Mercury Tours
Director: Andrey Vereschagin
Vereschagin Andrey, Varshavskaya st, 16-5, St.Petersburg 196105, Russia
Tel/ Fax +7 812 369 34 76

mobile +7 921 744 90 17 (8 921 744 90 17 - while in Russia)
veresch@mail.lanck.net

SPECIALIZING IN TOURS TAILORED
TO MEET YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS

Mercury Tours specialises in

  • English speaking incoming tourism to Russia

  • Private tours for individuals and families as well as
    special- interest groups

  • Local touring for educational institutions from other
    parts of Russia

Mercury Tours has a special relationship with Israel,
and has organized tours for

  • Shartours Tours, Netanya

  • the Culture Club, Haifa

  • Diezenhaus, Ramat Hasharon

  • Ziontours, Jerusalem

Andrey Vereschagin of Mercury Tours has arranged all of Brenda Miller's Tours to Russia.

What Brenda
says about
Andrey

Because Andrey takes full responsibility for all phases of hotel, transportation and restaurant services as well as the sightseeing expeditions, there are no gaps of communication between the "logistics" department and the "cultural" department,

The result is that he creates the best integrated tour that I have ever been associated with in any country. He travels with our tour and is available 24 hours a day for advice, information, and his own dry brand of Russian humor.

His knowledge of the history and culture of Russia is formidable - I have never once seen him refer to notes. He never needs to, because he knows every character in every book, poem and libretto as though they were his close relatives.

There is not too much about Russian life that you might want to know, that he will not be able to tell you. His experience as an engineer from the cold war days adds an interesting dimension to his understanding of architecture and construction. I have heard him earnestly discussing the embroidery stitches in a peasant costume with a prize winning embroiderer.

Although a self declared atheist, Andrey is Jewish by definition, and his understanding and appreciation of the Jewish aspect of the Russian experience - past and present - is of special value when accompanying Jewish groups.

 

For an example of a very successful
"Jewish Roots"
tour in which Andrey participated,
see Sheldon Cohen's moving account on http://www.jewishgen.org/Belarus/newsletter/BelarusBalticVisit.htm

Privyet Andrey:

We made it home without any difficulties. Thanks again for your help with seeing Russia. We especially enjoyed your insight into the art and architecture we saw. Your choice of restaurants was great as well. We could never have seen so much of Moscow and St. Petersburg without your help.

Best wishes,
Do svidanya
Joy and Sheldon

CURRICULUM VITAE

ANDREY VERESCHAGIN
Born: August 25, 1956 Leningrad
Languages: Russian, English
Graduated in 1978 from the Leningrad Institute of Railway Engineers as a qualified Bridge Engineer.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

From 2000

CEO of "Mercury Tours", travel agency in St Petersburg

1996-2000

Independent Tour Guide Associated with "Mercury Tours", .

1993-1995 English-speaking Tour Manager and Guide for "Eclectica Tours" - a tourist agency connected with Alliance Ltd., servicing English speaking visitors to Russia.

Participation in the organization of exhibitions in St. Petersburg to promote Russian tourism.
Arrangements for tourist groups:
* from Russia to London
* English speaking Israeli groups to St. Petersburg and Moscow.

1978-1993 Soviet State Government Design Bureau for Bridges in Leningrad.
Organizing Committee of the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) in St Petersburg. Delegate to IABSE in Germany and Italy.
1973-1978Leningrad Institute of Railway Englineers - Faculty of Bridge and Tunnel Construction.
1967-1973Secondary School #1 with extensive courses in English