MS Rossia: Moscow – Astrakhan

Welcome to Russia! Upon arrival you will be met and escorted to your cruise ship. After boarding, you will have free time to relax before dinner.

After breakfast you will have a half-day city tour which includes the Red Square, where you can see the brightly colored St. Basil’s Cathedral from the outside, the Lenin Mausoleum and the State Historical Museum and visit the famous GUM Department Store. You will be able to enjoy the view of The Cathedral of Christ the Savior (the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world), the panoramic view to the Olympic Stadium and the entire city from the view point on Sparrow Hills and other points of interest.

Today you will continue to investigate Moscow – your tour will take you to the redbrick Kremlin, the former seat of the Russian Government and a unique historical, architectural and artistic reserve. During a stroll around the Kremlin Grounds you will see the majestic Cathedral Square which still retains its original form. The Annunciation Cathedral, the Assumption Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral and the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great. You will discover such historic gems as the Tsar’s Canon and the Tsar’s Bell. Tonight meet the captain of the ship during a welcome cocktail with sparkling wine.

You will visit one of the loveliest cities of the Golden Ring – Uglich. During the walking tour you will visit the renowned greendomed Cathedral of Transfiguration perched at the water’s edge. Next, you will be taken to the Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood, built on the site where Dmitry, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, was murdered. As Dimitry was the last son of the ancient Rurik Dynasty, his death precipitated the dynastic and political crisis known as the Time of Troubles, which came to an end with the establishment of the Romanov Dynasty in 1613.

You will arrive in the fascinating ancient city of Yaroslavl, with its long history dating back to 1010, which makes it older than Moscow. You will stroll through the historic part of the city, a World Heritage Site, which is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. We will step inside the Church of Elijah the Prophet, and wander around the grounds of the 12th century Savior-Transfiguration Monastery.

Today you will visit Nizhny Novgorod – Russia’s fifth largest city, one the most ancient and picturesque towns in Russia. It is located on hills where the Oka River empties into the Volga - the city impresses with the mighty brick walls of the Kremlin overlooking the confluence of two rivers. Nizhny Novgorod was a great trade center of the Russian Empire. In 1612 right here Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky organized an army for the liberation of Moscow from the Poles. In Soviet times the city turned into an important industrial central, the Gorky Automobile Plant was constructed in that period. After the World War II the city was closed for foreigners for many years.

During a City Tour around Kazan you will see the white stone walls of Kazan Kremlin; the legendary lake Kaban; the Tatar State Academic Theatre which looks like a sailboat moored to the dock of the lake; Kremlevskaya Street with the main building of the Kazan Federal University and the Aleksandrovsky Passage; the Peter and Paul Cathedral; the Liberty Square with the Opera and Ballet theatre and Concert hall. During the city tour we’ll also visit Kazan Kremlin is the object of UNESCO which walls united two religions – Moslem (legendary Kul-Sharif Mosque) and Orthodox (Annunciation Cathedral). You will touch the walls of Suyumbike falling tower.

Samara – nowadays is administrative center of Samara Oblast and typical city of European part of Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Samara rivers, on the east bank of the Volga. During the bus city-tour we will see the Revolution Square with monument to Vladimir Lenin and walk along the Kuybishev street with its well-preserved buildings of XIX - beginning of XX centuries. You will enjoy the view of the local Drama Theater and Catholic Cathedral.

Today we will discover the treasures of Saratov, one of the biggest ports on the Volga River and an important industrial center of this region. During the city-tour we will see the most emblematic buildings of the city centre and visit the Sokolovaya Mountain – where the Victory Park dedicated to the victory in the WWII is located. You will also have a chance to visit the – unique for this climate – lemon orangery, a true small jungle, where the breeders work with tropical species.

This day you will have a bus city-tour in Volgograd – the Hero City, better known as Stalingrad. This is where one of the largest and bloodiest battles in the history of warfare took place – the Stalingrad battle of World War II. To commemorate all the perished in the Battle the memorial complex on Mamayev Kurgan were erected. The complex is dominated by a 85-metres tall The Mother Calls statue; it was the largest free-standing sculpture in the world at the time of its installation in 1967, today it is the tallest sculpture of a woman in the world.

Today, sailing takes you to the Astrakhan - the oldest economic and cultural center of Lower Volga region. The main architectural dominant of the city is the Kremlin built in the XVI century, which we will visit during our city-tour.

After breakfast your cruise will come to an end. Transfer from your cruise ship to the airport.