From Russia with love...

2:28pm Monday 13th March 2006

HISTORY was brought to life for pupils at Queens' School who undertook a trip of a lifetime to Russia recently.

During their stay, organised by the history department, students from years 12 and 13 visited Moscow and St Petersburg to see all the sights of cultural and historical interest.

Wrapped up in numerous layers to stay warm in the Russian winter, the pupils headed to Red Square to see St Basil's Cathedral, built by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th Century, and walked past former Communist Party leader Lenin, in his mausoleum in the shadow of the Kremlin.

Visits to the KGB Museum and the State Central Museum of Contemporary History enhanced their understanding of what they had been told about Russian history during their school lessons in Bushey.

They were also given a taste of traditional Russian entertainment, with a folklore performance, entitled Feel Yourself Russian, by dancers and musicians.

In St Petersburg they saw the Yusupov Palace, former residence of the scandalous mystic Rasputin, and had a sombre experience at the Piskariovskoye Memorial Cemetery, in which 500,000 people were buried after the siege of Leningrad.

In the State Hermitage, formerly the Winter Palace and thought by many to be one of the greatest museums in the world, the pupils viewed paintings by several distinguished artists including Da Vinci, Rembrandt and Renoir.

Finally, they saw the Catherine Palace and the Cruiser Aurora, the ship that fired a blank shot to signal the start of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.

Students and teachers said it was a trip they would never forget.

Student Jamie Munson said: "Not only was the trip enjoyable, it provided an insight into the history of Russia that never could have been achieved with a text book."

Classmate Deborah Burgess added: "The trip was an amazing opportunity to visit a country so different from our own.

"The architecture and scenery was unforgettable, it was definitely one of the best experiences I've ever had."

The trip is organised by the school's history department every two years.

Year 12 pupil Abbie Ranns said she would definitely recommend the trip to younger students.

She said: "Russia was an amazing trip, which will live in my memory. I'm extremely glad I went and I have to thank the teachers. I would recommend it."

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