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Ship Nizhniy Novgorod: Moscow - Astrakhan, River Cruise 14 Sep 2010 - 27 Sep 2010Route description:Itinerary
Cruise details  Interested in this cruise? Call us: 1-800-884-1721 Lower Deck Triple: On Request Main Deck Twin: On Request Upper Deck Twin: On Request Boat Deck Twin: On Request Suite: On Request Preferred currency: Date: 14 Sep 2010 - 27 Sep 2010 Ship: Route: Duration: 14 days What's included:
*Full visa processing service is available for US customers. Non-US customers must apply for Russian visas themselves, but can still enjoy our visa support service that includes visa invitations and arrival registration.
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Welcome to Russia! Your driver will be waiting for you at the airport arrivals gate, you will see him holding a sign with your name. He will take you to the port for ship embarkation. There is no special program for this evening. You will have a chance to relax after your flight, to enjoy the dinner on board and to meet your fellow travelers for this extraordinary adventure across Russia..jpg)
The tour starts after breakfast and today we will head to the heart of Moscow - the Kremlin. This giant fortress was originally built in 1147. It expanded and enhanced overtime to repel the Mongol hordes eventually becoming one of the world's largest and most unique fortresses. The Kremlin was the center of political power across the Eurasian continent and to this day remains the symbol of Russia..jpg)
This day is very special, as we will visit Tretiyakov Gallery, one
of the world's most famous art galleries.
Uglich is a small town located on the banks of the Volga River. It’s tiny by modern standards, but back in the medieval times it was one of the best defended fortresses of the kingdom of Moscovy (the principality of Moscow). Uglich was attacked by many invaders who attempted to rule Moscow such as Mongols, Tatars, Lithuanians, Teutonic knights and Moscow’s neighboring principalities such as Tver.
By today standards Yaroslavl is small, but its place in Russia's
history and culture cannot be underestimated. Before it was
annihilated by the Mongols it was Russia's largest city, its
economic, political, cultural and scientific center. It was rebuilt
shortly after but was once again burnt to the ground. While the
Mongols had been preoccupied with Yaroslavl, Moscow was able to
harness enough power to overthrow the "Mongol yoke."
Nizhny Novgorod was one of the newly founded towns that escaped
Mongol devastation on account of its insignificance. The city,
similarly to Moscow and Tver, attracted refugees from other cities
pillaged by the Mongols and expanded rapidly during the period of
the "Mongol yoke" that lasted for a little over 100 years. Moscovy
incorporated the city in 1392 and soon thereafter the Tatars of
Kazan burnt it down (1408). It took over one century to construct
an enormous redbrick castle here which was soon of use when the
Tatars tried to burn it again in 1520 and 1536. Today, just like
500 years ago, Nizhniy is one of the main commercial centers of
Russia..jpg)
Cheboksary is a vibrant commercial hub located on the Volga River
which, similarly to Astrakhan, was first conquered by the Mongols
and then by the Russians. There is nothing particularly special
about Cheboksary, except that it is famous for the church bells
produced here which are used by many Russian churches.
Kazan was the capital of Tatars, the allies of Mongols. Ivan the
Terrible conquered Kazan in 1552 and forced its Muslim ruler to
convert to Christianity. Ivan remodeled Kazan's castle to the
Russian style and built St. Basil's Cathedral on the Red Square of
Moscow in the celebration of his victory. It is interesting that
St. Basil's domes, all nine of them, correspond to the number of
days that the siege of Kazan lasted.
Samara has long been Russia's diplomatic and economic link to the
East. The growing bread trade in 19th-20th centuries turned this
city into an important economic center in Russia. In World War II
many of military factories were moved to Samara. The soviet leaders
were even planning to move Russia's capital here had Moscow fallen
to the German hands. Today, Samara is the third largest
metropolitan area in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg and an
important industrial center.
Saratov was the northernmost colony of Greek Empire. In 512 BC it
was completely annihilated by Persia. One millennium later, Ivan
the Terrible established a colony on the ruins of the ancient city.
Saratov used to have a large population of Germans, who migrated
here during 19th century. When World War II erupted, they were
relocated to Siberia and Kazakhstan. During the Cold War Saratov
became the center of military aircraft production and not
surprisingly, Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, trained here.
Volgograd (former Stalingrad) is famous for the battle that
unfolded here during the World War II. German forces attempted to
cut off the Russian armies and their industrial production from
their fuel supplies. To that end, they needed to take Stalingrad,
situated on the western bank of the Volga River. Hitler sent his
best armies and generals, including famous marshal Von Paulus to
command the siege. The Battle of Stalingrad lasted for almost one
year. The heroic defense of the city enabled the Russian army to
prepare a counter attack and to surround the invading forces. This
was a serious loss from which Hitler forces were never able to
fully recover. This was not the victory for the allies yet, but it
was in Stalingrad that the tide of war turned against the Germans.
Volgograd has a giant memorial Rodina Mat (Motherland)
commemorating those who fought and died here.
The Volga is often mentioned in Russian literature. In ancient
times this river was used as a trade route by the Vikings who
travelled to Greece. It was along this route that the first Russian
settlements appeared. Today, more than half the population of
Russia lives along this ancient trade route.
Your voyage is coming to an end. It is time to say goodbye to this beautiful country, the crew and your fellow passengers. It is time to pack up and to go home bringing unforgettable memories with you. 
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