Cruise News - Volga Dream
FEBRUARY 01 - 2011 : On the Volga with Russia’s Great Musicians
The Volga River has been a source of inspiration for Russian musicians down the ages, among them Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Rachmaninoff.
Photo: Volga Dream Musicians
In August Russia's most intimate and luxurious ship MS Volga Dream will pay homage to this bond with two special 6-night musical themed cruises on the Volga River – from Moscow to St. Petersburg on August 11, and from St. Petersburg to Moscow on August 17.
Guests will enjoy Moscow’s finest musicians playing some of the most famous concertos ever written while established local ensembles from towns along the route introduce you to the beauty and mystery of traditional Russian spiritual and folk music. Lecturers will shed light on Russia’s great musical heritage. There will be four Opera Concerts performed by soloists from the Opera Theater of Stanislavskiy and Nemirovich-Danchenko accompanied by a classical quintet from the world famous Yuri Bashmet Orchestra.
Known as Volga-Matushka (Volga-mother), Europe's longest and largest river stretches from Ivan the Terrible to Peter the Great to Catherine the Great, and on into today, where life along Russia's central artery looks very much like it always has – the churches, the villages, the people, comprising scenes from an old painting you might have seen in a gallery.
The musical themed journeys have as their embarkation and disembarkation ports two of the world’s most fascinating cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg. As you sail lazily and in great comfort along the magnificent Volga there will be visits to Uglich which dates back to the 10th century, and to the oldest city on the Volga River, Yaroslavl, a World Heritage site. After the Volga Dream has crossed Lake Beloye, or the White Lake, formerly known as the “tsar’s fishing grounds”, you will arrive in the peaceful village of Goritsy to tour the fortress-like Kirillov-Belozersky Monastery with magnificent frescoes by one of the Russia's most renowned icon painters. Later guests can explore the tiny, picturesque island of Kizhy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Lake Onega. As the Volga Dream navigates the Svir River toward Lake Ladoga, Europe's largest freshwater lake, guests will step ashore for a brief visit to the vacation village of Mandrogi to experience daily life in a quaint wooden village.
The Volga Dream offers an unprecedented level of luxury. Vladimir Esakov, President and CEO of Volga Dream says: “There is no ship on the Volga like the Volga Dream, which is outfitted to tsarist-era luxury and provides superior service. With 60 crewmembers and a capacity for just over 100 passengers, the ship has the lowest passenger-to-crew ratio on the waterways. With so few guests amid the ship’s spacious arrangement, it feels like sailing aboard a private yacht.”
For more information on the Volga Dream’s musical themed cruises visit www.volgadream.com
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