MIR Corporation's Travel Log:
Trans-Siberian Railway - Day 5: Ekaterinburg
MIR clients Helge Pedersen and Karen Ofsthus ride the rails of the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to UlaanBaatar on MIR's Trans-Siberian private rail journey as they check in from each stop with stories, photos and video.
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Day 5: Ekaterinburg
July 5, 2008
Starting Location: Kazan, Russia
Ending Location: Ekaterinburg, Russia
Total Distance Traveled: 1,105 miles (1,778 kilometers)
Ekaterinburg has earned its fame as the place where in 1918, Nicholas II, the last Czar of Russia was executed, along with his entire family and a few servants. The Bolsheviks wanted power, plain and simple. So they knocked off the family, took them to the forest, then mutilated and burnt the bodies. There's been plenty of controversy and secrecy about it... especially about whether or not Alexei and his sister, two of Nicholas' children, actually survived the attack. Many, many people had come forward claiming to be the czar's offspring, but it's all finally been laid to rest: they were all imposters. Prince Phillip, who is known to be a blood relative, offered his DNA, which has proved that the bodies found were in fact, that of the royal czar's family.
With his thick Russian accent, our guide Alexander came to life as we toured at the Cathedral on the Blood and Czar murder site. A merchant's house used to stand there... the cellar was the place where the family took their last breaths. The house has long been torn down, and now a gorgeous church stands in its place, marking the historical legacy of Ekaterinburg.
Upon arrival, the church bells were ringing and lovely young women were singing high in a tower. Exquisite frescoes adorned the walls near the altar to Nicholas's family; three men were busily painting a glorious image on the ceiling, perched high on old wooden ladders. A steady hand, artistic talent and a love of the site won them a place among the few in the world who can say they have created a beautiful work of art that millions upon millions of people will see and love and worship. Alexander was equally enthusiastic about Russian history when we visited the Monument for the Victims of the Repression.
Over 50,000 people, some who marched over 2,700 km from Moscow, were shot here. Why? Opposing Stalin. Unfortunately, opposition was defined as anything - including political disagreement, owning a rabbit you weren't given permission to own, refusing to give your apples to the collective, hiding food or other goods, or being where you shouldn't, though that was arbitrarily defined second by second. All the names on the monument were written in Russian and thus relatively meaningless to me. However, they all had one glaring feature in common: most of the dates of their deaths occurred within a two-year period- '38 and '39. It must have been a rough two years.
My favorite site was a location at the border that separates European Russia from Asian Russia. The largest country in the world, Russia covers over 6.6 million square miles. Approximately 1/3 of Russia lies officially in Europe, while 2/3, a grand 5 million square miles, lies in Asia. We sipped champagne and snacked on chocolate, and marveled at the thousands of colorful ribbons tied to the trunks of a birch forest growing straight and tall. The ribbons, placed there by followers of shamanism, bring the giver a wish. Offerings of money, vodka, cigarettes and food, along with a blessing, insure their good luck and well-being. It was beautiful, colorful and peaceful there.
Far too soon, it was time for us to return to the train and to the "Nature Channel," as our humorous guide Alexander calls the large windows of our train. He's right about that. We are watching the Nature Channel as we gaze out the windows on the Trans-Siberian Express, delighted by the beauty of the passing Siberian landscape. We're on our way to the next destination, Novosibirsk.
Photos from this leg of the tour:
Thousands are shot by Stalin's troops,
victims of the repression
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Artists create a masterpiece on the
ceiling of the Cathedral on the Blood
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Shamans make wishes for well-being
with ribbons and offerings
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East meets West: The border between
European Russia and Asian Russia
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Alexander our bus tour guide shows us
the first color photos, made by
a famous Russian
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Cathedral on the Blood: the place where
the last czar of Russia, Nicolas II
and his family were murdered
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A slideshow with more photos from this leg of the tour:
To start the Slideshow, click once within the frame above, then click the PLAY button at the left of the menu bar. You may also slide your mouse pointer along the timeline to view individual photos.
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