International Ballet Festival MARIINSKY

Artistic Director of the Festival - Valery Gergiev

Featuring stars from the Bolshoi, Mariinsky, New York City Ballet, Opera de Paris, Perm and other ballet companies

Group Tour
March 22 - 29, 2012

Day 1
Arrival in St. Petersburg
Private pick-up at the airport, transfer to a down-town 3-star hotel (Matisov Domik or Aster), located in the very center of the city near Mariinsky Theatre.

Day 2
Breakfast at the hotel
Panoramic City Tour shall introduce us to the former administrative center of Imperial Russia.
St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) has an unsurpassed blend of Russian and Western European Architecture. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as "Sankt Peterburg", a forward military base exposed to Swedish attacks, the town became the capital of Russia as early as 1712.
For over 200 years St. Petersburg was the epicenter of Russia's politics. The imposing architecture reflects the city's importance - the fabulous sweep of the golden colored General Staff Headquarters, the sea-green Winter Palace, the Senate Square where stands one of the best known symbols of the
city - the Bronze Horseman, and much more... There shall be plenty of stops during the tour to videotape and photograph.
Mariinsky Ballet Performance

Day 3
Breakfast at the hotel
Tour of the St. Peter and St. Paul Fortress and Cathedral - the birthplace of the city. The Fortress occupies the entire island, and was meant to secure the capital of Russia from the Swedes.
We shall also visit the St. Peter & St. Paul Cathedral where the Russian Tsars starting from Peter the Great were buried.
The slim, sharp spire of the Cathedral became the leitmotif of St. Petersburg.
In the afternoon we will visit Theatre Museum of St. Petersburg.
Mariinsky Ballet Performance

Day 4
Breakfast at the hotel
Tour of the State Hermitage Museum will go through the state rooms of the Winter Palace, the former residence of Russian Tsars, and the Picture Galleries of the Imperial Hermitage Museum.
The Hermitage was initially set up as a private picture gallery for Catherine the Great in the 18th century when the establishment of a royal picture gallery was seen as an affair of national importance in Western European countries. Such collection was needed to enhance the prestige of the Russian court and, after the acquisition of the first Dutch and Flemish canvases, both individual painting and whole private collections were bought. Today the Hermitage accommodates over 2,700,000 artifacts.
Majority of the picture collection is Western European, and most important names in European Art History are represented: Madonnas by Raphael and Leonardo, Judith by Giorgione, Rembrandt's Saskia as Flora, to name only a few of the more famous ones, as well as numerous Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. These treasures are set in magnificent surroundingss - jasper, agate, marble and malachite adornments to the building provide a fabulous backdrop. This exciting visit will culminate with a private tour of the Golden Rooms featuring fascinating pieces of jewelry created by Russian, European and Oriental masters.
Mariinsky Ballet Performance

Day 5
Breakfast at the hotel
Tour of Vaganova Ballet Academy and Museum. Vaganova Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg, situated in a beautiful 19th century building with a majestic facade, is home of Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater.
The famous School that graduated a galaxy of world-renowned dancers - Pavlova, Nijinsky, Balanchine, Nureyev, Baryshnikov, it still is probably the finest ballet school in the world, and offers superb classical training. Students of the Academy (ages 10-17) participate in the most famous ballets of Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater - "Nutcracker", "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty" side by side with prima-ballerinas, and after graduation join world's best ballet companies.
Afternoon tour to the suburbs of St. Petersburg: the Grand Palace of Peterhof and the Lower Park. This country residence of the Royal Family was built in the beginning of the 18th century to commemorate the victory of Russian army over the Swedes near Poltava.
Mariinsky Ballet Performance

Day 6
Breakfast at the hotel
Tour of Prince Yusupov Palace - built in 1760's to the plans of Vallen de la Mothe, the building is famous both as the most ostentatious aristocratic residence of St. Petersburg, and as the place where in December of 1916 Rasputin was murdered by Prince Felix Yusupov. The majestic interiors of the palace are perfect settings for the artifacts exhibited. You will be impressed with the room showing the reproduced scene of Rasputin's murder.
Afternoon: backstage tour of Mariinsky Theatre.
Mariinsky Ballet Performance

Day 7
Breakfast at the hotel
Tour of the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood. This spectacular Russian-style Church was built during 1883-1907 on the site where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March of 1881. The Church was closed for many years, and re-opened to public just recently after over 20 years of careful restoration. You will be impressed with both interior and exterior of this unique architectural creation decorated with mosaic masterpieces.
Mariinsky Ballet Performance

Day 8
Breakfast at the hotel
Transfer to the airport and departure from St. Petersburg

Tour Price (2012):
Based on double occupancy: $3,599 per person
Single accommodations please add: $765

Tour includes (as listed above): accommodations (based on double occupancy) a 3-star hotel located down-town, private airport arrival and departure transfers in St. Petersburg, group transportation, buffet breakfasts daily, services of Executive English-speaking tour guides and translators, special reserved seating for all Mariinsky performances and entrance tickets (evening performances subject to change), cultural sightseeing program, museums entrance fees.
Although every effort will be made to follow the itinerary closely, St. Petersburg Travel, Inc. reserves the right to make changes if necessary.