Moscow isn’t the destination that most travelers pick out as their first place to set their sights on, but for some people it is. I was one of those people. This was back in 2001. After graduating high school we worked for a year, and then in March, we decided to just go away. Stewart and I quit our jobs, packed our bags and off we went. Landing in Denmark, we cut across Scandinavia, through Stockholm and Helsinki and eventually arriving in Russia via St. Petersburg. Russia is a pretty intense place to just show up in; this was our first trip on our own and we were 19 years old. It would also set the bar pretty high, as all of our later trips would be to pretty far out places - South America, India and most recently Africa. But this is where it all began.

I have no regrets on traveling to Russia. Our goal in setting out for Moscow was to see the tomb (and preserved body) of Lenin, which we did a few times in our week in the city. Our 2 weeks in Russia were filled with amazing cultural encounters with strangers, amazing historic buildings and lots of inside jokes. There were also some scarier moments; from when we stepped off the train in St. Petersburg to intense orchestra music and getting lost within 5 minutes, or being hauled off a train at 4 in the morning by Ukrainian border guards with AK-47’s. But those are good stories for another time, right now we are just getting to the photos!!!

Beginning in St. Petersburg, we tried to just wander and see as much as we possibly could. Filled with amazing churches, the historic Winter Palace, which now houses the Hermitage Museum, and a few museums, the best of which was the Russian Military museum. It was also spring, and the melting ice on the river - and one day of flurries - allowed us to really feel like we were in Russia! Once we got to Moscow, there was a lot more to do, and we spent our days just wandering the city, every corner of which feels like its got a story to tell. The highlight of course was seeing Lenin, encased in glass in the center of Red Square, and the imposing buildings around the heart of Moscow.

Without any further delay, here is the photo collection from Russia, 2001:

St. Petersburg, Russia

Moscow, Russia:

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