14 reasons to make Russia your next holiday destination
A hundred years on, Chris Leadbeater relishes Russia’s revolutionary appeal.
1. Mausoleum
It’s been 100 years, but you still can’t have a Russian Revolution without Lenin. The poster boy of 1917 still has pride of place in Moscow, his tomb on Red Square. You can visit him, daily (except Monday and Friday) 10am-1pm. moscow.info/red-square/lenin-mausoleum.aspx
2. Madonna Litta
Over in St Petersburg, what was once the Winter Palace, city home of the Tsar, is now the Hermitage Museum – home to this marvel by Leonardo Da Vinci, among other jewels. Tickets 600 Roubles (￡8), queues inevitable. hermitagemuseum.org
3. Romanov
The deposed royals are remembered in St Petersburg at the sumptuous Grand Hotel Europe – where you can stay in the Romanov Suite which once framed their slumbers. From R61,000 (￡790) a night; other rooms for R16,000 (￡207). Read a full review and check availability.
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4. The Kremlin
The Revolution knocked St Petersburg off its plinth and made Moscow Russia’s focal point, its power set in the walls of the Kremlin. You can visit the museums inside (from R250/￡3.25). Vlad Putin works here. Not in the ticket office. kreml.ru/en-us
5. Glass act over the Moskva
Moscow has just revolutionised its riverfront, creating Zaryadye Park on the site of the demolished 3,000-room Rossiya Hotel. The site has walkways, cafes, a concert hall and a glass bridge over the Moskva River. visitrussia.org.uk
6. Four Seasons
An act of rebellion of your own? The terrace of the Moskovsky Bar at the Four Seasons hotel looks on to the Kremlin. Indulge in some capitalist decadence by ordering a vodka-laced Moscow Sour cocktail for R850 (￡11). Read a full review and check availability.
7. Dasha Zhukova
Moscow is doing some highly revolutionary things with paint and sculpture at the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art (R500/￡6.50), which was founded by Roman Abramovich’s (soon to be ex-) wife in 2008. Great cafe too. garagemca.org/en
8. Mansarda
St Petersburg’s image as a city shaped by palaces and heritage is shattered by this glass-sided rooftop restaurant, which offers epic views across the streets where the Bolsheviks marched, as well as tagliolini with caviar for R2990 (￡38). ginza-mansarda.ru
9. Afternoon tea
Find a more traditional take on St Petersburg at the five-star Hotel Astoria (a haunt for both Madonna and Lenin in the past) where the Russian Afternoon Tea (from R1500/￡20) includes delicate pirozhkis (small meat pies). Read a full review and check availability.
10. Novaya Gollandiya
St Petersburg breaks another mould in its “New Holland” enclave – the remains of one of the Tsar’s old naval prisons, reinvented as a green space with food stalls, deckchairs, play areas and the locals at weekend rest. newhollandsp.com
11. Volga
Why visit one Russian revolutionary city when you can take in two? Steppes Travel sells a 13-day cruise between Moscow and St Petersburg which meanders slowly north-west along the Volga, Europe’s lengthiest river – from ￡2,495. steppestravel.co.uk
12. Yekaterinburg
The revolution took one of its darkest turns in this easterly city, where the royal family was killed on July 17 1918. On The Go Tours sells a “Route of the Romanovs” (￡1,495) tour which visits the memorial Church On Blood. onthegotours.com
13. Anastasia
Legend once had it that Nicholas II’s youngest daughter survived the execution. Alas no. She is entombed in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St Petersburg – part of the Cox & Kings “St Petersburg’s Highlights” trip (from ￡860). coxandkings.co.uk
14. The Ballet
Russia’s aristocrats loved ballet, the Bolsheviks less so. Strike back for the old guard by seeing a performance at St Petersburg’s Vladimir Palace – courtesy of The Telegraph’s Russian Revelations with John Simpson tour. From ￡4,725.
But beware...
Paperwork
The Russians adore paperwork. Love the stuff. They like you to like it too, which is why the application process for a single-entry tourist visa (from ￡108.40, including fees) is long (up to three weeks) and dull, but also essential. ru.vfsglobal.co.uk
