THE RUSSIAN RENDEZVOUS
Businessman Gaurav Dangi takes us along on his journey across the many attractions that Russia offers. Hop on as he recounts his time in Moscow and St Petersburg
Recently, one of my friends had posted some fascinating pictures of Russia — the culture, food, architecture and nightlife — they were incredible. Also, I had heard a lot about the country from friends. Finally, I decided to take a trip to experience the beauty of the country myself when I got the opportunity during a business trip. Work done, I had the chance to explore Russia for five days!
Whenever I visit a place, I prefer to go as a traveller and not a tourist. I believe in discovering places rather than doing the ‘touristy’ things like checking out major spots and then retiring into a hotel room. One of our guides, a local Russian, helped us discover a new side of St Petersburg and Moscow. We traveled the famous Moscow Metro and explored the famous castles, malls, museums and scenic beauty. I would like to specially mention the Nevsky Prospekt in St Petersburg — a single road that houses some of the biggest attractions of the city — an architectural marvel. St Petersburg is also famous for its white nights — the sun is up till 11 pm and people are on the streets throughout.
Being a vegetarian, I had limited choice for food, but the cuisine had some interesting variants. The Russian soups — be it the Kharcho soup or borshct soup have a distinct taste. Their apple pies, Blinis, are to die for. Their vegetarian food is super healthy and tasty. The juices too have a lot of berries: cranberry, raspberry and blueberry.
My most memorable experience was the visit to a Russian army base with AK-47’s and tankers! After the whole drill was over, we were shown the secret bunkers that were made during the world wars. It was an absolute life changing experience.
Language is still a barrier in Russia. English is not commonly spoken by everyone — but if they do, they are more than happy to help you.
If you love meeting new people and are a sucker for architecture and culture — Russia is the place. The nightlife is good and there are numerous cafes. I would recommend St. Petersburg and Moscow to youngsters. Make sure you plan a trip between June and August, as it gets extremely cold during the rest of the year.