Vladimir

The Metro Palaces Tour with Vladimir was fab. Vladimir is very professional and obviously loves his city. I describe myself as an introvert, or very guarded. Therefore, I truly appreciate how at ease I felt with Vladimir. He was approachable and I was comfortable asking him random questions. He always had a thoughtful answer. I am not well-read in Russian classics but prior to flying home, I managed to read The Nose by Gogol, downloaded several Dostoyevsky books, and added a few Russian films to my playlist. This is testament to Vladimir's infectious passion about literature. Overall, the tour was cerebral--which is a compliment. I highly recommend this tour if you are interested in going below the superficial layer of the main touristy sites.

Vodka is not that simple as you might have thought! The "vodka tour" was a charming way both to learn and to taste. The place for testing chosen by Vladimir was really cosy, elegent, and... food was really tasty and he went in depths about the history of the spirit itself, explaining us how the production technology drammatically changed in the time of the last Russian emperor. We were lucky to have a sip of authentic vodka produced according to the old technology and to compare it with the newer ones. If you want to add a gastronomic hint for your trip, Vladimir's testing is the best choice.

Great tour. In 2 hours you see the first stations built on line 1. It goes beyond the superficial architecture to explain the meaning and reasoning behind it and provide a very interesting picture of 20th century Russian history and culture, including the Revolution, the Siege of Leningrad, Soviet values, industrialization and others. Vladimir explains all this in detail, covering things that would be easily missed otherwise. You also see a couple of construction details affected by the Cold War. Fascinating. Daniel.

I really enjoyed this tour with Vladimir. I undertook this tour alone, and Vladimir made it possible to collect me from my hotel, and we made our way to restaurant. We tried five different vodaks, from various places, and also enjoyed some food. Most of all, I enjoyed the company of Vladimir, and we had a great cultural exchange and it was a pleasure to learn about him and his interesting life in St Petersburg. Thank you, and if I return, I will be sure to see you again. Bally (UK)

Awesome. Vladimir came prepared with maps, print-outs, old photos, quotes from the novel and from the press of the period, providing excellent background to a fascinating 2-hour tour. Vladimir's narration revolves around the life of Dostoyevsky and the plot of the novel. You will get most out of it if you are familiar with "Crime and Punishment", but the tour is cleverly designed in such a way, that you will enjoy it and learn from it even if you have not read the book. Highly recommended!

Vladimir is a great host and is very knowledgeable about the city and the metro stations. He really helped me understand the essence of the beauty of these stations. The tour is really remarkable and totally worth it. And Vladimir is very accomodating and very helpful (he helped me catch a bus to Peterhof at the end of the tour as well). Thanks you Vladimir for giving me this tour. I thoroughly enjoyed it and got some really nice pictures. :)

We took the Metro Palaces tour with Vladimir on our first night in St. Petersburg. This was our first visit and we can't imagine a better introduction than the two hours we spent learning about the history of the city through the design of the metro system. Vladimir is a wonderful guide - extremely knowledgeable, friendly and clearly passionate about the subject matter. We highly recommend the tour and Vladimir as a guide to this amazing city.

St Petersburg is a fantastic city - full of history, politics...and great tour guides! Vladimir was a wonderful guide, showing us the highlights of Soviet architecture. Both his Metro Palaces and Futuristic Buildings tours were fascinating - way beyond the banal information offered by bog-standard guidebooks. He was engaging, well-prepared and passionate about his subject. Thanks for making sure we'll never forget our trip to St Petersburg!

Vladimir.....I can't imagine our trip to St petersburg being complete without meeting you and visiting the metro palaces. You did a wonderful job exposing us to the beauty and art housed deep below the city. You knowledge of history and the relationship of the metro stations was so educational. Thanks for adding such a unique adventure to our visit. Everyone coming to St p should take your tour

The metro palaces tour was a great change from the usual humdrum of museum visits. Vladimir was engaging and gave us a great glimpse into the beautiful metro stations along the red line starting from Avtovo going to Ploshchad Vosstaniya. He was organized and very accommodating with our group's last minute tour request. I would definitely recommend taking a tour with Vladimir.

Dear Vladimir We have joined the Metro Palaces tour. It was really good and interesting. I've always considered the St. Petersburg Metro as one of the most appealing parts of the city and I enjoyed the tour very much. I was not just a tour but a journey through the most significant times of the Russian History. Very well detailed and organized. Thank you. Daria & George

Vladimir Put on your walking shoes! Vladimir will take you on a great tour and explain the details of some remarkable buildings across Vasilievsky Island. He is a hugely knowledgeable host and really loves his topic. If history and architecture are your go, then this is a must do for your agenda. Rob and Peter Melbourne, Australia

The metro palaces tour was great. Vladimir was very knowledgeable on the subject and made us see the stations in a different way. We have done lots of tours in many places and this one ranked as one of our favorites. Vladimir was also very accommodating to our schedule.

Vladimir guided us very professionally telling about smallest details of Metro palaces, pointing out different interesting facts and answering all questions we have! Highly recommended tour no matter weather or time of year! :)

Really great tour, our host, Vladimir, was so passionate and knowledgeable on the topic, but Made the night a fun and memorable one. He tailored it to suit our needs also, very happy and would thoroughly recommend.

The excursion was great! And Vladimir is very professional! It was intersting information and good organization. We are very satisfied. Vladimir, thank you a lot from our group!

Yes, Vladimir was very sympathic, he showed us many things that we couldn't have discover without him. Very nice moment !

It was really fascinating tour allowing to understand much better Russian history.