Bus Tour around Moscow: 22€ per person

30.07.06.
duration: 4 hours
time: 10:00 - 14-00.
The price includes: transportation, English speaking guide

This excursion is to get you acquainted with the city of Moscow and its most important and beautiful sights. Anyway you can't miss the city center - Red Square with the Lenin Mausoleum, and Tverskaya Street. Then you will go to the Lenin's Hills, which is considered to be the highest point of Moscow where you will enjoy a great panorama of the city. Continuing the city tour, you will pass along the Kutuzov Street and visit the Victory Park with its fountains and churches.

Excursion to Novodevichy Convent: 30€ per person

27.07.06.
Duration: 4 hours
Time: 9:30 - 13:30
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

Excursion to one of the Moscow's most attractive monasteries. Novodevichy, or "New Maidens Convent" in English, was founded in a suburb of Moscow in 1524 to commemorate the liberation of Smolensk from the Lithuanians in 1514. The convent is rather like a miniature Kremlin by its architectural style. Many of the city's monasteries served as retirement homes for royal and noble women, who either chose or were forced to take the veil and remain in the safety of the convents for the rest of their lives. The Tsars and the supreme feudal nobility showed a great interest in the Novodevichy convent, rendering it all possible financial and legal support. The convent has also been a burial place for famous persons in Russian history.

Excursion to Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts: 32€ per person

28.07.06.
Duration 4 hours
Time: 9:30 - 13:30
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is Moscow's equivalent to St. Petersburg's enormous Hermitage Museum, and boasts an impressive collection ranging from Roman antiquities to canvasses by Gauguin.

Excursion to The Kremlin: 50€ per person

30.07.06.(after bus tour around Moscow)
Time 15:00-16:30
Armory Chamber
Time 16:30 - 17:30
The price includes:transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

The Kremlin is the symbol of Russia and the main tourist attraction of Moscow. Once the residence of Tsars and Patriarchs, today it is one of the biggest architectural ensembles in the world, which is included into the UNESCO list. During this excursion you will see the chambers and cathedrals inside the fortress. You will visit some of the churches in the area of Kremlin, walk by the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon and see the unique and priceless collections of the Armory Chamber.

Excursion to State Tretyakov Gallery: 30€ per person

01.08.06.
Duration 4 hours
Time: 9:30 - 13-30
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

A guided excursion to the State Tretyakov Gallery, presenting the best collection of Russian fine arts in the world, from the ancient time to the contemporaries. The museum was founded in 1856 by the merchant P.Tretyakov, who donated his collection to the city. Today the museum houses a collection of more than 130,000 artworks.

Excursion to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior: 30€ per person

29.07.06.
Duration 4 hours
Time: 9:30-13:30
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

The enormous gleaming golden dome and gigantic structure of the newly built Cathedral of Christ the Savior is visible from all over central Moscow and is the largest church in Russia. The original Cathedral was built by the architect Konstantin Ton between 1839 and 1881 to commemorate Russia's victory over Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars. The church was later demolished in 1933 on Stalin's orders, but was built anew in the 1990s.

Tour to Sergiev Posad: 60€evro per person(including lunch)

30.07.06.
Duration 8 hours
Time: 10:00-18:00
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

The town was named in honor of St. Sergius of Radonej, whose relicts were buried at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius that today become "Russian Vatican". Lavra is the richest place of historical monuments and authoritative monastery of Russia that included in UNESCO's list of world heritage. There are out-of-town patriarchy residence, Moscow Religious School - academy and seminary, the richest library of religious literature in Russia located at the territory of monastery. There are also architectural monuments, ancient icons, historical relics and treasures that concentrated in Lavra.

Excursion to Diamond Fund: 37€ per person

31.07.06.
Duration 4 hours
Time: 9:30-13:30
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

The Diamond Fund is a true treasure trove of thousands of loose diamonds, gold nuggets, and both ancient and modern jewelry of kinds. The collection of regalia in the Diamond Fund consists of the Great and Small crowns, maces, scepters, the Great Chain with the cross and star of the Order of St Andrew the First-Called and clasps to fasten the coronation mantle. All these items and are of great artistic, historical and material value. They were used almost without changes at all the coronations right up to that of Nicholas II in 1896.

Excursion to Novospasskiy Monastery: 22€ per person

01.08.06.
Duration 4 hours
Time: 15:00-19:00
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

Situated in the historical region of Moscow, the Novospassky Monastery claims to be the oldest monastery in Moscow and is thought to have been founded in the 12th century during the reign of Prince Yury Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow. The monastery complex consists of a thick defensive wall with seven bastions surrounding a courtyard cluttered with various ecclesiastical and secular buildings.

Tour of ceramic production and museum of Gzhel town: 45€ per person

02.08.06.
Duration 8 hours
Time: 9:00-17:00
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

Gzhel, not far from the city of Moscow, has long been famous for its rich deposits of clays suitable for the making of pottery, and, hence, for the ceramic industries that grew up around them. In fact, practically the entire population of some thirty villages in this neighborhood have long engaged in the manufacture of pottery, the more so, as considering the dense sprawling forests around, there has never been any shortage of firewood. One could say that it was symbolical for Gzhel to be understood already in the 19th century as synonym, to a great degree, with Russian folk ceramics. True, it was somewhat earlier, in the previous, 18th century, that Gzhel rose to fame as a large ceramics center that produced not only earthenware for purely utilitarian purposes, but also artistic and decorative objects.

Post Conference tours

Tour to Suzdal - Vladimir - Bogolubovo (2 days): 180€ per person

03.-04.08.06.
The price includes: transportation, English speaking guide, 1 night in hotel of Suzdal, 1 breakfast, 2 lunchs, 1 dinner , city tour.

Suzdal. This calm Russian town, first mentioned in chronicles in the 11th century, is considered to be one of the best preserved Russian towns. No other town possesses as many splendid specimens of Russian architecture of different epochs whilst retaining its original character and appearance. The hilly green town is very seductive, walking around is a pleasure, the monasteries and old beautiful churches offer dream views. You can even camp freely along the small river 'Kamenka' that goes through the town, or next to the Kremlin or next to a monastery.

Vladimir bears the name of its founder, Prince Vladimir Monomach. In 1108, on the high bank of the Klyazma River, a fortress was built, which soon grew into a town. It rapidly expanded and become the capital of North-Eastern Russia in the 12th century. The main entrance to the city is guarded by the Golden Gate (1164). The walls of the distinguished-looking Assumption Cathedral (1158-1161) carry the inimitable frescoes of Andrey Rublev. The Cathedral of Dmitry (1197) has a wondrously festive look with its intricate lace of carved stone bas-reliefs. There are many more interesting sights here, but the town appeals because of its peaceful atmosphere and its big contrast with big cities.

Deadline for application for this tour 31.05.06.

Tour to Rostov the Great - Kostroma - Yaroslavl (3 days): 325€ per person

03.-05.08.06.
The price includes: transportation, English speaking guide, 1 night in hotel of Kostroma, 1 night in hotel of Yaroslavl, 2 breakfasts, 3 lunchs, 2 dinners, city tour.

Rostov the Great. An ancient Russian town located on lake Nero. The history of this place started 4 thousand years BC, when the first tribes settled next to the lake. The architectural monuments of Rostov include the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Bell Tower (1682-1687). The largest of the famous Rostov bells weighs 32,000 kg and the sound of its chimes can be heard at the distance of 20 km from the town.

Kostroma. A very inviting and attractive town, located on the Volga river. Kostroma played a particular role in Russian history as the birthplace of the Romanov Dynasty. In 1613, the boyars gathering at the Ipatiev Monastery blessed the young Mikhail Romanov to become the Tsar of Russia. Kostroma has preserved its peculiar image of a Russian city. It is also famous for its Fire-Watch Tower (the symbol of the town) and ancient churches like the Church of the Resurrection with the 16th century iconostasis. The contemporary Kostroma is a picturesque city with a strong historical atmosphere.

Yaroslavl. Yaroslavl got its name from Yaroslav Mudry, who founded the town in the beginning of the 11th century, at the place where the Volga river meets the Kotorosl. Yaroslavl today is a large city, the biggest along the Golden Ring, but the original and extremely picturesque corners of the ancient Yaroslavl are still preserved. The entire panorama of the Kotorosl embankment consists of a chain of magnificent, unique churches culminating in the monumental and majestic ensemble of the white-stone Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery, behind which rises the fine red-brick silhouette of the Church of the Apparition of Christ. The ancient Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery now houses one of the most extensive museums of early Russian architecture, icon painting, ethnography and folk arts.

Deadline for application for this tour 31.05.06.

Tour to St Petersburg (2 days): 02.08.06.

During the tour you will see the highlights of the city, beautiful wide river Neva with its granite embankments, large and small bridges, the unique architectonic ensembles such as: the Spit of Vasilievsky Island and Peter& Paul Fortress, the Decembrists' Square with the monument of Peter the Great, St.Isaac's Cathedral and Isaakievskaya Square, the spacious and majestic Palace Square with the best baroque style building Winter Palace and famous Alexander Column, the Summer Garden with its marble Italian statues and Summer palace of Peter the Great, the Field of Mars and harmonic Arts Square with Russian museum, Our Saviour's Church in Russian style, Smolny monastery and Institute and, of course, Nevsky Avenue (Nevsky prospekt) - the main street of the city.

You will visit the largest museum in Russia and one of the most famous museum all over the world.- Hermitage. The Hermitage is proud of its collection of the Ancient Greek & Roman sculptures, masterpieces of European painters, impressionists, post - impressionists and representatives of avant-garde, rich collections of porcelain, armor and furniture.

Program: 02.08.2006 departure from Moscow to St. Petersburg by night train
03.08.2006: arrival to St. Petersburg, breakfast, accommodation in hotel, city tour, lunch, excursion to Hermitage Museum.
03.08.2006: departure by night train to Moscow.
Price per person: 267€
This price is for persons who are planning their departure from St. Petersburg and includes: excursion around the city, breakfats and lunch, hotel accommodation, excursion to Hermitage, English speaking guide, one way ticket by comfortable train from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Price per person: 325€
This price is for persons who are planning their departure from Moscow and includes: excursion around the city, breakfast and lunch, hotel accommodation, excursion to Hermitage, English speaking guide, round trip ticket by comfortable train: Moscow - St. Petersburg -Moscow.
Deadline for application for this tour is 31.05.06.

Tours for Attendants

Excursion to the Museum of perfumery "Novaya Zarya": 30€ per person

27.07.06.
Duration 4 hours
Time: 15:00-19:00
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

Founded by a Frenchman in 1864, Moscow's Novaya Zarya factory was the first foreign perfumery to beat the French at their own Grand Prix in 1889. More than a century later, the company continues developing and releasing new, high-quality fragrances and cosmetics. Many items are small and light enough to take or send abroad as a souvenir from Russia, and there's plenty offered for local gift-giving as well. From the new women's fragrances, the Zelyony Chai (Green Tea) and Perechny Chai (Pepper Tea) ranges are worth a whiff, while those with a taste for history should look out for Krasnaya Moskva (Red Moscow), developed in the early 20th century.

Excursion to the Museum of film studio "Mosfilm": 30€ per person

28.07.06.
Duration 4 hours
Time: 15:00-19:00
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

The Moscow Cinema museum is more than a museum. It is one of the Moscow cultural centres, a place hosting lectures by film experts, philosophers, critics and directors, festivals of Russian and foreign cinema, seminars on theoretical problems of cinematography. There are decorations for different movies, collection of retro-automobiles and museum of costume.

Excursion to production "Ost-Alko" enterprise: 55€ per person
(including lunch)

31.07.06
Duration 5 hours
Time: 9:30-14:30
The price includes: transportation, entrance tickets, English speaking guide

The company OST Alko, one of the largest producers of alcoholic beverages in Russia, was the first manufacturer of previously state-owned vodka brands. This is the only private enterprise that received an award from the Russian government for its high-quality products. While the excursion you may taste some beverages.