Spring has arrived with nature awakening - so are our hopes for tourst season of 2016! MITT and Intourmarket travel fairs held recently in Moscow showed non-ceasing interest to different regions of Russia and international travel in general!
In this issue you will find information on Eco tourism in N orht of Russia, UK-Russian language year in both countries and "War & Peace " tour in Russia!

Sincerely,
Helen Isaeva

War and Peace

Another adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace has been introduced to public in January 2016. An adaptation of the novel appeared as British-American historical drama television serial filmed by BBC. Leo Tolstoy is a significant figure in the Russian literature and one of his masterpieces is a historical novel War and Peace. First published in 1869 and spanning 15 years, Leo Tolstoy's novel follows five aristocratic Russian families through the Napoleonic invasion. The average audience of each episode was 7,2 million viewers according to The Telegraph data. The TV serial received many positive reviews from critics.

For those who are interested in this story we offer an itinerary which follows the original places described in the novel, including the house of Leo Tolstoy, where the novel was written. This itinerary can be completed by a 3 day extension to the Baltics, where the new version was filmed by BBC. There you will see the movie interiors including the Rundale Palace in Latvia.

Please see the program via the following link: http://www.travelrussia.net/item/12-moscow-st-petersburg34

Eco Travel in Russia: Karelia

Karelia is a region located in northwest Russia. It is currently divided between the Russian Republic of Karelia, the Russian Leningrad Oblast, and Finland. It is known for its dense forests, numerous lakes dotted with islands and picturesque landscapes. Karelia stretches from the White Sea coast to the Gulf of Finland. It contains the two largest lakes in Europe, Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega.

We offer many different tours to Karelia, such as Karelia Quad Expedition, Solovky Grand Tour, Eco Tour - Wonders of the White Sea, Jeep Tour - Karelian Trail, Kizhi Vacation - Breath of Tranquility, Karelian Weekend. Any tour can be modified as an extension to St. Petersburg program. An overnight train will take you from St. Petersburg to Karelia. Programs are available for FITs and groups.

One of the new and unique programs is Eco Tour - Wonders of the White Sea. Travel itinerary includes White Sea - Baltic Canal + Villages of the White Sea + White Whale Watching. Guests will have several boat trips to the villages and islands of the White Sea where they will get acquainted with the history and culture of Karelian settlers as well as with the fauna of the White Sea and enjoy its unique nature. They will visit the nearby islands and see nesting places of local gulls and ducks and hall-out sites of White Sea seals. The highlight of the program is an amazing adventure of white whale watching. The White Sea is the best place for watching these gentle creatures in their natural environment. The best time is from the middle of June till the middle of August when white whales visit coastal waters of the White Sea. Guests will go by boat to the favourite places of white whales where they prefer spending the summer period.

The UK-Russia Year of Language and Literature 2016

It is a well known fact that both the UK and Russia have widely-spoken languages and rich literary traditions as well as respect for each other's culture and literature. The UK-Russia Year of Culture was successfully conducted in 2014. This year a joint celebration of written and spoken culture was announced: The UK-Russia Year of Language and Literature 2016. The aim is to ensure meaningful and sustained collaboration in the cultural sphere between the UK and Russia.

The British Council will lead the UK's Year of Language and Literature in Russia and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will lead Russia's celebrations in the UK. As part of the programme developed with support from VisitBritain and UKTI (UK Trade and Investment), an ambitious series of events will be held across Russia throughout 2016. As the year coincides with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death many events will celebrate the enduring influence of the playwright's works on global and Russian culture, and will increase interest in studying English and British literature among Russian audiences.

The Year programme will kick off in January with the launch of a massive open online course (MOOC) based on Shakespeare's works. In February, a new Theatre HD season begins. Cinemas in 40 Russian cities and across the CIS will host live screenings of the most impressive productions performed at the Royal National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the Barbican.

Among many other cultural events the programme will include joint exhibitions at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the National Portrait Gallery in London, a competition for Russian translators of British literature, a Shakespeare Olympiad across Russia for schoolchildren. In autumn, a series of professional seminars and public lectures for Russian and British literary specialists will be held at Yasnaya Polyana. At the end of October, the 17th New British Film Festival will feature a special programme of Shakespearean screen adaptations.