet era: Red Square, Lenin’s Mausoleum, and the great Kremlin complex. We also take a day out of the city to see Gorki Leninskiye, Lenin’s country residence, and discarded monuments in Muzeon Park.

Price from £2,995 per person for seven nights including flights, transfers, rail between St Petersburg & Moscow, accommodation with breakfast, one lunch, four dinners, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities

and the services of the Kirker Tour Leaders.

NEW YEAR IN ST. PETERSBURGA SIX NIGHT HOLIDAY | 29 DECEMBER 2017

There is something uniquely atmospheric about visiting St. Petersburg in the depths of winter when the canals and palaces are dusted in snow. It may be cold outside but dig out that Dr Zhivago fur hat and enter into the spirit of Russia at New Year.

For our special New Year holiday we will stay at the stylish 5* Deluxe Hotel Astoria, a Rocco Forte Hotel overlooking St. Isaac’s Cathedral, where we will enjoy a New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner. During our time in the city we shall visit the Hermitage, including a special tour of the Diamond Room; the unique displays of Russian art and icons at the Russian Museum; and the Fabergé Museum housed in the Shuvalov Palace. We shall also explore the Imperial palaces of the Tsars, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, where a host of Russian cultural luminaries are buried and several spectacular churches.

Price from £2,745 per person for six nights including return flights, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, one lunch, four dinners including Grand Gala Dinner at the hotel on New Year’s Eve, Russian

visa service, all sightseeing, entrance fees and gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer.

MOSCOW & THE GOLDEN RINGAN EIGHT NIGHT HOLIDAY | 17 AUGUST 2018

The Golden Ring, northeast of Moscow, is a region of small but influential towns and cities which played a formative role in Russia’s history. For those who wish to explore beyond Moscow and St Petersburg, our new tour to the cathedrals, kremlins and

churches of this region is a fascinating insight into mediaeval Russia.

Our first two nights are spent in Moscow, at the 4* Marriott Tverskaya, from where we visit Red Square and the Kremlin’s Armoury and Cathedrals. We then leave Moscow for the Golden Ring, where we will stay for two nights in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Yaroslavl, regarded as the unofficial capital of the Golden Ring. Founded in the 11th century, Yaroslavl is home to 17th century churches, a beautiful kremlin and the monastery of Spaso-Yakovlevsky. In Kostroma we see the Ipatiev Monastery founded in the early 17th century by Prince Chet, a forebear of Boris Godunov and then stay for the next three nights in Suzdal, the smallest town on the Golden Ring. We will also make an excursion to neighbouring Vladimir’s Golden Gate – a white tower dating from the 12th century before returning to Moscow where we discover the world’s largest collection of works by Russian artists at the Tretyakov Gallery.

Price from £2,986 per person for eight nights including return flights, transfers, accommodation with breakfast, one lunch, seven dinners, a Russian visa service, all sightseeing, entrance fees and

gratuities and the services of the Kirker Tour Lecturer and a Kirker Tour Escort.

Holy Assumption Cathedral, Vladimir

The Hermitage

St. Basil’s Cathedral

Published September 2017

OPERA & BALLETClassical music, opera and ballet thrived in Russia under the patronage of the Tsars, and during the Soviet era. As a result, Moscow and St Petersburg are today home to two of the most famous theatres in the world, which host a full schedule of productions of an exceptional standard. The reputation of the Bolshoi in Moscow and the Mariinsky in St Petersburg cast very long shadows, and as a result many visitors miss opportunities to attend performances at the legion of other venues both cities offer. Tickets and schedules are often released only a few months in advance, but speak to your independent travel agent to make sure

you have the best seats reserved before you travel.

St PetersburgKnown as the Kirov Ballet during the Soviet era, the Mariinsky is the home of one of the world’s leading ballet companies, under the direction of Valery Gergiev. However, you can also catch performances at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and at the ornate Philharmonic Hall as well as choral concerts at the State Academic Capella. Back to the Mariinsky, remember that today the company has no less than three venues – the grand Imperial opera house, a concert hall and

a new theatre for both opera and ballet, Mariinsky 2.

MoscowHome to the world’s largest ballet company as well as the highly regarded Bolshoi Opera, the impressive neo-classical Bolshoi Theatre has hosted premieres of works by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Shostakovich. But the city also has two important theatres which visitors often miss – the Stanislavski Theatre where the emphasis is on bringing out the drama of much-loved opera and ballets, and the Helikon Opera, founded in 1990, where productions push the boundaries to present sometimes blistering, but never sensational, interpretations of the great works. Add to this the Tchaikovsky Hall and the three halls at the country’s leading conservatoire, and music-lovers have an unparalleled

array of world-class venues to choose from.

TAILOR-MADE RUSSIA

St Petersburg and MoscowCombine Russia’s two great cities in this tailor-made itinerary which includes expert local guides in each city and first-class travel on the high-speed Sapsan train between the two. Stay at the 4* Superior Hotel Angleterre, on St Isaac’s Square in the heart of St Petersburg, for the first four nights, and enjoy expert guided tours of some of the city’s key sights, including a walking tour which introduces you to the highlights of the Hermitage’s awe-inspiring collection, and a panoramic city tour taking in the ornate Church on the Spilled Blood and the grand palaces which line the River Neva. In Moscow you will explore the Kremlin and its spectacular Armoury, from your base at the 5* Hotel Baltschug Kempinski, set on the banks of the River Moskva. The Kirker Concierge is at your disposal to book table reservations at our favourite restaurants, and tickets for opera, ballet and concerts at the world-class theatres.

Price from £2,458 per person for a seven night holiday including flights, accommodation with breakfast, Russian visa service, first class rail between

St Petersburg and Moscow, a panoramic city tour and Hermitage walking tour in St Petersburg, walking tour of the Kremlin and Armoury in Moscow, and the services

of the Kirker Concierge.

Trans-Siberian Express – on the Golden Eagle

One of the world’s most celebrated rail journeys, the Trans-Siberian Express cuts a panoramic route across the vast expanse of Russia, from metropolitan Moscow through wide empty steppes, dense pine forests and the frozen landscape of the Siberian tundra. As you traverse 9,000km and seven time zones you will call at the Tatar capital Kazan, the Imperial city of Yekatarinburg, Soviet-era Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and the dramatic beauty of Lake Baikal, and Russia’s far eastern port of Vladivostock. The Golden Eagle offers discerning travellers with a sense of adventure the opportunity to experience this journey from the comfort of private en-suite cabins, with gourmet meals including the finest Russian ingredients served in elegant restaurant cars.

Speak to a Kirker expert for a tailor-made quotation.

Mariinsky Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre

Agents details:

To make a booking please contact your independent travel agent

01372 375361/01737 362626220 Cobham Road

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