Vladimir Oblast (俄羅斯弗拉迪米爾州)
Into Russia with Twenty Sentences and a Questionable Invitation
靠二十句俄語勇闖俄羅斯
My wife and I once travelled independently through Russia, relying on little more than an invitation letter purchased online and twenty useful Russian sentences written on a piece of paper.
At that time, independent travel in Russia was not easy. English was rarely spoken outside major tourist areas, railway stations were confusing, and buying a ticket could become a serious challenge. Even obtaining a visa required an official-looking invitation. We bought ours through the internet, but throughout the journey I worried that the authorities might discover that it was not a genuine personal invitation.
Whenever I saw a police officer, I instinctively tried to keep my distance. I feared being stopped, questioned, or asked to produce the invitation again. Ironically, toward the end of the journey, it was a Russian police officer who kindly showed us the way when we were completely lost.
This journey gradually changed my image of Russia. Behind its complicated bureaucracy, unfamiliar language, and sometimes stern-looking faces, we discovered a country filled with generous and warm-hearted people.
Moscow: The Beginning of Our Adventure
莫斯科：冒險的起點
Our journey began in Moscow（莫斯科）, the immense capital of Russia. The city appeared powerful and solemn, with its broad avenues, monumental buildings, crowded metro stations, and memories of the Soviet era.
We visited Red Square（紅場）, the colourful Saint Basil’s Cathedral（聖瓦西里大教堂）, and the Kremlin（克里姆林宮）. Standing before the red walls and towers, I felt that I had entered a place that had shaped centuries of Russian and world history.
Yet our greatest challenge was not understanding Russian history—it was simply finding the correct railway station and buying our tickets.
I carried a sheet of paper containing about twenty basic Russian sentences. They included:
I had copied these sentences carefully, but I could hardly pronounce them. Whenever we needed help, I simply pointed to the appropriate sentence. Sometimes the person understood; sometimes my pronunciation caused even greater confusion.
The Long Train to Kazan 搭乘長途火車前往喀山
From Moscow, we took an overnight train to Kazan（喀山）, approximately 793 kilometres away. The journey lasted about eleven hours and twelve minutes.
As the train left Moscow, the great city gradually gave way to forests, fields, small villages, and wooden houses. Lying in our sleeping compartment, we listened to the steady sound of the wheels and wondered what awaited us in the morning.
Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan（韃靼斯坦共和國）, revealed a very different side of Russia. Russian Orthodox Christianity（俄羅斯東正教）and Tatar Islamic culture（韃靼伊斯蘭文化）coexisted within the city.
At the Kazan Kremlin（喀山克里姆林宮）, the blue-and-white Kul Sharif Mosque（庫爾沙里夫清真寺）stood near the Orthodox Annunciation Cathedral（聖母領報大教堂）. Seeing a mosque and an Orthodox church within the same historic complex was deeply impressive. It showed us that Russia was far more culturally diverse than we had imagined.
Nizhny Novgorod and the Volga 下諾夫哥羅德與窩瓦河
We next travelled to Nizhny Novgorod, the capital of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast（下諾夫哥羅德州）. The city stands at the meeting point of the Volga River（窩瓦河）and the Oka River（奧卡河）.
The Volga is often called the mother river of Russia. Standing above its wide waters, I began to understand why it occupies such an important place in Russian history, literature, and music. The river appeared calm and immense, carrying the memories of traders, soldiers, pilgrims, and ordinary families who had lived along its banks.
The Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin（下諾夫哥羅德克里姆林宮）overlooked the rivers from a high hill. Its red-brick walls and towers seemed to guard the long history of this old commercial city.
Chkalovsk: Kindness in the Russian Countryside 契卡洛夫斯克：俄羅斯鄉間的人情
We continued to Chkalovsk（契卡洛夫斯克）, a much smaller town associated with the famous Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov（瓦列里・契卡洛夫）.
Travelling through the Russian countryside was completely different from visiting Moscow. Transportation information was difficult to find, English signs were rare, and almost nobody spoke English. At times, even determining where to wait for a bus seemed impossible.
It was here that we experienced the kindness of a compassionate Russian woman. Seeing that we were lost, she stopped to help us. We could not speak Russian, and she could not speak English, yet she patiently listened, examined our map and written notes, and tried to understand our destination.
She pointed down the road, made gestures to indicate a bus, and even waited to make sure that we did not miss it. Her clothing was simple and her manner modest, but her concern for two foreign strangers was sincere.
We never learned her name, and she probably never knew ours. Nevertheless, her kindness remains one of my clearest memories of Russia. Famous monuments may impress us for a moment, but an unexpected act of kindness can remain in the heart for a lifetime.
Asking Directions Without a Common Language 沒有共同語言的問路經驗
On another occasion, we approached a group of Russians to ask for directions. None of them spoke English. I showed them the name of our destination and pointed to one of the Russian sentences on my paper.
At first, everyone looked confused. Then they began discussing our problem among themselves. One person pointed to the left, another disagreed and pointed to the right. Someone imitated the movement of a train, while another used his fingers to indicate how many stops we needed to travel.
Soon, the simple act of asking directions became a lively group effort. They drew lines in the air, pointed at our map, moved their hands like vehicles, and repeated Russian words that we could not understand. My wife and I responded with our own gestures, nodding whenever we thought we understood.
Although our conversation contained almost no shared words, we somehow communicated through expressions, gestures, maps, and goodwill. They did not walk away simply because communication was difficult. They remained until they believed we knew where to go.
Their willingness to help touched us deeply. It taught me that language is important, but patience and sincerity can sometimes communicate even more.
Vladimir: Gateway to the Golden Ring 伏拉迪米爾：通往黃金圈的門戶
We then travelled to Vladimir（伏拉迪米爾）, one of the principal cities of Russia’s Golden Ring（俄羅斯黃金圈）.
Vladimir was once an important political and religious centre of the medieval Rus’ principalities（羅斯諸公國）. Its Golden Gate（黃金之門） reminded us of the city’s former strength, while the Assumption Cathedral（聖母安息主教座堂） represented its spiritual importance.
Inside the cathedral, we saw ancient religious paintings and icons（聖像畫） associated with the great icon painter Andrei Rublev（安德烈・盧布廖夫）. The solemn faces, candlelight, and fragrance of incense created an atmosphere very different from Western European churches.
My understanding of the ancient Moscow state became clearer here. Before Moscow grew into the centre of a powerful state, cities such as Vladimir had played essential roles in the political and religious development of Russia.
Suzdal: A Living Picture of Old Russia 蘇茲達爾：古老俄羅斯的縮影
From Vladimir, we continued to Suzdal perhaps the most enchanting town of the Golden Ring.
Suzdal seemed almost untouched by modern industrial development. Its wooden houses small river, green meadows, onion-shaped domes, monasteries, and ancient churches formed a peaceful picture of old Russia.
Church bells rang across the countryside, and white stone buildings rose above the green fields. Walking slowly through the town, we felt that we had stepped back several centuries into the world of ancient Muscovy（古莫斯科公國）.
In Moscow, Russian history had appeared grand and powerful. In Suzdal, it became quiet, rural, and intimate. This was the Russia of monasteries, farmers, craftsmen, wooden villages, and religious faith.
Among all the places we visited, Suzdal was one of the most beautiful. Its beauty did not come from luxury but from simplicity, harmony, and the feeling that history was still alive.
Returning to Moscow and Flying North 返回莫斯科，再飛往北方
After completing our Golden Ring journey, we returned to Moscow. By then, we had become more confident. We still depended on our small sheet of Russian sentences, but railway stations and ticket counters no longer frightened us as much as before.
From Moscow, we flew to Saint Petersburg（聖彼得堡）, Russia’s magnificent former imperial capital on the Neva River（涅瓦河）.
Saint Petersburg felt completely different from Moscow. Moscow was powerful, traditional, and closely connected with the old Russian state. Saint Petersburg appeared more European, elegant, and open to the sea. Its canals, bridges, palaces, and classical façades reflected the ambition of Peter the Great（彼得大帝）, who founded the city as Russia’s “window to Europe”.
We admired the Winter Palace（冬宮）and explored the Hermitage Museum（艾爾米塔什博物館）. Its enormous collections of paintings, sculptures, and imperial treasures were almost overwhelming. One visit could never be enough to appreciate them fully.
The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood（滴血救世主教堂）was dazzling with its colourful domes and mosaics, while the grand avenues and canals gave the city a romantic beauty.
By Train to Veliky Novgorod 搭火車前往大諾夫哥羅德
From Saint Petersburg, we travelled by train to Veliky Novgorod（大諾夫哥羅德）. Depending on the train service and route, the journey generally took several hours.
Veliky Novgorod stands beside the Volkhov River（沃爾霍夫河）, which flows northward from Lake Ilmen（伊爾門湖）. The quiet river and broad sky gave the old city a calm, timeless atmosphere.
This was one of the birthplaces of Russian history. The Novgorod Republic（諾夫哥羅德共和國）had once been a prosperous trading and political centre, maintaining connections with other parts of northern Europe.
Inside the Novgorod Kremlin（大諾夫哥羅德克里姆林宮）, we visited Saint Sophia Cathedral（聖索菲亞主教座堂）, one of Russia’s oldest churches. Its massive walls and ancient domes possessed a simple dignity. Unlike the elaborate palaces of Saint Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod spoke of an earlier Russia shaped by trade, faith, fortified cities, and powerful local communities.
Standing beside the Volkhov River, we could imagine medieval merchants sailing toward Lake Ilmen and carrying goods between Russia and the Baltic world.
Saint Petersburg and Back to Moscow 聖彼得堡，再回到莫斯科
After visiting Veliky Novgorod, we returned to Saint Petersburg and later completed our journey by travelling back to Moscow.
By then, Russia no longer seemed as frightening or inaccessible as it had at the beginning. We had crossed great distances by train, aeroplane, bus, and local transportation. We had travelled from modern capitals to small country towns and from the Islamic heritage of Kazan to the Orthodox heartland of the Golden Ring.
More importantly, we had learned to trust people.
From Avoiding the Police to Accepting Their Help 從躲避警察到接受警察幫助
Throughout the early part of the journey, I felt nervous whenever I saw the police. I worried about our online invitation letter and feared that a detailed inspection might create trouble. If officers appeared near a railway station, I quietly changed direction or tried not to attract their attention.
Near the end of the trip, however, my wife and I became badly lost. We had difficulty reading the signs, and none of our twenty Russian sentences could solve the problem. At last, a police officer noticed our confusion and approached us.
My first reaction was anxiety. I thought, “Will he ask for our passports? Will he examine our visas? Will he question our invitation?”
Instead, he listened patiently, looked at our destination, and kindly showed us the correct way. He did more than point from a distance—he led us far enough to make certain that we would not become lost again.
At that moment, I felt both grateful and slightly embarrassed. The person I had spent much of the journey trying to avoid had become the person who helped us when we most needed assistance.
It was a small incident, but it changed something within me. Fear often grows from imagination and unfamiliarity. Direct human contact can replace that fear with understanding.
The Russia We Remember 我們記憶中的俄羅斯
Before the journey, Russia seemed distant, severe, and difficult to enter. During the journey, we certainly encountered confusion, long distances, unfamiliar procedures, and a language we could not understand.
Yet the Russia we remember most clearly is the Russia of friendly people.
We remember the kind countrywoman who patiently helped two lost foreigners. We remember the group of people who used their hands, faces, and entire bodies to explain the correct direction. We remember strangers who examined our tickets, carried our bags, pointed toward platforms, and waited until they were certain we understood. We even remember the police officer whom I had feared, but who eventually became our guide.
My wife showed remarkable courage throughout the journey. Whenever I became worried, she remained calm. When my Russian pronunciation failed, she smiled and used gestures. Together, we confronted one difficulty after another and gradually discovered that independent travel is not only about seeing unfamiliar places. It is also about learning to solve problems, trust one another, and accept help from strangers.
Our paper containing twenty Russian sentences became creased and worn from constant use. It was not a proper phrasebook, and my pronunciation was certainly poor, but that little sheet of paper carried us across Russia.
We began with an uncertain invitation letterand a great deal of fear. We finished with memories of generosity, laughter, courage, and human warmth.
The palaces, cathedrals, rivers, and ancient cities were unforgettable, but the kindness of ordinary Russians was the most precious discovery of our journey.
My wife and I had set out to explore Russia. In the end, Russia taught us that even without a common language, sincere human hearts can always find a way to speak to one another.
九十分鐘地鐵卡：一張 90 分鐘的車票允許在 90 分鐘內乘坐一次地鐵和任意次數的其他莫斯科公共交通工具。任何地鐵亭購都可以
買到此卡。
聖瓦西里主教座堂--俄國的歷史及藝術的象徵
紅場上矗立著聖瓦西里大教堂，又稱波克羅夫斯基大教堂，是莫斯科最著名的建築藝術作品。這座大教堂對俄羅斯人來說就像埃菲爾鐵塔對法國人一樣具有特別的意義。
Notable Kremlin Towers
古姆國立百貨商店(ГУМ)
Solyanka Soup，a mix of fresh and cured beef or pork cooked with pickled
cucumbers, capers, olives, tomatoes, onions, parsley and dill。
古姆國立百貨商店(ГУМ)
波羅的海上的越拉琴島Yelagin Island
伏拉迪米爾--伏拉迪米爾-蘇茲達爾大公國（Владимиро-Су́здальское
кня́жество1168年—1389年）所在地
