Travel Notes

Dueling Airports

Moscow’s airports are at a breaking point. The two largest – Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo – both need new landing strips. But infrastructure like landing strips are state-owned, requiring a government decision to proceed. Sheremetyevo and the smaller Vnukovo airports are state-owned, while Domodedovo (located to the south of the city) is not.  

Both airports are increasingly cramped, an issue which takes on added significance in light of the looming 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi and the 2018 World Cup, both of which are expected to bring a surge of foreign tourists through the capital. If the government decides to expand the notoriously overcrowded and queue-plagued Sheremetyevo, this might give it an upper hand and lead some airlines to leave the larger, more modern Domodedovo. Meanwhile, Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo declared an alliance, Kommersant reported, and will allow airlines to switch more freely between the two facilities. 

Ukraine Now Luxury Gem

Moscow’s Radisson Royal, formerly the Ukraine Hotel (featured in our story on Moscow highrises, page 42), has been named Russia’s leading luxury hotel by World Travel Awards, a tourism industry rating group. The riverside hotel re-opened in 2010 after three years of renovation and features $350 rooms, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an Iranian restaurant and year-round river cruises (boats are equipped with ice breakers in the winter months).

Expanded Flights

Russia’s Transaero Airline has inaugurated its direct service to New York and Miami from Moscow. The regular Moscow-New York flight departs Domodedovo airport thrice weekly, on Wednesday mornings and Friday and Saturday evenings. The return flight leaves New York on Wednesday at 2 p.m. and on Friday and Sunday at 9 p.m. The non-stop flights use Boeing 747s. The Miami flights run twice weekly and use Boeing 777s. Departures from Miami are at 4:20 p.m on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Sibir Miles

Sibir airline, also known as S7, has joined the Oneworld global alliance and its frequent-flyer pool, which also includes American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, and many other carriers. S7 has a vast network in Russia that includes its subsidiary Globus, and its fleet of bright green planes is considered a cheaper option than Russia’s main carrier Aeroflot.

Visa Free?

Russia is closer than ever to ending its visa regime with the European Union, the Russian President said in his annual address to parliament, calling it a priority in the country’s relations with Europe. EU leaders have said that a road-map needs to be in place for all the necessary steps, and most are wary of dropping the visa regime altogether, instead offering to ease it for select groups, like businessmen, who often face difficulties obtaining visas. Russia, for its part, is not likely to lift its strict visa regime unilaterally, although it has promised a visa-free regime in June 2018 for all those who hold World Cup tickets.

Tears for Moscow?

Renovation of the Hotel Moscow, just off Red Square (right), is nearing its end. The controversial seven-year project has become one of the city’s most notorious dolgostroy (“endless construction”) projects. The rebuild includes the addition of three floors of stores and a pool to this 1930s ‘proletarian’ hotel, which writer Ilya Ilf once said had “so much furniture you could get lost.” The rooms’ interiors were designed by leading Soviet artists, and it is not clear how much has been retained in the five-star makeover. Preservationists have cried foul over the project, saying the renovation destroyed the old building to create an out-of-scale replica.

“Local shamans have pledged their support, and sponsors have decided to give a special prize to those who find the Yeti and bring him to us.” 

Kemerovo region governor Aman Tuleyev, who wants to initiate a Day of the Yeti to popularize Mountain Shorya, a territory in the Altai mountains (baikal24.ru).