Travel Russia Today

In the Taganskaya area of the Moscow, stands an apartment building on a street corner. This building appears to be typical of every other building on the block but it does hold a secret. A 1950’s era cold war bunker is located 20 stories below. The only visible sign from ground level is the army green gate with a red star on it.

Once we were granted entrance (appointments are necessary), we were ushered in and then an enormous door was slammed shut and locked behind us letting us just how secure this site once was. My companions and I squeezed into a small elevator with our guide who was appropriately dressed in the traditional Russian army garb of green and red. We were delighted we did not have to climb down (or back up) 20 flights of stairs.

Once the elevator doors opened, we stepped in a maze of cavernous dimly lit tunnels. Small light bulbs hung from the ceiling providing just enough light to see a few feet in front of us. Wires dangle from the ceilings and walls alluding to unfinished construction. The bunker was originally dug out as part of the metro system. Every few minutes we could hear the roar and feel the vibrations of the metro zooming by a tunnel just feet away from where we were standing.
After wandering through the corridors, suddenly a large siren went off and red lights began flashing prompting jumps and screams from our group. With Russian commands barking over the loud speaker, it really gave us a sense that an attack was imminent.

Finally, we arrived at the command center. This bunker was the main center for communication in the event of a nuclear attack. Much of the original communication equipment is still in tact. A large picture of Stalin hangs on the wall and a Russian military jacket and hat rest on a chair.

We took the elevator back up to ground level, walked out into the bright sunlight and joined the pedestrians walking on the street that probably walked past here every day and had no idea what lies beneath them.

“White Nights” is the time of the year when the sun never completely sets in places of high latitude, including northern Russia. The days are very long, and there is never complete darkness.

On my first night in St. Petersburg last July, I was restless. Our dinner ended around 10:00PM (in broad daylight) and somewhere between jet lag and peeking behind the hotel curtains every 30 minutes, I did not get much sleep.

When I returned from the dinner to my room, I started looking out the window. Soon it was midnight, and I could still see so many people out on the streets. It was almost impossible to tell how late it was. As exhausted as I was, I had an urge of going out on the streets – and almost did! I felt like I was missing out on valuable time by staying in my room, but my rational side told me I needed some rest. I finally managed to take a nap until I woke up and saw the sun shining so bright that it made me jump out of bed thinking I was late. It was 4:45AM!

I have to say … it was worth not resting for one night - it is not everyday that you get to see dusk at 1:00AM. Not in Florida anyway. We hear so much about the White Nights, but actually seeing it is definitely a whole new experience. Plus, the bonus daylight hours give you extra energy for long days of touring – I found it all fascinating.

And a perk for those interested in arts are the top-notch performances that happen at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. The “Festival of the White Nights” happens between May and July, and includes a series of ballet, opera and concert events including Russian and international renowned performers. Performance fans should not miss this time of the year in St. Petersburg – it is truly fantastic.

Those who enjoy good vodka will always have a fabulous time in Russia. On my latest trip, we were able to enjoy a vodka tasting during our cruise on the Volga Dream. And it was worth a shot - no pun intended! I found the vodka tasting particularly interesting because we were learning some basic vodka facts, and then trying it.

First, we learned a few “ground rules”. Number one: Bottoms up. Russians drink vodka all in one shot – no sipping! Also, Russians never drink vodka without food - they do the shot, and then eat a salty snack (caviar and blinis go quite well). With this information, we were ready for our first shot of typical Russian vodka.

Also, Russians never drink alone - you have to have at least a couple of people to drink with you. As we had a fabulous group, we were ready for our second shot: some yellow-looking vodka that, as it turns out, was pepper-flavored. Yowza!

I was still recovering from the pepper taste when I learned that Russians do not consider any vodka that is less than 40% to be “real” vodka. We then had our third shot, a kind that is considered to be “ladies’ vodka” (as it is only 35%): Plum vodka. Interesting.

I also found out that the reason why we think that the Russian vodka tastes different is simply because it does! While many types of vodka are made from potatoes, Russian vodka is made from grains.

And finally, we cannot forget about another Russian tradition: You must always toast. Na zdorovje! (To your health), followed by the grand finale: Lime-flavored vodka.