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1982. A week in April, cold but at least it didn't snow. The brochure said that our hotel (the Cosmos, built for the Moscow Olympics)

Cover of the Hotel brochure in 1982

was next door to the Park of Economic Achievements, gosh were we excited (not)! We should have been. Far from being the propagandist thing we thought it would be, it was great. Like a huge Theme Park. The World's first surround cinema, a full size mock up of the Soyuz spacecraft and enough other stuff to make us go back several times. Cost about 5p. to get in! Went out on the metro, MAGNIFICENT, and again about 5p. to go anywhere. Our group had our own courier (KGB?) and coach but, as a lot of the group were visiting people (eg. at the University), sometimes we were four in a 42 seater. Saw the Moscow State Circus (brilliant) but couldn't get tickets to the Bolshoi. A fascinating experience - I often wonder what it's like now in "free" Russia.

Photos below are 1982. Click here to see the 2007 Cruise photos.

2007. June, and the start of a River Cruise (along the Volga etc.) to St. Petersburg. Weather a mixture of sun and dull. City Tour and the Kremlin included in the cost and we also "did" the Metro and Arbat Street (a pedestrianised street with bars, shops etc. - a lot different from 1982) and the Novodevichy Convent (which has a Cemetery attached with the graves of Nikita Kruschev, Boris Yeltsin etc.). Went into GUM - also a lot different from 1982, posh shops now but just a store with no displays or anything worth buying in '82. Prices are catching us up (it's said to be one of the most expensive Cities in the World now) but still worth going, in fact a must.

Park of Economic Achievement. The Kremlin. The Great Bell. Space Monument. St. Basil's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.