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Mikhail from the Volgograd Sputnik Travel Company gave us a full-day Stalingrad Battlefield Tour whilst we were travelling around Russia.

He picked us up from the Volgograd Airport and was eagerly waiting for us as soon as we got out of the baggage area. He was very friendly and from the get go was someone you felt instantly comfortable to be around.

The tour went to so many sights around Volgograd and was better than we had ever expected. He timed everything so perfectly from the changing of the guards at the Motherland Calls sight to getting everything in at the museum before it closed. As result we were able to see so much in just one day. His English was impeccable and he was a fun guy to be around. He had a genuine enthusiasm for the sights from rubbing the snow off signs to be able to read them, getting us in the best spots for photos, to running to displays in the museum to show us. His enthusiasm really added to the trip and experience and is something you often don’t find in tour guides. He had so many interesting personal stories and had an excellent understanding of the Stalingrad history. He took us to great little lunch spot too and helped us order the food and describe what everything was which is most helpful when you don’t speak Russian. 

Mikhail was with us all day right up to the point of dropping us back of at the airport and walking us in to make sure we knew exactly where to go. Mikhail was the best guide we had in Russia and one of the best we have ever had. I would absolutely whole-heatedly recommend him and the tour to anybody considering a trip to Volgograd.

Karina Noelle Baker and Kirk Bodiam Rasanen 

Visited January 2017

Booked the 3 Day Tour to cover the 74th Anniversary of the Surrender of the German Army. This was a great time to visit as there was many ceremonies, re-enactments and decorations in the city. The winter weather also made the experience very authentic. It has to be seen to believed. Mikhail was my guide, fluent in English and very passionate about the battle. Saw all the sights in and around the City with some amazing stories. Mikhail also knows all the best spots for photos. Sergey was our driver, he doesn't speak much English, but makes a great effort to contribute and interact with you. Booking was very simple and my E-mails were replied to promptly. Mikhail will show you all the good restaurants to go to that are reasonably priced and has English menu. All in all I had a great experience in Volgograd with Stalingrad Tours and I will return one day in the Summer months. Thank you

Visited February 2017

Este es un magnífico tour si quieres vivir parte de este heroico legado. En Stalingrado las tropas nazis sufrieron una derrota estratégica hasta el punto que, W. Churchill, exclamo que: los goznes de las compuertas de la historia habían girado en Stalingrado. Nuestra guía Margarita, tanto como Serguei y Mikhail, ponen en acción su absoluto y profundo conocimiento de los hechos hasta los detalles más desconocidos, haciendo de este tour un viaje en el tiempo que te impacta y emociona profundamente. Nada de lo leído previamente te enseña tanto como estar en las riberas del Volga, en los terrenos de la fábrica Octubre Rojo, o recorrer las estepas donde se libraron furiosos combates y reposan los huesos de los soldados de aquella titánica defensa, ascender los doscientos escalones de Mamaev Kurgan para encontrarte con los heroes, o pararte en el atardecer a contemplar el Volga frente a Stalingrado e imaginar el cruce imposible y heroico que debieron hacer sus defensores para culminar su vida en un combate desesperado.

Toda la ciudad reconstruida, es un retorno a esa guerra y sus huellas indelebles y guarda una solemnidad recatada y orgullosa.

Margarita nuestra guía en español, atesorar tanto conocimiento y lo explica con mucho amor y orgullo, conduciendo el tour de una manera clara, llenándonos de respuestas.

Serguei nuestro conductor cosaco, fue muy amable se esfuerzo para hace cómoda y más amena la travesia.

Mikhail, empresario atento y entusiasta, nos acompañó el primer día. Tiene un gran conocimiento de la batalla. Pendiente de todos los detalles. Es un tour en el que obtienes mucho más de lo esperado y que vale la pe na hacer.

Es un tour en el que obtienes mucho más de lo esperado y que vale la pe na hacer. 
Los transportes en el Volkswagen Passat fueron muy cómodos y pudimos detenernos sin prisas y a nuestro gusto en los lugares que más nos impactaron.

Visited March 2017

“Tour très intéressant, à faire absolument à Volgograd"

Mikhail est très bien renseigné sur tous les détails concernant la grande bataille de Stalingrad. Le tour d'une journée est très intéressant. Impensable de venir à Volgograd sans avoir recours à un guide compétent tel que Mikhail. Merci!

Visited April 2017

“1 journée de visite de la ville avec guide francophone”

Superbe journée.avec notre guide francophone pour visiter la ville avec balade à pied, transfert entre site en van (5 personnes), musée, marché, etc... Svetlana notre guide est exceptionnel, elle adore sa ville, connait parfaitement les éléments historiques et tellement d'anecdotes que la visite a été sublime. Nous conseillons l'utilisation de cette agence. Mikhaïl est très professionnel et disponible pendant toute l'expérience.

Visited April 2017

I first read about Stalingrad many years ago. The scale of the action, sacrifice, and the enduring achievement of the Russian people in defending a strip of land about 50m wide in temperatures as low as -40 left a deep and lasting impression on me.

When I suggested to my family that we should go to fulfil one of my life's ambitions, 2 of my children volunteered. We flew to Moscow and then caught the train to Volgograd - 18 hours after starting the train journey the train arrived at 08.19 - exactly on time.

We were met by Mikhail from Sputnik. The next 4 days were totally absorbing. And I want to be clear - this is also true for my two adult children who did not come with me because they knew or were very interested in the story. 

I have never been closer to "big" history - the Volga, memorials, individual stories, north district factories, basement museums, etc. Mikhail managed to pitch his service to meet my needs whilst enthusing my children. He is informative, authoritative, helpful, fun, and he personalises the service - great local cafes, recommendations on restaurants, an unscheduled visit to a Cossack village because I had shared a story I'd read etc. 

If you are interested in the story of Stalingrad, or history generally, and have friends or family who don't share that enthusiasm, I would thoroughly recommend you and they go. In addition to the amazing stories, Volgograd is a very hospital city, walkable but with a great tram system, great cafes and a variety of food and friendly service from everyone.

If you've not been yet, I envy you!

Visited April 2017

We just returned from the tour of our life to Stalingrad & Volgograd. We did yhr 2 day option and we can not recommend it highly enough. Absolutely unique, seeing one of the great dramas of 20th century unfold was eye watering Misha and his team were great everything said was done and eveything done perfectly. They solved any and all problem and we cannot recommend this highly enough for those who in search of a tour full of content and insight into the tragedy of life that occured in Stalingrad 42-43.

Visited May 2017

Trip to Pitomnik Airport of German Army in WW2, Stalingrad

We booked a 5 hour trip to the Pitomnik Airfield. Mikhail and Sergei (the driver) fetched us at our hotel in the city, then we drove around 1hour to the airfield. On the way Mikhail explained us what happened in WW2 on this place, he knows detailed information and speaks well English. Also he speaks a few words German. The airfield is really hard to reach, there are no proper roads, so as a tourist its nearly impossible to do this trip on ones own. We stopped a few hundred meters in front of the airfield and Mikhail showed us the bunkers, where German soldiers stayed over the winter. You can still see many things laying around like parts of batteries, cans, parts of gas masks, and also bullets. But since many people are taking stuff with them, it becomes fewer every year.

Then we drove to the actual airport, there you can see many bunkers again and the field, where the planes started and landed. Mikhail also has a small museum at his office, where you can see many things he found at the airfield, but the office is closed at the weekend, so we couldn´t see that. All in all the trip was very impressive and worth the time and money. On places like this it´s not hard to imagine what it must have been like staying there during the winter for fighting. It is also a quite necessary contrast to the monumental way of remembrance one can experience in the city.

Visited April 2017

Fantastic time with the Sputnik Travel Company

I am a big history nut when it comes to WW2, and traveling to Stalingrad was always the ultimate destination on my bucket list. I contacted Mikhail at Sputnik travel well before my intended arrival dates, and he was right there with me from the very beginning He was very professional and answered my many, many questions and was very good with visa assistance.

The tour itself was everything and more. Kathie was our tour guide and her knowledge and passion of the Battle of Stalingrad was amazing. The sites were both awesome and heart wrenching at the same time....once you are actually there and can visualize the many battlefields nothing can compare, it is hard to put into words. I would highly recommend this tour for anybody who has a passion for World War 2 history, it is well worth the travel and the price.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself in Stalingrad(Volgograd), the city was very beautiful with a very picturesque area down by the riverfront.....very hard believe what happened there all those years ago.

If you are thinking about making the trip, do it....you won't regret it!

Visited May 2017

3 Day Battlefield Tour

This tour was something I had wanted to do for a long time and I was not disappointed. From the minute Mikhail picked us up from Gumrak Airport I knew that he was the right person to help us gain an understanding of the Battle of Stalingrad from the starting point of the battle through to it's final conclusion. He showed us all the sites in the city on the first day and Mamaev Kurgan where we saw the hourly changing of the guards as well as visiting The Panorama Museum which has the most amazing diorama of the battle. On the second day we visited both the German and Russian war cemetaries at Rossoschka which was a very sobering experience. It makes you realise just how many lives on both sides were lost. On the way we were introduced to two women who had competed in the Sydney and Beijing Olympics which was a real honour for us. And on the third day we went to Kalatch on the river Don where we could see where the two Russian armies linked up on the 19th November 1942. We picked up some local souvenirs from local cossacks and had our photo taken wearing the local headgear. Needless to say it looked better on them than it did us. But the real highlight was when we were asked if we wanted to attend a memorial service for two Russian soldiers who had been killed during the battle and were being buried at Golubinsky. We felt very honoured to be a part of this experience. This was the best part of our holiday in Russia and what a way to end it. Many many thanks to Mikhail for passing on all his knowledge and for all our great experiences in the City on the Volga. I think a return trip in winter is on the cards.

Visited June 2017