Photographs of Russia during our trip by train from Vladivostock to Helsinki in May 2002, with stop-offs in Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, Moscow and St Petersburg.
Vladivostok to Moscow by train is 9,288 km, 7 days and 7 time zones. But it took us longer because we stopped off at cities along the way and used different trains, now all possible thanks to the end of the "Cold War" and the "liberation 10 years ago". Here is the Trans-Siberian in Vladivostok on 6th May 2002, for our first stage of 3 days to Irkutsk.
Railways are obviously very important to
Russia as evident from the constant traffic of freight and passenger trains, the enormous marshalling yards at
cities along the way, and the fact that the lines from Vladivostock to the border where we crossed into Finland, a distance of more than
10,000 km, are all electrified. Hence the two electric locomotives
on our train of 18 passenger carriages and a restaurant
car, when we departed Vladivostock.
For the first three days from Vladivostok to Irkutsk we had the luxury of a 2-berth compartment with table, heater and curtains and drapes on the window. All other legs of our trip were in similar compartments except for the addition of two upper bunks to make 4-berth compartments which we shared with Russians. They were all very pleasant company and in most instances one of them could speak a little English - none of the horror stories of having to share with two drunken Russians.
Each carriage had a conductress who managed the small coal burning furnace for the heating the carriage, the urn providing boiling water as well as looking after passengers with bedding, cups of coffee, tickets etc. They were all friendly and helpful despite the language barrier. For the last leg from Ekateringurg to Moscow we traveled in a special train, special in that windows in the corridors each had a pot plant as well as the usual drapes and curtains.
(1) Vladivostok Photos from the 3 day train trip to Irkutsk
(2) Irkutsk Eastern Siberia city close to Lake Baikal and exile location for dissidents, criminals
(3) Novosibirsk The largest city in Siberia with a famous Opera House
(4) Ekaterinburg Site of the execution of the royal family in 1918 and of the "exile" of Marshall Zhukov in 1946.
(5) Moscow The usual tourist attractions.
(6) St Petersburg and Petrodvorets
Jeff & Meg Colwell, 2002 ( jeffmeg@webone.com.au)
25/12/02