It's only the officials who are paid to be helpful, who really aren't, someone comments. Although it's a country continually in the news for allegations of spying activities, political interference and autocratic leadership, it's a revelation of friendliness and simple courtesies. The whole journey is, this time, a most pleasant surprise. I've taken a 14-day APT cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg, travelling along seven rivers, including Europe's longest, the Volga, three lakes, two reservoirs, 10 locks and two canals, visiting the so-called 'Golden Circle' of sights in between. Yet it was still an intriguing nation, with a dramatic history lurching from the staggering wealth of the tsars to the Bolshevik revolution that changed the world, to rampant capitalism and now the staggering wealth of the oligarchs and Putin, with an estimated $200 billion fortune.īy submitting your email you are agreeing to Nine Publishing'sĪlong its colourful way, it became a showcase of some of the most lavish palaces on the globe, many of the most stunning cathedrals, 23 UNESCO World Heritage sites, incredible collections of artworks, a vibrant dance and culture scene, and a kaleidoscope of ethnicities and beliefs. Back then it was an amazing place, but with an outlook darkened by shortages of nearly everything, queues for food and luxury goods, and an economy on the verge of collapse.

It's for that reason I've decided to return 35 years after my first visit.

Russia has always been a fascinating place to visit, and never more so than now: the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War and the start of perestroika that would two years later lead to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.Īn underground tunnel leading to a restaurant located inside the Tagansky Protected Command Point, also known as bunker-42 a once-secret military complex.

Putin red button cake