Wednesday, 17 July. When I got up at 7:30 a.m. and looked out our cabin window, the boat was just passing the 160 km. marker. During the night we had passed through four more locks (#5, 4, 3 & 2) of the Moscow Canal and were just crossing the Sestra River, which flows under the canal. I was on deck in time to take a photo of the Big Volga Lighthouse (not so big) and watch as we approached a large statue of Lenin. The boat entered Lock #1 which would lower us 36 feet into the mighty Volga River (@km 165). At 2,300 miles, the Volga is the longest river in Europe.
We had breakfast at 8:00, followed at 9:00 by an outstanding lecture by Professor Andjaparidze on "The Current Political Situation in Russia." Judging by the Professor's frank and outspoken remarks, freedom of speech has definitely arrived in Russia. He was followed at 10:30 by an excellent lecture on Russian art (black lacquer boxes) by the two young women who ran the Tolstoy's gift shop. This was followed by an orientation on the optional tours available in St. Petersburg, and then by lunch.
We skipped the 2:30 Russian geography lesson so as to have a little free time to read or
rest, and to be sure I could be on deck as we passed the church belfry of Kalyazin (@km 260).
The belfry belongs to St. Nicholas Cathedral, which stood in the town's main square. A
hydroelectric dam raised the water level, submerging the square and most of
Kalyazin.
Passing through the dam's lock, capped by a triumphal arch celebrating Russia's victory in World War II, the boat arrived at the city of Uglich at 4:00 (@km 312). Because its kremlin walls have been torn down, there was a good view of the churches there from the river. We debarked for the shore excursion soon after docking and were met by a band and by a woman offering us cake (to be broken off with the fingers) as a sign of hospitality.
In addition to its beautiful setting on the bank of the Volga, Uglich, now a city of 39,000 residents, has a colorful history. It was a favorite of Ivan the Terrible. Upon Ivan's death in 1584, his son and heir, Dmitry, was sent to live here. When he was nine, he was murdered by Boris Godunov's men in a successful effort to seize the crown. On the bloody spot where the murder took place, the city built the magnificent Church of St. Dmitry on the Blood. Our excursion was a walking tour since the old kremlin was so close to the dock. We had to pass through the usual gauntlet of vendors along the way. Arriving at the kremlin, we visited the Palace of the Princes, built in 1480 but much modified over the years. We couldn't go into the Church of St. Dmitry because it was being renovated, but we toured the larger Transfiguration Cathedral. On two sides of the ornate interior, there were art galleries. A male choir performed for us in the church, and their singing was excellent. We learned that the singing in Orthodox churches in Russia is generally done by professionals retained specifically for that purpose.
The tour was over by 6:00 and we walked back to the Tolstoy. The boat sailed at 7:00, just as we sat down to dinner. After dinner, the boat's band put on a one-hour folk music show in the lounge at 9:00. We retired right after the show.
Copyright © 2000-2023 DarrellPeck.com All rights
reserved. | ||||||||||
