That Russia is a country of huge diversity, offering the traveller stimuli on all levels is not new news. From the Vikings to the Mongol hordes, it’s had its fair share of foreign influences. A country shaped by invasions, 2 great wars, bourgeois elite, strife in the communist era and rapid industrialisation, seems harsh when you first arrive, harsher still when you arrive in the middle of winter!
My journey began from terminal 2C, Charles De Gaulle in Paris (appalled that the only food choices were Mc Donald’s and a mediocre café) like many travellers, landing in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. Immigration and transiting into the country was a breeze, only to be faced with colossal Moscow road traffic! Making it to the hotel finally, the gorgeous Baltschug Kempinski, with the view of a beautiful orthodox monastery, I was beginning to get a feel of what the next 7 days would shape up to be.
There were 10 participants and we were supported with a crew of 4. We started with a tour of the Kremlin and Red Square. Images of Gorbachev saluting the Russian troops, Boris Yeltsin on a tank hailing the beginning of a new era in Russian history, cannot help but overwhelm a history buff like me. On our way to the Kremlin museum we witnessed changing of the guards at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. An eternal flame dedicated to the war heroes; so many sons of Mother Russia, remembered for ever. We walked around the central square in Moscow for the rest of the evening admiring the architecture, lights and fun fair around the ice skating rink in the middle of the Red Square.
The day ended with dinner at a fab little Georgian restaurant, not too far from the red Square. SAMAGON! Our discovery that night; the local tipple of choice much preferred by the Russians over Vodka; came so close to becoming our religion during that 1 week in the dead of the Russian Winter. (Later, in St Petersburg, we were offered a clear aperitif and dared by the bartender to identify the liquor; SAMAGON, said My Friend Tushar in a heartbeat! Veterans and Legends at this game!!)
Back to the trip and day 2 was the start of the real Russian experience. Adventures Overland, a Delhi based company specialising in road expeditions, www.adventuresoverland.com had pulled together a once in a lifetime experience of driving on powdery snow, drifting on ice lakes while stopping to visit some of the most historic sites between Moscow and St Petersburg. Driving a pumped up UAZ Patriot 4×4, on the right side of the road (Wrong side of the road for those of us in the UK and all former British colonies), with a manual transmission was a challenge; especially when my car of choice is a tiny 1.6L Audi A2! A nerve racking experience as I navigated the car out of Moscow traffic and then into little country roads. I love driving a manual transmission as it helps you become one with the car in a very Zen like fashion. Driving the Patriot which was huge and a little rough compared to European built cars, through snow and ice was a thrilling experience and gave me a real sense of satisfaction and achievement.
Off roading on snow tracks, some through forests, with nothing around for miles was exhilarating. On one such track, we had to chop trees and clear them off the narrow roads before we could move forward. Part of our crew team was Alexander Trushnikov, the president of the Russian off roading association. Most of us had never driven on snow or ice, Alexander, through Vassily, our guide and interpreter, helped us understand the basics and how to make the correct use of the 4 x 4 in diff road conditions. The highlight for me was driving on the frozen Volga. During winter, the river freezes so deep down; the road authorities create an icy highway, where a ferry or a barge would transport people in the summer! Later we also got a chance to do some wild ice drifting on a frozen lake! Alexander, sitting next to me, instructing in broken English and plenty of sign language, how to keep the car in 1st gear, foot off the clutch, press hard on the accelerator and just let go, it was the funnest thing I’d done in a long time, like being on a roller coaster! The fact that the temperature was -13 degrees didn’t matter as we all took turns and I watched my fellow travellers rev the engine and drift on the beautiful lake Ilmen with a red sunset in the background.
A chance to visit beautiful monasteries along the way St Trinity in Sergiev Possad, Lozovskoye, Valday, Rybinsky, my favourite being the oldest monastery in Russia, in Veliky Novgorod, brought home the fragile relationship between God and his creations in this modern world. As we visited the embalmed remains of St. Sergii of Radonezh in St Trinity’s, the church filled up with the tremor of the choir singing like angels, creating a powerful surreal moment I’ll never forget.
There exist only 5 Sherp ATV’s in the world; all of them in Russia. Sherp ATV measures 11 feet long and can climb over obstacles as tall as 27.5 inches, has an indestructible diesel 15.3 gallon 44 horsepower engine from Kubota, weighs 2,866 pounds and to reach speeds of 27.9 mph on land and 3.7 mph in water. A chance to ride in one of these is an experience of a lifetime. Adventures Overland, were able to pull these out of the bag at the last minute ending this expedition on an adrenaline high!
Our final destination – the most gorgeous of cities, St. Petersburg. Walking around the Nevsky Prospekt, looking up at the church of spilled blood, walking past the winter palace and admiralty buildings, one cannot help compare Moscow and St Petersburg. While Moscow has a very raw masculine energy about it, feeling tough and rugged, yet attempting finesse; like a huge bare hands wrestler in an Italian tuxedo, St Petersburg feels like a grand dame, elegant, sophisticated, opulent and simply beautiful.
What felt like a challenging time of the year to visit Russia, i.e. in the dead of winter, now feels like the best time. Heaps of powdery snow, wintry sunsets and frozen lakes makes Russia in the winter absolutely magical. I feel lucky to have met so many different people, many from the former Soviet Union countries, lovely helpful people, who couldn’t resist belting out a Bollywood song (or two) any chance they get! Smiles on the faces of Russian people are rare, but when they do smile, their eyes light up like a Christmas tree, even better if you are the one who’s earned that smile!
The Jasmine trails 