By Churchill got it right, Russia is a big mystery, and once you get there you’ll want to keep exploring. Between being incredibly affordable and incredibly expansive, there are plenty of reasons to head over to the land of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky. See below for some of the top reasons, places to go and things to take advantage of.
1) It’s Cheap!
The Ruble exchanges favorably with the Dollar and the Euro, making daily costs very manageable. You can get hostels for cheaper than a movie ticket in the States. Hostel rates for one person range from $5 – $20 per night, and you’ll be able to find good quality, well-rated places for as low as $10 per night. Food is similarly cheap and so is transportation. Trains are the way to go, whether it’s the famous subways or cross-country travel. When I wrote this post in January of 2017, the exchange rate was 59 rubles for every U.S. Dollar.
Check here for a more up to date figure.
2) Easy to get around.
The train system in Russia is excellent. Whether it’s from city to city or riding the subway in St. Pete and Moscow, the prices are cheap, and the timing is excellent. I never waited more than five minutes for a subway train in either city, and on average the wait time was around 1-2 minutes. It’s fantastic. Coming from Boston, it makes the T look like amateur-hour. The trains are simple, get the job done, are fairly clean, and are operating past midnight everyday.
The stations in both cities are well distributed and easy to access, you can approach all tourist destinations by subway.
Longer distance trains have the same advantages and characteristics. Easy to get to. Cheap. Run on time. Great amenities.
3) St. Petersburg is a Russian Venice
Though several other cities claim the moniker of “Venice of the North”, St. Petersburg may be the most deserving of the title. Coupled with being the cultural heart of the country, this international-facing city should be on everyone’s list. Picturesque canals and waterways criss-cross the streets making for beautiful views and lovely waterside walks. The city and its people are inexorably tied to the water.
You can feel it. The canals and river bustle with activity at every hour… tour boats,fishing vessels, barges, or the hundreds of fantastically futuristic-looking hydrofoil commuter boats: The Raketa.
Beside and between the watery avenues are gorgeous buildings such as St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the largest orthodox cathedral and fourth largest cathedral in the world. Click here for my post on all the great reasons to visit St. Pete.. including the unbelievable Russian doughnuts…. Hmmm… dooooughnuts
4) Moscow is… Moscow. You need to experience it.
The city is just as imposing as you think it is and far more beautiful than you imagine. The heart of Moscow, and the place most people think of… Saint Basil’s cathedral, the Red Square and the Kremlin, are all beautiful and a treat to visit. Whether standing in middle of the Red square and pondering the history around you… or wandering among the aged museums and churches within the walls of The Kremlin, you will have plenty to see and do.
In addition to the grandiose cold-war era constructions and cupola-covered churches, the parks of the city are spectacular. Spend a long afternoon in Gorky Park to see it all. And the impressive monuments to Russian heroes and numerous historic landmarks spread across the sprawling 14 million-person metropolis make it a place that can be explored for weeks. As a bonus, the whole city is easily accessible with a
metro system that runs from 5:30am – 1am (0530 – 0100) everyday at only $3.50 for unlimited rides all day. The subway itself is a treat. Dozens of stations are listed as world heritage sites with phenomenal paintings and mosaics and stunning design spanning from romantic to art deco, to brutalist.
Click here for some more reasons to go to Moscow and see how you can pick yourself some genuine Moscow-grown apples while on a little urban-hike.
Bonus: A list of cool facts about the Moscow Metro: Moscow metro
5) The Trans Siberian Railway is even better then the Orchestra
This railway system lives up to all the hype.
Stretching from Moscow to the Pacific at Vladikstok, the original “Trans-Siberian Railroad” now includes dozens of connecting railways as well to places like Saint Petersburg, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and more, and is still being improved added on to. Hop on and hop off and see the largest country in the world. Cross an entire continent. Travel to nearby countries. Whatever you do, try it out for at least some distance. You’ll be happy you did.
6) The Culture
This place is dripping with it. It’s a place that will leave you simultaneously amazed and bewildered. It is a nation that is nearly the size of South America… the whole thing, and borders 13 nations (The Tzars and The Kremlin once ruled over an additional 14). Due to it’s breadth and location it has also has sat at the crossroads of eastern and western culture for thousands of years.
In some ways it wants desperately to be European, much like Peter the Great desired. In other ways it wantonly rejects the notion of being anything but Russian and gladly thrusts its Slavic heritage upon you. Yet it also oozes years of eastern influence: from the nomadic steppe rulers of the Golden Hoard Khanate to modern day immigrants of Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and more. What a fantastically confusing and interesting place.
The art, architecture, performing arts, music, and graffiti put this mashup of heritage on display wherever you walk. It’s in your face, raw, and unforgettable. Whether it’s buskers playing tunes in the street or walking past a sculpture in a park, you’ll be thrilled with Russia’s greatest enigma.
7) You may not be able to soon…
An unfortunate reality of Russia today is that the government is increasingly at odds with the U.S. and other nations abroad. Diplomacy will hopefully win the day, but there is always a chance that Russia or another nation will restrict travel due to some kind of international disagreement. Or alternatively, the domestic political-climate in Russia could make travel drastically less appealing. For now, a casual traveller can still have just as much free reign as they would in most other European nations. So get out there and explore before it’s too late.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I only went to Russia once, and I pretty much spent my whole time in two cities, St. Petersburg and Moscow. But that was enough to make me want to return and see much more. As an American, the historical connection we have to Russia makes it incredibly enticing. A place which nearly no body in our country could visit for over 50 years? It was even more enlightening and wonderful then I had hoped.
Leventeia 