Blogs from Northwest, Russia, Europe - page 154

Heading East, But Not Quite in the Right Direction

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow April 18th 1989

Well, not exactly Moscow. Aeroflot was the cheapest way of reaching South East Asia and consequently we had to change planes at Moscow, spending six very, very dull hours in transit. The day got off to a bad start at Heathrow when the computer erased several of the passengers, including us. It was sorted out eventually, but Andy was very unimpressed and continuously compared the (quote) "shocking state of affairs" to the "high levels of professionalism and efficiency at Gatwick" where he had worked. Mind you, when the bus took us to the wrong plane, on top of all the computer problems, I had to agree with him. My cousin, who works for customs, came by to say hello while we were waiting for the computer to be sorted out. I tried to get her to ... read more

Easter Week in Russia, 1984

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg April 21st 1984

84 05 Prebaltiska hotel Lenningrad

jeffjant

I am in the process (for about 10 years) of writing my autobiography. Here is an entry I just completed. In 1984, we were living in Heidelberg Germany. I worked on a US Army base. In April, we took our big trip of the year, during Easter Week, We all, except for our son Dave, who was in Boulder Colorado at college, spent a week in Russia. Dave was really bummed that he couldn’t go with us. Lee Johnson, one of my co-workers, and his family, went with us. In my work I had a special Top Secret Clearance. To go on this trip, I needed permission from the Special Security Officer (SSO) in Heidelberg. This was an army sponsored trip and the permission was easy. I told my boss in Virginia about the trip and ... read more

Moscow

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow July 24th 1975

St. Basil's Cathedral

AndrewHL

An Aeroflot flight brought us from Leningrad to Moscow. We stayed at an Intourist hotel. Sightseeing in Moscow focused on Red Square and the Kremlin. I'd always waned to see St. Basil's Cathedral since reading about it in a vintage National Geographic magazine. There was also a visit to the famous GUM (Gosudarstvennyi Universalnyy Magazin) store off Red Square. GUM was described in the West as a department store, but the structure, opened in 1893, was really more of what I would call a shopping arcade. In 1914 Baedeker called it the "Trading Rows" a translation of its name in pre-Soviet times. We saw Lenin's mausoleum on Red Square, for which there was a long queue. There were also visits to Moscow State University and to the VDNKh (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy). In ... read more

Petrodvorets - Peterhof

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Peterhof July 22nd 1975

Marine Canal

AndrewHL

Peterhof is the extensive estate of palaces, gardens and spectacular fountains as imagined by Peter the Great. In the Soviet era it was called Petrodvorets. It is always a must see on a visit to St. Petersburg. Along with many of the former imperial estates and palaces surrounding Leningrad, it had been destroyed during World War II and the Siege of Leningrad. While many other historic properties, including the Catherine Palace, were still in a state of restoration in 1975, Petrodvorets had been restored within the 30 years since the war. Then as now, Petrodvorets is reached via hydrofoils skimming along the Gulf of Finland. Our visit to St. Petersburg also included a journey to the suburb of Pushkin, once known as Tsarskoye Selo. Tsarskoye Selo had been home to several opulent eighteenth century palaces during ... read more

Leningrad

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg July 20th 1975

Alexander Column

AndrewHL

We reached Finland Station and Leningrad at about 9:30 a.m.. Finland Station is famous for being the station through which Lenin returned to Russia from exile in 1916. After disembarking we walked the length of the train to the exit. A green electric locomotive was at the head end. Inside the station, the steam locomotive that powered Lenin's train was on display. Prominently on display outside was a statue of Lenin at the exit. "They have him everywhere" someone said. But I knew the whole story and was sure the statue was there to commemorate the role the station had played in the Revolution. We met our Intourist guide at the entrance to the station. Masha would keep close watch on us during our stay and made sure no one strayed. That as the way it ... read more

The Frontier at Luzhayka

Europe » Russia » Northwest » Vyborg July 19th 1975

Birch Forest

AndrewHL

Saturday evening was our train to Leningrad. A very adventurous way to enter the Soviet Union thought I! The train departed from Helsinki Station, designed by Eliel Saarinen, with its destination Finland Station in Leningrad. The Soviet Railways (SZD) train backed down to the platform, and very mysterious looking it was. The sleeping car had compartments for four passengers, each with two bunkbeds and a table at the window. A corridor ran down one side of the car. Along the corridor were round jump seats at the windows. The conductor sat at one end of the car and kept an eye on the corridor. After we had departed, he collected our passports and customs and currency declarations and took them back to his post. I thought about the stories I'd heard of the Russian floor wardens ... read more

Brief history of Russia

Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynas...more history

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