INTERNATIONAL Tours A tenacious group of 22 boys together with Adam Rogers, Neil Peacock and Glenda Pitcher finally undertook a History and Art tour to Russia and Turkey. We touched down in Moscow, Russia, on Monday 31st March and were met by our guide Svetlana who escor ted us to dinner at the Hard Rock Café on the Arbat. The next morning we woke to deep snow which elicited longed for snowball fights before embarking on our first full day in Moscow. Whereas St Petersburg has retained the symbols and architecture of its imperial past, Moscow in many respects is still every inch the Communist totalitarian city of imposing skyscrapers and strong military presence. In the three and a half days that we spent in Moscow we had the oppor tunity of visiting the Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer ; the Kremlin (medieval for tress and home to the Armoury featuring jewel-encrusted carriages and thrones belonging to the Tsars); Red Square (scene of the infamous military displays of the ColdWar) and the GUM store (originally where the Muscovites drew their food rations). A highlight of our time in Moscow was meeting Lenin in his mausoleum (a rather sombre and perplexing feeling coming, literally, face to face with a historical figure from nearly 90 years ago) as well as the awe-inspiring St Basil’s Cathedral (a maze of corridors and interleading tiny chapels).We also took a leap of faith and leapt aboard the Moscow Metro to view the stations that are more than stations but consisting of propaganda murals, dramatic statues, chandeliers and frescos glorifying the workers. Finally, we also stopped off at Gorky Park – the public park dedicated to Stalin’s favourite author but 38 With grateful thanks to KALTRAVEL CC t/a SOUTH AFRICAN KALTRAVEL TRAVEL CENTRE –We specialize in business and leisure travel, visas and travel insurance. Tel: 031 7653861 Email: paola@kaltravel.co.za
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