Russia Journeys
Russian Ties- Our Flagship Program
July 10-22, 2013
June 25-July 7, 2014
July 9-21, 2014
Russian Ties Lite
July 10-19, 2013
(return date dependent on flight availability)
Private or Semi-Private Travel
“The end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started
and know the place for the first time.” T.S. Elliot
RUSSIAN TIES
Our Flagship Program
|
Russian Ties Itinerary
- Arrive in Moscow, where Ties staff will meet you and provide transportation to the hotel. Russian Ties families stay in first class to moderate, clean hotels, where after a day out experiencing many new tastes, smells, sights and sounds, families can relax.
- Gather for an orientation meeting, a chance to connect with the other families, and discuss the journey ahead.
- Enjoy a city tour of Moscow including a panoramic view of the city from Sparrow Hill.
- Participate in a folk program at Kolomenskoye, a former village and now a historical preserve.
- Tour the famous Moscow Kremlin and Cathedrals while learning about the history of the country.
- Take in Red Square (one of the largest gathering places in the world) and home of Lenin’s Tomb; take in the beauty of St. Basil’s Cathedral before exploring the shops of GUM Department Store.
- Travel by metro to Izmailovo Market, Moscow’s large outdoor souvenir bazaar.
For most families, Moscow will be the jumping off point for the “Centerpiece of your Adoption Homeland Journey” as they travel to their child’s region of birth.
While on adoption visits, families will:
- Travel by airplane, train or car to their destination, and be met with driver and English speaking guide.
- Visit their child’s orphanage, meet caregivers, and re-connect with other people and places important to your family.
- See sites in the area, according to your interests.
- Bask in the messages of the journey as The Ties Program oversees the travel details including transportation, translators, and hotel arrangements.
- Russian Ties Lite families will return to the United States or their home countries after adoption visits.
- Russian Ties families will regroup in St. Petersburg with time to process adoption visits.
- Also in St. Petersburg, visit the Hermitage Museum where you can imagine Russian leaders holding court in the throne room.
- Visit Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac Cathedral, and see detailed mosaics at The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood, the site of Czar Alexander the Second’s assassination.
- Travel to the small town of Pushkin to see Catherine’s Palace, a gift from Peter the Great to his wife.
- Marvel at the beauty of the famous Amber Room, comprised of 100,000 perfectly fitted pieces of amber, located in Catherine’s Palace.
- Cruise the canals of St. Petersburg while enjoying lunch complete with traditional music and dance.
Relax. Savor. Reflect.
RUSSIAN CONNECTIONS
We have decided to discontinue Connections programs. Our goal in offering Connections was to provide a less expensive option for families. To accomplish that, families traveled with an in-country English speaking guide, but not with Ties staff. In our flagship Ties programs, groups travel with both a “logistical genius” and an adoption professional, so that families are really well supported on this important, identity-building journey. It is a “formula” that has served families well for nearly two decades!
But we knew we still needed an alternative.
RUSSIAN TIES LITE
So, we put our thinking caps on, and re-thought the options. As we move forward, many of our programs will be offered as traditional Ties Programs, and in some countries (Russia included), will include a Ties Lite option. It will give you all of the advantages of traveling with a Ties Program, but a shorter stay, lowering your costs. You will receive information on Russian Ties and Russian Ties Lite when you request information.
PRIVATE OR SEMI-PRIVATE TRAVEL
While we believe strongly in the support a group provides, we know there are times when individual family travel is a better fit. We are happy to work with individual families or small groups of families. Please email us your request.
