Moscow – Astrakhan
From Moscow to Astrakhan – 3000 km
With the completion of the impressive Moscow-Volga Canal in 1937, the capital was finally linked to the great system of waterways that runs from St. Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland all the way to Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea. As a result, it is possible today to follow the entire trade route along the Volga, from Moscow all the way to Astrakhan, the ancient capital of the Tatars. While cruising you will sail along almost the entire length of the Volga River to the edge of the Caspian Sea.
You will visit the beautiful and very businesslike Moscow, discover the quietness of old Russian cities - Uglich, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, as well as the former home of political exiles - the ancient city of Nizhny Novgorod. You will get acquainted with the history of the present capital of the Tatar Republic - the exotic city of Kazan and many other charming cities of "hidden Russia".
At the confluence of the Oka and the Volga Rivers, Nizhny Novgorod (formerly named Gorky), founded in 1221, is the 4th largest city of Russia, surpassed only by Moscow, St. Petersburg and Ekaterinburg. Although it dates back to the 13th century, the majority of its most interesting sights are from later periods. The foremost among these is the city’s great, brooding Kremlin , built during the 16th century. It was until quite recently a closed city, best known to foreigners as the place of exile of the physicist, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Andrei Sakharov after he denounced the war in Afghanistan.
Moreover, Nizhny Novgorod is a large river port, trade and cultural centre. One of the most ancient chronicles of Russia was written here, in Pechersky monastery, written in 1328-30. Later it was known as Lavrentyevskaya chronicle.
The capital of the Tatar Autonomous Republic (Tatarstan) is often called the “Pearl of the Central Volga Region”. Founded in the 13th century by the Mongols, who at that time occupied Russia, it served as the seat of the mighty Golden Horde or “Tatar” Empire. Presently, it is the city of 1 million inhabitants (half Russian, half Tatar) and absolutely charming with a unique blend of the Muslim and Christian cultures. Kazan is the birthplace of the Russian opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin and of the great ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.
Founded in 1642 as a fortified outpost of the Russian Empire, formerly Simbirsk traded actively with Asia. Nowadays the town is mostly known for its connections with Vladimir Ulyanov, otherwise known to the world as Lenin. In 1970, the historic centre was transformed into a vast monument to his memory, since then the city was a Soviet shrine for almost 70 years. The main highlight of the city tour is the Lenin Memorial Complex which includes the house in which he was born.
The history of today's 1.5-mil-lion resident city dates back to the 16th century. Founded in 1586 as a fortress to guard Russian lands against relentless nomadic forays. Samara was but a far-flung peripheral settlement until 1851 when the city became the center of the newly formed Samara gubernia (region).
Vibrant development of the ciry began in the second half of the 19th century with the construction of stonework mansions, banks, public buildings and industrial facilities. Most of them still stagger with (he diversity of architectural styles and the elegance of shapes.
It was then that Samara received its theaters, museums and the public library.
The city, bearing the name of Kuibyshev at that time, owes its dynamic industrialization period to the 40s of the 20th century. Plants and factories, evacuated here from the frontline area of the fighting country, laid the foundation tor the national military-industrial complex.
In 1991 the city was given back historical name. Today's Samara provides a blend of antiquity and modern times. Visitors marvel at its ravishing embankment with parks and sculptures. Samara is home to the once famous brewery and one of today's most popular chocolate brands. Beautiful Orthodox temples create a wonderful ensembl with a Lutheran church and Roman Catholic basilica. But Samara's most precious treasure lis its hospitable people.
Saratov
Founded in 1590 by the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible, Saratov is the boyhood home of Yuri Gagarin, the world's first cosmonaut. Enjoy the landmarks of the city - the 17th-centuryTrinity Cathedral, built in Moscow baroque style, the greenery of "Lime Tree Park" where one avenue was reserved for boys and the other for girls, the calm pedestrian Kirov street, lined with elms. A city of almost 900,000 inhabitants, Saratov is very lively and the atmosphere there is cheerful.
First cal led Tsaritsyn, then renamed Stalingrad and eventually Volgograd, the city has a unique geographic location on the crossroads of land and waterways which link together Europe and Asia. It was established in the 16th century to defend the strategic point where the Volga and Don rivers meet. Volgograd acquired its sinister notoriety during World War II at the time of the Battle of Stalingrad (winter of 1942) which was the turning point for the Russian resistance to Hitler, and for the war as a whole. Mamayev Hill, the site of the battle's fiercest fighting is now a memorial dominated by a 70-m (239-ft) statue of Russia the Motherland wielding a sword. The names of the soldiers who fell in combat are inscribed on the walls, while Schumann's Traumerei plays over and over again. Soldiers stand as guards of honour in front of the eternal flame. You'll be moved when you visit the memorial and see the diorama depicting the ferocious battle.
The largest river and sea port in the Volga-Caspian basin, Astrakhan is spread over 11 islands linked together by bridges. Founded in the 13th century by the Tatars, it is now a multinational city where Russians (70% of population), Kalmyks, Tatars, Kirghizes and Cossacks happily coexist. The bus city tour will include a visit to the 16th-century Kremlin grounds (Assumption and Trinity cathedrals). Beyond the city, the Volga River splits up into 800 arms that flow into the Caspian Sea some 100 km (60 miles) away, where the waters shelter pikes, belugas and sturgeons.