A Chronicle of Russian Cuisine & Culture 2015...A Chronicle of Russian Cuisine & Culture Innovation and Imagination in Russia’s Culinary Scene One Departure in 2015 – Cultural

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A Chronicle of Russian Cuisine & Culture

2015

Peter Sukonik

© 1996-2015 MIR Corporation 85 South Washington St, Ste. 210, Seattle, WA 98104 • 206-624-7289 • 206-624-7360 FAX • [email protected] 2

A Chronicle of Russian Cuisine & CultureInnovation and Imagination in Russia’s Culinary Scene

One Departure in 2015 – Cultural Series - 10 days

July 31-August 9

This delectable journey, led by a passionate local foodie, lets you eat your way through Russia’s greatest cities,

Moscow and St. Petersburg, while taking care to touch on all the definitive cultural sites. You will learn that Russian

cuisine is much more than borscht and blini. Explore the enduring outdoor produce markets and their new or-

ganic relatives, such as the pioneering food collective, LavkaLavka. Sip a selection of premium vodkas at the

source, the Cristall Vodka Museum. Meet famed chefs for hands-on cooking classes and dine with local families in

their homes. And, of course, enjoy a smorgasbord of restaurants, including one dedicated to Siberian cuisine, which

could have fresh wild boar on the menu; a retro Soviet-style cafeteria in Red Square; a classy upscale dining room

serving sturgeon and caviar; a cozy, kitschy café featuring Soviet comfort food; and a country dacha, where home-

cooked cuisine and traditional Russian culture come together.

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Daily ItineraryDay 1, Friday, July 31 Arrive MoscowDay 2, Saturday, August 1 MoscowDay 3, Sunday, August 2 MoscowDay 4, Monday, August 3 Moscow • fast day train to St. PetersburgDay 5, Tuesday, August 4 St. PetersburgDay 6, Wednesday, August 5 St. PetersburgDay 7, Thursday, August 6 St. PetersburgDay 8, Friday, August 7 St. PetersburgDay 9, Saturday, August 8 St. PetersburgDay 10, Sunday, August 9 Depart St. Petersburg



MIR Signature Experiences• Attend a master cooking class at Moscow’s Taste of Russia, where expert chef/instructors lead a hands-on lesson in purchasing, preparing and consuming classic Russian dishes.• Take a cook’s tour of Moscow, dropping in at the lavish pre-revolutionary Eliseyevsky food store; the canteen at John the Baptist Convent, where the nuns make the best bread in town; and Perlov’s Tea House, to learn about the history of tea-drinking in Russia.• Sip Russia’s premium vodka, Cristall, on a private tour and tasting at the Cristall Vodka Museum. • Meet a St. Petersburg celebrity chef and take a class with him, preparing (and consuming) traditional Russian specialties.• Sample kvas, a popular Russian drink with ancient roots made from fermented brown bread, and served on the streets from mobile barrels during Soviet times.• Enjoy dinner at Molokhovets’ Dream restaurant, serving dishes based on the recipes in the iconic 19th century cookbook, A Gift to Young Housewives.• Indulge in a comfort-inducing dessert at a cozy, kitschy retro-Soviet café that reproduces a typical Soviet flat from the 60s and 70s.• Explore St. Petersburg’s Museum of Bread, with exhibits including the Leningrad "siege bread," the 125-gram piece rationed daily to each person during the 990-day siege. • Venture to an organic farm that supplies products to the trailblazing whole food collective LavkaLavka, accompanied by a LavkaLavka manager. • Drive out of town for a quintessential Russian dacha experience, dining on home-grown and home-cooked Russian fare, toasting your hosts and the culinary insight you have gained during your journey.• Sip tea served from the family samovar, and hear stories about the treasured tradition of Russian tea-drinking.

Tour HighlightsMoscow Dinner at Cafe Pushkin, Dorogomilovsky Market, master cooking class at Taste of Russia, dinner at Mari Vanna Restaurant, Moscow Metro tour, Izmailovo Flea Market, tea at Perlov’s Tea House, a visit to whole foods co-op LavkaLavka, the Cristall Vodka Museum, Tsvetnoi Market, dinner in the Siberian restaurant Chemodan, Museum of Chocolate and Cocoa History, GUM, Red Square and the Kremlin (UNESCO World Heritage Site), St. Basil’s Cathedral, Armory Museum, Eliseyevsky Magazin gourmet shop, Museum of Culinary Arts

St. Petersburg Palace Square, Soviet nostalgia tour of vodka bars, cooking class with famous St. Pe- tersburg chef, Catherine’s Palace, lunch in Podvorye Restaurant, historic city center (UNESCO World Heritage Site), dinner at Gogol Restaurant, hydrofoil ride on the Gulf of Finland, Peter the Great’s palace and park Peterhof, Monplaisir, lunch at Idiot vegetarian cafe, Kuznechny Market, sample kvas, dinner at KoKoKo restaurant, dessert in a Soviet style cafe, Museum of Bread, LavkaLavka St. Petersburg headquarters, meeting with a local organic farmer, cooking class and dinner in a private home, Smolny Cathedral and Institute, Aleksander Nevsky Monastery, Trinity Cathedral, experience Russian dacha life, Piskarev Cemetery, Peter and Paul Fortress, Nevsky Prospekt, Hermitage Museum, Church of the Savior on the Blood.




Daily Itinerary

Day One, Friday, July 31Arrive Moscow

After check-in at the hotel and a chance to rest, begin the evening with a welcome dinner at Café Pushkin, arguably the most famous restaurant in Moscow. The decor of this upscale restaurant conjures up an aristocratic 19th century Russian home. Its sophisticated pre-revolutionary Russian and French

cuisine lives up to the decor, and includes beautifully prepared dishes such as Czar’s Sturgeon and caviar.

After dinner, if you choose, take a short walk on Red Square to ad-mire St. Basil’s at night before returning to the hotel.Meals: D – Hotel Peter I or similar

Day Two, Saturday, August 1Moscow

Get a taste of gastronomic Moscow today with an expert-led jaunt through a fantastic market and a chance to put together a meal from your purchases. Then, hit Moscow’s must-see sights before dinner in one of the city’s retro/modern restaurants.

With a chef from Taste of Russia cooking school, browse the sprawling indoor Dorogomilovsky Market, where vendors from near and far sell newly-picked vegetables and fruit, fresh fish, caviar, meats, cheeses and baked goods. This is where Moscow’s chefs shop for their daily ingredients, and regular Muscovites pick up their din-ners.

Bring the group’s purchases to a master cooking class at Taste of Russia, where expert chef/instructors lead a hands-on les-son in preparing classic Russian dishes . With your fresh, flavorful ingredients, learn to prepare a meal in Taste of Russia’s kitch-ens and finally, feast on your creations.

After your hand-crafted lunch, tour Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral, perhaps the most recognizable symbols of Russia. The square owes its origins to Ivan III, who in the late 15th century had all buildings removed from the eastern wall of the Kremlin. For the next 400 years, this newly formed area was a trading center. In 1920 all traders were banned from the square, and in the early 1960s cars were banned as well, making Red Square a pedestrian area.




St. Basil's was built to celebrate Ivan the Terrible’s victory at the Tatar strong-hold of Kazan in 1552. It was originally painted white. The domes were not pat-terned and colored as they are today un-til a hundred years later. St. Basil's is named after Vasily, the "holy fool" who predicted that Ivan would murder his own son. Admire the vivid exterior of St. Basil's today.

The eastern side of Red Square is domi-nated by the elaborate façade of GUM, the formerly state-owned depart-ment store, a glass-topped 1890s ar-

cade of booths. Galleries lined with trendy shops overlook three naturally lit halls. Originally a market-place sheltering over a thousand merchants, the building was nationalized after the revolution and used for many years as a staging area for the enormous parades on Red Square. Later it became the only shopping mall in Moscow, selling shoddy state-manufactured goods. Today many of the shops are exclusive boutiques offering high-end imports. The Moscow Kremlin reminds modern-day Russia of its medieval past. Built on the site of Prince Yuri’s hunting lodge, the Kremlin overlooks the Moskva and Neglina rivers. In the mid-14th century, the Russian princes, ruling from the Kremlin, became so powerful that Moscow was named the center of the Russian Orthodox Church. Under the guidance of Ivan the Great, Moscow extended its influence and soon be-came the seat of Russian political power.

Today, the Kremlin remains the center of Moscow and Russian politics. Inside the fortress walls are pal-aces, cathedrals, government buildings and the Armory Museum. Built in the 16th century as a ware-house for the Kremlin's weaponry, the Armory was transformed into an exhibition hall and museum in 1814. It now houses Russia's national treasures, such as religious icons, Fabergé eggs, a bejeweled chalice belonging to Prince Yuri, and Catherine the Great's ball gowns and shoes. Walk back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.

NOTE: For those who have been to Red Square and the Kremlin before, an alternate choice is a visit to the Tretyakov Gallery. The Tretyakov was founded by 19th century Russian merchant, Pavel Tretyakov, who spent 40 years and much of his fortune collecting and preserving works of Russian art. The history and trajectory of Russian art are displayed here, encompassing pieces from the 11th century to the present, and including mosaics, icons, paintings and sculptures by such artists as Rublev, Repin, and Levitan. The collection is rarely seen outside of Russia. This group takes the Metro back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.

Enjoy dinner at Mari Vanna Restaurant. A meal in this classic Russian restaurant is a cultural experi-ence in itself. Now with exclusive offshoots in London, Manhattan, LA and DC, Mari Vanna serves up consummate Russian fare such as the time-honored Olivier salad (a potato and vegetable mélange cre-ated in the 1860s by the chef of the Hermitage Restaurant) and a rich Beef Stroganoff paired with buck-wheat and mushrooms. All this in a setting like a pre-revolutionary home lined with bookcases, wallpaper and wainscoting. The borscht is perfect and the blini plentiful here. And be sure to sample some of the house-infused vodkas.




Return to the hotel for overnight.Meals: B, L, D – Peter I or similar

Day Three, Sunday, August 2Moscow

An assortment of adventures is on the menu today, from souvenir shopping at Izmailovo flea market to a cook’s tour of Moscow and an authentic Siberian meal.

Descend into the Moscow Metro for a tour ending at Izmailovo market. The first Moscow Metro sta-tion opened in 1935, and today there are more than 150 of them along the 125 miles of track. The sta-tions in the city center are showpieces of Socialist art, furnished with statues, frescoes and mosaics, and with marbled, gilded, and bronzed walls and ceilings.

Located on the former royal hunting preserve, the huge flea market at Izmailovo is one of the best places in Moscow to find deals on a huge variety of Russian souvenirs and crafts, from matrioshka dolls to lacquered boxes, and from Soviet memorabilia to watercolors. Whether you're interested in traditional handicrafts, clothing, jewelry or modern art, Izmailovo is the place to go, and opportunities to people-watch abound.

Take the Metro to Moscow’s whole foods cooperative, LavkaLavka, where products from 30 farms all over Russia are delivered fresh three times a week. Organic produce, grass-fed beef and free-range chickens are only some of the eco-friendly foodstuffs available here. The LavkaLavka space includes a kitchen and a big table where a meal of seasonal classic Russian ingredients is served. Enjoy lunch here.

Set out on a cook’s tour of Moscow, stopping first at Moscow’s Eliseyevsky Maga-zin. Browse the aisles of the beautiful baroque Eliseyevsky store, founded in 1901 after the success of the first Eliseyevsky’s in St. Petersburg. Situated in a 19th century mansion, the store is famed for selling luxury provisions such as sturgeon, imported cheeses, rum and truffles. Today it in-cludes a deli featuring high-end prepared foods and gourmet ready-to-heat entrees.

Next is a stop at one of the oldest women’s convents in Moscow, John the Baptist, on a hill not far from the Kremlin. In 1917, more than 300 women lived here under monastic vows, cooking, baking and living as self-sufficiently as possible. After the Revolution, the convent was closed and transformed into a




prison. Opened again after the Soviet Union dissolved, the convent’s canteen boasts the best bread in the city.

For contrast, inspect a modern super-market. Perekrestok is one of the first chain supermarkets established in Russia after 1991. These modern supermarkets are taking the place of the tiny specialty stores that were formerly all over the city.

Sip a fragrant cup of tea or coffee at Per-lov Tea House, remodeled in the late 19th ce ntury to resemble a Chinese pal-ace. The Perlov tea dynasty began in the 18th century, when most Muscovites had never heard of tea. Merchant Alexei Per-

lov began with a small market stall selling the imported leaves and the hot drink made from them. Within 50 years, the city was filled with special tea taverns where patrons could drink cup after cup of steaming tea.

Drive by Russia’s first McDonald’s. On January 31 1991, the first McDonald’s in what was still the So-viet Union opened in Moscow. At the time the biggest and most deluxe McDonald’s in the world, the highly anticipated fast food emporium was mobbed by customers, with lines that could last several hours. By 2013, 356 McDonald’s stores were doing a brisk business in Russia.

Take a look at the upscale Tsvetnoi Market, featuring fresh local and imported groceries to fill the needs of the high-end shopper. Bright, clean and airy, the big market is frequented by Moscow foodies of means.

Enjoy a private tour and tast-ing at the Vodka Museum. Learn about the history of Rus-sia’s premium distillery, Cristall, the outfit that gave the world the vodka formerly known as Stolichnaya-Cristall, and now just Cristall. Double-distilled and siphoned from the center of the distillation tank, Cristall is re-nowned as a superior vodka. Dis-cover the different methods of distilling various vodkas and li-queurs. Sample a selection of spirits, liqueurs, dessert beverages and nalivka, a Russian berry li-queur.

Spend some time at the hotel resting up before dinner at the


Peter Sukonik

Peter Sukonik



Siberian restaurant, Chemodan. Chemodan (Suitcase) Restaurant represents the vision of Siberian restaurateur Dmitry Stepanov. The restaurant features 19th century recipes as well as nouvelle Siberian cuisine and has its own supplier of fresh Siberian ingredients, including wild boar, venison and bear.

Overnight at the hotel.Meals: B, L, D – Peter I or similar

Day Four, Monday, August 3Moscow • day train to St. Petersburg

Discover more insider secrets of the city today, visiting three unusual places that are hiding in plain sight. Then hop the modern Sapsan train north to delightful St. Petersburg.

Take a sweet tour of the Museum of Chocolate and Cocoa History and trace chocolate’s path across Europe. Learn the secrets of chocolate production in the most famous of Russia’s chocolate fac-tories, and then observe chocolate being made and molded. Finally, take the opportunity to stock up on some of Russia’s finest chocolates.

Enjoy an independent lunch at the cafeteria-style Stolovaya No. 57 in the GUM department store on Red Square. This re-created stolovaya, or peoples’ cafeteria, harkens back to Soviet times, when you could get a selection of traditional Russian dishes for rock-bottom prices. Still affordable, Stolovaya No. 57 serves up steaming Russian soups, such as solyanka, borscht and schi, salads, the Siberian tortellini-type stuffed dumplings called pelmenie, the schnitzel-like meat patties called kotleti and lots of other classics.

Visit the Museum of Culinary Arts to get a feel for how people in Russia used to dine in older times and how restaurants evolved here. The museum building was originally built in 1903 as a medical facility and has been a museum since 2006. Exhibits include a 19th century kitchen, where you can only guess at some of the implements’ uses; examples of the dishes served at a czar’s table; and an orientation to Rus-sian regional cuisine.

Afterwards, transfer to the train station to board the high-speed train to St. Petersburg, leaving in the late afternoon.

St. Petersburg’s miles of ca-nals, laced together with graceful bridges set amidst pastel 18th century buildings, have earned it the name, "Venice of the North." Conceived by Peter the Great and designed by his favorite European architects, St. Peters-burg was meant to be Peter’s link to the western world. Some of the world’s most radiant art-works hang in its museums, and some of the world’s greatest performers, writers and musi-cians have walked its streets.




Before the revolution, some of the world’s finest chefs passed through its palaces and restaurants as well. During Soviet times, providing the population’s nutritional requirements was considered a challenge to be solved in a pragmatic way. Today, culinary St. Petersburg presents a cornucopia of cuisines, with theme restaurants, ethnic and retro-chic dining rooms, cafés, gastropubs, and high-end nightclubs cropping up all over town.

After a late arrival into the city, board a boat for an evening tour on the water.

St. Petersburg seen from a boat cruising its rivers and canals seems like a different city. Like Venice, St. Petersburg was originally built on many islands, and hundreds of bridges span the waterways. Learn the Russian way to do vodka shots, and nibble on Russian zakuski, appetizers, such as canapés with caviar and ripe fruits as you admire the pre-revolutionary palaces along the Fontanka embankment.

Transfer to the hotel for overnight.Meals: B (plus dinnertime light snacks on board) – Helvetia Hotel or similar

Day Five, Tuesday, August 4St. Petersburg

An overview of the UNESCO-listed city center, a circuit through both the world-famous Hermitage and the lavish Eliseyevsky Magazin, a quick pick-me-up at a Soviet vodka bar, and a hands-on with a Pe-tersburg celebrity chef fill your first day in the cultural capital of Russia.

A drive near the Neva River introduces you to the heart of Peter’s beautiful city. Visit the spit of Va-silievsky Island with its great view across the river to the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Drive by enormous Palace Square, framed by the Winter Palace and the General Staff Headquarters, where Imperial parades and festivals were celebrated, and admire the façade of nearby St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Discover the statue of Peter the Great, named the Bronze Horseman by Pushkin.

Take a guided tour of the world-class Hermitage Museum. The Winter Palace, part of the Hermitage ensemble, was built in 1754-62 as the principal home of the czars, and was lavishly rebuilt in 1839 after it was destroyed by fire. Originally a small pri-vate palace gallery begun by Catherine the Great with a purchase of 255 paintings from Berlin, the Hermitage today houses one of the largest mu-seum collections in the world. The fabulous rooms with their inlaid floors and gilded wood-work and the grand double entry staircase are works of art in themselves.

This afternoon take a Soviet nostalgia tour of ryu-mochnii. A ryumochnaya is a




vodka bar, plain and simple. It was meant for the Soviet worker who would pop in for a quick shot or two and then get back to work. The only kinds of snacks served here were fish sandwiches and pickles – just a bite to accompany the vodka. Today there are still quite a few of these small no-nonsense bars scattered around St. Petersburg.

Later, attend a hands-on cooking class with one of the most famous chefs in St. Petersburg. Chef Ilya Lazerson hosts a popular TV cooking show and is a dynamic and talented teacher. Learn to cook Russian specialties, have a lot of fun and dine together on the meal you have created.

Return to the hotel for overnight.Meals: B, L, D – Helvetia Hotel or similar

Day Six, Wednesday, August 5St. Petersburg

Head out of town today to admire a classic Russian palace and dine on some classic Russian cuisine. This evening, discover an eating establishment based on a classic Russian author’s stories.

In Pushkin, explore the royal residence Catherine's Pal-ace, originally built in 1717 by Catherine I. In 1752, famed architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli enlarged and embellished the palace, extending the facade to its current grandeur. The estate and palace buildings were almost completely destroyed by the Germans during World War II, but they have been carefully and expertly restored into a brilliant architectural monument.

The fully restored Amber Room in Catherine's Pal-ace has been years in the making. The wall coverings of amber panels, created in the time of Peter the Great, were taken by the Nazis during the Second World War and never recovered. The beautifully crafted amber pan-els we see today were re-created from photos and de-scriptions of the originals, and have become one of the highlights of Catherine’s Palace.

Stop for lunch at Podvorye Restaurant, built in the style of a traditional Russian izba, or wooden cottage. Enjoy wonderful Russian peasant-style cuisine, served family style at long wooden tables as balalaikas accompany an ensemble singing Russian folk songs. Owner Sergei Guttsayt has hosted such distinguished guests as Vladimir Putin and former First Lady Laura Bush.

Return to the city, and this evening enjoy a “literary dinner” at Gogol Restaurant, reading culinary ex-cerpts from the author’s writings and savoring a corre-

sponding menu. Just off Nevsky Prospekt, the charming Gogol Restaurant features traditional Russian dishes in a homey environment that alludes to the author's stories and novels.Meals: B, L, D – Helvetia Hotel or similar




Day Seven, Thursday, August 6St. Petersburg

Schedules permitting, visit Eliseyevsky Maga-zin this morning, the pre-revolutionary gro-cery on Nevsky Prospekt whose beautiful Art Nouveau interior is adorned with crystal chandeliers and stained glass. The opulent em-porium has been selling luxury food items here since czarist times. In 2005 St. Petersburg offi-cials refused to allow Eliseyevsky to sell out to a high-end Moscow perfume shop, saying that the store is considered an architectural monument. After a long period of remodeling and updating, the iconic store was reopened in

2012, now called Eliseyev Food Hall. A café serves pastry, tea and coffee in the mezzanine, the Mesonine Restaurant on the second floor features a wealth of exquisite dishes, and a basement brasserie serves Russian cuisine and fine wines.

Continue with an unusual museum – the Museum of Bread. Its exhibits include furnished kitchens and bakeries of the 18th to the 20th century, samovars, baking utensils and samples of breads, including the Leningrad “siege bread,” the 125-gram piece rationed daily to each person in the city during the 900-day Nazi blockade. This bread was only 50% grain. The rest was sawdust, joiner's glue, bark – whatever could be found that was remotely edible. The siege lasted from September 1941 to January 1944, and one out of every four Leningraders perished of starvation and cold.

Lunch is at LavkaLavka St. Petersburg. Enter the LavkaLavka Petersburg headquarters through an abandoned factory building. Inside you find a stylish modern space where fresh organic produce, meats, dairy products and condiments arrive from all over and are either sold or transformed into a meal to be served in the restaurant here. Meet with one of the manager/chefs and learn about the ins and outs of producing and marketing fresh organic products in Russia.

This afternoon, a LavkaLavka manager accompanies the group to one of the organic farms that sup-plies them with some of their products. Talk with the farmer, observe the workings of the farm and

hear about the growth of the organic food indus-try here.

Later, enjoy dinner at CoCoCo. Billed as a restau-rant of “New Russian Cuisine,” CoCoCo presents a special menu of fresh fish from Lake Ladoga on Thursdays. Why Thursday? This is in honor of the old Soviet tradition of having “Fish Days” on Thursdays. Across the vast Soviet Union, workers canteens served only fish on Thursdays as part of a top-down plan to boost the Soviet fishing industry. Tonight’s dinner should be much more delicious, however!

You will also have a chance at CoCoCo to sample Russia’s favorite homegrown drink, kvas, at a




local tavern that features the fermented Russian drink made from brown bread. Slavs have been ferment-ing kvas at home since ancient times; the sour, bubbly brew was first documented in the 10th century. During Soviet times, you would encounter vendors with tankers of kvas selling it by the glass, which was drained on the spot and set back down for the next thirsty citizen. Today, mass-produced kvas, some-times flavored and sweetened, is sold in bottles and cans at markets and kiosks and gives foreign soft drinks a run for their money.

For dessert, visit the Kvartira (“Apartment”) Soviet style café. This cozy, kitschy retro-Soviet café serves familiar comfort food from those times.

Return to the hotel for overnight.Meals: B, L, D – Helvetia Hotel

Day Eight, Friday, August 7St. Petersburg

It’s Friday – time to celebrate the gushing fountains of Peterhof, the flowing prose of Dostoevsky, and a stream of classic dishes from a Russian family kitchen.

Take a bracing hydrofoil ride from the Hermitage pier down the Neva and out into the Gulf of Finland to Peterhof. The hydrofoil takes only half an hour to arrive at Peter the Great's palace and park with its cascades of more than 150 fountains.

Peter the Great built his estate, Peterhof, on a ridge by the Gulf of Finland 19 miles outside St. Peters-burg. The former imperial residence is surrounded with extensive parks and gardens intended to rival Versailles, complete with an array of gilded statues, magnificent palaces and gravity-fed fountains. The exterior of the massive Grand Palace with its parquet flo ors, lavish rooms, and grand galleries was de-signed by Rastrelli, who also de-signed the Winter Palace. Peter's first and favorite palace, the more modest Monplaisir, sits directly on the bluff above the Gulf, where Peter could observe passing ships.

Tour the Grand Palace. Crown-ing the top of the bluff above the Grand Cascade, the palace is an imposing sight. Inside, 30 beautiful rooms run the length of the nar-row building. Some of them retain their baroque décor, while others underwent renovations into the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Nazis occupied Peterhof from 1941 to 1944, and maliciously smashed statuary and set fire to the rooms after the Siege of Len-ingrad was broken. Since then the palace has been carefully restored.




Peter the Great’s famed fountains are Peterhof’s major attraction. More than 150 glistening, gilded, sculpted marble, granite and limestone fountains and cascades adorn the Lower Park. The gravity-fed col-lection pools in Peterhof’s Upper Garden discharge their waters nearly 50 feet down to the Lower Park’s cascades and jets, creating enormous force and powering fountains all over the park.

Peter sketched the original drawings for the beautiful Sea Canal, laid out strictly north and south, and forming a marine entrance to the Grand Palace from the Gulf of Finland. At the terminus of the canal is the Grand Cascade, its double set of stairs pouring water into the Lower Grotto, where a gilded Sam-son pries open the jaws of a lion from which water jets up to 60 feet.

Back in the city, lunch is at the Idiot vegetarian café, which has a quirky yet homey atmosphere, with shabby-chic decor that replicates a 19th century tavern for poor art students. Menu items refer to Dostoevsky’s novels; the coffee is some of the best in town.

After lunch, pay a visit to Kuznechny Market just across from Dostoevsky's Apartment Museum, the flat where the writer lived from during the last years of his life, from 1878 to 1881. He and his literary friends are sure to have shopped here, because Kuznechny is one of the city's most famous and long-lived markets. At this outdoor gathering place, Dostoevsky met and observed characters such as the ones he had already described in his first novel, Poor Folk. Today the market has become more up-scale, and meats and fresh produce arrive here from all over the region.

Experience Russian hospitality as you participate in a cooking class and dinner in a local home this evening. On the menu may be the little Siberian dumplings called pelmeni and sorrel soup made from wild greens. Enjoy your dinner seasoned with lively conversation.

Overnight back at the hotel.Meals: B, L, D – Hotel Helvetia or similar

Day Nine, Saturday, August 8St. Petersburg

Russian heritage and traditions have been highlighted throughout this jour-ney, but today we’re taking it to the next level. Trace the history of Smolny through its many incarnations, learn about the importance of the Russian Orthodox faith at Alexander Nevsky Monastery and find out why Russians love their dachas the way they do. Oh, and eat some great food, too.

Inspect the facades of Smolny Ca-thedral and the Smolny Institute. Called “Smolny” after the tar-smelting yards that originally stood here, the ensemble consists of two buildings built at different times. The cathedral and convent ensemble was commissioned by Elizabeth I in 1748. After Elizabeth’s death, Catherine the Great suspended work on the cathedral, building a Russian classical-style structure to house her new boarding school for young ladies. It is this building which was later taken over by the Bolsheviks as the headquarters of the October Revolution. Nicholas I finally completed the cathedral, decorating the interior in neo-classical style.




Continue to Alexander Nevsky Monastery for a tour the Tikhvin Cemetery. Peter the Great founded the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (a monastery of highest rank) in 1710, intending it to become the relig-ious center of the country. Named after the victor in the 1240 battle with the Swedes on the Neva, the monastery became an educational center, opening a theological seminary and printing shops.

Alexander Nevsky Lavra now encompasses the Tikhvin Cemetery, burial place of Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, and the Trinity Cathedral, where Alexander Nevsky's relic was kept until after the revo-lution when it was spirited away by the Soviets. Today the relic is enthroned in the Hermitage, and the monastery is active once again.

Have lunch at the monastery’s refectory, eating what the monks typically eat, and learning about the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church. You may be served an example of a special fasting meal, such as is eaten during Lent, when meat and certain other foods are forbidden. But then there’s dessert. The monks make their own desserts and tea breads, such as sushki, the hard little mildly sweet minibagels that are sold everywhere. Sushki beg to be dunked in your tea, which is served samovar-style in the mon-astery’s Tea Room.

Next, take a trip outside the city and experience Russian dacha life. A dacha is a city-dweller’s house in the country and can vary from a summer cabin with no running water to a fine home suitable for living year-round. Dachas are usually modest places where one can get away from the daily grind and grow some vegetables. Dacha gardens were responsible for a significant portion of the produce grown during Soviet times.

The drive to the dacha passes through Karelia – the land north and east of St. Petersburg up to the White Sea and along the Finnish border. Originally settled by Finno-Ugric people who left petroglyphs

and ancient rock labyrinths on the beaches, the northern lake-filled land was prized by the Slavs for its furs and ivory, copper and iron.

Along the way, there are quite a few interest-ing places to stop. At famed artist Ilya Re-pin’s estate, you can stretch your legs, ad-mire his glass-fronted wooden house and perhaps see his grave. The dacha of Anna Vyrubova, a lady-in-waiting and best friend to Czarina Alexandra is set along the Gulf of Finland, with great views across the water to the naval fortress, Kronstadt. Poet Anna Akhmatova spent summers in Komarovo in a tiny dacha that she called her “booth.” The route passes by the estate of Prime Minis-ter Medvedev’s parents and the Soviet “Rest Home of Composers,” with Shostakovitch’s summer cabin.




Enjoy a festive home-cooked dinner at a dacha in the company of its St. Petersburg owners. Home-made piroshki, baked pies or pockets filled with savory ground meat, cabbage, or cheese, and pirogi, mouthwatering little dumplings, may be on the menu this evening. Tea will be served from the family samovar, along with stories about the treasured tradition of Russian tea-drinking.

Return to St. Petersburg for the final overnight of the journey.Meals: B, L, D – Hotel Helvetia or similar

Day Ten, Sunday, August 9Depart St. Petersburg

The delicious journey comes to an end today with transfers to the airport for departures.Meals: B

Peter Sukonik




Dates for 2015 – One Departure – Cultural SeriesThe land itinerary is scheduled to be operated on the following dates. Please note that North American travelers will need to depart the U.S. or Canada one day prior to the tour start date due to airline flight schedules.

July 31-August 9, 2015

Package Prices4-16 passengers (maximum 16), $5,995 per person, twin shareSingle supplement $995

Land Tour Includes• Shared accommodations in four star hotels.• 9 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 8 dinners. A few lunches or dinners are not included so that you may enjoy a chance to dine on your own.• Restaurant tips for included meals.• Services of an experienced, English-speaking MIR Tour Manager with local guides at specific sites.• Arrival/departure transfers. MIR will arrange for all travelers to be met on arrival and seen off on departure, whether we make your flight arrangements or not, provided you arrive and depart on the tour start/end dates in the tour start/end cities.• Transportation throughout the itinerary by private vehicle (vehicle size depends on group size).• Train tickets, Moscow to St. Petersburg.• Hydrofoil tickets, St. Petersburg to Peterhof, one-way (return by vehicle).• Guided sightseeing tours and entrance fees as outlined in itinerary.• Special events, excursions and cultural performances per the itinerary.• Baggage handling where available.• Gratuities to local guides and drivers.• Complete pre-departure information including detailed packing list, reading list, and insurance information.• Assistance booking your custom flight arrangements (on request; please note that international air fare is not included in the land tour cost).• Touring with MIR handbook with country-specific information, maps, and travel tips.• Customized visa application and instruction kit (please note, visa fees are not included in the tour price).• Final document packet including luggage tags, final updates, and more.

Not Included• International airfare or taxes – available through MIR; please call for rates.• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary.• Alcoholic beverages except as noted. • Items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry, etc.).• Single supplement.• Visa fees.• Gratuities for Tour Manager.• Travel and trip cancellation insurance.

Interested in travel insurance?




To learn more about all the benefits of purchasing a Travel Guard travel insurance plan, please visit www.travelguard.com/mircorp or contact Travel Guard at 1.877.709.5596.

Cultural SeriesMIR’s Cultural Series programs feature some of our most distinctive tour concepts and include uncom-mon and educational experiences, including visits to small towns and villages outside the major urban ar-eas and capital cities. All trips feature comfortable, well-located hotels.

Important Notes: Is This Trip Right For You?While the accommodations we utilize are superior tourist class, please keep in mind that some aspects of the tourism infrastructure in Russia are not up to the standards North American travelers expect. Serv-ices are improving in the region; however you may encounter problems with bureaucratic service, road conditions and availability and quality of public restrooms. This itinerary features a significant amount of touring on foot. Many streets and sidewalks are uneven, and some attractions are only accessible via steep staircases. Museums generally do not have elevators.

We believe that this program is designed to be as comfortable as possible for travel in this region. It is rated as rigorous touring because of the daily walking involved, the length of some bus rides and the overall shortcomings of the tourism infrastructure. To reap the full rewards of this adventure, travelers must be able to walk at least a mile a day, keeping up with fellow travelers. Flexibility, a sense of humor and a willingness to accept local standards of amenities and services are essential components to the en-joyment of this trip.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this schedule is accurate. However, trip itin-eraries are always subject to change. We do our best to inform participants in advance of any changes, but, due to the nature of travel in Russia, this may not always be possible.

Are You Prepared?A Travel Guard travel insurance plan can help cover your vacation investment, offset expenses from travel mishaps and provide you with emergency travel assistance. To learn more about all of the benefits of purchasing a Travel Guard travel insurance plan, please visit www.travelguard.com/mircorp

WeatherMoscow and St. Petersburg are wonderful places to visit any time of the year. In summer, expect warm weather and blooming flowers. Temperatures in early August should range from 65-85 degrees, and rain is definitely possible. Please remember, weather at all times of year is rather unpredictable.

International AirfareMIR’s in-house, full-service air department is available to assist with your air travel needs. Check with MIR before booking air on your own, as we are happy to research and compare the best fares available through multiple channels. Airfare varies depending on a wide variety of factors, such as dates of travel and seasonality, seat availability, special airline promotions, how restrictive ticket changes are, how long the fares can be held without purchase, routing considerations such as stopovers, and more. Tour dates are based on the land tour only. Our preferred carriers for this tour are Lufthansa, Swiss Air, and Aero-flot, as they offer convenient itineraries and competitive rates from multiple cities across the U.S. to Western Russia.


http://www.travelguard.com/mircorp

http://www.travelguard.com/mircorp

http://www.travelguard.com/mircorp/

http://www.travelguard.com/mircorp/



Please call us at 800-424-7289 to discuss air options and routings for this program, and to request a quote for your specific plans and dates of travel. We will be happy to put together a no-obligation sug-gested air itinerary and estimate for you at your request.

VisasA Russian visa is required for this tour. Extensive pre-tour paperwork is necessary to obtain a Russian visa. MIR will provide you with the necessary instructions. The current price of the Russian visa for U.S. passport holders, based on standard processing time, is $266. Visa prices are always subject to change.

Pre and Post-Tour OptionsMIR can arrange for an extended program in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Eastern or Central Europe before or after your tour. Please call us for suggestions and rates.

Also Nearby...For more tours to this region, you may want to check out:

Flexible Essential Trips – Classic Private JourneysEssential Russia, 7 days. A compact and compelling survey of Russia’s political capital, Moscow,and its cultural capital, St. Petersburg, this tour communicates the character of Western Russia in asuccinct and meaningful series of experiences.

Essential St. Petersburg, 7 days. St. Petersburg, home of the czars and their courts, is a rich repository of extravagant palaces, brilliant museums and renowned theaters overflowing with music and dance. Its fashionable boulevards and serene canals glisten in the “White Nights” of summer and dazzle on sunny winter days.

Essential Baltics, 7 days. Take an overland survey of the Baltic capitals, Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, exploring the centers of their UNESCO-listed Old Towns. The hearts of these cities feature cobbled streets, red-tiled roofs and robust old churches and fortress walls . Admire the lush farms and winding rivers between the cities, and pay visits to important rural sites like Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses and Latvia’s baroque Run-dale Castle.

Essential Ukraine, 8 days. Ukraine is the new borderland between Europe and Russia. Explore this resilient region influenced by Polish princes, Cossack hetmen, Turkish khans, Russian communists and Ukrainian poets and nationalists.

Small Group ToursClassic Western Russia: Moscow, Novgorod & St. Petersburg, 10 days. This indispensable intro-duction to some of Russia’s great cities gives an insider’s view of the real Russia, spotlighting not only the glittering palaces and dignified official edifices of the Russian Empire, but also a crafts class in historic Novgorod, Stalin’s underground bunker, and the unforgettable warmth of a meal in a Russian home.

Russia’s Imperial Capitals & Ancient Villages, 11 days. Discover where Russian art, architecture and culture began. In between the urban centers of Moscow and St. Petersburg, experience the Russian




countryside. The oldest and loveliest churches in Russia, Sergiev Posad’s wooden crafts and Fedoskino’s glowing lacquer boxes all put a shine on Russia’s Golden Ring.

Bulgaria & Romania: Frescoes & Fortresses, 16 days. Explore the complex history and fascinating culture of Bulgaria and Romania, two Balkan countries whose rugged terrain and consequent isolation have helped preserve their heritage. Discover the luminous frescoes of the painted monasteries, breathe in the fragrance of the Valley of the Roses, and spend an afternoon visiting with villagers in a tiny Transyl-vanian town.

Belarus, Ukraine & Moldova, 13 days. Traverse a little known region that has changed hands from its earliest history. Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova are three of the least-frequented and least familiar coun-tries in Europe. Time slowed drastically here after the devastation of WWII, but these beautiful countries are emerging from the shadows.

Conditions of ParticipationYour participation on a MIR Corporation trip is subject to the conditions contained in the 2015 Tour Reservation Form and Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Agreement. Please read this document carefully and contact us with any questions.

Cancellation and Refund Policy Payment Terms: Non-refundable deposits are accepted by check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Final land payments may be made by check or credit card for reservations made directly with MIR . If booking through a travel agent, please contact your agent to find out what form of payment they accept. (MIR can accept final payment from travel agents by agency check only.) Air fares are subject to change until ticketed; payment policies vary by carrier.If you cancel your trip please notify MIR in writing. Upon MIR’s receipt of notice the following charges apply to land tours (policies for air tickets, custom group trips vary).

MIR Small Group ToursCost of cancellation, if received: 61 or more days prior to departure, deposit due or paid in full of $500;31-60 days prior to departure, 50% of land tour cost; 30 days prior to or after trip departure, no refund.

ReferencesWe encourage you to speak directly with satisfied past travelers. Please request a list of references.

Why MIR?Regional knowledge is crucial to the success of any trip to our corner of the world. MIR combines de-tailed information about geography and infrastructure, history and art, language and culture, with the depth of knowledge that comes only from decades of regional experience . You may wonder how we dif-fer from other tour operators…

Destination SpecializationMIR focuses exclusively on the exceptional region at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. This area has been our overriding passion since 1986; we don’t do the rest of the world. Our hard-earned expertise




gained over the last 28 years can take you from end to end of the largest country in the world – Russia – and to all of its neighbors. We specialize in travel to Siberia, the Silk Route, St. Petersburg & Beyond. Our destinations include: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, the Baltics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), the Balkans (Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Central Asia (the five ‘Stans), Iran, the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), Mongolia, China, Tibet and Central/East Europe (Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania).

28 Years of ExperienceA travel company doesn’t last 28 years in the business without a solid track record. MIR has helped thou-sands of individuals achieve their travel goals. Our dedication and experience have earned us their trust and the trust of many well-respected institutions. Today MIR is the preferred tour operator for museum, alumni and special interest organizations across the country.

Recommended & RespectedMIR has twice been rated one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure. Several of our tours have won awards in top travel publications, such as Outside magazine and National Geographic Traveler. Our trips have been featured in books like Riding the Hula Hula to the Arctic Ocean and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

More Questions?Please feel free to call us with questions at 1-800-424-7289, 8:30am-5:30pm Pacific Time.

MIR Corporation85 South Washington Street, Suite 210Seattle, WA 98104800-424-7289, 206-624-7289Fax 206-624-7360 [email protected]

Sellers of Travel: Washington#601-099-932, California# 2082306-40© Photos: MIR Corporation, Jonathan Irish, Peter Sukonik, Kelly Tissler




http://www.mircorp.com

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Documents

A Chronicle of Russian Cuisine & Culture 2015...A Chronicle of Russian Cuisine & Culture Innovation and Imagination in Russia’s Culinary Scene One Departure in 2015 – Cultural