Why is the TransSiberian Rail famous?
Russia is a massive country that expands over 2 continents - Europe and Asia. It is important to understand that it's not the train rather the route that is the Trans Siberian. It connects Moscow to the eastern most city of Russia-Vladivostok. The original agenda behind its construction was the development of the Siberian region the was hampered due to poor transportation and logistics in the super harsh conditions. The construction began under Tsar Nicholas II and was carried out by convicts.
There are 3 routes on this line - Trans Siberian (Train 002 from Moscow) which take approximately 6 hrs to reach its last station Vladivostok, Trans Manchurian line (Train 020 from Moscow) Beijing takes about 6 days to reach it last station and the Trans Mongolian line from Moscow to Zamun Uud, Mongolia.
I booked my ticket on the original Train 002 (last stop Vladivostok) and first ever Trans Siberian route from Moscow to Yekaterinburg . It was a mom and daughter only trip. I want to point out that the railway service is absolutely safe for women, families and solo travels. This is the way the local Russian families travel.
Enjoy the changing landscapes and the various breaks the train takes at various stations. There are shops at the stations from where you can pick up snacks. We travelled during the colder time of the year and saw fewer vendors but one will have better luck in warmer months.
Get surprised by the sudden change of climate and landscape.
Engaging activities for the journey are highly recommended. Go ahead and buy the Soviet era Podstakanik (Glass holder )most popular in long distance journeys and the traditional way of serving tea in Russia.
Our stop Ekaterinburg. I chose a shorter 1 night travel since I was travelling with my daughter and wanted to experience a long distance over night train journey with her. The trans Siberian is not a hop on hop off train. You need to book the ticket and complete you journey you cannot explore a city for a day or two then join back on the same ticket.
We took rest and slept in on the day of arrival. We stayed at Park Inn, Radisson. On the same day I contacted a travel/tour company for a guided tour of the city specially covering the places of interest related to the haunting murders of the Tsar and his family.
The guide Konstatine contacted me. He spoke English well and picked us up in a comfortable car and took us around the city. He offered this plan - 1000 hrs to 1300 hrs city tour followed by lunch break and 1400 hrs to 1800 hrs Europe- Asia obelisk and the Romanovs murder trail tour.
Here's what you can see in Ekaterineburg:
4. Crossing the Under bridge from the monument to city founders to Sevyastyanov's House notice the wall art.
8. Lunch break at the food court of the biggest mall in the city centre. I was excited to see an Indian Counter 'Mama India" where I had a dosa.
10. The Asia-Europe border in the Urals.
The guide showed us the precious stones that the Ural region is rich in. He also went on to tell us that this border is the actual real absolutely natural and scientific border that was created trillions of years ago by the movement of the earth's crust. The Urals are a geographical feature that formed the perfect border naturally when the tectonic plates first moved to form continents. It is not like the Greenwich meridian which is a manmade line.
There are other things in this area like you may tie a prayer flag and make a wish. There are gifts from Mongolia and China on display (a rock from the Mongolian Urals and a metallic flower installation from China).
11. The Ganina Yama Monastery, Romanov memorial.
The highlight of the trip was the tour dedicated to the gruesome killings of the last Tsar of Russia and his family by the Soviets. I have covered this in detail here. Konstantine told me chilling details of the murder. In the "house of special purpose" the royal family were asked to bring chairs so that they may sit on them and the soldiers can shoot . The room was full of soldiers each of them assigned to shoot one member. However when the actual shoot began they were all focused on killing the Tsar. It wasn't easy to kill the ladies. The bullets didn't kill them in the first go so they were stabbed by the ends of the bayonets when that didn't work they were shot in the head. The reason was discovered when the murderers stripped them before disposing off the bodies. The bodices were covered in diamonds and jewels that were protecting them from the bullets. The bodies and the clothes were burned with Acid to avoid recognition and future Investigation. All of these places are in Yekaterinburg. For decades this remained a mystery. After the fall of the Soviet Union the Russian government with modern science and DNA testing was able to trace the bodies and put them to rest ceremoniously where they now rest in St. Petersburg.
Points to note:
1. The food in general on the train can be disappointing for the Indian taste buds specially for vegetarians. I would recommend carrying some tastemakers like Maggi masala and even ready to eat packets from India or at least from Moscow before boarding the train.
2. The guided tour is major cost cutting that you can do. The trip cost here doesn't include the guided tour cost only the travel and accommodation. The citizens of the city along the council undertook a very interesting project - The red line walking tour. As a tourist one has to just walk on the red line on the pavement (you will notice it in many pictures above) The red line is a good enough guide and covers all major attractions of the city.
3. You may book you trans Siberian journey by clicking here .
4. Carry necessary medicines(cold , food poising, fever, etc) as medical care is expensive in russia.
5. The places I saw after my lunch break would have been difficult to see without the local guide and his vehicle. For Indian tourists I don't recommend going to these places alone as the language barrier can be distressing. Also they were on the outskirts & could be doubly uncomfortable to explore public transport in cold temperatures.
6. Walk around the city by night. I walked on the pedestrian street of the city and by the river Itsa.
7. My return was a direct flight from Ekaterinburg to Kaliningrad.
Conclusion
Experiencing the local long distance train in Russia was a unique experience. I want to emphasise that Russia is absolutely safe to travel to for solo travellers, women and families. If you are a lover of history and enjoy getting your brain tickled then this could be a good stop for you in Russia.
Have you been to Ekaterinburg ? Tell us about it in the comments below. Or write about it here on Tripoto and earn Tripoto Credits!
