Ian Wright journeys to Russia, the largest country in the world which covers more than 10 million square miles and spans 11 time zones. For 70 years travellers were unable to visit the then USSR, but since the collapse of communism Russia has become an increasingly popular destination.
Ian begins his trip in Moscow, the most affluent city in European Russia. He visits the Kremlin, the seat of the Russian government, and takes a tour of the palaces, churches and bell towers. He witnesses the changing of the guards, sees Red Square and the tombs of Russian dignitaries, as well as the embalmed body of Lenin. Later that day he takes a tour of the rest of city on horseback.
Next morning, Ian ventures out to the Izmaylovsky Market, which is held in the east of Moscow every Sunday. It’s a great place to find eccentric Russian souvenirs and communist memorabilia. Another relic of the communist era is Moscow’s impressive metro system: clean, safe and reliable, it was built in the 1930’s to showcase Soviet engineering, and is one of the great achievements of the Stalinist period.
Ian heads out of Moscow to Star City, home of the Russian space programme. This was where Yuri Gagarin trained to be the first man in space in 1961. It was once a top secret location, but these days it’s open to tourists who want to try out simulated moon walking, tour a replica of the Meer space station and even experience zero gravity in a special training jet used to prepare cosmonauts for space travel.
Ian takes the train from Moscow to St Petersburg, stopping off at the Monastery of St Boris and Gleb in Torzhok. Since the fall of communism, the Russian Orthodox Church is experiencing a revival and places of worship such as the wooden church built in 1742 are now being restored.
He finally reaches St Petersburg, which is the second biggest city in Russia with a population of 5 million. When Lenin died in 1924 the city was renamed Leningrad but 65 years later the people
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