From Moscow to St. Petersburg, retrace the footsteps of the world-renowned giants of Russian literature such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Nabokov and Pushkin, and immerse yourself in the legendary settings of their works
This trip offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a small tour group of like-minded bibliophiles in exploring the stunning literary destinations of Russia. Our tour leader, Rosamund Bartlett, is perfectly suited to guide you as a leading expert in and translator of Russian literature, who has a deep knowledge and passion for the country and it’s cultural milieux. Think: a book club but on tour, both curated and entirely unique, where you can lose yourself in the real and imaginary worlds of your favourite Russian novels.
ROSAMUND
BARTLETT
Rosamund Bartlett was born in London, holds a doctorate from Oxford, and has been travelling to Russia since 1978. She began learning Russian as a schoolgirl, and is the author of Chekhov: Scenes from a Life, Tolstoy: A Russian Life and Literary Russia: A Guide. Her work as a translator includes Anton Chekhov, About Love and Other Stories, the first uncensored edition of his letters for Penguin Classics, and Anna Karenina, published by Oxford World’s Classics in 2014. Her most recent book is The Russian Soul: Selections from a Writer’s Diary by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
She has lectured on Russian literature at universities and public institutions around the world, and been commissioned to write for publications such as the Financial Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal. In 2007 she began a campaign to restore Chekhov’s house in Yalta, and remains a Trustee of the Anton Chekhov Foundation, a UK charity set up to honour the writer’s literary and humanitarian legacy. She is a regular visitor to Australia and is currently an Honorary Research Associate at the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Sydney.
TOUR INCLUSIONS
-
​Tour Leader expert in Russian literature
-
Tour coordinator Australian, fluent Russian speaker
-
English speaking local guide
-
Central accommodations with daily breakfast
-
Transports (inland)
-
Meals (as listed in itinerary)
-
Visits and transfers as mentioned
-
Flight as program (Economy Class)
​
​
​
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Our literary exploration begins in Moscow...
- Visit the homes and haunts of writers such as Gorky, Tolstoy and Bulgakov.
- Explore painterly connections at the Tretyakov Gallery.
- Visit Red Square and St Basil’s Cathedral and explore the nearby gardens and Manège.
- Take a stroll around Patriarch’s Ponds, the setting for scenes from Master and Margarita.
- Sip tea by the Moscow Art Theatre and discuss Chekhov’s The Black Monk with Rosamund.
​
Immerse yourself in Tolstoy’s world in Yasnaya Polyana...
- Stay for two nights in the landscape of Tolstoy’s family home.
- Dine with fellow literature lovers for the opening address of the international translator’s symposium.
​
Experience five nights in stunning St Petersburg, the city of poets...
- See the rearing statue of The Bronze Horseman.
- Visit Pushkin’s wonderful apartment on the Moika river and, on the embankment of the Fontanka, the homes of Dostoevsky and the extraordinary poet Anna Akhmatova.
- Be blown away by The Hermitage and Russian Museum.
- Follow in Raskolnikov’s footsteps as he plays cat-and-mouse with detective Porfiry Petrovich in an edgy Crime and Punishment walk led by Rosamund.
​
This is a wonderful chance to see Russia as it is rarely seen by Western travellers. Explore the creativity of Moscow and St Petersburg by delving into the lives and works of some of Russia’s greatest men and women of letters.
​
​
​
​