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Program Itinerary
Day 1, Sat, May 5: Depart USA
Depart home town to Kiev on Lufthansa Airlines via Frankfurt.
(Meals: aloft)
Day 2, Sun, May 6: Arrive Kiev
In the morning arrive in Frankfurt and connect on to Kiev. On arrival in Kiev, transfer to the hotel. A champagne welcome reception and dinner of traditional Ukrainian cuisine at Pervak Restaurant, winner of the Kiev City Guide's award for "Best Slavic Food" in 2005.
Hotel Premier Palace or similar (D)
Day 3, Mon, May 7: Kiev
Kiev is the mother city of all Eastern Slavic peoples. Kievan Rus', the state from which Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are all descended, was originally established here in the 9th century. Today this modern capital on the Dnipro River is a city of three million, encompassing countless surviving architectural and artistic treasures.
Full-day exploration of the Ukrainian capital, beginning with St. Sophia's Cathedral, the symbolic center of Christianity in Kievan Rus. Constructed under orders from Prince Yaroslav I in the 11th century, the cathedral is the city's oldest remaining church. The rich Byzantine interior is decorated with frescoes and mosaics. The cathedral played a significant role in luring Byzantine artists to the city. Visiting artisans who trained local workmen helped turn Kiev into the craft center of Kievan Rus' during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Take a walk down St. Andrew's Descent, or Andreevsky Uzviz, which has not changed much since the late 19th century. This street formed the shortest route between the aristocratic Upper Town and the tradesmen's town, Podil. The cobbled descent down Andreevsky Street is perhaps Kiev's most charming area. It is a wonderful place to stroll and shop - the main street is filled with galleries, gift shops, restaurants, cafes and artists' co-ops and studios.
Following lunch in one of many restaurants in Podil, we have a specially-arranged private visit to Antonov Aircraft Design Bureau. Founded in 1946, Antonov is a showcase of Soviet and - since 1991 - Ukrainian aircraft design. The bureau designs and builds a range of civil aircraft from the single-engine biplane An-2 (fondly known as "kukuruznik" or "corn plane" due to its crop-dusting functions) to the super heavy transport An-124 "Ruslan." We tour the factory facilities and learn about the past and the future of the company as well as of Ukrainian civil aviation. We also see the hangars and gigantic An-225 "Mriya," the largest transport plane in the world.
*Note: tour of Antonov aircraft factory is contingent on government authorization.
The tour concludes on Independence Square, the city's main square that made headlines in 2004 when Ukrainians by the hundreds of thousands protested the fixed presidential election - and got their way. From November to December 2004, the square was the focal point of Ukraine's "Orange Revolution," in which citizens demonstrated, committed acts of civil disobedience and called strikes to force a second run-off election. The first run-off election, won by eastern Ukrainian and former Communist Viktor Yanukovych amid widespread allegations of fraud, was overturned by western Ukrainian Viktor Yushchenko.
The rest of the evening is free for independent discovery. We recommend a stroll along Khreschatik Street, the city's main artery. Dinner is independent, giving you a chance to sample for yourself some of the local delicacies.
Hotel Premier Palace or similar (B, L)
Day 4, Tue, May 8: Kiev
Following breakfast at the hotel, attend a briefing at the U.S. Embassy, the Chamber of Commerce, or the Ukrainian Ministry of Economics. The keynote speaker will brief HBS alumni on the Ukrainian economy, business climate, and investment opportunities involving US companies and related issues.
After the briefing, we visit Kiev Institute of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine's top institution of higher education, which prepares Ukraine's brightest for future leadership roles in government and business.
After lunch at a local restaurant we transfer to the caves monastery of Pecherskaya Lavra, Kievan Rus' first monastery, founded in 1051. The monks dug caves and underground labyrinths, living and studying in them, and their mummified bodies still line the walls. Time permitting, we visit the adjacent World War II Memorial. Overlooking the Dnipro stands the 330-foot titanium Rodina Mat, the "Nation's Mother" statue, holding aloft a sword and shield. The 35-acre park where she can be found is part of a memorial to those who fought in the Second World War, or the "Great Patriotic War," as it is called in the former Soviet republics.
We enjoy our final dinner in Kiev.
Hotel Premier Palace or similar (B, L, D)
Day 5, Wed, May 9: Kiev, fly to Moscow
Transfer to the airport for a short 1.5-hour flight to Moscow. On arrival in Moscow, transfer to our centrally located hotel in the vicinity of Red Square.
Founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruky (literally "Yuri of the Long Arms"), Moscow rose to prominence during Mongol domination and eventually became the Russian capital. Eclipsed for 200 years by St. Petersburg, Moscow was restored as the Russian political center after the October Revolution in 1917, and celebrated its 850th anniversary in 1997.
We begin our city tour with a drive to Moscow State University to enjoy the panoramic views of the city from Sparrow Hills. Pause at Novodevichy Convent, founded in 1524 by Grand Prince Vasili III to honor the return of Smolensk city to Russia from the Lithuanians. Visit the World War II Memorial and Victory Park fountains on Farewell Hill. Returning to the city center, we drive past the Bolshoi Theater and the infamous Lubyanka Prison.
Enjoy dinner at a restaurant in the city. After dinner, if you wish, set off on a walking tour of Red Square to see the Kremlin Wall, St. Basil's Cathedral, and the Moskva River Embankment by night.
Peter I Hotel or similar (B, D)
Day 6, Thu, May 10: Moscow
This morning we have a special meeting with Harvard Business Alumni in Moscow and/or visit a working commercial facility.
Following lunch, depart on a tour of the Kremlin and Armory Museum. The Kremlin is the center of Russian politics and power. Inside the fortress walls are numerous palaces, cathedrals, government buildings and the Armory Museum. Built in the 16th century as a warehouse for the Kremlin's weaponry, the building was turned into an exhibition hall and museum in 1814. The Armory Museum now houses Russia's national treasures such as religious icons, Faberge eggs, a bejeweled chalice belonging to Prince Yuri, and Catherine the Great's ball gowns and shoes.
In addition to the Armory, by special arrangement we visit the National Diamond Fund, also within the Kremlin. The Diamond Fund is an exclusive collection of "crown valuables," jewelry pieces made for the czars and the royal court, including imperial regalia such as crowns, scepters, and bejeweled clasps to fasten the coronation mantle.
Following our tour of the Diamond Fund, we have a very special private a capella concert of Russian choral music in one of the gorgeous halls in the Kremlin Armory after closing time, when the crowds have gone home.
We conclude our day with dinner at a local restaurant, followed by a free evening of independent discovery in "Golden-Domed" Moscow.
Peter I Hotel or similar (B, L, D)
Day 7, Fri, May 11: Moscow, overnight train to 
St. Petersburg
Continue the exploration of Moscow with a morning visit to the Tretyakov Gallery. The Gallery was founded by 19th-century Russian merchant, Pavel Tretyakov, who spent 40 years and much of his fortune collecting and preserving works of Russian art. Exhibits encompass pieces from the 11th century to the present, and include mosaics, icons, paintings and sculptures by such artists as Rublev, Repin, and Levitan.
Enjoy free time for an independent lunch and a walk along Old Arbat Street, one of the oldest streets in the city. The Arbat became a pedestrian mall in the 1980s. In old times, court artisans and craftsmen lived in this neighborhood, and later it was an artists' enclave. Today the Arbat is like a busy street fair, with small shops lining the sides of the street and tables of crafts and merchandise set out along the center. Here street artists draw portraits, musicians sing and play, and fur hats, matrioshki dolls and Russian woolen scarves are offered for sale.
In the afternoon we visit with alumni in Moscow or tour a food distribution warehouse.
Following the briefing, transfer to a restaurant in the city for our final dinner in Moscow. At the dinner the group is joined by Moscow-based fellow HBS alumni, an opportunity to discuss experiences in an informal setting.
After dinner we transfer to the train station for departure to St. Petersburg. We travel overnight via the special "Grand Express" train in comfortable two-berth sleeping compartments.
Aboard train (B, D)
Day 8, Sat, May 12: Arrive St. Petersburg
Morning finds us in St. Petersburg, Russia's "second capital" on the Gulf of Finland. We transfer from the train station to a local restaurant for a breakfast of bliny, traditional Russian pancakes.
This morning is reserved for a tour of the Winter Palace, better known as the Hermitage Museum. Originally a small, private palace gallery, the Hermitage today houses the largest museum collection in the world. A special visit to the Gold Room is also included. An independent lunch can be enjoyed in the museum's cafeteria, so you may spend the afternoon exploring the Hermitage and return to the hotel at your leisure.
The rest of the afternoon is free to relax after the journey from Moscow, before gathering for dinner at a restaurant in the city.
Grand Hotel Europe or similar (B, L, D)
Day 9, Sun, May 13: St. Petersburg
After breakfast, we transfer to the Seaport terminal where we board a hydrofoil to Petrodvorets. Peter the Great built this estate (Peterhof, as it was called prior to 1944) on a ridge by the Gulf of Finland 19 miles outside St. Petersburg. The former imperial residence is surrounded with extensive parks and gardens intended to rival Versailles, complete with arrays of gilded statues, magnificent palaces and gravity-fed fountains. We enjoy lunch near Petrodvorets.
In the evening, return to St. Petersburg and dine at a local restaurant.
Grand Hotel Europe or similar (B, L, D)
Day 10, Mon, May 14: St. Petersburg
After breakfast we depart on a short introductory city tour. St. Petersburg is often described as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its miles of canals, laced together with graceful bridges set amidst 18th century buildings, have earned it the name, "Venice of the North." Conceived of by Peter the Great and designed by his favorite European architects, St. Petersburg was meant to be Peter's link to the western world. Capital of Russia from its birth in 1703 until the revolution, the city celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2003.
A drive along Nevsky Prospekt, the three-mile avenue that is the backbone of the city, introduces us to Peter's beautiful city. Stops include Gostiny Dvor, the city's oldest and largest shopping center, Eliseyevsky, an extravagantly beautiful pre-Revolutionary food store, decorated with crystal chandeliers and selling the finest caviar in St. Petersburg, and the impressive Kazan Cathedral.
We admire St. Isaac's Cathedral, which took 40 years to complete. Czar Alexander I awarded the project to the inexperienced winner of a competition, a young French architect, Auguste Montferrand. The beautiful design was fraught with problems, and new technology had to be invented to build the massive structure. The 48 red granite columns around the lower part of the building each weigh 110 tons, and the upper columns around the rotunda weigh 67 tons apiece. The dome is covered with 220 pounds of gold, and the interior columns faced with lapis lazuli and malachite.
Behind the cathedral is the famous Bronze Horseman statue of Peter the Great. The statue was commissioned by Catherine the Great in honor of Peter and was unveiled in 1782.
Across the Neva River from the Hermitage, on Hare Island, we visit the Fortress of Peter and Paul, one of the first structures in St. Petersburg. Peter the Great laid the cornerstone of the earthen fortress in May 1703, intending it to be used to repel a Swedish invasion. After the Swedes capitulated, the fortress was transformed into a prison in 1718. Among its prisoners was Peter the Great's son Alexei, who opposed his reforms. Most importantly, it is the burial place for every czar from Peter the Great (except for Peter II and Ivan VI) through Nicholas II. It wasn't until 17 July 1998 (the 80th anniversary of his murder by the Bolsheviks in the Urals city of Ekaterinburg) that the remains of Nicholas II were reburied here in the Romanov family vault.
In the evening we celebrate our journey with a special private reception at the Neidgart Mansion. Neidgart was an 18th century senator of St. Petersburg, and his home is reminiscent of the typical mansions of Russian nobility of the time. This is a small palace, but nicely renovated, and the decor is a delight. We enjoy a short concert of Russian Romances in one of the halls. Following the reception, we sip champagne by the fireplace before a Farewell Dinner.
Grand Hotel Europe or similar (B, D)
Day 11, Tue, May 15: Depart St. Petersburg
Following breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for departure.
(B, aloft)
For more information, please contact the HBS Alumni Travel Program: alumni_travel@hbs.edu or (617) 495-7024
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