Global Challenges in a Post-Perestroika World
Monday, August 30, 2010 at 3:33PM 
Global Challenges in a Post-Perestroika World
World Leaders Symposium: Russia & the Black Sea
With Condoleezza Rice, William J. Perry, and Mikhail Gorbachev
Aboard the Silver Wind
August 30 — September 15, 2010
Optional Pre-Symposium Extension:
Kiev, Chernobyl, and Moscow with Ambassador William Miller, August 25-31, 2010
Optional Post-Symposium Extension:
Istanbul and Ephesus, September 15-18, 2010
World Leaders Travel is pleased to announce its fifth World Leaders Symposium: a journey to Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. This exclusive program will feature a series of lectures and discussions on the complexities of this culturally and politically diverse region with some of the world's leading Russia experts and scholars.
Join world leaders and distinguished dignitaries, including former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, aboard the luxurious, all-suite Silver Wind to explore the unique history and cultural influences of Russia and the Black Sea region. Delve into issues ranging from Russia’s ever-evolving relations with the West, the proliferation and containment of nuclear weapons, the struggle between Russia and her former satellite states, independence movements of potential breakaway republics, and the significance and strategic importance of natural resources in the Caucasus region. On this journey that begins in Moscow and ends in Istanbul, travelers will meet with prominent government and business leaders, engage experts during a rich educational program and exclusive excursions, enjoy private access to historical sites and specially arranged performances, and take advantage of the many amenities aboard one of the world’s finest cruise ships.
Call for details: 1-800-395-3288
Itinerary
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Days 1-4U.S. / Moscow, Russia
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Day 5Moscow / Istanbul, Turkey / Embark the Silver Wind
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Days 6-7At Sea
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Day 8Batumi & Tbilisi, Georgia
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Day 9At Sea
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Day 10Sochi, Russia / Baku, Azerbaijan
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Day 11At Sea
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Day 12Crimea
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Day 13Odessa & Pervomaysk, Ukraine
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Day 14At Sea
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Days 15-17Disembark / Istanbul / U.S.
Map
Highlights
- Explore Russia’s fascinating capital, as well as the role of modern Russia, with former U.S. secretaries Condoleezza Rice and William Perry, and a team of top experts on the region.
- Experience the bazaars, mosques, and palaces in Istanbul, where Europe and Asia collide, and engage with politicians and business leaders as you examine Turkey's role on the world stage.
- Climb Odessa’s famous Potemkin Steps and discuss Ukraine’s gas pipeline politics with local officials.
- Revisit the history of the Romanovs and World War II–era leaders Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at the Livadia Palace in Yalta.
- Walk through Baku’s walled Inner City, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Azerbaijan housing the monumental Shirvanshahs' Palace, and meet with local dignitaries to learn about Azerbaijan’s central role in regional energy security.
- Visit the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, host to the 2014 Winter Olympic games, where subtropical vegetation is juxtaposed against the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains.
- Admire the Neoclassical and Art Nouveau architecture of Georgia’s dynamic capital, Tbilisi, and learn about the country’s domestic and foreign challenges as it navigates toward the future.
Pre-Tour Extension
Kiev, Chernobyl & Moscow
August 25-31, 2010
Celebrate the beauty and culture of Kiev at a private reception on the grounds of St. Sophia’s Cathedral, whose frescoes and mosaics date back to the 11th century. Discover the beautiful blue and golddomed churches at UNESCO World Heritage site Lavra, as well as an underground caves monastery whose mummified monks attract pilgrims from around the world. Gain a greater understanding of Ukraine’s nuclear history and future during visits to Chernobyl, scene of the greatest nuclear disaster in history, and Prypyat, where schools, recreational facilities, and cultural centers remain exactly as they were on April 26, 1986, the date of the disaster. End in Moscow, with lunch among the works of controversial sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, whose massive bronzes can be found all over the city, and time to visit St. Basil’s Cathedral, Tsaritsyno Palace, Kolomenskoye, or sites such as Lenin’s Tomb and Stalin’s Bunker.
Post-Tour Extension
Istanbul & Ephesus
September 15-18, 2010
Explore modern Istanbul, a side of the city more familiar to local citizens than to visitors. Beyoglu, the “New City” of Istanbul, includes the residential and modern commercial neighborhoods of Pera, Karaköy, and Taksim. The little restaurants, boutiques, galleries, antiques stores, and bookshops along Istiklal (Independence) Street invite exploration. The Grand Bazaar is indeed grand, and the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar offers nuts, candied fruits, local cheese, and aromatic tea and coffee, along with a vast and colorful array of exotic spices. Then fly to Kusadasi for a visit to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical sites in the Eastern Mediterranean. Walk the marble-paved Sacred Way and admire the iconic Celsus Library. Enjoy a traditional lunch in a Turkish village perched on a coastal hillside and, after returning to Istanbul, end your visit with a farewell reception along the beautiful banks of the Bosphorus.
PHOTOGRAPHY Winter Palace gate © iStockphoto.com / Alex Sudarikov • Blue Mosque, Istanbul © iStockphoto.com / Jivko Kazakov • Marvin Kalb © 2009 The Harry Walker Agency, Inc. • Coit Blacker © 2009 Soylent Communications
country|Azerbaijan, country|Georgia, country|Russia, country|Turkey, country|Ukraine, date|b2-Summer 2010, date|b3-Fall 2010, featured|Home Slider, region|Asia / Pacific, region|Europe / Mediterranean, status-Upcoming Events, type|Small-Ship Cruises, type|World Leaders Symposiums tagged 100830_WLR_RussiaBlackSea|Global Challenges in a Post-Perestroika World 