Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
economic chasm definitely exists in the
new Russia.
Oil money has created a superrich class
of nouveau riche and at the same time rel-
egated the elderly and longtime patriots
to poverty. Perhaps this gap was inevitable:
The sheer size of the Russian Federation
almost guarantees an adventure in diver-
sity, and the country spreads across 11
time zones and numerous ethnic cultures.
But cultural and socioeconomic strata are
obvious even in the western portion of
the country called “European Russia.”
Visits to Russia's two largest cities
amplify the differences between the hectic,
modern bustle of
Moscow
and the histor-
ical, sophisticated aura of imperial
St.
Petersburg.
Moscow flaunts its links to Western cul-
ture, with chain restaurants, dance clubs,
and a cutthroat club scene. Its residents
have discarded the dour, gray mood that
characterized the city during the Soviet
years in favor of a pursuit of hedonism
and wealth.
The city has more billionaires than any
other city in the world, but it also is home
to vast numbers of beggars, as if to accen-
tuate the city's diversity.
Moscow's economy had been booming
since the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
opening the door to increased tourism
from the West. More than 12 million citi-
zens crowd the subways and clubs. Visi-
tors will find that hotel prices rival or
exceed those charged in Paris, and restau-
rant tabs can run as high or higher than a
three-star restaurant in New York. Add to
that a rising crime rate and police corrup-
tion (tourist shakedowns are common)
and you have “big city” problems.
But Moscow is still a fascinating city to
explore. Cupolas and cathedrals compete
with Soviet-era skyscrapers for visitors'
attention, while the brooding specter
of the
Kremlin
reminds them of the
events from recent history.
Red Square,
St.
Mausoleum
all beckon to the tourists,
while the
Bolshoi and Chekhov theaters
offer a glimpse into the Russian classical
soul.
St. Petersburg is Moscow's cultural
counterpoint, a city filled with architec-
tural and artistic wonders. Built by Peter
the Great in 1703 on the site of a swamp,
St. Petersburg has evolved into the fourth-
largest city in Europe. Its role in the arts
world solidified by author Fyodor Dosto-
evski and composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
The
Heritage Museum
in the
Winter
Palace
contains one of the world's great
collections of art. But intellectual and
artistic excellence has not translated into
economic progress for St. Petersburg, as it
has for Moscow.
SLOVAKIA
Slovakia's tourism industry has bur-
geoned since that country declared inde-
pendence in 1993. By the late 1990s
Slovakia was receiving more than half a
million visitors annually and for the first
half of 2006 (Jan-June) the number of
visitors was just under 750,000.
Slovakia is situated between Austria,
Hungary, and Russia, a position that had
a strong influence on its history and archi-
tecture. Of the three influential styles, the
sensibilities of Austria and Hungary won
out. However, in the eastern part of the
country the architectural landscape is
more Eastern Orthodox than Austro-
Hungarian.
Almost every town in Slovakia has a
historic church, and each house of wor-
ship has something to commend it. How-
ever, the most interesting churches in the
country are the centuries-old
wooden
churches
of northeastern Slovakia. Unfor-
tunately, these are difficult to reach.
Throughout history Slovakia was never
a dominant nation and it never became a
wealthy nation, either. Consequently the
historic sections of Slovak cities are less
ornate than those in wealthier countries
like Austria.
Basil's Cathedral,
and
Lenin's
