Travel Notes

Tambov in Luxury

The region’s first 4-star hotel was opened in the town of Tambov this July. The hotel is located in the nine-story building of the former Tolna Hotel, which closed several years ago. Renamed the Derzhavinskaya Hotel, it can accommodate 250 persons and also houses a restaurant, café and a 200-seat conference hall, Regnum news agency reported.

Break the Ice

The European Union has allocated 
€1.3 million to convert the first Russian atomic-powered icebreaker, the Lenin, into a museum, the Murmansk regional administration told Interfax. The Lenin should reach its final port of display, near the Murmansk seaport, before the end of 2005. A small hotel with a restaurant and conference hall will be built inside the icebreaker, along with museum exhibits. In addition, an information center will distribute information on issues related to nuclear and radiation safety. Over its 30-years of service in the Arctic region, the Lenin cruised 654,400 thousand nautical miles – some 560,600 through ice – and escorted 3,741 vessels. No malfunctions occurred on the icebreaker or in its atomic reactor.

Kaliningrad Ferry

In July, President Putin asked the administration of the Northwest Federal District to create a passenger-ferry service between St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, Interfax reported. The president also asked the border-guard service to ensure that passengers using the new service have to deal with as little paperwork as possible. “Until now, people going to Kaliningrad have had to go through the same procedures as those going abroad,” Putin said. “[Officials] have pledged that that system will be changed in the near future.”

Back in Time

A special retro-train will take tourists for a ride along the Nikolayevskaya Railway in Moscow. The train will run between several of Moscow’s remaining old estates. It will look like an old train, but be equipped with LCD televisions that show films about Russian history, RIA Novosti reported.

Intercapital by Bus

A regular bus between Moscow and St. Petersburg has been launched by Interavtoservis and Kaskad Travel firms. The buses presently run every other day, leaving St. Petersburg at 10 am and arriving in Moscow at 9 pm. In Moscow, the bus will stop at three metros: Leninsky Prospect, Voykovskaya and Aeroport. The service’s first 48-seat Skania bus left from St. Petersburg with 10 passengers. (Delovoy Peterburg)

Serving the Middle

The majority of Moscow hotels to be built in the next few years will be inexpensive, three-star hotels, said Alexander Kuzmin, the city’s chief architect, in an interview with RIA Novosti. According to the city’s hotel building plan passed in July, 64 hotels will be built before 2010, with a capacity to accommodate over 130,000 guests. “The sole prospect for Moscow is creating conditions for tourism, said Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. “If Moscow receives at least five million tourists per year, we will feel comfortable economically, no matter how the Ministry of Finance decides to distribute resources.”

Krasnodar-Sochi Express

In July, Northern Caucasus Railways launched a direct express train between Krasnodar and Sochi. Previously, Krasnodarans had to take several suburban trains or transit trains to get to the sea. The express between Krasnodar and Sochi travels on even days, leaving Krasnodar at 7:05 am and arriving in Sochi at 12:10 pm.

The train leaves Sochi at 3:46 pm, and arrives in Krasnodar at 9:09 pm. Travel time is 5 hours and 5 minutes; tickets cost R145; the trains seat up to 360 passengers. The introduction of the Krasnodar – Sochi express has also made travel from Rostov-on-Don to Sochi easier. It is now possible to take two express trains – first from Rostov to Krasnodar and then from Krasnodar to Sochi.

Come and See

An apartment-museum honoring famous film director Andrei Tarkovsky will soon be opened in Moscow, the city government said. The museum will be located in the house where Tarkovsky once lived, at 1st Shchipkovsky pereulok, 26/1. The building, which had been leveled, is now being rebuilt to match its original appearance, and will be completed by year’s end.