THÔNG TIN THÊM:

Visa: Bạn phải nộp lệ phí xin visa trước (20 USD) tại Ngân hàng Việt – Nga (số 1 Yết Kiêu, Hà Nội), sau đó cầm biên lai đến Đại sứ quán Nga để làm thủ tục xin visa.

Hành trình: Từ Việt Nam có 2 hãng khai thác đường bay Hà Nội – Moscow là Vietnam Airlines và Aeroflot để du khách có thể lựa chọn. Vietnam Airlines sẽ tới sân bay Domodedovo (khoảng 50 km về phía Nam

Moscow), còn Aeroflot thì tới sân bay Sheremetyevo (khoảng 30 km về phía Bắc Moscow). Giá vé khứ hồi từ Việt Nam đi Moscow dao động khoảng từ 17 – 20 triệu đồng.

Phương tiện di chuyển: Bạn có thể đi tàu express từ sân bay đến ga điện ngầm (bến Pvavelevskaya) hoặc bắt taxi vào trung tâm Moscow (khoảng hơn 1 triệu đồng/lượt). Hệ thống giao thông công cộng ở Nga rất tốt, đặc biệt là metro ở các thành phố lớn. Hầu như tất cả các trạm ga xe lửa ở Moscow đều có hệ thống metro gần kề đi kèm. Ở Moscow, mua vé nhiều lần sẽ tiết kiệm hơn mua vé cho từng lần sử dụng.

Lưu trú: Khách sạn ở Nga không hề rẻ giống như nhiều nước châu Âu. Để tiết kiệm chi phí, bạn nên ở dorm hoặc chung cư. Tại Moscow, nên đặt phòng ở quanh khu Arbat với giá cả hợp lý và tiện đi lại nhất.

Ẩm thực: Borscht – Soup củ cải đỏ, bánh mì Nga, salad Nga, trứng cá hồi, Thịt cừu nướng Shashlik, Soup lạnh Okroshka… là một vài món nên thử khi tới Nga.

Thời tiết: Mùa thu ở nước Nga có nhiệt độ dao động từ 15 – 25oc, rất dễ chịu đối với du khách Việt Nam

Tiền tệ: Nga sử dụng đồng rúp Nga (RUB), 1 rúp có tỉ giá tương đương 352 đồng.

Lưu ý khác:

 Để sử dụng mạng ở Nga thì tiện lợi nhất là mua SIM 4G. SIM của hãng Tele2 có giá siêu rẻ, 200 rub cho

2GB truy cập internet (với chuyến đi từ 7-10 ngày thì khá ổn) và 120 phút gọi miễn phí tất cả các mạng. Bạn có thể mua ở sân bay hoặc mua ở các ga metro, trung tâm thương mại lớn.

 Hầu hết các điểm tham quan đều có dịch vụ cho khách gửi hành lý miễn phí.

AS THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, SPANNING 11 TIME ZONES FROM EAST TO WEST, RUSSIA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS IMPRESSIVE AUTUMN DESTINATIONS. AS RUSSIA ALSO HAS A LONG HISTORY OF COOPERATION AND FRIENDSHIP WITH VIETNAM, MANY VIETNAMESE PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS TO VISIT THIS COUNTRY THEY REMEMBER FONDLY.

MOSCOW, THE HEART OF RUSSIA

We started our journey in Red Square, the heart of Russia. During my childhood, I don’t know how many times I saw this place on old postcards or on the cover of Soviet magazines in newsstands in the countryside market near my home. Childhood memories rarely fade, and when I set foot on the paving stones in Red Square, I suddenly felt my heart flutter with indescribable emotions.

But why is Moscow’s central square called Red Square? It is not because the buildings surrounding this square are painted red, but the square’s name comes from the Russian word Krásnaya, meaning “red.” This word is derived from an old Slavic word meaning “beautiful.”

Indeed, Red Square is the focal point of Moscow with a gorgeous architectural complex worthy of the city’s rich history in particular and of Russia in general. The most magnificent building is the Kremlin, the official residence of the President of Russia and the country’s center of power. The Kremlin was built in the 14th century as a system of forts and over the ages it incorporated palaces, towers and Orthodox cathedrals. The most recognizable among them is Saint Basil’s Cathedral, which is as beautiful as it is surreal.

We visited Red Square on a beautiful sunny day with a light autumn breeze blowing. The foliage around this dreamlike cathedral was brilliant gold; leaves tumbled over the flat, brown stones under our feet. Autumn begins in Moscow around the first few days of October when the summer rain comes to a stop. The weather becomes cooler and the trees shed their leaves like washing away all of the year’s worries to begin anew. Russia is famous for its romantic and magnificent love songs as well as its sublime paintings of golden autumn. On the background of the imposing citadel, the music of nature drifted into the air as if it was guided by the afternoon sun, shining light on the wine-red brick walls; time colors memories with tones that don’t seem to fade...

ST. PETERSBURG’S GREAT URBAN HERITAGE

In Russia, St. Petersburg is always ranked second in regards to its administrative position and level of economic development — always behind Moscow.

However, St. Petersburg is a metropolis that has an abundance of architectural marvels that are listed as World Heritage Sites. In every urban destination ranking that I have read, St. Petersburg is always ranked among the top 10. Regardless of the criteria, tourists find it an attractive destination, even more so than Moscow.

CHÍNH MOZART MỚI LÀ TÁC NHÂN KHIẾN SALZBURG NỔI TIẾNG HƠN CẢ, BỞI THÀNH PHỐ NÀY LÀ NƠI NHÀ SOẠN NHẠC

St. Petersburg, a city that for more than half a century was named Leningrad (from 1924 to 1991), represents a great, heroic and tragic Russia throughout its long history. This metropolis is located on the banks of the Neva River, which flows out to the Gulf of Finland. The city was planned and formally constructed in the early 18th century during the reign of Peter the Great, one of the most glorious periods of the Tsardom and the Romanovs. Through ups and downs, St. Petersburg witnessed some extremely fierce turning points in Russian history, such as the revolutionary overthrow of the last Tsar in 1917 and the brutal siege by Nazi Germany in 1941 during World War II.

Today, like every other city in Europe, St. Petersburg has moved on from the turbulent events of the past and the chaos has given way to a reigning peace. And what has remained is a wealth of historic buildings, tangible heritage, beautiful structures and enchanted Orthodox churches with their characteristic onion-dome architecture. We stood in the center of Palace Square where the Winter Palace and the Hermitage National Museum are located – a gem in the middle of the city dubbed the “Northern Capital.” The Hermitage is one of the largest museums in the world with over 3 million artifacts of which about 60,000 artifacts are displayed regularly in nearly 1,000 rooms.

From the Palace Square, passed the Hermitage Museum, you can see the famous Neva River with numerous beautiful buildings on its banks. From the center of the square and a quick walk to the southwest is the Admiralty building

– a massive 19th century building with a very recognizable spire.

Next to it is the famous Bronze Horseman statue. On the same side, a little further up, you will see Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, built for the patron saint of Peter the Great. Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the most magnificent religious structures not only in Russia, but all over the world. It took 40 years to construct with the elevation of the dome at 101 m. On sunny days, you can climb to the observation deck on the dome and admire the entire historic city of St. Petersburg on the banks of the Neva River.

St. Petersburg is incredibly large and has been carefully planned since the Russians began its construction. St. Petersburg is still one of the best-preserved heritage cities in Europe. The grandeur of St. Petersburg can easily be seen when standing on the observation deck looking down. Every old building within a 10-km radius of the city center has remained undamaged and there are no

skyscrapers higher than the dome of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral. This is truly a well-preserved metropolis.

St. Petersburg, as well as Moscow, is also known for its forests in the middle of its urban areas. It is a system of citywide green parks and gardens that make Europe’s most populated urban area as beautiful as movies, music and Levitan’s stunning autumn paintings.

During our stay in St. Petersburg, we had the opportunity to go to the outskirts of the city and stop by Pushkin village (formerly known as the Tsar village) to visit the Catherine Palace and the picturesque autumn gardens. Visitors have several options around St. Petersburg as there are many unique palaces such as the Peterhof Summer Palace, worldfamous for its large-scale gilded fountain system and charming gardens. From the Peterhof fountain, you can look out over the Gulf of Finland on clear days or walk along the green canal with the vivid sculptures on its banks.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION – COUNTRY AND PEOPLE

During our stay in Russia, we had the opportunity to experience almost all basic services, as well as interact with society. Above all, the Russians still harbor many positive sentiments toward the Vietnamese. Although the wheel of history has rolled itself through ups and downs, stumbles and turning points, the Russians still retain their sincerity, soulfulness, zeal and enthusiasm. There were times that we had difficulty communicating, but we always received kind support from strangers.

Modern Russia is like a symphony with high notes as well as low notes. Visitors may experience a bit of difficulty in everyday communication. Tourism services in Russia are not perfect and they are reminiscent of the Subsidy Phase in Vietnam. If you’ve gone through this period, you may find it interesting or familiar. Travel patiently and slowly, you will discover many simple and beautiful things.

In general, Russian society still seems to be straddling two time periods. There are the old Russians who remain proud of their glorious past, when the Soviet Union was still an international superpower that had undergone tragic episodes in the Great War of national defense. On the other hand, there are the young Russians full of aspirations and belief in the future. Russia is still in a transitional period, like trains running on the same rails, but the Sapsan highspeed train is for the younger generation, rushing from city to city; and there are also trains slowly and patiently going to the suburban forests, where the sunset is hidden.