WAA Trip to Moscow and the Trans-Siberian Express — An Unforgettable Experience
'Raj' Rajaram, third from left. The WAA travelers begin their journey.
June 29–July 13, 2008
Four UW alumni joined several others from the Unites States and Europe to experience a unique journey from Moscow to Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia on the Trans-Siberian Express private train. Highlights of the trip and impressions of Dr. Vasudevan Rajaram, a UW alumnus and alumni association board member, details his journey on this exceptional WAA tour in the following paragraphs.
I had mental impressions of Moscow based on hearing about my father’s trip to Moscow in 1960, and my brother’s trip to Moscow in 1986. However, seeing the beautiful city on the drive from the airport to our hotel and the street on which our hotel was located was a pleasant surprise. The greenery in Moscow and the brightly lit stores and the wide boulevards impressed me. The hospitality of the hosts in the restaurants we enjoyed in Moscow and the great reception we received from a fellow UW graduate who is in charge of the Mir office in Moscow left lasting impressions. The number of cathedrals (about 500) and seeing some of the best cathedrals right in the Kremlin was something I had not anticipated in a country that only a few years back had banned public display of religion. However, each one of these cathedrals was impressive and unique in design.
The lakes and parks of Moscow and the many statues of poets and other literary greats of Russia really impressed me. We enjoyed the underground stations of the Moscow Metro with their art work in the roofs and walls during three trips on the Metro. The Confrontation Cold War Museum was a reminder of the Cold War days that existed between the U.S. and Russia until the Soviet empire collapsed in 1991. It was 18 stories below ground in the heart of Moscow, and the Command Center in the underground bunker was impressive. They even had it connected to the Moscow Metro (special tracks) so that the Kremlin leaders could go in and out of the bunker without anybody noticing them. We were surprised when the tour guide wore an authentic military uniform before taking us on the tour.
The excesses of the Russian aristocracy were on display in the Armory Museum in the Kremlin. The Fabergé eggs, grand carriages, wedding gowns, jewels and unique crowns were impressive. The Tretyakov Art Gallery in Moscow was full of impressive paintings and sculptures, and the history of the Russian empire was on display. This whole art collection was assembled by a wealthy Russian, Mr. Tretyakov. On our last full day in Moscow, we saw the St. Basil’s Cathedral (famous for its nine onion-shaped domes), Red Square, and the famous mall on the Red Square, the GUM. When we tried to take a group photograph in the Red Square with the alumni association banner, we were stopped by a uniformed policeman. It was a reminder that we were in Russia and that Big Brother was watching the tourists.
After three wonderful days in Moscow, we boarded our private train to Kazan, our first stop on the Trans-Siberian Express trip. The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express is operated by a British entrepreneur, GW Travel Company. The train was very comfortable with each cabin having its own closet, shower and toilet. For each train compartment having six cabins, we had an attendant to take care of our every need. Kazan is the capital of Tartarstan, and the Kazan Kremlin is an impressive structure that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kazan has impressive cathedrals and mosques, and we had an opportunity to see the Kul Sharif mosque and a beautiful cathedral. My wife and I were walking in downtown Kazan and saw a Chicago Bar and Grill. We heard an impressive concert in a Kazan hotel before we had to board the train to Yekaterinburg.
Yekaterinburg is the capital of the Urals, and the city where the Asian part of Russia starts. There is a monument depicting the spot where the European and Asian parts of Russia meet. We had a short tour of Yekaterinburg, which included the Romanov execution site where the Cathedral on the Blood has been built. In 1918, the Romanov family (the last Czar) was executed in this city and a beautiful cathedral had been built on that site. The Mineralogical Museum highlighting all the minerals and gems of the Siberian region was impressive, and the geologist showing us the museum was an interesting lady who made the tour delightful.
After three wonderful days in Moscow, we boarded our private train to Kazan, our first stop on the Trans-Siberian Express trip. The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express is operated by a British entrepreneur, GW Travel Company. The train was very comfortable with each cabin having its own closet, shower and toilet. For each train compartment having six cabins, we had an attendant to take care of our every need. Kazan is the capital of Tartarstan, and the Kazan Kremlin is an impressive structure that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Kazan has impressive cathedrals and mosques, and we had an opportunity to see the Kul Sharif mosque and a beautiful cathedral. My wife and I were walking in downtown Kazan and saw a Chicago Bar and Grill. We heard an impressive concert in a Kazan hotel before we had to board the train to Yekaterinburg.
Yekaterinburg is the capital of the Urals, and the city where the Asian part of Russia starts. There is a monument depicting the spot where the European and Asian parts of Russia meet. We had a short tour of Yekaterinburg, which included the Romanov execution site where the Cathedral on the Blood has been built. In 1918, the Romanov family (the last Czar) was executed in this city and a beautiful cathedral had been built on that site. The Mineralogical Museum highlighting all the minerals and gems of the Siberian region was impressive, and the geologist showing us the museum was an interesting lady who made the tour delightful.
From there, we traveled to Novosibirsk, the largest town in Siberia. The Lenin Square in this town is very impressive, with a huge statue of Lenin and other famous symbols of Russia: the peasant, the worker and the communist party workers. The opera house in Lenin Square is the largest opera house outside Moscow in Russia. The Railway Museum and the University Research campus were other stops on our tour of Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk in on the Ob River, a 3,500-mile-long river flowing into the Arctic Ocean.
From Novosibirsk to Lake Baikal, the next stop on our tour, was a long journey of about 40 hours. The day on the train was spent learning all about Russia, some from Jennifer Tishler, our UW Russian expert, and another expert working for Elderhostel, the other big group on our train. We also heard from our four Russian tour guides about their life in Russia, and how they perceived the changes that took place after 1991. The older tour guides missed the security of the old Soviet empire, but the young guides spoke eloquently of the freedom they enjoy in post-1991 Russia. The ability to choose where you go to school, work and live was highly appreciated by the young tour guides. It was really a great learning experience!
Lake Baikal ? I had heard about it and the pollution in the lake during Soviet times from colleagues in Chicago. Seeing Lake Baikal and how it had improved since 1991 was a unique experience. The world’s deepest lake which contains about 20 percent of the world’s freshwater and many unique flora and fauna is something one should see during their lifetime. The picnic (barbecue cooking and eating on a rail track along the edge of Lake Baikal) was unique, and many in the tour ventured to take a dip in the Lake and increase their lifespan by 25 years (a legend popular in Lake Baikal). The visit to the limnological museum and a private house in the area were highlights of our visit to Lake Baikal. We also visited an area where 400-year-old wooden structures (cathedral and many other buildings) had been well preserved.
From Lake Baikal, we went to Irkutsk, known as the “Paris of Siberia,” which is known for its beautiful wooden structures and homes. We toured Irkutsk and visited the Decembrist Prince Volkonsky’s mansion (in December 1825, Prince Volkonsky and others protested against the Czar and his aristrocratic ways and were imprisoned in Siberia). A private concert was arranged for us and included several classical songs. We enjoyed the concert which ended with a nice champagne toast.
Ulan Ude was our next stop, our last stop in Russia. Ulan Ude has the largest bust of Lenin in Russia, and is the capital of the Buryat region of Russia. We visited a village inhabited by the Old Believers, a sect which was banished to Siberia because of their insistence of their religious beliefs. These people are warm-hearted and opened their homes and their ways of life to our group. They enacted a wedding scene using two volunteers from our group.
We crossed into Mongolia at the town of Naushki, and after completing immigration formalities, arrived in Ulaan Bataar, the capital of Mongolia. Mongolia is a modern city and has many more street signs and billboards in English than in Russia. We went to the Nadaam Festival, a national festival in Mongolia, where wrestling, archery and horse-riding competitions are held. The opening ceremonies of the Nadaam festival were impressive, and the President of Mongolia opened the ceremonies. We also saw the horse-riding competition, where riders ranging in age from 6 to 16, rode horses over a 30-kilometer distance and reached the reviewing stands. Some horses reached the reviewing stand without their rider.
We saw the city of Ulaan Bataar the next day, and the war memorial on top of a hill. There is also a large golden statue of Buddha at the foot of the hill. We could shop at an excellent mall to buy the famous woolen goods sold in Mongolia.
After two wonderful weeks in Russia and Mongolia, we returned to Chicago via Seoul, South Korea. It was a memorable experience and it removed many of the misconceptions I had about Russia and Mongolia.
From Novosibirsk to Lake Baikal, the next stop on our tour, was a long journey of about 40 hours. The day on the train was spent learning all about Russia, some from Jennifer Tishler, our UW Russian expert, and another expert working for Elderhostel, the other big group on our train. We also heard from our four Russian tour guides about their life in Russia, and how they perceived the changes that took place after 1991. The older tour guides missed the security of the old Soviet empire, but the young guides spoke eloquently of the freedom they enjoy in post-1991 Russia. The ability to choose where you go to school, work and live was highly appreciated by the young tour guides. It was really a great learning experience!
Lake Baikal ? I had heard about it and the pollution in the lake during Soviet times from colleagues in Chicago. Seeing Lake Baikal and how it had improved since 1991 was a unique experience. The world’s deepest lake which contains about 20 percent of the world’s freshwater and many unique flora and fauna is something one should see during their lifetime. The picnic (barbecue cooking and eating on a rail track along the edge of Lake Baikal) was unique, and many in the tour ventured to take a dip in the Lake and increase their lifespan by 25 years (a legend popular in Lake Baikal). The visit to the limnological museum and a private house in the area were highlights of our visit to Lake Baikal. We also visited an area where 400-year-old wooden structures (cathedral and many other buildings) had been well preserved.
From Lake Baikal, we went to Irkutsk, known as the “Paris of Siberia,” which is known for its beautiful wooden structures and homes. We toured Irkutsk and visited the Decembrist Prince Volkonsky’s mansion (in December 1825, Prince Volkonsky and others protested against the Czar and his aristrocratic ways and were imprisoned in Siberia). A private concert was arranged for us and included several classical songs. We enjoyed the concert which ended with a nice champagne toast.
Ulan Ude was our next stop, our last stop in Russia. Ulan Ude has the largest bust of Lenin in Russia, and is the capital of the Buryat region of Russia. We visited a village inhabited by the Old Believers, a sect which was banished to Siberia because of their insistence of their religious beliefs. These people are warm-hearted and opened their homes and their ways of life to our group. They enacted a wedding scene using two volunteers from our group.
We crossed into Mongolia at the town of Naushki, and after completing immigration formalities, arrived in Ulaan Bataar, the capital of Mongolia. Mongolia is a modern city and has many more street signs and billboards in English than in Russia. We went to the Nadaam Festival, a national festival in Mongolia, where wrestling, archery and horse-riding competitions are held. The opening ceremonies of the Nadaam festival were impressive, and the President of Mongolia opened the ceremonies. We also saw the horse-riding competition, where riders ranging in age from 6 to 16, rode horses over a 30-kilometer distance and reached the reviewing stands. Some horses reached the reviewing stand without their rider.
We saw the city of Ulaan Bataar the next day, and the war memorial on top of a hill. There is also a large golden statue of Buddha at the foot of the hill. We could shop at an excellent mall to buy the famous woolen goods sold in Mongolia.
After two wonderful weeks in Russia and Mongolia, we returned to Chicago via Seoul, South Korea. It was a memorable experience and it removed many of the misconceptions I had about Russia and Mongolia.
Events
- Annual Alumni Dinner - Paris - January 10
- Kilimanjaro Trekking & Safari - January 18
- Alumni Reception in London - January 23
- Israel - January 24
