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Dear Traveller,
A lot’s changed since the Revolution!
2017 marks the 100 th anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Many of us are familiar with the major events of that Revolution and the nature of the Communist state which followed it, but what was life like in Russia in 1917?
Times were tough for the ordinary man in the street. Like many European nations, Russia was embroiled in the fighting associated with World War One. Untrained men, many of them still very young, were conscripted to join the Russian Army. They had little or no equipment and losses were almost unbearably heavy. Every day brought more news of slaughter and suffering. With morale at an all time low, the Russian people looked for someone to blame and the Tsar and his Imperial regime was the obvious choice. Things were barely better back home. Food shortages had reached critical levels and fuel was also hard to come by. In the harsh Russian winter, this hideous combination was deadly. Factory workers toiled for exploitative bosses and saw the buying power of their pitiful wages reduced yet further by rampant inflation. Peasants scratched a living from their fields using out of date farming methods that yielded little. Little wonder that when Lenin and the Bolsheviks came along, they had a receptive audience.
Ideas began to filter in from the West which suggested that change could be achieved and the lot of the common man could be improved. Political activists extolled the virtues of democracy, an alternative to the autocratic regime favoured by the Tsar. On 23 February 1917 women left the factories of St Petersburg to join a parade to mark International Women’s Day. (In case you’re thinking that day doesn’t compute, remember that at the time, Russia used the Julian calendar, meaning March 8 th fell on the last Saturday in February.) Men joined them in their protest against food shortages and by the following day, pretty much everyone was on strike in support of the cause. To cut a long story short, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated but the provisional government that was formed to lead Russia was unpopular and unstable. It was chaos, and Lenin took full advantage returning to Russia from exile in Switzerland, touting “Peace, land and bread”. The October Revolution was inevitable.
A hundred years on, the Russian government is the one tasked with dealing with the tricky issue of how to mark the centenary. Lenin was a revolutionary, Tsar Nicholas II a weak and out of touch despot. Neither makes a good role model. The Romanovs were canonised by the Russian Orthodox Church, yet the Voykovskaya station on the Moscow Metro is still named after one of the men responsible for their execution. It’s confusing, but fascinating, part of the complex history of Russia which makes it so intriguing to the foreign visitor. So while there are no official festivities marking the events of the Revolution, 2017 is a time to reflect on Russia’s past and ponder its future.
 

     
Early booking discount for tours 2018
We are happy to announce our tour sales for 2018. You will find a great choice of city-breaks, discovery holidays , Trans-Siberian trips, river cruises as well as winter tours.

Start planning your Russian holiday now, Book your 2018 trip online and get a discount of up to £75 per person. Just check our “early-bird discount offer”. Offer ends 15 October 2017.
 
     
The latest from our blog
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In case you haven't visited for a while, why not take a fresh look at our travel blog, which features articles and news about Russia: destinations, events, festivals, lifestyle, travel tips, and restaurant and theatre suggestions. Our amazing team of travel writers will keep you up to date with what's important, and don't forget, we'd love to hear from you too so we'll be posting reviews and stories from our customers who have visited Russia recently. Please see the latest stories below:
 
Russia’s most famous composers
Even if you haven’t heard of the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, you’ll have heard of some of its alumni. This prestigious Russian music school was founded 155 years ago and some of the most talented composers and musicians the country has ever p...
 
What are you doing this Moscow day?
Moscow celebrates its 870th anniversary this month, with the main day for the action declared as the 9th September by Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin. Festivities for City Day are a big deal for the Russian capital and it’s a great time to visit. The city can trace its origi...

     
Our most popular tours
We’re pleased to announce our most popular tours for 2017 season: city-breaks, Trans-Siberian trips, Russian river cruises, adventure holidays as well as visa-free tours to Russia. Please see below for more details.
 
FIND YOUR TOUR

Winter Romance and New Year Fun in the Russian Capitals (CB-10)
This eight-day holiday is a very special city break offering you the chance to join the Russians for their unrivalled New Year celebrations. Combining elegant, romantic St Petersburg with modern, vibrant Moscow...
From £1,049 8 days
 
Winter Romance and New Year Fun In The Russian Capitals for Independent Travellers (CB-26)
Come to Russia for New Year holidays and celebrate those fabulous days in St. Petersburg and Moscow at your own pace. We have arranged for you primary accommodation, all transfers, train travel betwe...
From £745 8 days

Snowmobile Safari to the Snowy Domes of Kizhi (KL-05)
You will start this exciting 6-day tour from the beautiful “Venice of the North”, St. Petersburg. In a very short time you can take in the history and culture of this truly unique and memorable city and explore its major attractions. From there you will visit Karelia...
From £1,045 6 days
 
Dog and Reindeer Sledding in the Russian North (KL-09)
Have you ever dreamed of an adventure holiday in the Russian North in the winter? Enjoy the unique and unforgettable experience of a journey along the frozen lakes and snowy taiga on dogsleds. You will love the pristine wilderness, the thrill ...
From £1,295 8 days

Winter St. Petersburg, Kizhi Island and Karelian Village Discovery Tour (KL-10)
You will start this exciting 7-day tour from the beautiful "Venice of the North", St. Petersburg and then continue to the Russian North to enjoy thousands of frozen rivers and lakes and vast areas covered in snowy forests. We will also visit the world famous open-air Wooden Architecture...
From £945 7 days
 
Epic Trans-Mongolian: St. Petersburg - Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk - Baikal - Mongolia - Beijing (TS-15)
As the name suggests, this tour following the route of the Trans-Mongolian railway truly is an epic adventure. Beginning in St.Petersburg and finishing in Beijing with stops in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Lake Baikal, Ulan Bator and Terelj National Park...
From £3,195 19 days

FIND YOUR TOUR

     
Recommend a friend and get a £50 reward per person
Recommend a friend to Go Russia and if they book a holiday or any other travel related service with us we will give you both a £50 discount per person to say "thank you". Read more about our recommend a friend scheme.
 

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e-mail: info@justgorussia.co.uk