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Can there be a more relaxing way to discover colourful Russian history than on a river cruise, sailing on four-star MS Rossia from St Petersburg to Moscow?

The new 11-night Gems of the Russian Capitals river cruise includes all excursions, starting with a tour of St Petersburg, which was built alongside the River Neva by Peter the Great.

A visit to the Hermitage State Museum is an early highlight where interconnecting palaces contain more than three million works of art including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

With four days in St Petersburg there is also time to join optional excursions to opulent palaces and cathedrals topped with dazzling golden domes.

The cruise continues along the Svir River to Mandrogi, a fairy-tale traditional folk village which features a museum dedicated to vodka.

Five-deck MS Rossia sails on to Lake Onega where guests can visit Kizhi Island’s open-air museum of restored 18^th century wooden houses, windmills and granaries as well as the Church of Transfiguration which has 22 domes and was built with a single nail!

Next is a call to the village of Goritsy and the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery which has intriguing links to 16^th century Tsar, Ivan the Terrible.

A stroll through UNESCO-listed Yaroslavl, a historic city on the confluence of the rivers Volga and Korotsl, is also on the itinerary before a call to Uglich. Here a church marks the spot where Ivan the Terrible’s son Tsarevich Dmitry was found dead under mysterious circumstances – and guests can join a walking tour to hear the story of how this event led to political unrest and famine known as the Time of Troubles.

Moscow awaits with a tour inside the walls of the Kremlin to view the Kremlin Armoury, where priceless treasures of the Tsars are stored. A further included excursion takes in the Lenin Mausoleum and St Basil’s Cathedral which graces Red Square with its colourful domes.

For details call free on 0800 656 9919 or visit saga.co.uk/rivercruises

11 nights from £1,899 departing May 26, June 17, July 9 and 31, August 22 and September 13, 2018. Price includes UK travel package, return flights and transfers, all meals, Captain’s dinner and drinks reception, Saga cruise escort, entertainment and activities on four-star MS Rossia, optional travel insurance and additional cancellation rights or a discount if passenger has own insurance.