OXENOS, Go for it, Mrs. F and I had a great trip two years ago on a river cruise from Moscow to St P. You do need to have the trip booked first but there is no problem with the visas, we used CIBT for the visas and we didn't need to go to the embassy, just their office. The whole holiday was marvellous, the russians are so friendly and keen to show thier country, warts and all.