Russia may be relatively open by today’s standards, at least compared to previous times. But it can still be difficult to go here without good reason and many of the mysteries of this eastern European heavyweight remain sadly out of reach to western visitors.
It is for that reason that a new partnership between Crystal Cruises and the Faberge Museum in St Petersburg is particularly noteworthy. The cruise line has made special arrangements that will see small groups visiting the grand old city by sea given access to parts of this impressive museum that are not open to the public.
Among the rarely seen exhibits on show will be memorabilia of the Romanov family, who ruled as the last Tsars of Russia from early in the seventeenth century until the February Revolution of 1917, when Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown.
Later that year, the Bolshevik Party would seize power under Lenin and Trotsky, ultimately paving the way for the establishment of the USSR and communist rule.
Thanks to the massive and rapid cultural shift that occurred alongside this political realignment, Russia during the last years of the Romanovs today serves as a fascinating point in time, often appearing significantly at odds with the country as we have known it from the outside for most of the 20th century.
The Crystal ‘Boutique’ excursion will also take in exhibits from former aristocratic figures of note, including several famous art collections and paraphernalia relating to Brothers Karamazov, the final novel by Russian literary master Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Over the course of the tour, through both private and public areas, visitors will be able to gaze upon some 4,000 antique artefacts, including several world-famous Faberge eggs. However, it will only be available to select Crystal guests; offered with four Northern European cruises aboard Crystal Symphony that are scheduled for this summer.
“Nothing epitomizes the grandeur of Russian luxury like its spectacular palaces, decorative arts, and, especially, Faberge eggs,” said John Stoll, vice president of land programs for Crystal.
“This new Boutique Adventure offers guests not only an exceptionally rare encounter with some of the world’s most prized works of art, but also allows them to truly sense the lavish lives of the Russian nobility that walked the very halls they explore – an ultra-luxurious look at the culture, as can only be experienced through the World’s Best cruise line.”
Does this incredibly rare shore excursion appeal to you? Have you ever visited Russia and would you like to do so? With the country planning to host the Fifa World Cup in 2018, it is likely to come under the spotlight in a big way over the next few years.
