Anyone ever visited Russia?

[TravellingSpoon]

I am 40 on a few years and to celebrate would love to visit Moscow and St Petersburg and take my DC's.

Has anyone visited any of these two cities? What was your impression?

Forgive my daydreaming - lockdown is getting to me.

I went on a school trip in 1989 to Moscow and Lenningrad as it was known then. Loved it, the Russian Revolution is my favourite part of history. Went back to St Petersburg about 15 years ago and found it fascinating but grim. Think I was so protected from reality on the school trip. The second time I went independently as part of 2 couples and people kept trying to rip us off, a taxi driver locked us in his car and said he wouldn't let us out unless we gave him double the price he quoted. My friend started screaming and kicking off at him and he let us out. The hotel tried to overcharge us for breakfast and we weren't allowed to enter the house where Rasputin lived for no reason we could see other than we were English as they were letting Russians in. The tourist/historical sites are so interesting, there is such awful poverty and grimness and in contrast such wealth and corruption There were dead stray dogs lying by the side of the road and I was worried I was going to break my ankle on the wobbly pavements and end up in a grim hospital. I wouldn't go back even though I am fascinated by the country.

Dh and I went to st Petersburg for 4 days a few years ago. We went in May before the White Nights so the city was not full of tourists. Beautiful weather strangely enough. Highlights were a ferry trip on the river and the Hermitage (make sure you book in advance and take a day’s ticket). Planning on going to Moscow when things open up. The only annoying thing is the visa process - the form is very long to complete!

I've been to Russia a few times. We went on holiday once to Moscow and then we adopted our 2 children from Russia which involved several visits to Siberia and far eastern Russia.
A couple of years ago we spent one day in Saint Petersburg while on a Baltic cruise.
I am quite familiar with Moscow and it's a very interesting place to visit. Yoou can do guided tours but we got around ourselves anytime we were there with a DK guidebook. It's busy and expensive.
We loved Saint Petersburg . It's incredibly beautiful . 1 day was not nearly enough time to see it properly .
I'd love to visit again sometime.

WonkyCactus, my PiL did a Baltic cruise inc the cities you have mentioned a few years back. They said St Petersburg was amazing. Out of the whole trip their favourite destination was Tallin.

Some of the PPs experiences sound fabulous. Russia for me conjours up all kinds of images from the military parades in the 1970s and the Iron Curtain to the opening up to the west during the Gorbachev years. I've been fascinated ever since watching a tv programme with Peter Ustinov years ago.

I went to Russia, or the USSR as it still was at the time in 1990, on a school trip. It definitely was an experience and we even got to see Gorbachev drive past in Red Square.

Moscow was incredibly depressing though there were signs of change, the first McDonalds had opened only a few weeks before. We had an evening with schoolchildren from there and I know a lot of us gave them things because we felt so sorry for them. Everything was grey and we stuck out in our brightly coloured clothes. We were approached a lot asking to buy our shoes, coats, Walkmans etc - I know someone in the group exchanged his trainers for a full Russian army uniform including the cap and overcoat!

St Petersburg, or Leningrad as it was, was beautiful and we were allowed to go out on on Sunday morning as long as we had a sixth former with us and ended up being yelled at by some woman on a bus. Then another woman started yelling at her - we got off the bus because we were terrified as they thought we were American.

The overnight train was an amazing experience as was the ballet and the Winter Palace.

Can’t say that I would go back though and I’ll not mention the icicles on the inside of the plane windows....

Russia is the most magical place, I have been twice to Moscow and St P both times in December. Visiting GUM department store for Christmas baubles, ice skating on open air rinks, the beautiful metro stations, cocktails in the blingy oligarch bars, it is so much fun. Speaking or going with someone who speaks basic Russian is helpful, and to help decipher signs. The restaurants are much better now than years ago and it is expensive but no more than London prices.

not since the late 70s/early 80s. I have heard it's changed a lot...
however, in terms of things to see (and the trains! oh those lovely sleeper trains) i cannot recommend it highly enough. Especially St Petersberg

'There is Europe, there is Asia, and THEN...there is Russia' (C19 traveler).

I had a work trip to Moscow a few years ago and my first impression was “why did no one tell me how beautiful this place was?” My expectation was that Moscow would be a bit down at heel and all the beauty was trapped up at St Petersburg. Talking to quite a few colleagues who have done both and some colleagues who studied at Moscow University, that may do Moscow a disservice. I dearly want to go back and one thing I ‘ll do is just spend a day on the metro!

Absolutely go and visit.

Love Russia. Visas are a faff unless you pay $$$ (I am tight so refuse to)
If you the idea of a sleeper you can take the train to Moscow from Paris which is fab.

We flew BA to St Petersburg first, then caught the Sapsan high-speed train to Moscow & flew back from DME. We arranged it ourselves instead of getting a package. The application process for tourist visas is a slow, expensive, bureaucratic PITA.

It was a fantastic holiday. St Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and the Hermitage is one of the greatest museums.

As someone who grew up in the 1980s during the Cold War, it was completely surreal to be able to stand in the middle of Red Square & visit Lenin’s tomb & the Kremlin. We had some fantastic food there - Georgian restaurants are highly recommended.

I went on a school trip when it was the Soviet Union at this time of year. The Russians looked at us gone out as we played in the snow, it was so deep. Brilliant value for money and I definitely want to go back. I woukd imagine the food has improved,
we lived off bread, chicken ice cream and lemon vodka! The overnight train was like something out of Dr Zhivago for the scenery and Samovar. Most poignant part of the trip was visiting the war cemetery in Leningrad, row upon row of snow covered mass graves and such an eerie silence broken by very solemn music playing in the background.
The hermitage would take years to view properly but the faberge eggs were amazing. The other part of the trip I enjoyed was seeing Lenin's study.

I used to live in Russia and in normal times spend part of each year there. St. Petersburg is an amazing city, quite easy to navigate (relatively compact city centre, excellent public transport). Moscow is also wonderful, though larger and can be a bit overwhelming at first. I would recommend learning some basic Russian words and phrases, though people who work in the tourist industry generally speak some English.

The overnight train between Moscow and St. Petersburg can be fun, though these days I prefer the high speed train which takes about 4 hours.

Russia has changed a huge amount in the past 20 years, even in the past 10 years, so older experiences may not be relevant. Some of the changes have been positive (a definite cultural shift in casual interactions in shops, etc.) and some negative (e.g., increased xenophobia).

Definitely visit when you have the opportunity!

Russian trains, where you share a four berth sleeping carriage with strangers, people sharing their food and beer. Every carriage has a samovar and an attendant, who brings small glasses of black tea. People wandering the corridors in their pjs. Trains so long, you can't see the front or rear. Stopping in the night at some godforsaken village, where headscarfed peasants crowd the windows to sell food, and more beer (in Russia beer is considered a 'soft' drink).

I’ve been to Moscow and loved it. It stays with you that city

Also, the Space museum in Moscow is an absolute must-do for anyone with an interest in science & technology. It’s all in русский, but that doesn’t matter too much because you still get a really good insight into the space race from the Soviet perspective.

I would have loved to go there during the 1980s but unfortunately there was a strict ban which prevented it, so many countries I couldn't go to.

Yes went on a royal Caribbean Baltic Mediterranean cruise. We spent two days in St Petersburg. I can honestly say it was the most beautiful, majestic and magical place. It was wonderful. We toured several palaces, churches, museums. It’s incredibly cultural. We used a company to go on a very small group accompanied tour. The tour leader was a young Russian woman who spoke excellent English. She gave us loads of absolute fascinating insights into Russian life. One of our best holidays ever.

@WonkyCactus this was the cruise we did. It was incredible. I would highly recommend if we ever come out of this Covid situation.

I’ve been a few times. The first time was a river cruise that started in St Petersburg and ended in Moscow (it was via Voyage Jules Verne and worth every penny). It was fascinating and a brilliant way to see more than just the major cities. It sparked a bit of an interest so I went back to St Petersburg a couple of times then ended up in Moscow on a business trip. I’d like to go to the Black Sea next.

Yes both are amazing. However, I was with ex DP who studied in Russia and speaks reasonable Russian.

The strangest thing was if he spoke Russian with the intonation and body language of an English person he was answered in English.

So he had to go native and change his whole body language and sort of shout and people spoke to him in Russian.

He'd lived there so could do it but it really freaked me out. He was like a little angry Russian man.

It actually explained a lot. I think he was born Russian and got swapped at birth.

Anyway, it made the trip much easier and probably more authentic. He can read Russian too, very handy if not essential if you go even an inch off the main drag.

Visited St Petersburg twice - summer 30 degrees and winter -30degrees. Fascinating history, stunning and lavish palaces (easy to see why they had a revolution) and very unsmiling men. Underground, churches and ballet not to be missed.
Back from the tourist streets the impact of the Soviet influence still stands - severe brutal buildings etc.
Spent time with real Russians (not tour guides) and learned so much about the reality of life for them.
Worth a visit.

Yes, it was an amazing experience (about 15 years ago now).

Oh yes / getting a visa was tough! Might be easier if you are part of an organised tour - I wasn’t

Yes, beautiful country. Been twice in winter. Highly recommend

Oh, I'd love to go. We were going to go a few years ago for my 50th but we had a house to sell and then DS' difficulties started getting less age appropriate and then COVID and and... Some day.