Russia

Travel Russia on your gap year. Ideas for gap year travel to Russia.

Russia gap year - Gap year programmes in Russia

For many years Russia was a country shrouded in mystery. If you came from the non-communist west then it was virtually impossible to gain entry in to Russia. Russia also happens to be the largest country in the world, covering over 17 million square kilometres of the Earth's area. Thankfully in recent years Russia has now loosened its entry procedures somewhat and, with the help of travel experts such as Real Gap, it's now possible to travel around this vast and fascinating country.

One of the great railway journeys of the world is the Trans-Siberian Railway that runs through Russia, Mongolia and China. Real Gap has teamed up with the Trans-Siberian Railway to create the ‘Trans-Siberian Railway'  programme. This flexible programme allows you to do all or part of the trip so, if you just want to explore Russia only, you can just do the ‘Rasputin' section of the journey that travels through Russia. The Rasputin starts its journey through Russia in the historic city of St Petersburg and finishes in Moscow. The Trans-Siberian Railway attracts backpackers from all over the world and is a great way to meet people during your time in Russia. The ‘Rasputin Train' is also a good way to see Russia in that it offers the reassurance of an organised tour without participants having to follow a regimented structure or itinerary. While the train is travelling through Russia you travel in a small group without a tour leader and, when you're in St Petersburg or Moscow, you meet up with a ‘honcho' who lives locally and will take you to see the sights in Russia which interest you the most.

Many peoples' image of Russia is perhaps of austere communist monuments and drab, grey post-war buildings. The beautiful city of St Petersburg, where the Rasputin train starts its journey through Russia, immediately dispels this stereotype of Russia. Indeed, because of its palace-lined waterways St Petersburg is sometimes referred to as the ‘Venice of the North.' St Petersburg is a throwback to the days of Russia being ruled by a Royal Tsar rather than the Communist party and it's a fantastic city to explore. Dominating the St Petersburg skyline - a real picture postcard view of Russia - is the immense golden dome of St Isaac's Cathedral. One hundred kilos of gold leaf were used to decorate the dome of St Isaac's, which was completed after forty years of construction in 1858. Visitors can climb to the top for some breathtaking views of the city. Another ‘must see' St Petersburg landmark is the Summer Garden - again, a beautiful reminder of the bygone days of Russia's royal past.

The Rasputin's final ‘port of call' in Russia is Moscow. Moscow lacks the classic architectural beauty of St Petersburg's buildings and monuments, but is equally fascinating and an essential place to visit in Russia. As with the rest of Russia, Moscow is constantly evolving in the post-perestroika years and there are visible signs here of Russia's new monied elite. One of the major tourist sights in Moscow, however, is a somewhat macabre reminder of communist Russia's heyday. The embalmed body of Lenin lies in a granite tomb on public display in Red Square. Russia's most famous communist leader died in 1924 and his body has now become the world's most famous mummy, drawing large crowds in Moscow to this day. As you walk out of the mausoleum there is also an opportunity to see the burial places of Stalin and Brezhnev. Also on Red Square is the Kremlin, the stronghold of political power in Russia. The surprising thing about the Kremlin is that there are a number of churches within this epicentre of atheist communist power in Russia. This is because the Kremlin was once also the centre of the church in Russia. The Kremlin's bell tower is a famous Moscow landmark and can be seen from as far as twenty miles away.

Russia is a fascinating and unique place and, if you take the time to explore it for yourself, you'll probably find that many of the stereotypes and assumptions you had about this huge and enigmatic country beforehand are completely blown away. Taking the Trans-Siberian Railway to Russia is also one of the great railway journeys of the world and an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Russia gap year - Gap year programmes in Russia


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