The Mysterious Land of Russia: Saratov

For many years under the Soviet Union Saratov was a closed city, meaning unless you were a citizen it was not possible to enter the city. It has only been open since 1992!

Saratov has strengths in agricultural and industrial areas. It is Southeast of Moscow and the trip by train takes about 16 hours. The most convenient train leaves in the evening and when you wake up in the morning you are there! This is a great city to see if you are interested in visiting Russia without a "tourist" atmosphere. I stayed with a Russian family. It was here I had the most opportunities to meet and mingle with the locals.

The two things that are a must is to visit Victory Park and to look upon the Volga River.

Quick Tips:

Be prepared to get a taste of "Real Russia." You will not find many tourists here as you would in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Even the streets are much different. They are a bit more bumby and not well paved.

If you are not familiar with the language I suggest at least trying to learn the alphabet. It will help in many situations. If you like cities that are not big and popular like Paris, New York, and London this is a place for you. Saratov offers both the advantages of a large city, but has the moderate prices of a small city.

Make a Russian friend. They are dedicated and loyal people both while you are in Russia and after you leave. Russians have a lot of insight to life and are some of the warmest and friendliest people I have ever gotten to know.

Best Way To Get Around:

I found the best way to get around is to take a bus. It does not cost much, just a few kopeks that you pay when you get on the bus. The front of the bus will tell you where it is going. It is very easy to understand where the bus will pick you up. Bus stops are similar to the ones seen across America.

One of most imporatant parts of Russian history is World War II. Russia was affect by this war in a way almost unfathomable to the outsider. Victory Park is one of the numerous places in Russia dedicated to those who suffered and perished from this earth in the war.

Victory Parks is located at the top of a hill overlooking the city of Saratov. You can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city from this point.The entire park is built to commemorate about 177,00 Saratovites who died in World War II.

As you approach to tall tower in front of you, you'll pass large marble stones with the names of those Saratovites that fought and lost their lives in World War II. At the top of the hill there is a large memorial that reaches into the sky. It depicts large cranes flying high in the sky. This monument is about 40 meters high and can be seen virtually from any point in the town.

Situated here is The Museum of Victory. This is simply an outside museum displaying some equiptment used in World War II. You can see boats, trains, tanks and other weapons as well.

If you are looking for a peaceful place and/or you are interested in the history of World War II it is worth visiting.

The Pride and Joy of the city of Saratov is by far, the Volga River. I have Russian friends that have said, "I could not live without my Volga" The Volga River is the longest river in Europe. It extends about 2,300 miles. Across the river from Saratov is the town of Engels. A very long bridge connects the two cities. I was amazed at the width of this river at some points.

River Terminal is the place that boats leave for cruises and scheduled departures for many cities situated on the Volga River in Russia. We took a boat ride a short way down the river. The boat was entertaining. You could purchase food or drinks while listening to music. It was a short little scenic ride that took about 30 minutes or so. There are boat tours sitting along the embankment. As and they can direct you where to go to buy a ticket. The boats run often during the summer months. But in the winter the Volga is full of ice and snow!

Along the embankment there is a sidewalk in which you are able to walk along side the river. There are several cafes,bars and restuants that overlook the river. At the time I was there, there were not a ton of people walking along the embankment. There were some people here and there which made walking along the Volga easy and quiet. I found it enjoyable to simply watch the water flow past.

Most everyone has heard the classical music song "The Volga Boatmen". It is not recognized often by the name, but by the tune. Also there is a famous painting titled, "The Volga Boatmen." Being familiar with both of these, it gave me a sense of awe to stare upon this massive stream of water.

Translated as German Street, Nemetskaya Street is Saratov's answer to Moscow’s Arbat Street. Nemetskaya is a large pedestrian only strip that contains many of the finest shops, cafes, and restaurants. It is about 8-9 blocks of fun and good times. If you like to shop, you will be in luck if you find yourself here!

On one end of the street is the Circus, and on the other Lipki Park. The large number of cafes I saw here surprised me. I found myself at a cafe/bar across from the Saratov Conservatory several times. It was situated behind a large pool of water that was a fountain, and underneath a tent. It was a nice place to sit and relax. There were always people there and always music playing. They even had a pool table. While I was here I met a group of Russians who are involved in a Saratov Chat group on the Internet. They were a lot of fun to talk to. Some spoke a good amount of English. It appeared that the words they did not know in English, I knew in Russian, so it was easy to communicate.

Along this strip you will see a movie theatre, an Internet cafe, and even a beautiful colorful cathedral, called Utoli Moya Pechali Church. The Saratov Conservatory can be found on this strip of land as well. I also believe it is the third largest in Russia. If you visit Saratov I believe it would be impossible to not eventually find yourself here.

There are so many beautiful cathedrals scattered throughout this city. As you are around the city you can see tops of cathedrals. The trick is to look for the domed tops! When you see one, go and have a look. And if you can, step inside. The inside of these cathedrals are even more beautiful on than the outside. The one I went in was dark and there were some people inside. A choir was singing and candles were lit in memory of loved ones. It was very spiritual for me to step inside. Just be courteous and if possible cover your head with a shawl. If you do not have one, do not worry, you can still step inside for a look, many times no one will say anything to you about it.

Many times these cathedrals are simply a way of life for the Russian people. Some of the most interesting cathedrals I saw, the people I was with would say, "Ah, It is nothing, just a church!" However when I looked at it I thought, "WOW, what a work of art."

Looking at these cathedrals may not be a very planned activity, but more of a "hobby" to do while you are spending time in the city. If you are with Saratovites ask them what the cathedrals meaning is, and why it was built. Many have interesting stories.

I know what you are thinking, "A Beach? In Russia??" But by all means, it is true! I went with 2 families to their "Dacha." A dacha is basically a summer home usually found outside the big cities and in the country. When summer months arrive Russians flood out of the cities to their dachas. (Russians take advantage and appreciate the warm weather, as they only have it for a short time.) These little houses were some of the cutest houses I had ever seen! The dachas were very "homey" and welcoming. Each dacha also had a beautiful, lush green garden. The dacha I was at had a garden growing a large variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers. It was beautiful.

We had to walk a short way down a hill to reach the beach. Now it was not your typical beach because it was not an ocean, but a river! But they insisted that it was indeed a beach! This part of the river was very wide. I was amazed at how many people were at this beach! Young and old were sunbathing, making sand castles, and splashing around in the river. There was a little place you could rent a boat from and take it out on the water, so before I knew it, I was on a boat and out in the water. It was a bit difficult to get out into the water because there was a lot of green grass and growth in the water. But it was beautiful. Once we got out into the waters, we jumped into the river and swam around a bit. I never thought I would find myself swimming in the Volga River in Russia! When I returned to the United States many people were shocked to see I was in a swimsuit and in water in my pictures from "Russia!" Just goes to show, stereotypes are just that, stereotypes.

If you are invited to a "dacha" it would be a hige mistake to turn down the invitation. I cannot express what a wonderful experience it was to travel to a dacha. I even got to taste Russian barbaque! The countryside of Russia is so relaxing, and not many people from the outside get a chance to see this way of life. You can soak in the culture of Russian life. The importance the Russian people have of family, enjoyment, and summer is very refreshing.