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Business | Mayo Clinic surgeon quitting to lead family’s Kwik Trip convenience store empire

A longtime Mayo Clinic trauma surgeon and medical professor is taking the reins of his family’s Kwik Trip convenience store empire as his father retires from his role as CEO.

Dr. Scott Zietlow, who has worked at Mayo Clinic since the early 1990s, will take on the titles of president and CEO of the La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip at the start of 2023. Dr. Zietlow is also the chair of the Kwik Trip’s board of directors.

He is leaving his position of professor of surgery in Mayo Clinic’s trauma, critical care and general surgery division. Zietlow has served in a variety of leadership positions at Mayo Clinic, including as chairman of the Mayo Clinic Medical Transport Board.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal co-workers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” Zietlow stated in the announcement of his appointment.

Don Zeitlow, who is considered a founder of Kwik Trip, has worked at the company for 52 years, 22 years of that as the CEO.

The company’s roots date back to a grocery store business in 1965. The groceries evolved into Kwik Trip in 1971, and it was led by the Hansen and Zietlow families in Eau Claire, Wis. The headquarters moved to La Crosse in 1973, and the Zietlow family became the sole owners in 2000.

The company now operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.

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How a DIY business strategy led to Kwik Trip's explosive growth. 11.5 million people visit the stores every week.

If customers look hard enough, they'll find a tiny Easter egg on each bottle of milk at their local Kwik Trip.

It's a small, hard to see smiley face, a reproduction of a drawing that former President and CEO Don Zietlow drew during annual meetings when he announced the company's year-end results, future goals and the amount employees would receive through the company's profit sharing program. It also appears on bottles of tea, juice and other drinks.

The smiley face is a nod to Zietlow, who retired in 2022 , and to the company's employee-focused culture. But it's also an add-on that's only possible because of a business strategy Zietlow introduced more than two decades ago and continues to underpin the company's rapid growth.

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Known as vertical integration, it's a do-it-yourself strategy of controlling as much of the production, warehousing, distribution and sales as you can. In Kwik Trip's case, that's grown from a small bakery at the back of an early store to a production and distribution network that extends across six states from Kwik Trip's sprawling La Crosse campus.

The La Crosse operation includes a dairy, a bread bakery, a sweets bakery, a commissary that makes all of the chain's hot food items and salads, warehousing and a distribution center, food safety and quality assurance labs, offices, a call center and other backroom functions. It all operates seamlessly to send custom ordered shipments six days a week to 872 convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Michigan.

One of the benefits of doing all of that food preparation and packaging in house: the dairy operation also makes its own plastic bottles, which allowed Kwik Trip to easily add Zietlow's smiley face.

"Don asked people to smile at every guest and ask them to come back. So he started drawing smiley faces on stage and that kind of became his signature, his trademark, the early part of his personal brand," said Carl Rick, Kwik Trip's training manager and a third-generation owner of the business.

A changing convenience-store business needed a new model

Kwik Trip began making sandwiches for its stores in the back room of a La Crosse location in the 1970s, and it bought a small dairy in Caledonia, Minnesota in 1981. The full embrace of vertical integration didn't really come until 2000, said John McHugh, Kwik Trip's vice president of external relations.

That's the year that Zietlow concluded the exiting model for convenience stores, based on sales of cigarettes, snacks, gasoline and household staples sold at "insult prices," wasn't a recipe for long-term success. Instead, McHugh said, Zietlow decided to focus on in-house food and drink production and cutting out the middle man as a way to overcome two traditional barriers to growing a convenience store business: cost and freshness.

"If you're having a third party deliver that loaf of bread and you're only doing a handful of loaves in a traditional convenience store, you have to charge so much for that loaf of bread to make it worthwhile that, in our industry, we have something called insult pricing – we have it and you need it, we're convenient, and you're gonna pay through the nose to get it," McHugh said.

Controlling production, storage and transportation reduces those costs and puts Kwik Trip prices on equal footing with grocery stores.

It also helps ensure freshness and food safety. In the case of milk, that means 24 hours from the dairy to the store shelf. For the company's signature Glazers donuts, it means delivery the same day they're made.

The result: customers know that they can get consistently fresh food items at a competitive price.

"Don knew that for us to be successful in our business model, you had to beat everybody on price, and you had to beat everybody on freshness, and that's where the vertical integration model comes in," McHugh said.

The success of the model can be seen in the shopping trends of Kwik Trip's 11.5 million weekly customers, he said.

"What happens now is, especially if you look at some of our small and rural markets, from 1 in the afternoon until 4, the demographic is people in their late 70s and 80s with grocery carts in our stores buying eggs, milk, butter, bread, onions, kind of thing," McHugh said. "People are just coming here for their their basic commodities."

The company does not make its annual sales public. However its profit sharing plan provides a glimpse into the its finances. Last year employees received about $200 million as their 40% share of Kwik Trip's pre-tax profit, which puts the company's annual profit at about $500 million.

Nearly 8,000 employees keep Kwik Trip stores stocked and the business humming

What began as a small food production operation in what is now the company's training center has grown to take up most of the company's sprawling 140 acre campus. Much of that growth has occured since 2017, when the company first tapped Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Enterprise Zone tax incentives to fuel its expansion.

Since then, the company has spent more than $325 million to expand the operation and created nearly 1,800 new, full-time jobs, according to WEDC records.

WEDC Secretary Missy Hughes said that growth is all the more impressive because the company has maintained its employees-first focus and even doubled down by providing on-site child care and a health clinic in La Crosse.

"They're a model Wisconsin company, and their decision to continue to expand here is just a huge win for us," Hughes said.

Today, the La Crosse workforce includes:

• 700 production employees in the kitchen, also known as the commissary, who produce pizza, burritos, salads and take-home meals.
• 150 dairy workers who pasteurize and homogenize milk, package it and make ice cream.
• 320 people who make doughnuts on two lines: one dedicated to Glazers in the morning and Dunkers in the afternoon, the other focused on Bismarks and Long Johns, cookies, cinnamon rolls and other sweet treats.
• 117 workers in the bread and roll bakery.
• 600 drivers who handle deliveries to retail locations with a fleet of 350 tractors and 250 trailers.

Kwik Trip's plan for continued growth and expansion

The seamless system that gets products to the stores' shelves is a product of 20 years of growth, experimentation and learning, one that company leaders acknowledge would be hard to reproduce today.

"This whole process grew organically," McHugh said. "To re-establish our140-acre campus with everything that we have here, someplace else in the Midwest, would be cost prohibitive."

Kwik trip has more than doubled its retail stores in the past decade and keeping up with that growth required continued investment in all of the behind-the-scenes support operations.

The company recently announced plans to spend another $151 million to support its plan to continue to add about 50 new stores a year.

That includes a recently completed expansion of Kwik Trip's burrito production line to make up to 90,000 burritos a day, a new 40-foot production line for Dunkers and cake doughnuts and additional packaging automation in the sweets bakery and a cooler expansion in the dairy.

For the first time, Kwik Trip will move some of the La Crosse operation off campus by building a new distribution center in De Forest and renovating an office building in Onalaska that the company recently bought.

The office building will house training, accounting and operations support, including a 24/7 help line for the stores, which in turn frees up more space for other overcrowded office functions. In time, the current training center will likely be torn down for an expansion of the dairy, McHugh said.

That expansion is being aided by an additional $15 million in tax credits from WEDC. The credits are tied to completing the $151 million investment and creating more than 500 new jobs by 2027.

"What I love is Kwik Trip's commitment to Wisconsin and the Midwest. They clearly have confidence that they can continue to grow," Hughes said.

The De Forest distribution center will help Kwik Trip better support its stores in southeastern Wisconsin, McHugh said. The company plans to eventually set up two additional distribution centers to better serve Kwik Trip's retail expansion. Likely locations are in western Wisconsin near Twin Cities and in Iowa, he said.

"We think we can double our footprint of stores and still be able to service it with this campus and the satellite distribution centers, but after that I think we're going to have to start thinking about other logistic concerns," McHugh said. "First, maybe you do a dairy or a bakery - you can't just replicate this campus."

Tapping automation increases efficiency without cutting workforce

Automation has helped the company expand production, while the company's growth has ensured that the efficiencies robotics bring don't cost employees their jobs.

"We're going to spend a lot of money on automation in years to come not to create jobs, but to free up those people to do jobs that we need people to do," Rick said. "Nobody's going to get fired because the robot's doing a job. We're taking those manual jobs, those highly repetitive jobs, and we're going to use robots for that. And that frees people up to do more, a different line of work."

Keeping the existing workforce is critical for a company expects to hire 500 more workers in a competitive regional labor market. Opportunities for career advancement and personal growth, and the company's commitment to sharing its profit with with employees has resulted in annual employee turnover of about 30%, far below the industry average, and is a key to attracting new workers, Rick said.

"When you go back to when Don was very first starting in business in the '50s and '60s, we were a major manufacturing community and Don watched friends, he watched family, he watched people lose jobs, because those facilities were bought, sold and had those jobs left La Crosse and never came back," Rick said. "And, so, one of the reasons we're committed to owning and growing the business going forward is we want to provide that long term stability for our co-workers and for the communities that we call home."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How a DIY business strategy led to Kwik Trip's explosive growth. 11.5 million people visit the stores every week.

Kwik Trip announces leadership changes; CEO, President of 22 years to retire

Don Zietlow (Courtesy: Kwik Trip)

(ABC 6 News) – Kwik Trip announced on Monday they will undergo some leadership changes effective Jan. 1, 2023 .

Donald P. Zietlow, CEO and President of Kwik Trip for the last 22 years, announced he is retiring effective Dec. 31, 2022 . Zietlow has been with the company for 52 years and was the driving force behind sharing 40% of the pre-tax profits with all the coworkers and Kwik Trip’s successful food programs.

Kwik Trip says under Zietlow’s leadership, the company has grown its vertically integrated support center in La Crosse, including major capital investments in the dairy, kitchens, bakeries, and distribution center.

The company now operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.

Scott Zietlow, the Chair of the Board of Kwik Trip and 2nd-generation owner, will become the company’s next President and CEO. Scott will be retiring from his role as a Professor of Surgery in the Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery Division in Rochester to assume his new Kwik Trip responsibilities.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Scott Zietlow.

As part of the new leadership team, Tom Reinhart has been appointed Chief Operating Officer. Jeff Wrobel will continue his role as Chief Financial Officer.

To learn more about Kwik Trip, CLICK HERE .

Don Zietlow to retire as president and CEO of Kwik Trip at the end of 2022

The end of the year will mark the end of an era at Kwik Trip as Don Zietlow retires as president and CEO.

Zietlow has been at Kwik Trip for 52 years, including 22 as president and CEO, leading the company through growth and expansion to more than 800 locations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan, according to a news release from Kwik Trip. Throughout his leadership, Kwik Trip has grown its support center in La Crosse and invested in the company’s “vertical integration.” Kwik Trip makes Glazer doughnuts, for example, in its own bakery, they’re shipped on Kwik Trip’s trucks and they’re sold in Kwik Trip stores. The company has made major investments and dairy, kitchens, bakeries and distribution center under Zietlow's leadership.

Zietlow has been at Kwik Trip since almost the beginning. The company opened its first location in 1965 in Eau Claire, then its second in La Crosse in 1971. Earlier this year, Zietlow told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin it was a humble beginning − Kwik Trip started out as neighborhood grocery stores whose signs had painted letters cut out of plywood. He said Kwik Trip’s success boiled down to two ingredients: the right people and the ability to have products that guests want and are looking for and being able to offer them at a good deal.

Zietlow also invested in his employees, calling them his coworkers and sharing 40% of the company’s pre-tax profits.

“People are our No. 1 asset,” Zietlow told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin in January. “There’s more to a job than pay. You need to feel like you are making a difference. That’s our mission, and that’s what our coworkers do every day.”

Kwik Trip employees have felt that appreciation over the years, as well. For a February story, employees told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin they appreciate the 40% profit share and that Zietlow treated them as coworkers, coming into work in a Kwik Trip uniform every day instead of a suit and tie. They said he was always open with them about the ins and outs of the company.

As news of Zietlow's retirement hit social media this week, members of a Facebook group called Wisconsin Kwik Trip Enthusiast Club shared their appreciation for him and his leadership at the company. Dozens of employees shared how much his kindness and leadership meant to them.

While Zietlow is preparing to retire at the end of the year, the company will remain in the family. Starting Jan. 1, Scott Zietlow will become the new president and CEO as a second-generation owner. Scott is currently the chair of the board of Kwik Trip, and he will be retiring as professor of surgery in the trauma, critical care and general surgery division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in order to serve in his new role at Kwik Trip.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip,” Scott said. “We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright.”

As part of the transition, Tom Reinhart will be the new chief operating officer, and Jeff Wrobel will continue as the chief financial officer.

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Mayo clinic surgeon takes the wheel as kwik trip's new ceo.

Nov. 22—ROCHESTER — A longtime Mayo Clinic trauma surgeon and medical professor is taking the reins of his family's Kwik Trip convenience store empire as his father retires from his role as CEO.

Dr. Scott Zietlow

, who has worked at Mayo Clinic since the early 1990s, will take on the titles of president and CEO of the La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip at the start of 2023. Dr. Zietlow is also the chair of the Kwik Trip's board of directors.

He is leaving his position of professor of surgery in Mayo Clinic's trauma, critical care and general surgery division. Zietlow has served in a variety of leadership positions at Mayo Clinic, including as chairman of the

Mayo Clinic Medical Transport Board

"I am honored to follow my dad's legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal co-workers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright," stated Dr. Zietlow in the announcement of his appointment.

Don Zeitlow, who is considered a founder of Kwik Trip, has worked at the company for 52 years, 22 years of that as the CEO.

The company's roots date back to a grocery store business in 1965. The groceries evolved into Kwik Trip in 1971 and it was led by the Hansen and Zietlow families in Eau Claire, Wis. The headquarters moved to La Crosse, Wis. in 1973. The Zietlow family became the sole owners in 2000.

The company now operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.

Kwik Trip has 15 locations in Rochester. The 15 stores add up to 93,302-square-feet of space under the Kwik Trip signs.

That sum is larger than the 90,000-square-foot Hy-Vee grocery store on West Circle Drive. Hy-Vee built that store on land purchased from Kwik Trip's real estate arm, Northwest Investments.

Northwest Investments is also the force behind the 108-acre development at West Circle Drive and 19th Street Northwest. That development attracted

to Rochester and has since seen several hotels, restaurants, stores and banks built around it.

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Kwik Trip CEO and President Retires After 52 Years

Don Zietlow’s 52 years of leadership brought substantial growth to Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip.

November 28, 2022

LA CROSSE, Wisc.—Kwik Trip announced its CEO and president Donald P.  Zietlow is retiring, effective December 31, 2022. Zietlow has worked at Kwik Trip for 52 years and served as CEO and president for 22 years.

“Although Don attributes the success of Kwik Trip to the coworkers, his leadership has brought substantial growth and innovation,” said Kwik Trip in a statement.

The company operates more than 800 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan and is considered a leader in the convenience store industry.

Zietlow was the driving force behind sharing 40% of the pre-tax profits with all the coworkers and Kwik Trip’s successful food programs. Under his leadership the company grew its vertically integrated support center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, including major capital investments in the dairy, kitchens, bakeries and distribution center.

On January 1, 2023, Kwik Trip’s chair of the board and second-generation owner Scott Zietlow will become Kwik Trip’s next president and CEO. Scott will be retiring from his role as a professor of surgery in the trauma, critical care and general surgery division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to assume his new responsibilities at Kwik Trip.

“I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Scott.

As part of the new leadership team, Tom Reinhart has been appointed chief operating officer, and Jeff Wrobel will continue his role as chief financial officer.

Kwik Trip showcases its 800 th store in this 2022 NACS Ideas 2 Go segment. The next gen store, located in Holmes, Wisconsin, features an updated color scheme, new flooring and ample space for customers to shop the store.

FMN Magazine awarded Kwik Trip the first-ever FMN Fuels Innovator of the Year Awards at the 2022 NACS Show.

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Kwik Trip announcing leadership change

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - After 52 years with Kwik Trip and 22 years as CEO and President, Donald Zietlow is retiring as of Dec. 31.

Zietlow attributes the success of Kwik Trip to his coworkers and employees, but it has been his leadership that has brought substantial growth and innovation to the company. Now with more than 800 locations across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan, he is considered to be one of the leaders in the convenience store industry.

During his tenure, Zietlow was the driving force behind sharing 40% of the pre-tax profits with all of his coworkers and Kwik Trip’s successful food programs. The company has grown its vertically integrated Support Center in La Crosse under his leadership including major capital investments in multiple distribution centers.

His son, Scott Zietlow, who is Chair of the Board of Kwik Trip and retiring from his own role as professor of surgery in the Trauma, Critical Care, and General Surgery Division of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, will become the next President and CEO. “I am honored to follow my dad’s legacy of guiding Kwik Trip. We are a very strong company and with our 36,000 phenomenal coworkers, great retail locations, and industry-leading vertical integration, our future is bright,” said Zietlow.

Tom Reinhart has been appointed COO and Jeff Wrobel has been appointed CFO as part of the company’s new leadership team.

Copyright 2022 WSAW. All rights reserved.

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Amy Zietlow Obituary La Crosse WI Owner of Kwik Trip Has Passed Away

Amy Zietlow Obituary, Death Cause – La Crosse, Wisconsin, is reeling from the devastating news of the passing of Amy Zietlow, the beloved owner of Kwik Trip, who passed away on October 10, 2023. A prominent figure in the La Crosse community and a driving force behind the success of the popular convenience store chain, Zietlow’s death has left a profound void in the hearts of many.

Amy Zietlow, born on March 22, 1965, was not just a business magnate but a cherished member of the community. She began her journey with Kwik Trip at a young age, working her way up the ranks of the family-owned business. Under her leadership, the company expanded its reach across the Midwest, becoming a household name known for its quality products and exceptional customer service.

Zietlow’s dedication to her employees and the community was unparalleled. She consistently advocated for fair wages and benefits for her staff, setting a remarkable example in the retail industry. She also supported various charitable initiatives and educational programs, demonstrating her commitment to making La Crosse a better place for all. Her untimely passing has left a deep sense of loss in La Crosse and beyond.

Friends, employees, and loyal Kwik Trip customers remember her as a warm-hearted, driven, and compassionate individual who touched the lives of many. Amy Zietlow’s legacy lives on through the thriving Kwik Trip chain, which she nurtured and expanded. Her contributions to the La Crosse community are immeasurable, and her memory will continue to inspire and uplift those who had the privilege of knowing her.

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Posted 11 a.m. Friday , Sept. 1 , 2023

UWL celebrates partnership with Wisconsin icon Kwik Trip

Few companies are as synonymous with Wisconsin, and even fewer make as great of an impact around the state.

UW-La Crosse on Tuesday, Aug. 15, presented Kwik Trip with the inaugural UW System Regents Business Partnership Award,  recognizing innovative collaborations between universities and businesses, as well as the impact these relationships have on campus and in the community.  

Kwik Trip — which supports many student learning opportunities and workforce development efforts at UWL — was a  thoroughly deserving recipient , according to Regent Vice President Amy Blumenfeld Bogost.

“We know that the UW System is the biggest economic engine of the state, and we are very fortunate to be able to collaborate with incredible businesses like Kwik Trip,” Blumenfeld Bogost said. “Collaborations and business partners hips are vital to Wisconsin’s economic strength.” 

Kwik Trip supports UWL in several important ways:    

• It sponsors the  Integrated Core Program  in UWL’s  College of Business Administration , which challenges students to solve real-life problems for real-life businesses early in their college careers.   
• It supports a number of scholarships and internships, broadening access to hands-on learning.   
• And it advocates for key UWL projects, such as the planned completion of the Prairie Springs Science Center, that would bolster the university’s workforce development efforts.   

Many UWL students go on to work at Kwik Trip after graduation — evidence that recent grads see Kwik Trip as a desirable place to work, and that Kwik Trip sees the quality of a UWL education.  

Kwik Trip President and CEO Scott Zietlow, who took over the company this year after working as a trauma surgeon and medical professor at Mayo Clinic, is a UWL alum himself, with undergraduate degrees in chemistry and microbiology .   

Students from nearly every major at UWL, Zietlow says, possess knowledge and skills that would help them thrive at Kwik Trip.   

“We certainly value the  partners hip with UWL,” Zietlow said. “What we get is probably at times greater than what we return. You get bright, young, enthusiastic, energetic minds — that’s one of the wonders of education we all enjoy.   

“We’re in a competition for talent. That’s real. That’s very real. How do we attract and retain that talent? (Our  partners hip with UWL) is a big piece of that.”   

While UWL is proud to partner with many organizations and businesses in the Coulee Region, university officials say there is something unique about working with Kwik Trip, a company so entwined in the fabric of Wisconsin culture.   

“(We’re) very excited to honor such a great partner and such a great Wisconsin company,” said Jeff Buhrandt, vice president for University Relations at UW System. “Kwik Trip is so synonymous with our state. We were joking earlier about some of (Kwik Trip’s) competitors … you almost feel guilty as a Wisconsinite going to another place.  

“There’s something very special about the companies that are ours.”  

• Tagged departments: College of Business Administration
• Other tags: Light Reads and Light Reads September 2023

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THIS TRIP IS NOT CURRENTLY SCHEDULED Over the years, Amy has developed and operated trips to a variety of destinations including this one, but not all trips are offered every year. If you are interested in joining a scheduled departure of this trip in the future, please send us an email and let us know. Click to send us an email or use the form at the bottom of this page.

We can organize and operate this trip as a private group departure with a minimum group size of 8 persons. Start organizing your private Russia art adventure here .

Best time to travel: June for the “White Nights” Best gateway city: Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia Moscow and St. Petersburg Slide Show

Experience the art treasures of Moscow and St. Petersburg with guide, Amy Osaki. Begin in Moscow, continental Europe’s largest city, the seat of the government of Russia, and now home to over twenty billionaires! View iconic sites such as the Kremlin (which began as a fortress in the eleventh century), Red Square, and the sixteenth century St. Basil’s Cathedral. Then explore the art masterpieces at the Tretyakov Gallery, the National Museum of Russian Fine Art encompassing works from the eleventh to the twentieth century. Visit the Armory at the Kremlin filled with Imperial treasures including Faberge eggs once exchanged by the tsar and tsarina at Easter. Conclude your Moscow experience at the quiet seventeenth century Novodevichy Convent, one of many World Heritage sites included in the trip.

After a short flight, continue the trip with five days in St. Petersburg where you’ll be immersed in the opulence of Imperial Russia. Established by Tsar Peter I in 1703, St. Petersburg (known as Petrograd and Leningrad for most of the twentieth century) was the capital of the Russian empire for over two hundred years until the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Hermitage—said to be the largest art museum in the world with a collection of over three million objects housed in four main buildings—rivals the Louvre in Paris for both the quantity and quality of its treasures. Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, and open to the pubic for over two hundred years the museum is so vast that we’ll spread our visit out over several days and organize it by different themes. Also on the schedule is a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress—the original citadel above the river founded in 1703—as well as some of the Imperial palaces in and around St. Petersburg such as Peterhof, a World Heritage Site. Peter I hired French architects to work on his many palaces, including Jean Baptiste Le Blond who worked with Andre Le Notre at Versailles. Consider enhancing your Russian experience by purchasing tickets to a performance—perhaps a ballet at St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre (also known as the Kirov).

Day 1 Overnight in Moscow Arrive in Moscow and transfer to your centrally-located hotel, your base for the next two nights. Enjoy an afternoon and early evening walk through Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad) past St. Basil’s Cathedral, and GUM department store all of which are back-dropped by the walls of the Kremlin fortress. Remember that we are here during the fabled “White Nights” when the summer days linger with light-filled evenings.

Day 2 Overnight in Moscow Within the walls of the Kremlin fortress, visit the Armoury Museum, one of Moscow’s oldest museums established at the start of the nineteenth century. The Kremlin Armoury was the royal arsenal; it produced and stored the weapons, jewelry and other regalia of the tsars. The museum’s collection encompasses four thousand items of applied art from Russia and elsewhere dating from the early fourth century to the twentieth century. Later in the day, visit the collection of masterpieces of the renowned Tretyakov Gallery. The Tretyakov collections were begun by the philanthropist Tretyakov brothers in the early nineteenth century. The gallery is recognized by many as a key repository of Russian art spanning the nation’s artistic tradition from early Orthodox icons to art nouveau, impressionist, and avant-garde works.

Day 3 Overnight in St Petersburg Enjoy a morning visit to the sixteenth century Novodevichy Convent named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2004. The convent’s name is sometimes translated as “New Maidens’ Monastery” to differentiate is from the convent within the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Surrounded by white crenellated walls, this complex of churches has remained essentially intact since the seventeenth century. Here you’ll find the five-domed Cathedral of Our Lady of Smolensk with its spectacular iconostasis and the tall, red and white Gate Church of the Transfiguration which is often cited as a fine example of “Moscow Baroque” architecture. The neighboring Novodevichy Cemetery is the final resting place of the likes of Anton Chekhov, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Boris Yeltsin. This afternoon fly to St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city situated on the banks of the Neva River where it empties into the Gulf of Finland.

Day 4 Overnight in St Petersburg Start of your exploration of St. Petersburg with a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress, the original citadel of St. Petersburg. The fortress was built to the designs of the Swiss Italian architect Domenico Trezzini in the early eighteenth century. Trezzini’s Peter and Paul Cathedral dominates the fortress grounds and its iconic golden spire punctuates into the Baltic sky. Later visit the Yusupov Palace on the Moika, acclaimed as an “encyclopedia of St. Petersburg aristocratic interior design.” The palace was the home of the Yusupov family from 1830 and 1917 and was the place where Grigori Rasputin, a spiritual mentor to Tsar Nicholas II and the Royal Family in the early 20th century, was assassinated. A visit to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood built between 1883 and 1907 rounds out the day. The church was built in “Russian Revivalist” architectural style by Tsar Alexander III in commemoration of his father, Alexander II. The church occupies a conspicuous location on St. Petersburg’s Griboedov Canal and contains 7,500 square meters of mosaics; the interior walls and ceilings are completely covered by mosaics.

Day 5 Overnight in St Petersburg Seeing St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum in a day would be like trying to see the Smithsonian in a day! Rather than a forced march through the galleries at a rapid pace, we will slow down and savor the masterpieces. Remember, there are nearly seven miles worth of exhibitions! Today we focus on “Imperial Russia,” touring the rooms decorated for members of the Russian Imperial Family and viewing the art they commissioned and collected. This is the art that influenced the style of the grand palaces of the era. View the Grand Suite of rooms, Peter I’s collection of gold, and the jewelers art owned by the Russian Imperial Family (including Fabergé eggs, gold and diamonds). Here, too, are the rooms of Catherine II and her son Paul I with their fifteenth to eighteenth century French paintings and sculpture (Poussin, Watteau, Fragonard, Chardin, and Houdon).

Day 6 Overnight in St Petersburg Return for a second dose of the Hermitage! Today is dedicated to the famous European masterpieces exhibited at the Hermitage. Feast your eyes on memorable works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Velazquez, and El Greco. At the Hermitage, you can revel in Rembrandt; there are twenty of his works in the museum’s collection. After lunch, enjoy the eighteenth to twentieth century masterpieces of Monet, van Gogh, Gauguin, Rodin, Picasso, Matisse and Kandinsky. Digest the art and reflect on this unique collection of human creations. Consider an evening performance, possibly at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Day 7 Overnight in St Petersburg Journey by hydrofoil across the Gulf of Finland to experience Peter I’s palace at Peterhof, a series of palaces and gardens that evoke comparisons with Versailles which Peter visited in 1715. Begun in 1714 with the construction of the Monplaisir palace and expanded by later Imperial generations who added Rococo and Neo-classical elements, Peterhof is now a World Heritage Site. The creative mastery of architects, engineers, artists and craftsmen from throughout Europe is on display here and all is choreographed to celebrate water in homage to Peter, the maritime emperor.

Day 8 Overnight in St Petersburg Go behind the scenes with an excursion to the Hermitage Museum’s Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Center on the right back of the Neva River north of Kamenny Island. This vast treasure house is only accessible by private tour. Later, travel to Vasilvesky Island across the river from the Hermitage to visit Menishkov Palace completed in 1721 and now the oldest stone building in St. Petersburg. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

About your guide : Amy Osaki holds a master’s degree from the Winterthur Museum. She studied art at the Louvre Museum in Paris and worked as a museum curator for over a decade including six years at the Portland Art Museum. She is an award-winning art educator who has led art trips around the world for the last fifteen years with Walking Softly Adventures. Many of these trips were offered for graduate credit from Portland State University where she is an Adjunct Professor.

Resources for Further Learning

• Preview part of the collection of the State Tretyakov Gallery at its website.
• Learn more about the Moscow Kremlin .
• Prepare yourself to experience the Hermitage . You can even shop on-line at the museum’s on-line museum store!

We're looking forward to hearing from you! You may contact us by telephone at 503-788-9017, by e-mail ([email protected]) or by completing and submitting the form below. Please enter any questions or comments in the "Message" box. PLEASE BE SURE TO MENTION THE TRIP IN WHICH YOU'RE INTERESTED. You must enter a valid email address in order to submit this form successfully. When you're finished entering information, enter the CAPTCHA code where indicated and click the "Submit" button at the bottom of this page. Art Tours by Amy does not release any of the information you provide us to any third party without your express permission.

Weber (Jacobs) Archive    |    Trotskyist Writers Index   |    ETOL Main Page

Hopkins Covers Stalin and the Moscow Trials

(august 1941).

From The Militant , Vol. V No. 35 , 30 August 1941, p. 5. Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL) .

Hopkins Investigates Russia

The significant meeting between Roosevelt arid Churchill was preceded by the sudden trip of Harry Hopkins, Roosevelt’s present alter ego, to Moscow. Hopkins stayed in Russia just long enough to have one of those intimate chats with Stalin – and then returned completely enlightened concerning the whole situation in Soviet Russia. Since the wording of the three points in his report to Roosevelt, as given in the press, has not been in any way denied, and especially since it fits in so well with the needs of the “Allies,” we can accept the widespread accounts as fairly accurate.

First of all Hopkins reported that the Red Army was still intact as a fighting force. The High Command of the Russian army was still functioning well, and this command was in uninterrupted communication with the Soviet government in Moscow. That is all to the good, of course. This item in the report was intended to reassure those reactionaries who were using the argument that any aid given to Stalin would not only be useless, but actually harmful since what was sent might soon fall into the hands of the victorious Hitler.

Even the more recent retreats of the Red Army, particularly from the Ukraine, and the threat to Leningrad, are not looked upon as menacing the continuance of Russian resistance to Hitler. The seizure of the Ukraine by the German army and the possible fall of the great industrial district about and in Leningrad, will be very grave blows at the Red Army and at Soviet Russia, but they will not be immediately fatal. It seems quite certain by now that the war in Russia will continue during the coming winter.

The second point in the Hopkins report is also all to the good. It is certainly clear that Hitler had banked on two false premises. First of all, he had underestimated the strength of the Red Army and its power of resistance. In this he was not alone. The enemies of Russia hoped that the purges of the commanding staffs of the Red Army carried out by Stalin solely as a preventive measure to maintain himself in power, had so undermined the Red Army and so beheaded it that it would prove an easy victim for the fascists.

But Hitler had not only miscalculated concerning the strength of the Red Army. He had also miscalculated concerning the strength of the reactionary forces in the Soviet Union waiting for the chance to strike a blow at the USSR. Hitler had banked on the possibility of a counter-revolution directed against Stalin for the restoration of capitalism. Hopkins therefore brings the reassurance that no such Fifth Column movement materialized and that the whole Soviet Union is united in the courageous struggle against the fascist foe.  

Hopkins and the Purges

Had Hopkins stopped there, we might not have taken the trouble to comment on what is obvious. But the second point is tied up with a third. The third one is an attempt to “explain” the others. It is also an attempt to lend political aid to Stalin – for a return in kind! What brought about the “unity” of the Soviet Union in the desperate struggle against the fascists? Hopkins tells us that it was Stalin’s remarkable foresight in ridding himself of all “dissident”’ and oppositional elements in the period before Hitler’s march into Russia.

In this fashion Hopkins tries to uphold Stalin’s hand in regard to all the purges and all the infamous Moscow trials. The Stalinists brazenly asserted after every purge that Stalin had strengthened the Soviet Union, not weakened it. They resorted to the fakery of amalgams, classing together the revolutionists with the counter-revolutionists. All opposition to the murderous Stalin was made to appear as opposition to the Soviet Union.

Hopkins wants us at this late ate to accept this long-exposed Stalinist version. He wants us to believe that the present unity of the Soviet workers and peasants against Hitler, is the same’ thing as complete support of Stalin, past and present. Nothing could be more false.

The Soviet masses understand very well that the hordes of Hitler are the worst and most dangerous enemy to the Soviet Union. Their fight is now directed against this fascist imperialist that threatens to deprive them of the last, most fundamental conquests of the October Revolution – the nationalized property and the monopoly of foreign trade. For the time being, until this fight against the main enemy is settled, or is near completion, the masses continue to tolerate Stalinism.  

Hopkins Hates October Too

Evidently Stalin does not believe his own lies about the nature of the unified struggle against Hitler. For he is preparing betimes, while the attention of the workers is completely taken up by the life-and-death struggle against Hitler, to take all measures against any later attempts at his own removal. That is shown by the establishing of the war dictatorship and the renewed attempt to set up GPU control of the armed forces.

Why did Hopkins give Salin this political support? Because he and Stalin have a common enemy – the October Revolution, the revolution of the working class. Roosevelt-Churchill have made it clear that they intend exacting from Stalin the promise (as though that were in his power!) that he will not attempt to foster any western European revolution during or after the present war. Clearly also the “Allies” fear any possibility of the resurgence of the revolution in Soviet Russia itself. They know very well that they can rely on Stalin to do everything possible to prevent this. Thus Roosevelt and Stalin are showing a united purpose to aim blows not only against Hitler but against the revolutionary workers. Stalin has already given evidence that he will continue his “purges” of revolutionists even during the present war. In this he will have the full support of the “Allies.”

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Last updated: 27 May 2016

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A trip to Moscow

I'm going to organize a trip this summer. I want to plan everything. I’ll fly from London to Moscow, and I also want to visit St. Petersburg. Could you, please, advise me what places I should visit? I’ll stay in Moscow for about 10 days before going to St. Petersburg. Thank you!

Not a country I’d be spending my money in at the moment.

Ditto. Ditto!

I don't really see the point of shunning a country because you don't agree with its leader and/or its government. Would you go to Italy? China? Tourist dollars are more likely to get into the hands of the people rather than any corrupt bureaucracy and meeting friendly tourists might just change the locals opinions of foreigners and even give them some information they don't get from local news media.

Hopefully , I won't be starting a war here , but I must say I agree with Chani's comments . Having taken three year visas in 2015 , we have been to Moscow and St; Petersburg ( once to Moscow , and twice to St Petersburg ) . The History , Art , Music ( I am a classically trained musician ) and Culture , fascinate us . Much to experience there and advance preparation is essential , To get a good grounding for your visit , read this lavish and detailed book by Suzanne Massie , it's one of the best ways to immerse yourself in what you will experience - https://www.amazon.com/Land-Firebird-Beauty-Old-Russia/dp/096441841X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521652009&sr=8-1&keywords=land+of+the+firebird+massie&dpID=51CPK13XKGL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

And while leaders of such countries can point to foreign visitor numbers as a sign of support ? I also believe that personal safety for certain travellers, especially obvious minorities, cannot be guaranteed, as fervent nationalism increases, and tolerance levels evaporate. Just as I may decide against a purchase at the supermarket because of a company’s behaviour, ethics will always be a consideration.

Well, I'd argue supermarket ethics does not readily translate to travel ethics - the latter is far more complex. Personally, I see the whole "vote with my hard-earned travel dollar" approach as overly simplistic, but if it's your position - I totally respect it.

What I don't understand is members volunteering ethical guidance in response to what seems an innocuous request for travel-related information.

Note a discussion on ethics hosted a year ago by the Webmaster of this very forum.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/travel-ethics-612334a0-0ca1-4128-b088-c13d1d8a91c3

I appreciate Rick Steves' point of view in his "Travel As A Political Act". That said, Putin's Russia is not a place I would support. But, to each his or her own....

From a practical point of view, travel between the two countries can be difficult. I understand the Russians who traveled in the US this past winter had to go to the US Embassy in the country of Georgia to get visas because the Russians expelled American embassy personnel. If you do travel to Russia, you may be on your own. See the American travel advisory: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/russia-travel-advisory.html

Travel Advisory January 10, 2018 Russia – Level 3: Reconsider travel Reconsider travel to Russia due to terrorism and harassment. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory U.S. citizens are often victims of harassment, mistreatment, and extortion by law-enforcement and other officials. U.S. consular assistance to detained individuals is often unreasonably delayed by Russian officials. Russia also enforces special restrictions on dual U.S.-Russian nationals. Due to the Russian government-imposed reduction on U.S. diplomatic personnel in Russia, the U.S. government has reduced ability to provide services to U.S. citizens.

We have traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg over the past few years. As in the US, most of the people we encountered helpful and not particularly political. In Moscow, we stayed at The Garden Ring Hotel which was a close walk to the metro. The hotel was very comfortable and quiet for being in the city. We loved the art museums and the Georgian restaurants. In St. Petersburg, we stayed at both The 3Mosta hotel near the Hermitage and the Art Hotel Demetra.. In St. Petersburg, we especially liked the Hermitage and Russian museum. Learning the Cyrillic alphabet and having a good map is a must.

As I think the point about ethical considerations has been made, please keep future replies more specific to the question at hand. Thanks.

Either read a good travel book or book a guide who can personally take you to the best places that interest you and tell about the sights you're seeing. We used Dan Petrov on 2 different trips to Moscow and found him to be wonderfully friendly and witty not to mention super knowledgeable.

Latest advice, Australian Governmemt, 1 April 2018. “Due to heightened political tensions, you should be aware of the possibility of anti-Western sentiment or harassment. While the Australian Government is not aware of any increased difficulties for Australians travelling in Russia at this time, you should follow the security and political situation closely and keep up to date with this travel advice. Remain vigilant, avoid any protests or demonstrations and avoid commenting publicly on political developments.”

We very much enjoyed our group trip to Moscow and St Petersburg last year. excellent guides and accommodations. While Steven who has replied here has excellent advice, ( and we took advantage of it), we felt an organized tour really facilitated our enjoyment of the country. You may want to consider a combination of an organized tour and than adding independent days . Some of the Australians on the tour had arrived a couple of days earlier than the tour stated and then some stayed later. If we were to go again (which I would), that"s how I would do it. And I must say , it was enlightening to have conversations with the Russian tour guides and the non Americans about the current world situation. Not that we went into any great depth, but I think we all went away with a little more understanding. Top places: allow lots of time in St Petersburg at the Hermitage- take a separate day for the Impressionist building. In Moscow, the Russian Art Museum was amazing.

Solid advice from Australian government quoted above, especially the keeping up to date part.

I checked the current version (Sep 18) of that advisory - and it hasn't been updated much. In fact, some sections don't seem to have changed since 2005 - their recommendations for importing/exporting currency and financial instruments, for example, are at least five years behind.

I do like reading governmental travel advisories for entertainment purposes - for instance, up until very recently the US one sternly advised potential travelers that Moscow was largely a cash-based economy (couldn't be further from the truth) and warned about intrinsic dangers of gypsy cabs (which had all but disappeared by 2015).

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