On Wednesday 14 April 2010, I was leading a Lower Sixth Russian Language and Service trip in a small village called Shilovo, about 300km to the south-east of Moscow. Myself, Miss Helen Tebay and thirteen Lower Sixth pupils were volunteering in an orphanage, blissfully unaware of events unfolding at the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, 3000 miles away.
The first we heard of the eruption was two days later, as we returned to Moscow by minibus. Having arrived in the capital, we received confirmation in the early hours of Saturday morning that our flight home had been cancelled, with no idea of when planes might fly again.
I found an internet café and started making plans (this was still a world before smartphones), as Miss Tebay took the rest of the group sightseeing. The direct train route home through Belarus was not possible as we would need transit visas and the embassy was closed until Monday.
When our pupils returned that evening I explained our plan: we would head south by overnight train to Kiev and then back through Europe via Poland and Germany. I hoped they would all be excited by the prospect of an overland European adventure, but my news was greeted with silence. A student asked how long the trip would take, to which I replied: “Best case scenario – five days.” She burst into tears.
However, as we left Moscow behind, the mood quickly lifted as we all recognised the unique opportunity ahead of us. Over the next five days we took in the beauty of the Lavra cathedral complex in Kiev, marvelled at the stunningly reconstructed historic centre of Warsaw and enjoyed the vibrant cultural heart of Berlin. I vividly remember one particularly surreal breakfast at Warsaw’s Hard Rock Café, outside in the sunshine, knowing that at that moment friends and colleagues were sitting in assembly in Sevenoaks.
The journey home was not without its challenges: making contingency plans to split the group at the Ukraine border if one pupil (on a Schengen visa) was denied entry; discovering Kiev train station only accepted payments in cash (when our three credit cards could only muster £250 each per day); constantly battling from internet cafés to book tickets and accommodation with limited and constantly changing information.
After an overnight ferry, we arrived at Victoria Coach Station in London on the morning of Thursday 22 April, five days after we left Moscow. Without doubt, it was the most memorable school trip I have been involved with. I owe a great debt to Miss Tebay for her sterling support and to an incredible group of Lower Sixth pupils for their fortitude and exceptional company.
It was a remarkable improvised adventure and one of the highlights of my teaching career.
Jon Drury, Head of Russian