Russia river cruise guide
A guide to river cruises in Russia on the Volga, Dnieper, Don and Neva,
including information on key stops such as Moscow and St Petersburg, tour
operator details and itineraries
Why go?
With its magnificent cities and world-class museums, historical towns and
tree-lined waterways, Russia has much to offer when it comes to cruise
holidays. What's more the country's remarkable waterways system enables
ocean-going ships to travel all the way from the Mediterranean to the
Arctic. Moscow, hundreds of miles inland, is linked by rivers, canals and
other waterways to five seas: Aral Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea,
and the Sea of Azov. Geographically, river cruises operate in three main
areas: Central European Russia, Northwestern European Russia, and Asian
Russia.
The principal Russian rivers are:
River Volga
Europe’s longest river at 3,690km (2,293 miles) and historically the cradle of
the Russian state, the Volga is western Russia’s main waterway. It divides
into three parts: the Upper Volga, from its source in a small lake northwest
of Moscow to the confluence of the Oka; the Middle Volga, from the
confluence of the Oka to the confluence of the Kama; and the Lower Volga,
from the confluence of the Kama to the mouth of the river itself at the
Caspian Sea. It has more than 200 tributaries that, if counted with the main
river, would add up to 357,000km (221,800 miles).
The Volga is western Russia’s main waterway. Photo: Alamy
From about mid-March to mid-December, the Volga is navigable throughout most
of its course, although it is subject to much flooding in May and June, when
it is fed by an immense amount of melting snow. A number of canals connect
the Volga with such points as the Baltic Sea, Sea of Azov, Black Sea, River
Don, and Moscow. The Neva River connects to the Volga River canal, then to
the Volga (including the Vytegra, Kozva, and Sheksna rivers), and the Don.
The Mariinsky Canal, which connected the Neva with the Volga in 1810, was one
of the most outstanding pieces of hydro engineering of its time. It was
upgraded in the 1930s, but was eventually superseded by the Volga–Baltic
Canal System, opened in 1964.
From the tip of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir on the River Don to the Volga just 29
km (18 miles) south of Volgograd, the 101-km (63-mile) Volga–Don Canal,
opened in 1957, providing a waterway between Moscow and the former capital,
St. Petersburg. Linking the Caspian Sea with the Black Sea, it has 13 locks.
River Don
The Volga–Don Canal links the lower Volga with the Don in Volgograd Province
in south-western Russia. The Don flows in a generally southerly direction
until it turns more to a south-westerly direction, from just to the north of
Volgograd, and empties into the Sea of Azov to the east of
Rostov-on-the-Don. There are three sections to the river: the upper course,
middle course, and lower course.
River Dnieper
At 2,200km (1,370 miles), the Dnieper (Dnepr) is the Ukraine’s most
significant river. It dissects the country and has acted as its commercial
artery for centuries. From its source southwest of Moscow it flows south,
through western Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine, all the way to the Black
Sea. Navigable throughout its entire course it is ice-free for eight months
of the year, making it a vital traffic route for Belarus, Russia and the
Ukraine. It flows through the modern port of Kiev, the huge industrial
centre of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhya, site of a large hydroelectric
station.
River Neva
The Neva starts its course from the freshwater Lake Ladoga and flows just 74
km (46 miles) to the Finnish Bay of the Baltic Sea. If you cruise across the
lake in late summer to get to the monastery on Valaam Island, you might find
the eight-hour crossing a trifle choppy at times. Russia’s second city, St
Petersburg, is built on 42 islands in the Neva’s broad delta and, like
Venice, is divided by a complex system of canals. You can skate on the river
when it freezes over in mid-winter.
Key stops
It is worth bearing in mind that the country’s size restricts how much one can
see on a single visit.
The most popular cruise is between Moscow and St Petersburg, which lasts from
seven to 10 days (described below). Add an extra day or two in each city to
see the sights and take in the ballet, art and museums.
The locks on the extensive Volga–Baltic Canal System are particularly
fascinating. A stop at Mandroga Island caters for nature lovers, and a
crossing of two of Europe’s largest lakes, Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega, is
more like a sea voyage.
Lake Ladoga is one of Europe's largest lakes. Photo: Alamy
Other river cruises take place during the summer from Kiev (one of Europe’s
oldest cities), Yakutsk, or the Siberian town of Tiksi (on the White Sea),
on the mighty Dneiper River. Here are some sample itineraries:
Typical itineraries
Seven days - Moscow to St Petersburg
By far the most popular cruise route is from Moscow to St Petersburg
The cities are only 650km (400 miles) apart by land, yet the cruise passes
through 10 different rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs. Apart from the
attractions of Moscow (Red Square, the Kremlin, the Tretyakov Gallery, the
Bolshoi) and St Petersburg (the Hermitage complex, Peter and Paul Fortress,
Peterhof, the Mariinsky Theatre), the trip offers a fascinating glimpse of
everyday Russian life in the countryside and villages along the river banks.
From the Moscow cruise terminal in the northwest of the city on the
Volga–Baltic Canal System, riverships proceed through the city of Uglich,
with its monasteries, churches, museums, and magnificent Palace of the
Uglich Princes. It then calls at Kostroma for an excursion through pretty
countryside to the Ipatyevsky Monastery, burial place of the Gudunovs, and
Yaroslavl, a major port and university city.
Visit the Church of Demetrius on the Blood in Uglich. Photo: Alamy
After an overnight crossing of the Rybinsk Reservoir and Beloye Lake, the
cruise calls at the farming village of Goritsy on the Sheksna River. Next
you pass through six impressive locks on another stretch of the Volga–Baltic
Canal and across the vast Lake Onega, 248km (254 miles) long and up to 80km
(50 miles) wide. At Kizhi Island, one of the lake’s 1,650 islands, there’s
an Open-Air Museum of Architecture and the world’s biggest wooden church,
the Transfiguration Church, with 22 onion domes.
On the 218-km (135-mile) Svir River, which connects Lake Onega with the even
larger Lake Ladoga and is frozen over from December to April, the landscape
is majestic but rugged. The rivership calls at the small village of
Svirstroy, where passengers can chat to villagers and buy handicrafts. The
river is a challenge to navigate because it has many dangerous shallow
stretches, blind bends, debris such as floating logs to contend with, and
often fog.
One of the 70 rivers that feed Lake Ladoga is the Neva, which takes you to St
Petersburg, one of the world’s most northerly cities. If you arrive in late
June, you will experience some of the 21 “white nights” when the sun doesn’t
fully set. Most riverships dock at a terminal in the northwest of the city,
about a 15-minute walk from the nearest metro, though cruise companies
usually lay on transport to the centre.
There are many other choices for cruises on the Waterway of the Tsars. Among
the most interesting are:
Ten days - Moscow to St Petersburg
From Moscow the ship calls at Uglich, Yaroslavl, Goritzy, Kizhy, Mandrogi and
St Petersburg. A roundtrip from Moscow (north) would call at Kimry, Uglich,
Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Murom, Kasimov, Ryazan and
Kolomna before returning to Moscow (south).
14 days - Moscow to St Petersburg
Moscow, Uglich, Kastroma, Yaroslavl, Irma, Goritzy, transit of Volga–Baltic
Canal, Petrasavodsk, St. Petersburg.
Moscow to Rostov-on-the Don or Astrakhan
Moscow, transit of Moscow–Volga Canal, Uglich, Jaroslavl, Kastroma, Nizhni
Novgorod, Tscheboksary, Kazan, Uljanowks, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd,
Volga–Don Canal, Rostov-on-the-Don or Astrakhan.
Kiev to Kiev (roundtrip)
Kiev, Saporoschja, Kherson, Sevastopol, Yalta, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk,
Kremenschuk, Kanev, Kiev.
Yakutsk to Tiksi
Yakutsk, Osetrovo (Ust-Kuk), Kirensk, Peleduy, Lensk, Olekminsk, Tiksi (sea
port).
The ships
Most Russian riverships carry up to 250 passengers. Those aimed at the local
market can be somewhat dilapidated (cabins are practical but with minimal
furnishings, lighting is limited, particularly in bathrooms and there may be
no blackout curtains on windows).
Others have been refurbished or completely rebuilt and are jointly owned by
Russian and European or American companies, or chartered to major operators
like AMA Waterways, Saga Cruises, or Uniworld. Scenic Tours’s luxurious
Scenic Tsar, the first new-build ship on Russia’s waterways for over 25
years when it launched in 2012, carries just over 100 guests, while Viking
River Cruises’ Viking Akun was fully refurbished for 2014.
There are few single-occupancy cabins. Keep windows closed unless you enjoy
sharing your sleeping space with mosquitoes.
Uglich is a port of call on Moscow to Rostov-on-the Don or Astrakhan
itineraries. Photo: Alamy
All meals are provided, typically in self-serve buffet style for breakfast and
lunch, with sit-down service for dinner. In general, the cuisine aboard most
Russian riverships is hearty, but monotonous. Breakfast and lunch can be
repetitive. Dinner typically consists of four courses, plus cheese.
The food is generally highly salted. Potatoes and cabbage are common, as is
the prevalence of butter and cream in sauces. Desserts and pastry items tend
to be very good, and plentiful. Vegetarians and macrobiotics should note
that such items as tofu and tempeh are hard to find. Both alcoholic and
non-alcoholic drinks are very expensive. Basic table wines may be included
with lunch and dinner, depending on the operating company.
Specialist guides accompany cruises and give talks about the country’s life,
history, culture, art and politics. There may also be poetry readings, as
well as classical concerts, usually by balalaika and bayan instrumentalists
(the bayan is a type of chromatic button accordion). Other diversions may
include vodka tasting, cookery demonstrations, basic language lessons and
folk song concerts.
Russian riverships normally carry a doctor, and have a decently equipped
medical centre. A no-smoking environment prevails, except for the outside
decks.
Telegraph tips
You’ll need a Russian visa (must be obtained before leaving the UK) although
you can go ashore in St Petersburg and Sochi on your ship’s visa if you buy
the cruise line’s excursions. Visas are not needed for the Ukraine.
Officially, all transactions and purchases on land must be made in roubles
although, at some street kiosks, foreign currencies may be accepted.
Riverships are currently prohibited from exchanging money. This is best done
in cities such as Moscow, St Petersburg or Yaroslavl.
If you buy Russian icons, genuine antiques, or wood-burning samovars for
making tea you may have trouble exporting them.
Carry mosquito repellent, especially when visiting nature sites such as the
Valaam Archipelago.
The season is limited: think May to October for river cruises. Early mornings
and nights can get chilly so pack accordingly.
Photography of any kind is forbidden in St Isaac’s and St Nicholas cathedrals
in St Petersburg and flash photography is banned in all museums. You can buy
a permit to take photographs without flash or videos in the State Hermitage
Museum or Peterhof Palace.
Wheelchair accessibility is poor or non-existent on Russian riverships as well
as on public transport, and in museums.
Read more : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/riversandcanals/10930150/Russia-river-cruise-guide.html
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