THE SEVENTH WONDER OF RUSSIA

Tour program

• Day 1

  HELLO, VOLGOGRAD!

  Arrival and transfer to hotel.

• Day 2

  EXPLORING VOLGOGRAD

  Breakfast. 10.00 Sightseeing tour of Volgograd (duration approx. 3h) The excursion is devoted to the most interesting events in the history of Volgograd, which you will learn about by visiting the city's landmarks. You will see the Church of St. John the Baptist, the place where the city was founded, and learn about the first stone building in Tsaritsyn (original name of Volgograd) and the circumstances behind the city’s name. You will visit the picturesque Volga embankment and hear how the peasant riots were reflected in the history of Volgograd. An important part of the tour is the history of the Battle of Stalingrad. You will visit the Square of the Fallen Fighters, see the legendary Pavlov House and Gerhardt's mill and learn to differentiate between these well-known buildings similar in appearance. Free time for lunch. 14.00 Excursion to Mamayev Kurgan, a memorial complex "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" (duration approx. 2h) The Battle of Stalingrad is remembered as one of the bloodiest and fiercest battles of World War II. The battle pitted the Nazi army against the Soviet army and took place between August 1942 and February 1943. During those 6 months, according to several historians, almost two million soldiers lost their lives. During the excursion you will learn about the history behind the creation of the memorial complex "To the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" in Mamayev Kurgan, the history of the Battle of Stalingrad itself, how the fierce fight for Russia’s key military stronghold unfolded, and how this most famous monument of the country’s valor - "The Motherland" - was created. Here, at the foot of the grandiose sculpture, which is one of the 7 wonders of Russia, a magnificent panoramic view of the heroic city of Volgograd opens up. At the end of the excursion you will have the opportunity to visit the Temple of All Saints and light a candle in memory of the defenders who perished in that battle. Free time in the evening.

  

  

  

  

• Day 3

  LYUDNIKOV ISLAND AND WATER POWER

  Breakfast. 10.00 Lyudnikov Island + Volzhskaya hydroelectric power plant (duration approx. 4h). During the tour you will learn about the heroic last stand in a place of great strategic import by the valorous forces of the 138th Infantry Division, which took place from 14 October until the beginning of December 1942. From 11 November, for the next thirty days, the division was surrounded in an area that was only 700 metres long and 400 metres wide. On three sides there were German troops, on the fourth was the river Volga, covered in ice. Food and ammunition were supplied from the island "Zaitsevsky" by ships under heavy fire. The Nazis, using various devious methods time and time again unsuccessfully attempted to seize the positions held by the forces under command of General Ivan Ilyich Lyudnikov, who bravely remained with his soldiers and officers and did not let the Germans reach the Volga, preventing them from capturing strategically vital positions. The excursion programme also includes a tour of the area of the largest hydroelectric power plant in Europe with a visit to the town of Volzhskiy. During the visit, tourists will see the main (external) parts of the 5 km long hydroelectric power station: the canal dam, the building of the hydroelectric power plant, a concrete spillway dam and a floodplain dam cut by sluices. The town of Volzhskiy, a suburb of Volgograd, is located behind the left bank of the Volga River and owes its name to the Volzhskaya hydroelectric power plant. On 22 July 2009, the city of Volzhskiy celebrated its 45th anniversary. Its population has boomed and reached more than 300000 people. It is a city of engineers, chemists, metallurgists and machine builders. Return to Volgograd and free evening.

  

  

  

  

• Day 4

  BYE, VOLGOGRAD

  Breakfast. 12.00 Check out from the hotel and transfer according to the previously confirmed time of departure.