Viking Cruise Russia: in Moscow and Places in Between

On the way to Moscow aboard our Viking River cruise, we stoped at  a third port , one with a famous history,

Kizuno is the home of the Kirillo-Belorozersky Monastery.



KIZUNO

The monastery was founded in 1397 on the bank of Lake Siverskoye  Its founder, St. Cyril first dug a cave here, then built a wooden Dormition chapel and a loghouse for other monks. 

   In the 16th century, the monastery was the second largest landowner in Russia.




SCHOOL TOUR

One of my unexpected pleasures of the trip was a visit to a Russian school.  Students study  English beginning in grade two, Our fourteen year old guide spoke fluently.

What is there to say?

                         
                             This student sang Russian folk songs for us.

 
 I am fascinated by how current or real World War ll remains in the  Russia  psyche . This photo display of war heroes is one of many that hung on the walls of the elementary school.




YAROSLAVL

Another unexpected favorite was a stop at the home of a typical Russian. We met Natasha , a retired engineer, who grows vegetables  for the winter on her one acre plot of land.

Our guide, Olga, on the left and our host, Natasha, on the right.

Lovely table setting for us. The brown jar in the middle contained "moonshine".  No vodka here.

Medi loved the garden,   reminding her of home in the Philippines.




YAROSLAVL

                        The churches of Yaroslavl

THE  WORLD WAR ll MEMORIAL

The soldier on the left represents the 9.7 million Russian soldiers who were killed. The peasant woman on the right represents the 13 million Russian civilans who died in the war.  Of the more than fifty countries who fought in the war,  one third of all casualties were Russian.

It is beyond comprehension.



MOSCOW

The elegance of the Moscow subway station.

Some of the stations have sculptures honoring those who fought in WW ll

Kazan Cathedral inside Red Square. Destroyed in 1936 on the orders of Stalin, it was rebuilt in 1993 after the fall of the Soviet Union.

I'm standing inside the Kremlin.  It does not look so threatening after all.

    Medi in  Red Square  It does not look so threatening after all .

 Hare Krishna members chanting and dancing  do look threatening.   Who knew Moscow would be so open.