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Travel Exploring the Imperial and Unforgettable Russia

Exploring the Imperial and Unforgettable Russia

Exploring the Imperial and Unforgettable Russia
By Ana de Ocampo
January 18, 2019
Sisters Ana and Margie savour the warmth and grandeur of Russian culture

Contrary to my expectations of bitter Russian cold, Moscow greeted us with a warm welcome. Entering the city, we were met by elegantly lit buildings, churches, and monuments, some giving us a preview of distinctive baroque and neoclassical architecture. The sights were even more grandiose as we neared the Red Square, where our hotel was located a short walk from St. Basil’s Cathedral, easily spotted for its wildly colourful onion-shaped domes. Enjoying the imperial comforts of the Four Seasons Moscow, we awoke to a rainy morning where the upside was a breakfast buffet that included blinis with a bright sampling of Russian caviar. Of course, we were merely scratching the surface of what local flavours we would savour—if this trip was like a traditional nesting doll (a cutesy souvenir called Matryoshka), we were just about to loosen its exterior.

At the outset, our beaming guide Elena showed us a side of Russia often seen on the news: its government. A walk through the nearby Kremlin revealed halls and interiors that were imposing in expanse and stature. After encountering enough sternly faced guards, we were ready to grab a festive bite and drink, which made Vysota Kislovodsk, the Georgian restaurant Elena brought us to, the perfect next stop. Platters of shashlick (skewered meats) were served alongside the freshest greens, but most memorably, with an eggplant mezze smothered with a creamy walnut spread topped with pomegranate seeds. Though my sister Margie was suffering a cold she acquired on her flight from Los Angeles, she managed to enjoy the introduction to Georgian cuisine as I did.

Wrapping up our meal, Elena had suggested an antidote to her sniffles: a shot of Russian vodka. Thus came a rule about vodka: “You quickly drink it. It is not to be enjoyed,” Elena said. The problem was that my sister is not much of a drinker, so as soon as she downed her shot of vodka, there was no enjoying the rest of the day ahead either—she passed out and was soon whisked back to our hotel.

With my sister Margarita having dinner at the White Rabbit
Restaurant
With my sister Margarita having dinner at the White Rabbit Restaurant

Luckily, there was enough to keep our senses occupied through the rest of our time in Moscow. The following evening, we took in a performance at the esteemed Bolshoi theater. While Moscow was about to host the FIFA World Cup 2018 at the time, causing traffic jams in preparation for the spectacle, the ballet was the sort of physicality I marvelled at. There was no question that the Bolshoi was the Olympus of ballet given the power and grace with which prima ballerina Ekaterina Krysanova leapt and pirouetted across the stage in a rendition of La Bayadère.

Moscow also managed to offer us the pinnacle of Russia’s dining scene. At Michelin-starred restaurant White Rabbit, we lounged on tufted leather sofas enjoying a majestic city view from domed floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The sky was the limit for cocktails and inventive seafood dishes, but there was nothing like the old-world dining we would relish the following day. At the legendary Cafe Pushkin, a former nobleman’s house, we were served sumptuous Russian staples like beef stroganoff and baked sturgeon, charmed by servers in a space that can be considered part-restaurant, part-relic. Sitting in a library with towering shelves and antique woodwork, it would have been a mistake not to enjoy such traditional fare, not to mention a generous sampling of caviar that included prized sturgeon and beluga variants. On the side, creamy, delicate blinis were delicious on their own.

Built from 1555–1561,
Saint Basil’s Cathedral
commemorates the capture
of Kazan and Astrakhan
Built from 1555–1561, Saint Basil’s Cathedral commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan
the Red Square in Moscow
the Red Square in Moscow

Entering the city, we were met by elegantly lit buildings, churches, and monuments, some giving us a preview of distinctive baroque and neoclassical architecture

Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg
At restaurant Tsar
Imperial Beluga Caviar
Andy Warhol exhibit at The Garage in
Gorky Park
Ancient Egyptian Sphinx in St. Petersburg
The
apartment museum of the painter Isaac Brodsky in
St. Petersburg
Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
 
Having a
meal at Kafe Pushkin in
Moscow
Caviar tasting at
restaurant Tsar in St.
Petersburg
Fresh seafood
at Palkin Restaurant
in St. Petersburg
 

Taking us further into history and higher up on the ladder of artistocracy was St. Petersburg, a train ride from Moscow, where numerous palaces awaited us. Giving Versailles a run for its grandeur were Peterhof, with its sprawling gardens and jaw-dropping fountains, and the Alexander Palace, the favourite residence of the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II. Amid its gilded halls, art-strewn walls, and ornate flourishes, you can’t help but imagine the beauties that once glided through the residence—the Romanov children who were tragically murdered during the revolution, their massive portraits decorating some of the rooms. Leaving the residences, we were left to discuss the lavish lives of Catherine the Great, or the distinguished ways Nicholas II showed his love to his children, and we continued doing so over a meal that itself was surrounded by so much history. At the Palkin Restaurant, pre-Bolshevik music played from a gramophone as we sat down to a feast worthy of Russian royals. Kamchata crab and goose pie were soon served, and of course, another wondrous sturgeon, all extravagant dishes fittingly accompanied by live piano playing later in the evening.

As our trip wound down, Russia exhibited artful majesty beyond its venerable Hermitage Museum. The city of St. Petersburg, in fact, felt like a mobile museum. Even in the city’s metro stations, people could encounter exquisite touches of history, art, and Soviet values simply by standing on a railway platform. No matter one’s political stance, what is undeniable is the excellence this great nation seeks, echoed by a patriotic and passionate people. On this trip, this was most evident in the arts, once again displayed at another more whimsical and classic ballet we saw at the revered Mariinsky Theatre, where the audience applause for its dancers was not as inhibited as in the Bolshoi.

St. Peter
it would have been a mistake not to enjoy such and Paul Fortress
St. Peter it would have been a mistake not to enjoy such and Paul Fortress
The Kremlin Palace
The Kremlin Palace
Grand
Café Dr. Zhivago in Moscow
Grand Café Dr. Zhivago in Moscow
The Kremlin Palace features
five halls for diplomatic
receptions and official
ceremonies
The Kremlin Palace features five halls for diplomatic receptions and official ceremonies
The Mariinsky
Ballet in St. Petersburg
featuring Shurale
The Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg featuring Shurale

My applause for our trip definitely hasn’t waned. Not when Russia left me with a moving memento via the private event arranged by Elena’s tour company. An ensemble of pianist, violinist, and opera singer would perform for our group at the former residence of painter Isaak Brodsky, whose iconic works depicted the Bolshevik Revolution. The performance was emotional, especially when accompanied by a few glasses of champagne. The afternoon’s high spirits carried over to an elaborate dinner at a restaurant called Tsar, caviar and vodka starting us off in a space once peopled with aristocracy. As dessert was served, couples dressed like nobility made a grand entrance and proceeded to dance across the room. Later, guests were invited to join in the frolicsome twirling, the faces in the restaurant soon flush with laughter and tipsiness. The cold may be prominent in Russia but beyond the healing properties of vodka, history’s heartbeat can keep even the most cynical tourist warm.

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