In the course of the Conference the Organizing Committee and the travel agency "Nico Tours" plan to organize tours of the city Moscow, as well as short-term post conference trips to St.Petersburg, Vladimir and Suzdal. For the convenience of participants and accompanying persons we suggest to get a knowledge of short descriptions of tours, dates and prices. You may book a tour by filling out the registration form.

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Tours:

If you have problem in filling in the registration form or you have questions, please send an e-mail with the subject "Sightseeing" to the following address: sc3@lpi.ru

1. Tours of city Moscow:

1.1 Moscow City Tour

1.2 Excursion to the Moscow Kremlin and the Cathedral Square

1.3 Trip to Sergiev Posad (former Zagorsk)

1.4 The State Tretyakov Gallery

1.5 The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

1.6 Jasnaya Poljana (Bright Glade)

1.7 The Romanov Palace

2. White nights in St.Petersburg

3. Tour to Vladimir and Suzdal

1.1 Moscow City Tour

Time: approx. 10.00 – 13.00, 3 hrs, 22 June, Saturday

Guided tour of Moscow with stops-over at the Red Square, Moscow State University, and Novodevichyi Convent. Passing by the Kremlin and the main streets of Moscow. You will see the Kremlin and the Red Square – the heart of the Moscow and all country. The Red Square was founded at XV century after great fire. Word "Red" minded "beautiful", also you will see the Novodevichy Convent was founded in 1524 in a stile of Moscow baroque. Novodevichy Convent is one of the most spectacular sights in Russia. After that you will go to Vorobievy Gory, where you can see the beautiful view of Russian Capital. The main University of Russia - Moscow State University staying here.
Cost of excursion – $25

1.2 Excursion to the Moscow Kremlin and the Cathedral Square

Time: approx. 10.00 – 13.00, 3 hrs, 23 June, Sunday

Guided tour to the Moscow Kremlin and the Cathedral Square.

The Kremlin, which means fortress in Russian, is the heart of Moscow. The first fortress was erected there in AD 1147, but the buildings include everything from spectacular 15th century churches to the modern Palace of Congresses, an ugly construction from 1961. The Cathedral of the Assumption, the Belltower of Ivan the Terrible and the Cathedral of the Annunciation are marvels of Russian architecture and art.
The ancient cathedrals of the Kremlin combine a peculiar museum ensemble. You will see the main temple of Russia - Uspensky Sobor. (Cathedral of the Dormition) and the burial place of the Moscow's metropolitans and patriarchs. In compliance with the Russian traditions the whole interior of the cathedral is covered with frescoes painted in the 17th century by the best craftsmen. The unique icons are preserved in the cathedral, among them are: "St.George" from Novgorod; "Our Lady of Vladimir" painted by craftsmen from Andrei Rublev's school; "Metropolitan Peter" by Dionisius and many others. Close to the Cathedral of the Dormition stands the Church of the Deposition of the Robe. It was the private chapel of the Russian Tsars. Feofan Grek, Prokhor from Gorodets and Andrei Rublev, painted the iconostasis and some icons of this church. The church frescoes include the works of famous painter Simon Ushakov. The Church floor is made of the agate-jasper tiles.
The Arkhangelsky Sobor, or the Archangel Michael Cathedral, was the burial place of Moscow's Grand Princes and Tsars. The southern wall of the cathedral displays the frescoes with the images of Grand Princes and Tsars, from Ivan Kalita and up to the first Tsars from Romanov's family. Totally, there are 46 tombs with 54 burials in the cathedral, including the burials of Dmitry Donskoy, Ivan the 3rd, Ivan the Terrible. The portraits of prominent political leaders of ancient Russia, Andrei Bogolubsky, Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Moskovsky are painted on four columns supporting the ceiling of the cathedral. Zvonnitsa or Belfry that stands close to Ivan the Great Bell-Tower houses the Exhibition hall of the Moscow Kremlin treasures, while the Patriarch's Palace houses the Museum of the 17th-Century Life and Applied Art.
Cost of excursion – $30

1.3 Trip to Sergiev Posad (former Zagorsk)

Time: approx. 11.30 – 14.30, 3 hrs, 24 June, Monday

Departure from Moscow – 10.00

Returning to Moscow – 16.00

Drive out of Moscow along the Yaroslavsky highway and find a small town Sergiev Posad some 70 km from the capital. The town emerged long time ago, round the St.Trinity Sergius Lavra, the monastery established here by one of the most honoured Russian saints, reverent Sergius of Radonezh. The monastery, which got the status of Lavra in 1744, has currently become a place of pilgrimage of the Russian Orthodox Church and one of the most interesting museums, where one may find the icons of Andrei Rublev and other famous masters of the 15th-18th centuries. The architecture ensemble of monastery created during the long period of the 14th-19th centuries is a unique sample of wonderful combination of different architectural styles forming the most impressive and harmonious composition.
Cost of excursion – $45

1.4 The State Tretyakov Gallery

Time: 10.00 – 13.00, 3 hrs, 25 June, Tuesday

The State Tretyakov Gallery is the biggest art museum in Russia housing the largest collection of the Russian art. The Gallery was founded by P.M.Tretyakov (1832-1898), a Moscow merchant, who dreamed of a museum accessible for any visitor, with fine collection of objects, which would describe the whole history of the Russian art. On display here are the specimens of early Russian art of the 9th to 17th centuries, including the icons of the 12th to 17th centuries from Kiev, Novgorod, Central Russia painted by Andrei Rublev, Simon Ushakov, Dionysius; pictures; drawings and sculptures of the 18th to 19th centuries (F.S.Rokotov, F.I.Shubin, O.A.Kiprensky, I.I.Shishkin, I.E.Repin, I.I.Levitan, K.A.Korovin, etc.) and the works of painters from "The World of Art" association (A.N.Benua, K.A.Somov), "The Blue Rose" association (M.Saryan, V.Borisov-Musatov), "The Knave of Diamonds" association (P.P.Konchalovsky, I.I.Mashkov); the works of the representatives of the Russian avant-garde (V.V.Kandinsky, K.S.Malevich, M.Shagal and many others).
Cost of excursion – $30

1.5 The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

Time: 10.00 – 13.00, 3 hrs, 26 June, Wednesday

You will see the museum, which was founded by father of famous Russian poetess Marina Zvetaeva as a world’s history of art study centre.
Here is the biggest Moscow's collection of the Western-European art is on display at the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum comprises the collections displayed in the Halls of Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Antique, Early-Christian Arts. On display are the paintings and sculptures of the 14th - 19th centuries, the works by famous Italian painters (Simone Martini, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Domenico Tresini), Holland painters (Peter Piters, Peter Breigel Jr.), Flamand painters (A.van Ostade, Y.I.van Reisdal, Rembrandt Harmens van Rein), German painters (Lucas Cranah Sr.) and French artists (F. Bushe, J-B. Sharden).
Cost of excursion – $30

1.6 Jasnaya Poljana (Bright Glade)

Time: approx. 12.00 – 15.00, 3 hrs, 27 June, Thursday

Departure from Moscow – 08.00

Returning to Moscow – 19.00

Jasnaja Poljana (Bright Glade) is one of the most dearest places in Russia. It is an estate (200 km south of Moscow) where a Great Russian writer Lev Tolstoy was born, spent all his life and buried.
Since 1856 Jasnaja Poljana is indissoluble related with the name L.N.Tolstoy. His best novels, as, "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina", "Voskresenie" and many others were created here.
You will see the museum-farm of Tolstoy where the writer practised his agriculture knowledge and the Kochakovsky Necropolis – the burial-vault of Tolstoy's family.
Cost of excursion – $55

1.7 The Romanov Palace

Time: approx. 11.00 – 13.00, 2 hrs, 28 June, Friday

The Romanovs were one of the oldest Boyar families of Moscow. A Romanov daughter became tsarina when she married Ivan the Terrible, and, later, the Boyars elected Michael Romanov from among their number to become Tsar and to found the House of Romanov that ruled Russia for 300 years. The key to Romanov Palace in Moscow is one of the open-sesames to fathom the mysteries of the great and small events of Russian history.
Your Treasure Hunt Quest leads you along one narrow street after another, all in the Zaryadye district (ancient Kitai Gorod), the section of Moscow where the nobility resided. Then, once inside Romanov Palace, your guest takes you from one room to another - surely a kind of entertainment that Russia's noble Boyars would have appreciated. Providing motivation to find the right answer is not difficult by Russian standards – vodka and caviar, of course. You now have all the ingredients needed to create a lighthearted atmosphere where merriment, deduction, cunning, and deception are all allowed.
Cost of excursion – $30

2. White nights in St. Petersburg   ( 28-30 June 2002 - 2 days/3 nights )

28 June – Friday
Around 23:00 - Departure for St.Petersburg by an overnight train.

29 June - Saturday

07.30 - Breakfast in the train.

08:25 - Arrival to St. Petersburg.

Meeting on arrival by Nicko Tours representative.

8:30 - 12:30 Sightseeing tour

to get familiar with all the major sites of the city founded on the banks of the river Neva in 1703 by Peter the First, who called on the best European builders and designers of those times to create a magnificent capital out of swampy lands.

12:30 Check in at the hotel

13:30 - 14:30 Lunch

15:00 - 18:30 Excursion to the Hermitage.

Winter Palace is one of the most famous world museums. Former homes for Russian Tsars it now houses a splendid collection of paintings, sculptures and furniture, which are kept in a perfect harmony with the palace itself.

19:00 - 20:00 Dinner

21:00 - 23:00 Night romantic tour of the canals of St. Petersburg

23:30 Return to the hotel for an overnight.

30 June - Sunday

7:00 - 9:00 Breakfast

10:00 - 14:00 Excursion in Petrodvorets (Peterhof)

former summer residence of Russian Tsars - Versaille of the North.

14:00 -15:00 Lunch

16:00 Return to St. Petersburg.

17:00 - 18:30 Time at leisure.

19:00 - 22:00 Dinner

Around 23:00 Departure for Moscow by an overnight train.

1 July – Monday

8:30 Arrival to Moscow.

3. Tour to Vladimir and Suzdal   ( 29-30 June 2002 - 2 days/1 night )

29 June – Saturday

08:30 – Departure from Moscow for Vladimir (180 km.)
12:00 – Arrival to Vladimir and lunch

The history of the city of Vladimir dates back to the X-th century. It was a capital of North-Eastern Russia in XII – XIII centuries being an important political, trade and cultural center of those times.

13:30 – Sightseeing tour of Vladimir.

Assumption Cathedral, 1185 A.D., (interior) and St. Dimitry Cathedral, 1194 A.D., (exterior), The Golden Gate, 1164, A.D. Excursion to Bogolubovo, former Russian Duke's residence and visit to the Pokrov on Nerl church that dates to 1165 A.D.

17:00 – Departure for Suzdal.

"Museum in the open air" – its another name for the small town of Suzdal. On 9 square kilometers of its territory there are more than 200 cultural and architectural sites. Most of them are in amazingly good condition despite severe damage the town survived in the XIII century after the Tatars invasion. For its enormous work to preserve its historical sites Suzdal in 1983 was awarded by the International Federation of journalists.

18.00 - Arrival to Suzdal and check in the hotel.

19:00 – Dinner in the hotel.
Overnight in Suzdal

07:00 - 09:30 – Breakfast
09:30 - Sightseeing tour and excursion to the Suzdal Kremlin:

Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, excursion to the Museum of Icons, Spasso-Efimovsky Monastery.

13:30 – Lunch.

15:00 - Departure for Moscow.

19:00 – Arrival to Moscow.