Day 1, Monday, July 10, 2017

Arrival to St. Petersburg – Airport Pulkovo. Transfer to the hotel. Check in and time to rest. Dinner.

Day 3, Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

We will start our day with a visit to Alexander-Nevsky Lavra, a beautiful monastery that at one point was one of the biggest and famous in Imperial Russia. We will tour the grounds of the Monastery, including the magnificent Cathedral of the Holy Trin-ity that houses relics of St. Alexander Nevsky. We will continue our day with the exploration of SS. Pe-ter and Paul Fortress that is located in the very heart of St. Petersburg. The day when the ground was broken to build this first stronghold in the newly regained Russian lands became the birthday of St. Petersburg. After Lunch we will visit the State Her-mitage, once the Winter Palace of the Russian Tsars, which houses one of the world’s largest col-lections of Fine Arts. Countless artifacts on exhibit cover the evolution of Art from the Neolithic time and Ancient Egypt up until the beginning of the 20th century.

Day 4, Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Our fist visit of the day will be to a one of the Royal suburbs of the city - Peterhof We will tour of the Historical State Park "Peterhof" which includes world-famous Golden Palace that is surrounded by a Park with arcades of golden fountains. After Lunch we will transfer to Kronstadt. Place where famous St. John Sergiev, nicknamed “of Kronstadt” was laboring in Lord’ vineyard for many years. We will be able to visit his apartment where he lived for decades and where he reposed in the Lord. From here, within a short drive there is a colossal Navy Cathedral dedicated to St. Nicholas. Build largely after the plan of St. Sophia Cathedral in Constanti-nople, it conquers visitors by its splendid interior.

Day 5, Thursday, July 13, 2017

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Smolenskoye Cemetery where famous Russian Saint and heavenly patron of St. Petersburg, St. Xe-nia is buried. After our visit to Smolenskoye Ceme-tery will visit splendidly decorated Cathedral of St. Isaac, one of the world’s largest domed Cathedrals. Never a parish church, it was built as a dedication to the Heavenly Patron of Peter the Great, St. Isaac of Dalmatia. The cathedral is very Western in style, but adorned with truly Eastern lavishness. In the afternoon we will visit State Historical Park "Tzarskoe Selo" (Tsar's village), one of the summer residences of the Romanov dynasty with the splen-did Catherine's Summer Palace. Built in the second half of the 18th century, it represents the glory of Russia's "Golden Age". The interiors of the palace are fully restored after they were savagely de-stroyed during WWII. The amber room that was re-cently restored once again conquers the imagina-tion of visitors.

Day 6, Friday, July 14, 2017

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

First visit today will be to the Cathedral dedicated to the Icon of our Lady of Kazan, thus known as Ka-zan Cathedral. At times it is referred to as a smaller Russian version of St. Peter’s in Vatican. It is the Bishop’s see of the city of St. Petersburg and the place where a miracle working copy of Icon of our Lady of Kazan is housed. From there we will contin-ue with the exploration of the State Russian Muse-um, which houses the most comprehensive collec-tion of Russian Art from its Byzantine Origins up to the present day. Practically adjacent to the Museum stands the famous "Savior of the Spilt Blood," or Holy Resurrection Cathedral, that was built to com-memorate Russian Tsar Alexander II who was mor-tally wounded on that very place by terrorists. Mag-nificent by all means, it is nicely decorated on the outside with tablets on which Tsar Alexander’s laws

THE BEST OF RUSSIA July 10 - 22, 2017

and orders are inscribed, along with the dates of the most important events that had taken place during his reign. The inside of the Cathedral is completely covered with mosaics. There are over 21 thousand square feet of mosaics inside and outside the Ca-thedral. After lunch we will visit to St. John of Rila Monastery on Karpovka River. It was founded by Saintly Priest John of Kronstadt. Here, in the con-vent he found his resting place as well. Later in the afternoon we will transfer to the city of Velikiy Nov-gorod.

Day 7. Saturday, July 15, 2017

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

Novgorod, is a quiet, clean, typical provincial city of Russia’s North-West. But its thousand-year history is it truly unique. After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for a visit to the main attraction of Novgorod, the Medieval Kremlin. The buildings of the Novgo-rod Kremlin date back to the 11th -16th centuries. The most special of them all is the Cathedral of St. Sophia, built in the 11th century, and which has sur-vived largely intact through its thousand-year histo-ry. In addition to the Cathedral, we will visit several historic and art exhibits in the museums of Kremlin. After Lunch we will visit the Market square, the cen-tral point of the Medieval city’s commerce and inter-action. A number of churches in close proximity to each other serve as a tribute to the piety of Novgo-rod’s tradesmen. From the Market place, also known as Yaroslav’s court, we will walk down Il’ina street for a visit of the nearby Transfiguration church (13th century) that still contains some of the original frescoes painted by renown Medieval icono-grapher Theophanes the Greek. Late in the after-noon we will visit monastery of St. Varlaam of Hutyn’. It was founded by St. Varlaam (+1192) in the 12th century and is one of the oldest and most revered pilgrim destinations in Novgorod. In the evening an optional boat ride on Volkhov River can be organized for you to enjoy the splendid panora-mas of the city.

Day 8. Sunday, July 16, 2017

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

We will start our day by attending Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Sophia. After the service we will travel to the outskirts of the city to visit St. George Monastery - arguably the oldest Russian Monastery with the Cathedral of St. George dating back to the 11th century. Then we will continue on to Vito-slavitsi, the museum of Wooden Architecture that has the finest collection of the wooden architecture of the Russian North. There are a lot of wooden churches, houses, barns and wells. These wooden monuments have been brought from various re-gions of Russia for preservation purposes as well as a display of a variety of wooden architectural styles. From there we will to another important me-dieval center of Russia – city of Pskov.

Day 9, Monday, July 17, 2017

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

Today we will start with an exploration of the Holy Trinity Cathedral situated in amidst picturesque for-tifications of the Pskovan Kremlin. From there we will proceed to the state historical museum with its excellent Icon collection, and a special chamber with various Medieval ecclesiastical artifacts. Then we’ll continue to explore the treasures of Pskov – among them two splendid jewels – Mirozhsky mon-astery and Church of St. John the Baptist, both built and consecrated in the 12 century.

Day 10, Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

In the morning, after breakfast we will visit Ancient Monastery of Pechori (Pskov Cave Monastery) that Lord spared from Communist desecration. Monas-tery was wounded at the entrance to the system of the underground tunnels that at one time were channeling the waters of an underground river. For past several hundred years these “God made caves” were used as the monastic cemetery and partially as the hermit cells. After pilgrimage to the caves and venerating miracle working icons in the

monastery churches and chapels, we will visit an-cient town of Izborsk for inspiring walk though the ruins of medieval fortress to the icy-cold shower in the Holy Springs. Tonight we will embark on the train for an overnight travel to Moscow.

Day 11, Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Upon our arrival to Moscow, we will travel some miles east to a small village of Semhoz to visit a church built on the place where Fr. Alexander Men, famous Russian Missionary and religious writer was assassinated. From here we will continue to a near by town of Sergiev Posad, to visit famous Holy Trini-ty Lavra (Monastery). The monastic settlement here was established by St. Sergius in the 14th century and became the single most important spiritual cen-ter of all of Russia. We will have time to explore the territory of the monastery, with a number of church-es, and adjacent territory with a number of little shops. After Lunch we will visit the largest function-ing Orthodox Church in the World, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This magnificent building was de-molished in the 1930s and has been rebuilt in re-cent years, becoming a symbol of changes in the country and the resurrection of the religious life in all of Russia.

Day 12, Thursday, July 20, 2017

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

We will start our day with a visit to a very special place and holy place known as “Russian Golgotha” Here, on the place of the NKVD-KGB killing field a memorial complex was built to commemorated thou-sands of innocents who perished from the hands of the Godless Communist regime. From here we will proceed to one of the most beautiful new churches built in Moscow in recent years. Church of the Pro-tection of the Mother of God in Butovo is justly known as a “miracle of liturgical art”. After lunch we will stop at SS. Martha and Mary Convent, estab-lished by Grand Duchess and Royal Martyr Eliza-beth. Just a short walk from here, there is the

Tretyakov gallery that houses a very fine collection of Russian art from the 10th to the 20th centuries. In the attached museum church, we will see the mira-cle-working “patron” Icon of Russia, Our Lady of Vladimir.

Day 13, Friday, July 21, 2017

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Our first stop today will be at the Donskoy Monas-tery – historically important place, the “jail” and rest-ing place of the Russian Patriarch Tikhon. From the monastery we will procced to visit to Moscow Krem-lin. Kremlin (kremlin is a general term used to de-scribe strongly fortified central part of the Medieval Russian City). Moscow Kremlin is a true Pride of Russia. Among many other special attractions here we will visit Uspenskiy (Dormition) Cathedral, once the place of the installation of the Russian Patri-archs and Crowning of the Tsars. The Patriarch's Palace contains some unique historical and ecclesi-astic Artifacts. After Kremlin, we will visit the Red Square – with its iconic "picture of Russia," the fa-mous Cathedral of St. Basil.

Day 14, Saturday, July 22, 2017

Meals: Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Departure back home.

Important – please note: our itinerary may be ad-justed to satisfy the interests of the group to the de-gree possible; i.e. services, meetings with local cler-gy and faithful, extra rest, additional time spent at a particular site of veneration, etc. Accessibility of some of the monuments is also subject to weather condi-tions and restoration works as ancient frescoes are very fragile and need special climate control.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOUR:

Financial arrangements:

The current cost of the trip is:

$2,900 per person, in double occupancy in a group of 25+ people

Single supplement: 900

Price does include:

• Accommodations in "****" hotels in St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Pskov and Moscow

• Breakfast, lunch daily and five dinners (total of 30 meals)

• Private bus transportation whenever required

• An overnight train between Pskov and Moscow (two persons per berth).

• All admissions to the scheduled museums*.

• Professional English speaking tour guides

• Whisper Audio Guide System

• English speaking guide/escort during the entire tour

• Visa application documents

Price does not include:

• Personal health/accident insurance

• International airfare tickets*

• Transportation to and from the airport in Russia if traveling separately from the group

• Fee for Russian visa**

• Private transfers, additional (optional) tours and tickets to unscheduled show/concerts or museums.

• Some newly introduced fees that may occur in certain places (monasteries or churches)

• Tips to bus drivers and tour guides (Minimal suggested amount per person is $2 per day for bus driv-ers and $3 for local tour guides. Your generosity will be always greatly appreciated)

• Anything that is not specifically mentioned in “Price includes”

* We could offer a compatible round-trip group airfare (15+ people) rate out of New York or any other major US airport for your consideration

** All the necessary paperwork and instructions for Visa Process will be provided in due time. We also may be able to assist you with the Visa application process. For details, please contact Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky

*** Tickets for evening folk shows, theater, opera and ballet performances will be offered according to the schedule and availability in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Please factor that the final price may fluctuate due to the actual number of participants or due to significant difference in exchange rate of ruble vs. the US dollar at the time of the final payment. Our hope is that the price of the tour will remain the same. In any case you'll be informed right away of any possible fi-nancial changes or adjustments.

All payments should be made by check to: "Palomnik, LLC" and mailed to: 53 Baxter Street, Bing-hamton, NY 13905. Any returned checks are subject to $25 fee. For payment with a Credit Card and for do-mestic or international bank wires, please contact Fr. Ilya directly.

A deposit of $800 is required when you sign up for the trip. The deposit is non-refundable, unless pilgrimage is cancelled by the organizers due to lack of participation or for some other valid or unforeseen circumstance. In order to avoid any money loss, emergency/travel cancellation insur-ance strongly recommended.

The deadline for signing up for the trip is January 31, 2017. The entire amount is due 90 days prior to de-parture, April 9, 2017. Failure to pay in full by April 9, 2017 without written notice of explanation may lead to the cancellation of your participation, with no refund of any previously committed funds. If you decide to join the pilgrimage after the deadline, please contact tour coordinator regarding the availability.

If you need to cancel after you signed up, please note the schedule of charges in addition to the amount of non-refundable deposit:

• 25% of the tour cost, 90 to 61 days prior to the departure

• 50% of the tour cost, 61 to 45 days prior to the departure

• 100% of the tour cost 45 or fewer days prior to the departure

All cancellations must be in writing and sent directly to agent/coordinator - Fr. llya Gotlinsky and must be received for reimbursement by the dates shown in the cancellation schedule.

If your visa is denied for any reason, the above cancellation fees still apply.

Passport and Visa:

A valid passport and Russian visa are necessary for travel to Russia. The passport must be issued at least three months prior to the departure and must be valid for at least six months upon your return.

The visa may be obtained through the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C., your regional Russian Consulate General or at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in your country. You may apply for visa personally or via accredited agency. You must have an invitation from an agency in Russian to obtain Rus-sian entry visa. To receive such invitation you must provide us with your full name, date and place of birth, number of your passport and your permanent address. Upon receiving the invitation, all the necessary forms for the visa (invitation form and hotel vouchers, visa application, instructions on how to file for the Russian visa and the list of the Russian official offices where you can obtain visa) will be mailed to you di-rectly. We are willing to help you to apply for the Russian visa. If you apply for the Russian visa yourself, please make sure that the name and dates on your visa are accurate. All possible discrepancies must be corrected while still at home in the US, prior to the departure.

Rules on the road:

It is strongly suggested that you

Obtain insurance covering medical needs and coverage of personal property

Be aware that financial coverage for all emergency medical and other emergency needs will be your sole responsibility. We will provide all possible logistical and personal assistance, but the financial aspect is your responsibility.

Act in a manner consistent with the surrounding environment

Make arrangements to have access to sufficient funds to cover personal needs and unexpected events

Be aware that the places that we will be visiting may not have the same amenities that you are accustomed to. Medical facilities in most areas are limited. Because of the difference in language and customs, it is expected that the traveler will follow the directions of the Tour Director at all times.

The Director reserves the right to restrict a person’s participation in the group’s activities, including exclusion from the group, when, in the opinion of the Director, such action is appropriate.

Please note: The Director of the trip, Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky, does not hold any legal responsibilities concerning any of the arrangements, but acts only as an agent/coordinator.

SOME RUSSIAN TRAVEL TIPS BY AN EXPERIENCED AMERICAN TRAVELER:

LUGGAGE — Take only as many pieces of luggage as you can manage yourself. There will be several times on the trip when luggage carts may not be available. Luggage pieces longer than 24" may create an inconvenience on trains because train compartments have limited storage space.

MEDICATION — Bring any prescription medications you need, as well as over the counter treatments for

common ailments such as colds, upset stomach, and the like. While most medicines are available in the larger cities in Russia, the quality or dosage may not be the same as in the US. In Russia, as in the US, you need a doctor's prescription for antibiotics.

BE SURE TO BRING - comfortable shoes (do not start the trip with new shoes); electric outlet adapters, ex-tra batteries, and memory cards for your camera, phone, and other gadgets; an alarm clock; Kleenex. Some travelers also recommend bringing hand sanitizer or wipes, a wash cloth (not typically provided in hotels), a small fan, and bug repellant.

DRESS -- We are going to visit a lot of churches and monasteries. Women should wear head-coverings and skirts when visiting churches and monasteries. Men should wear regular shirts and trousers. Visitors in open shouldered outfits or shorts are usually not allowed in monasteries or churches. The weather in Rus-sia in July will be much like weather in Vermont in the US, warm to hot during the day, with occasional cool rainy days, and cooler at night – and unpredictable day by day.

RUSSIAN FOOD – is generally good. Sugar substitutes and powdered creamer are not provided, so bring your own if you use them.

CHURCH SERVICES - Church services in Russia are absolutely magnificent. There are two services scheduled during the trip. They are open to all who want to attend, but are not mandatory. Those Orthodox travelers who would like to receive Holy Communion during the Divine Liturgy usually must come for confession on that day, prior to receiving the Holy Communion. At the very least, if you plan to Commune during the pilgrimage, please attaned Confession at your home parish prior to the pilgrimage.

WATER – It is advisable to drink bottled water, which is not expensive and is widely available.

SECURITY - Don't keep all of your cash in one place, and carry important documents (like your passport and visa) with you in a hidden pocket or secure bag. Expensive jewelry and electronic devices are best left at home.

CURRENCY – There are more and more places in Russia that accept credit cards (mostly Visa or Master-

Card, no Discover or American Express). The easiest way to obtain cash is to use the ATM machine. For

ATMs use your debit card because you won’t be charged any interest on cash withdrawals. You get the

best exchange rate of the day if you use your debit card for cash withdrawals and your credit card for pur-

chases. It is a good idea to let your bank or credit company know that you will be traveling overseas, since

without such a notice some companies may freeze your account to prevent fraud. If you feel more comforta-

ble with cash, there are numerous currency exchanges in hotels, banks, and stores, even in the smaller

towns. If you will be exchanging cash for rubles, try to obtain clean, recently printed U.S. bills. Russian

banks are VERY particular about the dollars they will accept and don't want dirty, torn or defaced bills. If

you are exchanging cash money try to use larger bills, since it always take a while for the bank clerk to

check the bills.

If you are interested in joining the tour, please contact

Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky for more information at:

53 Baxter Street, Binghamton, NY 13905

(607)-797-1058 & ortours@gmail.com

www.orthodoxtours.com

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