If Morris'  and Lieberman's descriptions of their cruise tours  to  St. Petersburg were accurate, there's been a sad decline in Russian freedoms over the last decades or so.  Having spent the summer of 1968 in the USSR during the reign of the Communist dictator Leonid Brezhnev, we actually had much more freedom of movement than Morris describes for the recent trip.  It's hard for me to imagine Morris and that  group  enjoyed being herded around like  sheep, or  believed they really saw the "Real Russia."    
For a few days I was on a tour with an excellent Intourist guide but we were free to go off on our own if we wished.  I remember an old gentleman who somewhat concerned us when he disappeared in a subway station.  Later back at the hotel he explained he'd learned years ago the best way to see a new city is to take a bus to the outskirts and just wander your way back.  
For me, the rest of the summer I was totally free, saw so much and met  many wonderful Russians- mir i druzhba!