MOSCOW – SAINT PETERSBURG

MOSCOW – SAINT PETERSBURG

Tour Program

1^st Day: Flight to Moscow – Cosmonauts Museum

We meet at the “Eleftherios Venizelos” Athens Airport to depart to Moscow. Our arrival in Moscow is followed by the transfer and arranging in our hotel. We visit the museum of cosmonauts, unique in the world. We depart for the hotel for dinner and overnight.

2^nd Day: Moscow tour, monastery of Novodevichy

After breakfast, we begin our tour of the Patriarch’s Bridge, which is typical of the panoramic view of the Kremlin, and we can quickly visit the Cathedral of the Savior. Next, the “Sparrow Hill”, with the beautiful view of the city, the Olympic Stadium (Luzhniki) and the courtyard of the Lomonosov University – one of the seven Stalin towers.

Then we visit the famous Red (as in beautiful) Square dominating “the temple of St. Basil (also known as the Church of Saint Skepis of the Holy Mother), which houses the relics of St. Basil by Christ the Shalom”, the famous Goum shopping center, Lenin’s mausoleum overlooking the Kremlin and the History Museum. Then we stop in the garden of Alexander to see the statue of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame.

We visit the Novodevichy Monastery with the picturesque landscape surrounding the famous Swan Lake, the Arc de Triumph and the Borodino Museum (devoted to the victory of 1812 over Napoleon), the National Library, the Theater Square, the State Security Buildings (former KGB), Bolshoi & Mali Theaters, Maneznaya Pushkin kaya squares, the statue of the founder of the city, museums, and other sights dedicated to the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

During the tour, we will visit the patriarchal temple of the Savior. The temple was built by Alexander the First for the salvation of Russia in the war of 1812 and the victory of the Russians over Napoleon.

Here is the tour of the Arbat pedestrian walkway. You are given free time to enjoy your coffee or to stroll amongst the traveler’s mini-vendors & painters of this famous pedestrian street. Finally, we meet the famous metro & historic stations, decorated with stained glass, bronze statues and other artwork, until we return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

3^rdDay: Kremlin – Metro and Arbat – St. Matrona

After breakfast, the guided tour starts by visiting the Kremlin – a guided tour of the Tsars world. Stations of our visit include the large Kremlin palace, the administrative and government buildings, the Senate, the Palace of Congresses and the Cathedral Square. Then we see three of the many temples of the Kremlin and the Palace of the Patriarch. The entrance to the Treasury / Palace of Armors (Armory) is optional, with exhibits of armored nobles and Tsars, valuable crosses and many others.

Then, we visit the Museum of Tetryakov to see the works of the “holy monsters” of Russian Hagiography Saint Andrew Rublev & Repine. Afterwards, we are transported to the famous Metro, known as the Underground Palace. Most of its stations stand out for their frescoes and various wonderful exhibits, which are true works of art. We arrive at Arbat, one of Moscow’s oldest roads, to walk. Then we visit the Church of St. Matron, where we bow down to her Holy Relics. We return to the hotel for overnight and dinner.

4^thDay : All Day Excursion Sergiyev Posad

Then there is a trip to Zagorsk or Sergiyev Posad where a church service is taking place. The city is known as the religious center of Russia, the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church. Here is the famous monastery of St. Sergio – Holy Trinity (bearing the name “Lavra”), which holds invaluable treasures such as icons of great hagiographers, ecclesiastical vestments and sacred books. The city is famous as it is considered the birthplace of the famous Matryoshka doll where it is made. We return to the hotel for overnight and dinner.

5^th Day: Saint Petersburg

With the morning arrival at St. Petersburg, we meet the city which was founded by the Great Peter. Among other things, we visit the Admiralty, the Pedestrian Areas, the Summer Garden, the Palace Square, the Vasilevskiy Island, the Natural History Museum, the Resurrection Church, the Mariinsky Theater (formerly Kirov), and the stop at the Aurora cruiser which signaled the beginning of the October Revolution in Russia. We continue our tour on Nevsky Street, passing through Senatskaya squares and St. Isaac Square, from Vasilevskiy’s Arrow, from University Campus, etc. Then we visit the Fortress of Peter and Paul with the homonymous cathedral. There is a stop in the courtyard of the largest temple of the city, Isaac from Dalmatia and one of the largest in the world. Next stop is at the Church of the Savior reminding the Cathedral of St. Basil of Moscow.
Then we will visit the chapel of St. Xenis (for Christ Sali) located in the Smolenskaya cemetery.

6^th Day: Our Lady of Kazan-Lavra Alexander Nevsky- Saint John of Kronstadt & Hermitage

After breakfast, we begin our visit to the Church of Our Lady of Kazan, where we kneel before the sacred figure. Her sacred figure was discovered on July 8, 1579 by a small girl, named Matrona. The Madonna of Kazan is the patron of Kazan and protector of all Russia. Next visit is to Alexander Nevsky’s Lavra, Alexander Yaroslavic “Nevsky” (1220 – 1263), who was the leader of medieval Russia but also a saint of the Russian Church. A visit to the holy monastery of Saint John of Kronstadt follows, where the holy relics of the saint are located. Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908) is a modern saint of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the Greek-speaking guided tour of the Hermitage and is the third largest museum in the world after the Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery in London. His major exhibits include collections of great artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and others, while exhibits from ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome are also hosted. Optionally, at the end of the tour, you can take a beautiful cruise to the canals of Venice of the North.

7^th Day: Peterhof Palace Gardens

After breakfast, there is an excursion to the Peterhof Palace, famous for its gardens and for the exceptional architectural fountains. Some of the magnificent attractions of the park are the majestic Poseidon’s fountain surrounded by nymphs, sea horses & dragons, as well as the Samson Fountain with the Lion, the twin fountains of Eve & Adam, and the pyramid fountain with more than 500 water jets.
We return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

8^th Day: Return Flight-End Trip

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for the departure flight.