Dear Members and Friends of The Royal Oak Foundation,

     Please join us for a very special midsummer voyage aboard the M.S. Volga Dream. As we navigate the gentle Russian waterways, the countryside will unfold, revealing a fascinating land of peaceful villages and domed monasteries. St. Petersburg and Moscow will delight us with their splendid palaces, extraordinary museum collections and architectural treasures.

     We are pleased to be joined by William Crow, Associate Educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Also traveling with us will be Ghenete Zelleke, Samuel and M. Patricia Grober, Curator of European Decorative Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago. Their presentations on the collections of the Hermitage and other museums included in this itinerary will greatly enrich our experience.

     Our journey begins in St. Petersburg, which will be celebrating the acclaimed White Nights Festival. The Volga Dream remains docked for four days in this beautiful city, where we are privileged to enter the Hermitage Museum (above right) before hours and attend a private evening concert in its opulent Italian Hall. At Catherine’s Palace, see the exquisitely restored Amber Room; and at elegant Peterhof, admire the whimsical fountains, cascades and terraced gardens.

     During a splendid week-long cruise along the Volga, mother of Russian rivers, the landscapes through which we sail will provide a glimpse into Russian history. Ports of call include the small island of Kizhy for a visit to the fantastic Church of the Transfiguration, a wooden onion-domed marvel, the Golden Ring city of Yaroslavl and medieval Uglich. For our evening pleasures, an ensemble of talented Russian musicians will perform on board.

     Disembark for a three-night stay in Moscow, where we will see the stellar collections at the Old Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Other highlights include a private viewing of the treasures of the Armory Museum and a performance by the legendary Bolshoi company.

     This exciting trip is co-sponsored by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

     We hope you will join us.

Warm regards,

John Oddy
Executive Director
The Royal Oak Foundation