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Shopping list of ideas
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City Tour
The capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, a unique complex of attractions, the opportunity to become acquainted with the traditions of Russian people, attracts guests from all over the world. The historical centre of Moscow, the Kremlin and its cathedrals, monasteries, fortresses and preserved boyar’s palaces, demonstrates the unique culture and art of the late Middle Ages in Russia. Moscow is one of the rare cases of a city preserving; its beauty in perpetuity, whatever events unfold over time.
To know more about Moscow’s history, our city sightseeing tour is a must.
Route - Red Square, Zamoskvorechye, St. Sofya Embankment,
Christ the Savior Cathedral,
The Moskva River Embankment, The monument dedicated to the 300 anniversary of Russian Navy, St. Nikolas Church, Leo Tolstoy Street, Pirogovskaya street, New Maiden Convent,
The observation platfom of Sparrow Hills, The Moscow State University, Mosfilm street, Ambassadorial Campus, Minskaya street, Triumphal Arch, Bagration Bridge, The White House, New Arbat street, Arbat Square, Boulevard Ring, Tverskaya Street, Manezh Square
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Private Tour of Grand Kremlin Palace
You will have a unique opportunity to see the place where Russian presidents hold the meeting - Grand Kremlin Palace
 The palace was originally built to be the royal palace in Moscow, for Nicholas I, and is now used by the government; it is not open to the general public. All top-level talks and award ceremonies are held there. Rooms that can be seen by special arrangement include the private rooms of the royal family (among them – the halls of 17th century palace adjacent to the Grand Palace and the famous 15th century Hall of Facets),
ceremonial rooms that one can often see on TV, the Hall of St Catherine (the empress’s throne room), St. George Hall, St. Vladimir Hall.
(NB - Please note that the visit to Grand Kremlin Palace is subject for confirmation by the authorities, can be cancelled without prior notice in case of government/president meeting. The maximum group size – 20 pax, so in case of bigger group the guests are divided into 2 subgroups. The 1st group has got a tour in the palace, while the 2nd one – visits cathedrals, then they change)
Special early or late opening of Kremlin (including early entrance to the Armoury, private capella concert and tour of the Kremlin grounds/cathedrals)
The guests visit the oldest and the most beautiful part of Moscow – the Kremlin. You might be surprised how many ancient and magnificent structures one can see within its walls: 15th century cathedrals (the coronation, wedding and bury place of Russian rulers), bell-tower, Patriach’s Palace, Grand Kremlin Palace and of course the richest museum - Armoury. The Grand Kremlin Palace was originally built to be the royal palace in Moscow,
for Nicholas I, and is now used by the government; it is not open to the general public. Rooms that can be seen by special arrangement include the private rooms of the royal family, the famous Terem palace (the 16th century chambers of tsarina and tsarevnas), the 15th century Hall of Facetes (the famous chamber for ambassadors’ receptions) , other ceremonial rooms of the 19th century, among them - the Hall of St Catherine (the empress’s throne room) and the halls which were used for all Supreme Soviet meetings in the Soviet era.
The Armoury has a fantastic collection of insignia of Imperial power, precious clothes, ceremonial harness and unique collection of imperial carriages. The 17th century throne of Alexey Romanov covered with a mosaic of turquoises and 900 diamonds, a pheloneon of Metropolitan Platon decorated with 150,000 pearls (it took the embroiderer 2 years to work on the pattern!), the famous Faberge eggs – is a tiny part of the whole collection. The private tour of the Armoury ends with choir singing performance.
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“KGB training” in Moscow
After the dinner the night before the training each participant find Dear Spy letter in the room from which he gets the first instruction.
In the morning all the group meets in the lobby of the hotel and get divided into smaller groups. Then the KGB agent comes and has a short talk with each group. Each of the group is given instructions, some things they might need during the trip (Moscow map, stamps, magnifying glass, Russian money, etc).
During their route the participants will have cover several central points, find the proper person at each point answer some questions.
The points include:
- GUM department store (where the clients buy the souvenir and find a flower girl from whom they get the next task placed inside the bouquet)
- Moscow subway (meeting a photographer)
- Head Post Office (getting a letter)
- Metro ride
- Yuriy Dolgoruky Monument
- Eliseevsky store (find a lady reading a magazine)
- Finely the whole group gathers in the restaurants and the best one gets the awards
Below are several pictures from the last Spy game.
KGB agent |
KGB Agent meeting |
Metro Ride | 
Moscow subway |
Post Office |
Eliseevsky store |
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One day in the Russian Army
The previous day special new military uniforms (jacket and trousers) are delivered to the hotel so that the clients start fully equipped the next day. The guests arrive to operating Air-force landing troop regiment.
The head of the regiment welcomes the newcomers. 20-30 minute military show of special group (similar to “Alfa” or “Cobra”) introduces the techniques of the modern hand-to-hand fight. Then the guests are divided onto 2-3 teams to compete in
compete in
- passing a special “military line of obstacles” in the wood
- shooting 900 mm Makarov pistol, revolver nagan, etc.
- Armoured personnel carrier driving
- Training course "Defence against the weapons of mass extermination".
(The clients are taken to the site where they are explained how they should behave, what measures should be taken in case of such weapons - putting on gas-mask, ensuring first mediacal aid,etc.)
The guests can cover the distance by armed personnel carrier (5 in each), divided into smaller groups. The program ends with a lunch in real military field kitchen with original utensils.
This trip will occupy half the day, as the site is located 40 km from the city.
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Stalin bunker
One of the secret shelters of Stalin’s built on the eve of the WW II is now possible to visit and includes: memorial cabinet of Stalin with his working table, conference hall where the legendary meeting of Soviet army headquarters took place in November 1941, cellar-cafe in Georgian style and small museum – several glass cases with personal belongings of Stalin including his famous pipe and full set of his awards. The conference ahll can be used for conferences and themed “back to the USSR” dinners.
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Cold War bunker
Welcome to the Cold War Museum, based on the former top-secret Soviet Command Post, N42, known more simply as GO-42
Thank to "Perestroika" you have the opportunity to visit one of the Soviet "underground command posts".
The roles of this bunker included acting as the federal telephone/ telegraph communication Center, the HQ for the Soviet leadership and the Ministry of Communications, as well as the Moscow area Anti-aircraft Defense Communications. In a Global Nuclear War this Communication Center would have been one of the main Command Posts of the Soviet Government.
On arrival the guests are dressed like Soviet army officers and are taught to to assemble/dissemble Kalashnikov. Special “passes” (possible with photo of the guests) are provided for the participants.
The tour takes us 60 meters (!) below the ground and you will visit all the halls and the Duty officer rooms. Museum exhibits include the military communication devices of the soviet era. You will see also our 15 minute film about the ‘Cold War’ between NATO and USSR and explore the 7,000 sq me area of the genuine unique underground complex. Welcome cocktail can be served for the guests.
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Private Tour of St.Basil’s Cathedral
Originally a commercial centre, Red Square has been at the very centre of Russian history since the 15th century, from Ivan the Terrible’s confession of his misdeeds to the people in 1550, to great demonstrations, executions and the great parades of the Soviet Union’s military might. Ironically, “krasny” originally meant beautiful; it came to mean “red” only in the last century!
From the time of Ivan the Great the square was used as a huge gathering place for public events, markets, fairs and festivals.
The magnificent square encompasses an area of over $ 70,000 square metres and is bounded by the Kremlin walls,
St.Bazil’s cathedral, the
Historical museum and
GUM departments store, the shopping arcade, that was completed in 1893.
At the southern end of Red Square is the almost fairy-tale like building of
St Basil’s cathedral, commissioned in 1552 by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate his conquering of Kazan; legend has it that the architect was later blinded so that he could never repeat such a building that is so traditionally Russian. It is built of brick and comprises many colourful asymmetrical helmet & onion domes situated over nine chapels; the interior is full of 16th and 17th century icons, frescoes and ceiling paintings of subtle blues and pinks.
Divided into smaller groups the guests have a tour of the square, promenade in GUM and visit privately Saint Bazil’s cathedral.
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Cosmonaut Center (located 30 km from the city)
 A visit to the State Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut training Center is a unique possibility for special groups and incentives and individual travellers...
The center is situated about 1 hour’s drive from Moscow in the totally self-contained “Space City”, and it is where cosmonauts from Russian and all over the world are trained for manned space flights. As it is a highly secure, working center, only the museum is usually open to the public and by special permit only, but special groups are allowed access for tours and program, and it is well worth the visit.
There are various options for visiting groups, and these depend on the size of the group, budget and their interests.
For day-visitors, it is possible to have a tour of the whole center, which will include several unique pieces of equipment, and life-size models of the Russian spacecraft.
There is the centrifuge machine in which astronauts experience the full affects of centrifugal force; clients can try this but ONLY after a 4-hour medical test, and only a few clients per day.
The water tank is a huge tank into which astronauts are lowered, in special $600,000 suits, and in which the affects of space are simulated. Clients cannot try this, but they can watch an experiment if there is one in progress.
There are real, life-sized models of the spaceships Mir and Soyuz which visitors can look round (they are surprisingly small); a tour of these will be preceded by a detailed explanation from one of the center’s experts.
The following options can be offered here: meeting with cosmonaut, training, “space lunches” presents.
ZERO G Program
The Zero G program can be carried out near Star City – 20 km form Moscow. Here in the flying laboratory made on the basis of the wide fuselage aerobus IL-76 MDK you can reach the state of Zero G.
During the flight the regimes of the short time Zero G are achived each with the duration of 25 seconds.
Accompanied by the experienced team of the instructors you will in 1,5 hour flight you will be able to undergo 15 regimes of Zero G, with total duration of 6 minutes.
You. like cosmonauts will acquire the skills of the most important operations in the conditions of the real weightlessness. Making video film as well as photo of the flight and souvenirs are possible for extra charge.
Maximum capacity for the group – 11 pax (10 guest + 1 interpreter)
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Russian Banya
In the afternoon after the lunch we offer the group a relaxing experience in Russian banya.
The guests are sure to enjoy experiencing one of the traditional Russian pass time - visit to banya (Russian sauna – but not dry one – steam bath). Having houses with all modern conveniences, Russians still prefer to build real banyas in the country houses as their ancestors did. It is not only a process of washing and taking a steam bath with traditional switch of green birch tree, but mainly the process of communicating, talking.
Private separate banya is rented for the guests. After bath the guests can be treated to massage. Cold water/beer can be served.
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“Miracle City” or “Chudo Grad” in Izmaylovo
 We offer you the visit to Russian handicraft centre – Izmaylovo, famous for its open air souvenir market. Izmaylovo is one of the oldest part of Moscow, where the second Romanov Tzar Alexey Mikhailovich had his summer residence where his son Peter the Great was brought up.
At the present moment the complex occupies the territory of 17 hectares and includes: trade town (with streets of private booth-shops where the clients can see and buy great variety of traditional Russian crafts objects – famous matryoshkas, wood-carving goods, porcelain, glass, birchbark items, Russian Army uniforms, badges, etc.), traditional crafts workshops where once can see the process of creation of handicraft items, “Russian Yard” – a copy of a traditional wooden settlement with wooden churches, houses.
At the entrance the guests are met by bread and salt offered by a Russian girl in traditional costume. Enjoy the feeling of creator, having Matryoshka (the famous Russian nestling dolls) doll painting class! The guests are taken to the classes.
Applied art college where they attend a lesson of traditional Russian painting of matryoshka doll. The clients get acquainted with the techniques of painting, get the set of paints and a wooden unpainted doll to make an attempt to do the painting themselves and get the painted item as souvenir.
After the painting class the guests may spend time in the market looking for the souvenirs.
The options for tram building activities are quite diverse: wooden spoon playing or bell ringing master class, specially designed active program “Red Summer”, visit to vodka museum and vodka tasting and many others.
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Paintball
Playground 1 (in 20 – 30 min from Moscow center)
- Near the Complex Gates the guests are met by the staff of the Paintball Complex and accompanied to the club’s territory.
- The guests have a short route along the territory so that they could see and remember the place.
- After that they have the training with the coach (e=with the help of the interpreter).
- The guests are given special uniform (like on the pictures) and equipment.
- After it the participants change clothes (in special heated changing rooms located on the territory of the club. In case if the guests have some valuables with them they can put them into special locks or give to those who do not take part in the competition).
The group is divided into several teams, the referee announces the beginning of the game. The aim is to shoot up the enemy’s team. The teams differ with the help of bandages (different colors).
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Special program in Tretyakov gallery
The Tretyakov gallery is a unique museum where one can have a perfect chance to get acquainted with the best samples of the Russian art. The founders of it, brothers Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov used their family fortune to become important collectors of art. Pavel opened his house to the public in 1856 and later built a new gallery for his paintings, and in 1892, both brothers bequeathed their collections to the city.
The Tretyakov gallery reopened in 1995 after a nine-year renovation, and houses the world’s best collection of Russian icons, as well as a fantastic collection of other pre-Revolutionary Russian art.
After the tour we offer you a private concert in the beautiful Church of St. Nicholas the Miracle Worker in Tolmachi, situated close to the gallery. The Church contains icons from the gallery’s reserve, among them – Russia’s most sacred object, the Icon of our Lady of Vladimir. As other cathedrals this church has a fantastic acoustics. The church is closed for the public, special chairs for the listeners are placed in the hall.
An Orthodox church brings together architecture, icon painting and a service ritual reminiscent of an ancient theatrical performance. Music, as a component of this ritual, has magic properties that captivate listeners and carry them into different reality. Since Orthodox tradition doesn’t allow musical instruments during the services, it is a capella singing.
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