A romantic and memorable trip down the Volga river from Moscow to St. Petersburg is the dream of many a foreign visitor to Russia. Watching the expansive onion-dome covered scenery of Russian legends expanding away into the horizon from the comfort of a cruise ship, is truly a magical experience. And In Your Pocket would know, because after many years of dreaming, we finally made the trip ourselves.

By Louise Whitworth

All Aboard

Modern cruising is all about the size of your ship, with ocean-liners becoming small cities filled with casinos, swimming pools, bowling alleys and bars. River liners on the other hand are all about the little details. When you arrive at Moscow’s river port, a 20 minute walk from metro station Rechnoi Vokzal, you’ll see what a difference it can make. Many of the other ships that cruise the Volga river are huge ex-Soviet behemoths. They can sleep hundreds of passengers and feed them in numerous restaurants, whilst also being able to navigate the narrow sluice gates of the river’s upper regions. Our ship, the Volga Dream, was noticeably smaller, fancier and shinier in comparison to the other boats docked nearby it and the welcome that we received left us quickly assured that on this ship, it is all about the personal touch. We and our fellow passengers were greeted in time-honoured Russian style by a crew of girls dressed in traditional costume, who offered us bread, salt and vodka as part of a ritual that is one of the most ancient in Russian folklore. After being showed to our cabins we were then invited to the lobby bar for a formal champagne welcome and a chance to meet the crew and other passengers for the journey. Then finally with a swirl of Tchaikovsky from the ship’s loud speakers we suddenly set sail, passing out through the north of the city and into the Moscow canal, where many richer Muscovites have their dachas and could be soon enjoying time out on leisure boats or fishing from the shore.




The Golden Ring

After a glorious meal in the ship’s restaurant and a drink on the deck whilst watching the sunset, we woke up to a huge buffet breakfast and the first of many ‘port talks’. The ship’s Port Talks are helpful short morning meetings where the cruise director let’s you know what to expect from the day, such as interesting photo opportunities that will be floating past throughout the day, lectures that will be taking place on various different elements of Russian culture and what kind of things you can do in the next town that the ship will dock in. As we were now entering Russia’s famous ‘Golden Ring’ region sightseeing opportunities abounded. After lunch we were invited to observe the ship carefully passing through a series of Stalinist locks that would bring the canal up to the height’s of the Uglich reservoir. The town of Uglich itself is one of the oldest and smallest in the Golden Ring and its main claim to fame is as the place where the line of Ivan the Terrible came to a bloody end with the murder of his young son Dmitri. With its pretty little 16th Century red church topped with small blue domes it was a good sign of things to come. A trip on a Volga river cruise is about rest and relaxation and eight hour long tours of huge Kremlin’s had been left behind in Moscow and instead we were heading out into Russia’s villages.

The next day’s excursions were no less leisurely. After a fantastic evening of Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky from the ship’s onboard concert pianist, the morning was welcomed in with a singing lesson from last night’s performer before we arrived in the village of Plyos. Once the home of Russian romantic painter Levitan, Plyos is an exact replica of the kind of Volga river towns that you expect from Pushkin’s days. Apple trees litter the softly sloping hills, while colourful wooden houses, decorated with intricate wooden eaves crawl across the landscape and vie for space with tiny churches and wooden fishing boats. A lot of the locals here also run a good line in showing you how life in the village used to be, by giving demonstrations in their homes of the old household tools that their grandparents used to use and songs they used to sing. Back on the boat there is plenty of time to relax out on the deck in the setting sun before this evening’s big meal which features fish that the kitchen staff had carefully sought out in the village. The highlight is a huge trout that was brought up fresh from the Volga that day.



The last place that we visit in the Golden Ring is the 1000 Year old city of Yaroslavl. It’s a very early start as we have a long way north to head to our next stop, so we find ourselves already out touring the foundations of the ancient city at a misty 08.30am. After viewing the city’s monastery and crafts museum, we are left to wander around the pedestrianised centre of the medieval city and search for souvenirs and coffee. Yaroslavl is easily one of the most overlooked towns in this region and is worth an overnight stay. The locals are friendly upwardly mobile types and the city is having a big makeover in time for its birthday in July. Right in the centre of the city there is also the chance to see possibly the brightest and best preserved frescoes in all of Russia in the Church of St Elijah. As a special surprise we are also treated to a small performance by singers from the local opera house, who are allowed to take advantage of the building’s excellent acoustics during the summer months (during the winter it is closed). Lunch time soon comes around however and its back on the boat for lunch and a nap, before the kitchen staff invite us down for a lesson in how to make real Russian blini (pancakes) and pelmeni (dumplings).

Northern Russia

Heading out of the Volga river and into the Baltic canal waterways we are greeted by the sight of ‘Mother Volga’ as she waves us away into the sunset. During the final three days of our trip we will not be on the Volga proper but the system of rivers reservoirs and canals that were designed by Soviet engineers in an environmentally disastrous attempt to link up St. Petersburg and Moscow by the water. All along the way there are flooded bell towers and monasteries to be spotted rising eerily from the waters, while the landscape itself changes too, with northern firs beginning to dot the landscape. The final religious site that we stop at is the Kirillov monastery, said to be the largest in Europe. As the place where Saint Kirill of Belozersky lived and died, it is a well-known pilgrimage site for the faithful, whilst locals also believe that the water surrounding the monastery can make you ten years younger (hence we took a little dip – twice!). Also attached to the monastery is the village of Goritsy, an idyllic lakeside cluster of colourful wooden houses, where the locals sell vegetables and pies made from the fruits of their little gardens.




Following this excursion its onward to the huge lake Onegin and the island of Kizhi. As it will take us a while to get there plenty of activities have been organised for us including a tour of the engine rooms and bridge and a Russian night, where everyone (guests included) is dressed up in local costume, piles of Russian specialities are on offer and our pianist Vasily performs Tchaikovsky’s seasons for us, complete with Russian poetry read by our wonderful cruise director Elena. When we finally land at the island of Kizhi, we are given a fascinating excursion around one of the most iconic wooden churches in the world by local guide Alexei and have the chance to take a walk around this deserted island populated only by ancient wooden buildings. Back on the boat as we sail in to our last day we enter the canal leading to Lake Ladoga and on to St. Petersburg. As night sets we are treated to a real northern sunset followed by a clear starry night on the quiet narrow canal, where even the occasional wild animal can be spotted flitting in and out of the trees.

Our final day is a day full of fun. We start out with a barbeque lunch out on the deck, complete with complimentary beer, shashlik, salads, chicken legs and more, before drooping in at the Russian Disneyland village of Mandrogi. Mandrogi is a selection of houses, banyas, horse riding opportunities and craft stalls, where you can paint your own matrioshka, make a clay pot and of course visit the vodka museum. Everyone has an amusing day out in this colourful green tourist town and arms full of souvenirs hops back on the boat for a special goodbye meal. That evening, guests and all of the ship’s staff turn out in their finest for a cocktail reception, where the bar staff give us a lesson in making the classics. We then head down to the restaurant where the kitchen staff have also prepared a dazzling presentation of their skills, complete with flambéed pears and sizzling woks. As we eat and drink on into the home run back to St. Petersburg, everyone has become friends and all are lamenting the fact that in just a few hours we will have to leave the lovely comfort of our cabins on the gently sailing Volga Dream and step out into the fast paced world (of our admittedly beautiful) final destination, St. Petersburg. There is much talk of next year’s sailing plans and I catch word of the Volga Dream’s Moscow to Astrakhan journey. Ten days and more than enough sights, the wonderful staff and imaginative meals and activities of the Volga Dream. And of course even more of that mighty Volga river itself…Seems like a chance that simply cannot be missed!



More about Volga Dream

In Your Pocket travelled courtesy of Volga Dream Cruises. As well as the week long Moscow-St. Petersburg cruise, Volga Dream also have 10 to 13 day Moscow-Astrakhan cruises and shorter 2 night cruises from Moscow to the Golden Ring. The cruising season runs from May 08 through October 02. For bookings and more information about cruise itineraries check their website www.volgadream.com, call them on +7 495 699 33 21, visit their Moscow office at ul. Malaya Bronnaya 26, bdg 2 (metro Mayakovskaya) or send an email to info@volgadream.com.