Inside Russian Ballet, 7 days, 6 nights

Based on early French and Italian traditions, Russian ballet developed to become unique and highly regarded as being among the best and most influential in the world. St. Petersburg is the center of the Russian classical school of dancing and has produced its greatest dancers and choreographers.

The Russian Ballet tour will acquaint you with such legendary names as Agrippina Vaganova, Anna Pavlova, Vatslav Nizhinsky, George Balanchin, Tamara Karsavina, Matilda Kschessinskaya, Rudolf Nureev, Michael Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, Galina Ulanova, Konstantin Sergeev and others, and will take to you to different sites in St. Petersburg connected with their life and work.

You’ll have a unique opportunity to see the backstage of the world-famous Mariinsky Opera and Ballet House (1 hour) and pay a visit to the renowned Vaganova Ballet Academy. Graduates of this school include some of the most famous ballet dancers, choreographers and teachers in history and many of the world’s leading ballet schools have adopted elements of the Vaganova method into their own training.

ITINERARY

Day 1 – arrival transfer/transfer + evening program

Arrival, transfer or separate individual transfers in the morning and early afternoon, arrival at the hotel, check-in

Before dinner – ballet expert Alexei Leporc’s lecture about Russian ballet in one of the hotel meeting rooms with drinks during the lecture (shot of vodka, water, juice)

After lecture walk or drive to restaurant

Welcome dinner at restaurant

After dinner walk or drive back to the hotel

Day 2

AM Meeting with the guide in the hotel lobby, City Tour of St. Petersburg including

• Visit to Peter and Paul Fortress
• Vaganova Ballet Academy – to be confirmed closer to the date
• Exhibition dedicated to the Russian ballet at Samoilovs’ Theatrical Museum

Lunch at restaurant (pre-booked)

After lunch Hermitage tour (Winter Palace, Old masters) including the Diamond collection of the Hermitage (separate exhibition)

18:00 Return to the hotel

Evening Performance at the Mikhailovsky, or the Hermitage Theatre, or the Mariinsky Theatre (depending on schedule)

Day 3

AM Drive to the Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) Tour of the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo and short walk in the park

Lunch at Podvorie restaurant – set menu with vodka and wine

After lunch tour of Pavlovsk Palace and walk in the Pavlovsk Park

Drive back to the city

Return to the hotel

Evening Performance at the Mikhailovsky, or the Hermitage Theatre, or the Mariinsky Theatre (depending on schedule)

Day 4

AM Drive to Peterhof

Early entrance into the Great Peterhof Palace (before the official opening of the museum)

Tour of the Lower Park with fountains, visit inside Monplaisir Palace (June-late September)

Hydrofoil ride back to St. Petersburg (30 min)

Arrive St. Petersburg, drive to the restaurant

Lunch at Aragvi (Georgian cuisine)

After lunch walk 5 min to Faberge Museum, tour of the museum

Return to the hotel

17:00 Meeting in the hotel lobby, drive to the restaurant The Repa (next door to Mariinsky Theatre)

17:20 Meeting with a Russian Prima Ballerina in the restaurant The Repa followed by dinner (hot starter, cold starter, main dish, dessert, 2 glasses of wine, water, tea/coffee)

19:00 Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre. After performance drive back to the hotel.

Day 5

AM  City tour of St. Petersburg

Visit to the museum of political history of Russia – a Palace formerly owned by the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre, Matilda Kshesinskaya, to see the exhibition dedicated to this outstanding Russian ballerina, the mistress of Grand Duke Nicholas, future Nicholas II. In 1917 her Palace became headquarters for Lenin and Bolsheviks – TOUR WITH THE CURATOR

NB! We can book just the tour of this exhibition, but the museum itself is very interesting and the whole collection is well presented, so we recommend to see it in full.

Backstage tour of the Mariinsky Theatre

Lunch in a City restaurant

After lunch tour of the Yusupov Palace including the gala interiors of the Palace, a private theatre and the wine cellar where Rasputin was killed.

Return to the hotel

Evening Performance at the Mikhailovsky, or the Hermitage theatre, or the Mariinsky Theatre (depending on schedule)

Day 6

AM Drive or walk to the Spilled Blood Cathedral

Tour of the Cathedral of Spilled Blood

Visit to the Russian Art Museum (next door) – Russian classical art and Russian Avant-garde

Lunch at Baku restaurant (Azerbaijanian cuisine) – 5 min. walk from the Russian museum

After lunch 1 or 1.5 hours canal boat ride

Return to the hotel

17:30 Meeting in the hotel lobby, drive to the Stroganoff Palace

18:00 Late opening of the Stroganoff Palace (after the working hours of the museum) tour with the Senior curator of the Stroganoff Palace

19:30 Vodka and caviar tasting in the former wine cellar of the Stroganoff Palace

NB! Black, red and pike caviar + pancakes with garnishes + 2 types of vodka

20:30 Farewell dinner in a restaurant (located near the Stroganoff Palace)

After the dinner walk or drive to the hotel

Day 7

Departure transfer/transfers

Open Russia Tours is also offering Ballet tours in Moscow and St. Petersburg – Moscow combined Ballet tours