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Sakhalin Region DESTINATION several hundred sea lions swim up to the shores passes under the bridge and of Nevelsk and settle on the old breakwater. ese loops around inside the moun- sea lions only form such rookeries in two other tain so that the upper part places on earth besides Nevelsk: in Petropavlovsk- comes out just above the Kamchatsky and Seattle, USA. entrance. A er passing across Devil’s Bridge and through 4 PUGACHEVSKY another tunnel, tourists will MUD VOLCANO nd themselves at Witch’s is is an enormous mud eld covered in craters, Bridge. It’s 50 metres high and almost completely lacking in vegetation. Once extends around 200 metres. here, you’ll feel as though you’re on a completely Unfortunately, Witch’s Bridge di erent planet! e volcano periodically expels is not preserved as well as streams of mud. Devil’s Bridge, and it is dan- gerous to walk across it. But 5 WITCH’S AND DEVIL’S vibrant photo souvenirs are BRIDGES guaranteed. TLR Want to see it all for yourself? is is a complex of unique railway facilities, built Check out our website: during the Karafuto era in the 1920s. gosakhalin.ru/en e road leads to the entrance of the tunnel, which is almost a kilometre in length, and 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 49

DESTINATION Sakhalin Region KTHUERAILSTIOSLNAISNHDINSG IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH SAKHALIN AND THE KURIL ISLANDS: IT’S AS THOUGH NATURE HERSELF GATHERED ALL HER BEST ATTRIBUTES INTO ONE AREA — GRANDIOSE VOLCANOES, INNUMERABLE WATERFALLS, FANTASTICAL CLIFFS, CLEAR-BLUE LAKES, GOLDEN SUNSETS, AND LANDSCAPES THAT ARE SIMPLY OUT OF THIS WORLD. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL IS THE ATMOSPHERE OF BEING AT ONE WITH NATURE, FAR FROM CIVI- LIZATION, NOISE, AND CROWDS OF TOURISTS. TEXT: DENIS FEDOSEEV L et’s get to know the islands of the Kuril Shikotan is the Chain a bit better, and nd out why tourists from all largest island of over the world want to come here. One visit to the only the Lesser Kuril island region of Russia will leave you with unforgettable Chain. It was memories for the rest of your life. here that the Soviet film “The Shikotan — “The Best Place” Life and Adven- tures of Robinson According to one legend, the native people of Shikotan, Crusoe” with the Ainu, named the island “ e Best Place”. One thing Leonid Kuravlyov is for certain: it’s the northernmost and largest island of was shot. Direc- the Lesser Kuril Chain. e climate here is mild, the vol- tor Stanislav canoes are dormant, and the island has no bears. But, on Govorukhin really the other hand, it has its own Edge of the World. liked the endless blue expanses and e island’s main landmark is Cape Edge of the World. the picturesque e cape protrudes almost a kilometre out into the Paci c landscapes of the Ocean, ending abruptly in cli s of 40-50 metres. Looking island. out over the endless blue expanses and bu eted by a strong wind, you really do feel like you’re at the edge of the word — the nearest dry land is 5,400 kilometres east of here. Near the cape is Nameless Bay, where the Soviet lm “ e Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” with Leonid Kuravlyov was lmed. ere are small uninhab- ited islands in the waters around Shikotan.  50 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Sakhalin Region DESTINATION Kunashir is probably the richest of the Kuril Islands in terms of its variety of land- scapes, flora, and fauna, as well as in terms of landmarks. One of those landmarks is Cape Stolb- chaty, which is composed of innumerable basalt columns. TVholecaBnaoseasltoCfoKluumnansshairnd Kunashir is the southernmost inhabited island of the Kuril Chain. It is made up on a chain of active volcanoes: Tyatya (1,819 metres), Ruruy (1,485 metres), Mendeleev (886 metres) and Golovnin (541 metres). It is probably the richest of the Kuril Islands in terms of its variety of landscapes, ora, and fauna, as well as in terms of landmarks. In the language of the Ainu people, the island’s name means Black. It probably earned its name thanks to the abundance of pine forests on the island, as well as the dark cone of Tyatya volcano. Tyatya, the highest of the volcanoes and also known as “Father-Mountain”, is located in a hard- to-reach part of the island. Tourists don’t o en go there, but it is still possible to get there by foot along the coast (a three-day trip, more or less), or, in good weather, by boat (trips take at least three hours). e ascent itself takes around seven hours: three hours to Otvazhny crater, then another four hours to the summit. e descent takes half the time. Another unusual natural feature of Kuna- shir Island is Cape Stolbchaty. It comprises of innumerable basalt columns. ey make up four-, ve-, and six-sided prisms, formed by a volcanic eruption and the slow extrusion of lava, which hardened a erwards. Similar natu- ral phenomena are incredibly rare. e cape also has the remains of cli s, the outlines of which look like monks wearing cowls. ➜ 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 51

DESTINATION Sakhalin Region TofhIetuHroutpSprings Iturup is the largest island of the Kuril archipelago, and some consider it the most beautiful as well. e nature here is incredi- ble: volcanoes stand side-by-side with thermal pools, and unusual white cli s stand out against the background of emerald forests and dark-grey sandy beaches. e white cli s range from a height of 17 to 114 metres. ey are formed from grey-white PHOTO: ANDREY GRACHEV / KONSTANTIN ANTIPIN / The Vannochki pumice, and have been carved into fantastical can- EVGENY KASPERSKY / SERGEY KOZINTSEV / MITYA RAZUM thermal spa com- yons and crevices by powerful erosive forces. plex is an ideal place for relaxa- ere are around 20 di erent volcanoes on tion, with a view of Iturup. Baransky Volcano (1,134 metres) is the Kuril Bay and a popular tourist destination with a variety of hot water tempera- springs, mud pools, and steam vents. Atsonupuri tures of around (1,205 metres) is considered the most beautiful 46 degrees Celsius. volcano on the island thanks to its nearly perfect conic form. Yankito plateau is made of solidi ed In 2009, a spa complex was built on the coast near the pools. volcanic lava. Tourists at the plateau can not only take their most “out of this world” photos, but can also admire the black western coast of the island. 52 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Sakhalin Region DESTINATION Getting a closer Hot mineral springs, a strikingly exotic local look at the “boil- feature, also number among Iturup’s natural ing” lakes of resources. ey are called “white gold” for their Baransky volcano unique healing properties. ere are several ther- is scary, but very interesting. mal spa complexes located on the island. Atsonupuri is e erapeutic thermal spa complex another active volcano on Zharkye Vody is located four kilome- Iturup. It is tres from the village of Reidovo in the a somma strato- valley of the Mineralny River. Hot volcano mineral water from deep under- (“a volcano ground allows for year-long within a vol- therapeutic and relaxing baths cano”), like both outdoors and in a tent, Mount Vesuvius. where six wooden pools are set White cliffs, up. You can also undergo treat- formed from ments using healing muds at the white-grey complex. is is where you will pumice, can reach leave behind problems with your heights of joints or skin. A er a therapeutic 114 metres. course of hydrotherapy and bal- neotherapy at Zharkye Vody, you’ll feel young and beautiful again, and sleep like a baby. Another thermal spa complex, Van- nochki, is the ideal place for relaxation with a view of Kuril bay and water temperatures of around 46 degrees Celsius. It is located on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, two kilometres from the city of Kurilsk. e gaseous waters of the complex pleas- antly relax and relieve tension. At the complex, you will nd peace and tranquillity, and feel strength returning to your reborn body. ere is a camping centre at the foot of Baransky volcano, located on the largest (by volume) thermal river in the world, known as the Kipyaschaya (Boil- ing) River. e temperature of its water is almost 42 degrees. ese are the most picturesque mineral springs of Iturup island, and in addition to their therapeu- tic and relaxing e ects, you will experience the true delight of their bright colours and the incredible beauty of the local nature. Don’t forget that you need to be careful in vis- iting hot springs, and before a thermal bath you should consult a specialist. A journey to the Kuril Islands could become the most remarkable experience of your life — don’t put it o ! TLR i HOW TO GET THERE The Kuril Islands of Kunashir, Shikotan and Iturup are more accessi- ble than they seem. Aurora airline’s flights from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Iturup or Kunashir are conveniently coordinated with the helicopter flights of Aviashelf airlines, connecting the two islands with one another. This creates the possibility of flying to Shikotan through Iturup in one day (on Mondays and Wednesdays), and from Shikotan to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk via Kunashir (on Tues- days, Wednesdays, and Fridays). Aviashelf airlines carries out regular flights on Mi-8 MTV-1 helicopters between the Iturup, Kunashir, and Shikotan islands of the Kuril Chain. The cost of a flight in one direction runs from 2,300 to 3,100 rubles ($30-40). Aurora advance ticket sales are carried out on their website, flyaurora.ru 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 53

PSEAARFAODOIDSE SAKHALIN AND THE KURIL ISLANDS ARE PRIVATELY CONSIDERED TO BE THE HOME- LAND OF RUSSIA’S MOST DELICIOUS SEAFOOD. WHERE ELSE COULD YOU ENJOY SUCH A VARIETY OF FRESH SEAFOOD? OUR CORRESPONDENT INNA ZOTOVA TELLS ALL ABOUT THE DISHES OF ISLAND CUISINE. Any food lover will delight in the variety of delicacies avail- able. It’s worth a trip to Sakhalin just to try the mas- Many ingre- terpieces of the island’s cuisine. Local dishes dients for perfectly combine the best traditions of their restaurant dishes nearby neighbours Korea and Japan. It’s no grow underfoot, wonder that the island’s cuisine took second as the saying goes, place in the National Geographic Traveller Awards or live in the sea, 2018 in the category “Gastronomic Tourism”. which is within e majority of the ingredients used in cooking are a stone’s throw. freshly-caught. Many of the ingredients grow under- They include foot, as the saying goes, or live in the sea, which is ferns, ramson, within a stone’s throw. ey include ferns, ramson, bur- burdock, sea- dock, seaweed, sea grapes, squids, crabs, and scallops. weed, sea grapes, When choosing Korean dishes, be ready for squids, crabs, and a hearty lunch or dinner — in Sakhalin restaurants, scallops. traditional Korean appetizers are served with the main meal, usually spicy radishes, starchy noodles, kimchi, Tourists come to or Korean carrot salad. Sakhalin just for the For lovers of Japanese cuisine, Sakhalin is truly a happy hunting ground. Sushi, sashimi, maki, and taste of freshly- dozens of other world-famous dishes stand out thanks caught crab. to the particular freshness of their ingredients and careful observance of traditional Japanese cooking technology. On Sakhalin, you’ll nd no few chefs who have worked in Japan itself, and some representatives 54 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

The Kamchatka Sakhalin Region DESTINATION crab is the pride of local cuisine. within. e cooking process takes up to 20 minutes; there is no need to hurry. Boiled Kamchatka crab has a distinctive bright red colour. When they are ready, arm yourself with patience, and... to scissors! A er breaking o an appetizing limb, cut along the sides and remove the juicy and tender meat from within. Salmon caviar is still the most popular foodstu among the island’s inhabitants and guests. In the summer, you can try “ ve-minute caviar” — which is almost raw. For export, on the other hand, choose a more salted variety. Salmon caviar is the most popular foodstuff among the region’s inhabitants and guests. PHOTO: STATE BUDGETARY INSTITUTION “SAKHALIN TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER” Boiled crab has a Sea urchin caviar is called uni in Japanese. Shrimp, espe- distinctive bright It is considered a powerful aphrodisiac, and has cially the large red colour. rejuvenating properties. Uni has around 30% polyun- ones known here saturated fat content (Omega-3 and Omega-6), as chilim, delight of the Land of the Rising Sun have even founded their a large number of vitamins (A, B, C, E, D, B3), and the island’s visi- own establishments here. a high iodine content. anks to its healthy make-up, tors. Of course, this caviar can cleanse your blood, and whole body, a plate of the Some tourists speci cally come to Sakhalin for the of toxins. Some believe that the regular consumption island’s seafood unparalleled taste of freshly-caught crab, prepared of uni in various dishes drives the record longevity of wouldn’t be com- according to all traditional rules. As a matter of fact, the Japanese. plete without freezing fresh crab is not recommended — a er cook- trumpet-fish, ing it, you risk coming across “empty” limbs. Lovers of tender and juicy scallop meat prefer octopus, squid, it raw. O en, natives of Sakhalin go to the coast in and other shell- To cook a fresh Kamchatka crab, you need a large search of these shells for themselves. Unlike their fish. You can buy pot or saucepan with a capacity of 15-20 litres, in which European counterparts, oysters on Sakhalin reach these delica- you can cook several crabs at once. Fill the pan with sea gigantic sizes of up to 20 cm. Shrimp, especially the cies at the fish water, bring it to the boil, and then place whole crabs large ones known here as chilim, delight the island’s visitors. Of course, a plate of the island’s seafood market. wouldn’t be complete without trumpet- sh, octopus, squid, and other shell sh. You can buy all these kinds of seafood at the sh market at any time of the year, where these valuable, delicious goods are expertly packaged to ensure the best possible preservation of their freshness. TLR Sakhalin Tourist Information Centre Tel./WhatsApp 8-924-880-60-80 gosakhalin.ru #GoSakhalin 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 55

CPORILMOOURRYFEUL IN SUMMER, “ALL ROADS LEAD TO SOCHI”, AT LEAST FOR RUS- SIANS LIVING IN THE WEST OF THE COUNTRY; THOSE IN THE EAST, HOWEVER, YEARN FOR PRIMORYE. GO TO ANY BEACH IN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER AND THE NUMBER PLATES ON DISPLAY WILL BE A GEOGRAPHY LESSON ON THE FAR EAST. TEXT: EVGENY KONOVALOV Diving in dead on weekends when every- The Gamov Primorye is very one rushes to the sea. In August, Peninsula popular among typhoons pay a visit, bring- (260 km from lovers of the ing the long-awaited freshness Vladivostok) depths. and coolness of their rains to is one of the Primorye. most pictur- Primorsky Territory is esque natural much more than just e best season, however, sites in southern sea, although the sea comes in September. ey also Primorye. means a lot in these call it “the fourth month of parts. Tourists from summer”. It’s sunny every day, various regions come here every but without the sti ing heat. e summer to swim, sunbathe, water temperature in the Sea of dive and enjoy the local seafood Japan stays at around 20 degrees delicacies. until October. In general, the mellow autumn season is the On Sochi’s Latitude best time to visit Vladivostok. Also, September is the high Vladivostok, the capital of Pri- season of various cultural events morye, almost shares the same of every size in Vladivostok. latitude as Sochi. Although you One such event is the Paci c won’t nd palm trees here, the Meridian Film Festival, which summers are hotter than those gathers Russia’s most prominent of the Caucasus’s Black Sea coast. Still, the weather is quite lm stars for the entire city to capricious. In June, Vladivostok come and see on the red carpet. can be shrouded in a fog which brings a certain mysticism and During the festival, famous charm to the city. Local photog- guests visit faraway provinces ➜ raphers o en hunt for beautiful shots in the pre-dawn hours. In July, Vladivostok is sunny and hot, and the city is almost 56 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Primorsky Territory DESTINATION 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 57

DESTINATION Primorsky Territory to hold creative meetings, where o er breath-taking views while of the 20th century. When visit- Funicular cars they are greeted with true far- narrow streets in the city centre ing the Primorye capital, be sure decorated for eastern hospitality. are lled with Japanese cars to take a tour around the Asian Tiger Day. buzzing around. landmarks of the city, which are Of course, the guests also very interesting and colourful! enjoy the nearby islands, swim- Two things strike a visitor ming in the wonderfully clean to Vladivostok: the complete During the Russo-Japa- sea, scuba diving, and tasting absence of domestically-pro- nese war, Vladivostok was local seafood delicacies like duced automobiles and an turned into a fortress. One of mussels, sea cucumber, and abundance of beautiful women. the landmarks of the city is the scallop. Some of the lm stars Vladivostok Fortress, a museum are so engrossed by the seaside e nature of Primorye is truly of forti cation architecture. beauty that they come here sev- very generous in producing eral times a year. beauties. e numerous forts have many secrets to tell. It is said that AinEAusrioapean City Foreigners o en call Vladiv- underground tunnels were dug ostok “a European city in Asia”, under the entire city (one of e phrase “Vladivostok may be and that is one of the reasons them even leading to the Russky far, but it’s still our city” belongs they are drawn here. Of course, Island). Local diggers are glad to to the leader of the world pro- proximity to Asia has le its show tourists the dungeons and letariat, Vladimir Lenin, and mark on the city: you’ll see that catacombs, sharing all sorts of everyone coming to Vladiv- in the old city quarters which horror stories. ostok by train sees it engraved were built by the Japanese and on the wall of the train station. Chinese, of whom many lived It is believed that anyone vis- On the platform itself there is a in Vladivostok at the beginning iting Vladivostok should achieve sign, “9288 kilometres” — the distance between Primorye and The Golden Bridge — Moscow. Vladivostok is the last the beloved land- station of the Trans-Siberian mark of Vladivostok. Railway. e city is o en compared to San Francisco. e rst one to make that comparison was Nikita Khrushchev, and it has become a popular one. Never- theless, Vladivostok has its own unique image. is is a city sur- rounded by the sea on three sides, a port city with all the elements of port life. It is sur- rounded by volcanic hills which A perfect view of the Lazurnaya Bay.

Primorsky Territory DESTINATION Lighthouse on the Basargin Cape in the Eastern Bosphorus. three things: take a ride on the Famous Russian funicular, take a photo with actors enjoy partici- the Golden Bridge in the back- pating in the Pacific ground, and visit the extreme Meridian Film point of the mainland at the Festival held in Tokarevsky lighthouse. e Vladivistok. rest is optional, but the city has enough to o er: museums, thea- Two things strike a visitor to Vladivostok: tres, art galleries, restaurants the complete absence of domestically-produced and nightclubs. And, of course, automobiles and an abundance of beautiful women. the sea... President Vladimir Putin was centres will fully equip you for RSouustshiaernmost once so enchanted by this place diving at any spot in Peter the he spent a whole week here, also Great Bay, including the area of e name Primorye (“the land enjoying the fresh seafood deli- the Marine Reserve. near the sea”) speaks for itself. cacies. Soon a er his visit, the idea of building an oceanarium Pearls of the Coast e coastline of the region where guests of Primorye could exceeds 900 kilometres, plus gaze at the sea and ocean crea- e most well-known of Primo- about a hundred large and small tures from around the world was rye’s beaches outside the region islands. e Russky, Popov, envisioned. Primorsky Aquar- is Shamora. e famous Russian Reineke islands, the Peschany ium is now the largest in Russia rock bands, Mumiy Troll and peninsula — there are plenty of and one of the most large-scale Alisa have both glori ed Sham- destinations to chose from. e scienti c and educational com- ora in their songs. O cially it’s lucky owners of yachts, cruisers plexes in the world. called the Lazurnaya Bay (“Bay and motor boats (of which the d’Azur”), and a mere twenty number is growing every year) Primorye’s underwater world years ago the bay was as attrac- who prefer more secluded loca- is abundant and varied, a true tive to tourists as the famous tions have plenty of uninhabited El Dorado for divers. Local dive Cote d’Azur. A common scene ➜ islands to choose from. Interestingly, the south- ernmost islands of Russia are located in Primorye - the Furu- gelm Islands. Go any further south and your next stop will be Korea. However, getting to those islands is not easy for a mere mortal. e islands belong to the only Marine Reserve in Russia. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 59

DESTINATION Primorsky Territory from the old days: thousands of entire coast is covered in small colourful tents occupying every rounded colourful pieces of glass. tiny spot of coastline, almost Steklyashka is one of the only two falling into the sea. People from “glassy” beaches on the planet, all over the Far East would the other one is in California. come here for holidays by the sea. Today Shamora’s main visi- Every year, when the summer tors are Vladivostokians — on comes, hordes of beach lovers weekends and days o the beach rush to the Primorsky Territory. is absolutely packed. Once quite wild, Shamora is now “re ned” e entire coast of Primorsky by guest houses, summer cafés Territory is covered with cars and barbecues, with no tourist from Khabarovsk, Amur region, tents in sight... Magadan and all across the Far East. e south-west of Primo- Another famous city beach rye, the Khasan region, remains is Steklyashka (“small piece of the all-time Mecca of inde- glass”). It got its name due to pendent wildlife tourism. It’s an unusual phenomenon: the no coincidence that this place is called the “pearl of the Primorye Every year, when the summer comes, hordes Vladivostok of beach lovers from across the Far East rush restaurants to the Primorsky Territory. will spoil you with the most delightful fresh seafood. Immerse yourself in PHOTO: KAMCHATKA.SHAMORA.INFO / DREAMSTIME.COM / P VL_RU / SU.TULA.SU / TWITTER COM / DMITRY ZAKOVOROTNY / IA PRIMAMEDIA / VISUALRIAN.RU the beauty of this land, forget all your worries on the white sand beaches and glorious volcanic hills. 60 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

The most popular Primorsky Territory DESTINATION area for kayaking is coast”. Until very recently, eco- the coast of Russky nomic activity here was strictly Island. limited as 37% of the Khasan is The Amur tiger, a protected nature area, making symbol of Primorye, the region ecologically pristine. can be seen in local reserves and national Khasan has a welcoming, parks. mild, almost subtropical cli- mate. It’s known and loved for its cosy coves and magical beaches, turquoise sea and rich underwater scenery, as well as its fretwork of rocks overgrown with Japanese red pines. e beauty of Khasan is an endless source of inspiration for artists and photographers. TInatiogathSepiFroitg for the Primorye is much more than seas and beaches. A er all, the symbol of Primorye is a tiger, the lord of the Ussuri taiga — an audience with whom is not as di cult to get as it may seem. Located within an hour’s drive from Vladivostok is a safari park, where about 70 species of the Primorsky region fauna live in close to wild conditions. ose species include two very rare big cats: the Amur tiger and the Far Eastern leopard. Primorye has always been considered a promising region The famous for developing ecological tour- undoubtedly catch on. Each city beach, ism. Its mountains, rivers, of the six reserves and four Steklyashka. lakes, waterfalls, ancient national parks in the Primor- There are only extinct volcanoes, and caves sky Territory are devoted to two “glassy” are equally unique from the developing ecotourism. For beaches on the scienti c, educational and aes- instance, the Sikhote-Alin planet, the other thetic perspectives. Nature Reserve, which is on the one is in Cali- UNESCO World Heritage List, One can chose to be a true has developed several routes for fornia. pioneer and head to the very exploring deep into the taiga north, the most road-free part and along the coast. of the region. ese lands o er an unforgettable change to e array of places and types people bored with ailand of recreation in Primorye is and the Maldives (or reluc- wide and diverse: from chilling tant to ever go there): life in on a pristine beach to studying tents, days lled with shing the geography and biology of for trout and red sh in the Primorye in the wild or going refreshing mountain rivers, on gastronomic adventures in and ra ing. the local restaurants. Vladiv- ostok and Primorye can ful l Not many chose this style your every wish. TLR of vacation now, but it will 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 61

“GAME OF THRONES” FANS KDIRNAGGDOOMN SHOULD BE HAPPY: IN THE SOUTH OF PRIMORSKY TERRI- TEXT: IRINA TEPPER TORY, NEAR THE VILLAGE OF CHISTOVODNOE, THEY CAN VISIT A REAL-LIFE DRAGON KINGDOM. If you’re looking for a vacation equally interesting for adults and children, we recommend you set o on an adventure in search of fairy tale dragons. e astonishing and mesmeriz- ing rock formations which make up Dragon Park can be found near the village of Chistovodnoe in Lazovsky district. It’s impossible not to think of George R. R. Martin’s ctional world of the Seven Kingdoms, his famous King’s Landing with its Blackwater Bay, and, of course, the gigantic dragons themselves. Gigantic Ridges According to one legend, the spiky rocks in this place are real dragons, turned to stone, that lived here long before humanity. Another version maintains that the rock mass took on these fantastical forms, attracting masses of tourists and photogra- phers, as a result of a centuries-long process of weathering and erosion. From the village, the climb to It’s worth going to this region for PHOTO: IGOR ONUCHIN / IRINA TEPPER / TIC PRIMORSKY KRAI the remains of the cli s by forest at least two days, as there are many path takes around an hour and interesting sites to see on the way. a half. At the top of the hill, two You can get there by car or as a part giant ridges, dragon-like, will cap- of a tour group. Primorsky Territo- tivate your gaze. If you approach ry’s Tourist Information Centre will and take a closer look, then you can recommend a trustworthy tour com- see a dragon’s footprint, head, and pany with a tried and tested route. even baby dragons. Some rocks lie as though strewn about by some Waterfalls of Primorye cosmic hand. is led to another legend about the origin of these On the way to Chistovodnoe, you rocks: that they’re alien. can make a stop at the Benevsky waterfalls, also known as the Yelo- e local natural beauty is movsky waterfalls. It’s best to come particularly striking in autumn: prepared, as the route to the falls is numerous oaks with their crowns along a forest path above a stream of yellow leaves stand side-by-side that takes around ve hours for with bright-red maples and emer- a round trip. e rst waterfall is ald cedars. You don’t have to worry called the “Star of Primorye”, and is about ticks in the forest, nor su er considered the most beautiful water- from summer humidity during the fall in the Territory. It is 25 metres upward climb. tall. A stream of water falls from 62 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Primorsky Territory DESTINATION the cli above and breaks loudly upon the Kievka river, which loops around The “Star of as part of a tour group, whose the rocky ledges below. When setting the road, and camp out there in their Primorye” organizers will secure your safety o on your hike, be careful: plan your tents or cars. Eight kilometres from is considered the and lodgings. timing so that you don’t have to go Kievka village there’s a camp site most beautiful back through the forest in the dark. called “Khutor Zapovedny” where you waterfall in the RBeadthDseer and Radon can spend the night, but you need to region. ere are not many places to spend book in advance. Additionally, there’s From above, the Another interesting place on the the night in this district. e bravest of almost no cell-service here. We recom- spiky rock faces road to the “dragons” is the red- tourists pitch tents right on the rocks mend that you set o on this journey look like dragons deer farm. It is a 10-minute drive of the park, while others go down to turned to stone. from Lazo village, in the direction of You can see Benevsky village. e farm is home “wings” and other to red deer, brought there a few years body parts of those ago from the Altai Territory. At the mythical beings in farm, you can feed the animals or the rock forma- take a photo as a souvenir. tions. Doesn’t it look like e nal destination of the route the print of a giant is Chistovodnoe (around paw? 330 km from Vladivostok). e vil- From the top of lage is located in a valley between the hill you can two hills, and is a dead-end —  see two gigantic ridges. the road doesn’t go any further. ere’s also a sanatorium in the village, where musculo-skeletal disorders are treated by means of health-giving radon baths. It just so happens that in the valley of the Chistovodnaya river there are seven mineral water outlets containing the radioactive gas radon. ere’s no doubt that a trip to Lazovsky district is an unforgettable adventure, whose sites will leave you with many powerful emotions. TLR For detailed information, consult the Tour- ist Information Centre: visit-primorye.ru. Instagram: @visit.primorye. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 63

NATURE RESERVE Komi A VISIT TO MANPUPUNER TEXT: ALEXEY EGOROV THE UNTOUCHED BEAUTY OF NATURE CAPTIVATES NOT ONLY TOURISTS, BUT ALSO THOSE WHO WORK TO PROTECT IT. IRINA CHERDAKOVA, A VOLUNTEER, SHARED EXCLUSIVELY WITH “TOURISM & LEISURE IN RUSSIA” HER IMPRESSIONS OF WORK IN THE PECHORA-ILYCHSKY NATURE RESERVE IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOMI. 64 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

ack when I was a very young child, my Komi NATURE RESERVE family had a framed photograph of the Stone Pillars hanging in our kitchen. Last year, volunteers built a bridge across the From afar, the Pil- I would point at it and say, “I want Pechora River and two of its tributaries. Some volun- lars look like giants to go there!” e childhood dream teers from Lithuania and Great Britain tried so hard suddenly turned to remained just a dream until two years that on the rst day — or rather in the rst ten minutes stone. An old Mansy — they managed to break two sledge hammers used for legend tells of the Bago, when I learned that the company hammering the supports of the bridge into place! It was giant Torev and “Severny Ural” (Northern Ural) was also then that some of the muddiest sections of the trail his brothers who recruiting volunteers to build an ecological trail on the were covered with footbridges on stilts. ese works are were thus punished Manpupuner plateau in the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature planned to be continued this year. for attempting to Reserve. Two weeks on the plateau! Food and accom- abduct the fair Aym. modation included! It was a gi of fate. I packed my Girls March Ahead! Today only taking rucksack and was o . At the end of my two weeks there, I pictures by the Pil- realized that I wasn’t ready to leave. I ended up spending Last summer I wasn’t working with a sledge hammer. lars is allowed; the whole summer there, and came back in 2017, also for My task was to accompany groups of tourists from the however, there was the summer season; I plan to do the same this summer. Vologda border — the edge of the reserve — to the Pil- a time when tourists lars and back. We o er the tourists the chance to take would leave writ- A Trail by the House part in the improvement of the route on a voluntary ing on them, or even basis. Men would walk straight ahead with stakes climb them with In 2016, together with the other volunteers, I was on their shoulders, occasionally allowing themselves Alpinist hooks. involved in building a path from the house of the to swear. ey simply could not throw their loads down From the windows Reserve’s inspectors to the Pillars themselves. We col- — not when in front of them a young woman was walk- of a helicopter lected stones on the slopes, took them in barrels to the ing along, carrying the same kind of stakes, saying, “Just flying above the location of the future trail, crushed them with a stone throw it down if you’re tired!” reserve the taiga is crusher, and tamped them. We worked full days, from visible. Bears and morning until evening. It was physically hard work, e number of volunteers helping out at the reserve moose live here in mosquitoes and midges were a nuisance, and sometimes varies from year to year. What doesn’t change is that abundance, and the weather was horrible. At rst it was di cult to keep they are always wonderful people. ey’d go to the in the spring and up. We got tired, we cried, we put balms on our calluses ends of the earth with you — or more appropriately, ➜ summer period so and scratches. But once you get accustomed to it, all you do mosquitoes and ever notice is the unspeakable beauty around you — and midges. the results of your labour. e plateau has damp areas where water collects. On their way to the Pillars tour- Two weeks on the plateau! Food and accommodation ists would try to avoid these damp areas and make new included! It was a gift of fate. I packed my rucksack and paths, thus destroying the natural landscape of the pla- was off. At the end of my two weeks there, I realized that teau. A year a er our work rst began, the trail laid out I wasn’t ready to leave. by the volunteers blended into the mountain’s landscape, and animals started using it too. e old paths remained only in mossy areas: moss regenerates very slowly. PHOTO: AGRONOMU.COM / NORDIC URAL.RU / EVGENY ANDROSOV / IRINA CHERDAKOVA / PECHORA ILYCHSKY RESERVE 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 65

NATURE RESERVE Komi perhaps, to the heart of the forest. Most of them are family men. At the end of the day those strong, weather-beaten men would talk about missing their wives and children, and that was really very sweet! As for myself, well, a woman in the house always means tidiness and comfort. I was good at handling di erent rags, processing le over food into pancakes, and motivating tourists to help us carry construction materials. e absence of of a shower was the most di cult thing for me personally. We city dwellers take washing the dishes, showering or having a bath at any time of the day absolutely for granted. Here, tap water is non- existent, you must bring it. Every drop is precious. At some point, a helicopter brought us a sanitary module: a bath-house with a bio-toilet. at new addition put an end to our “wild” living. e tourist ow increases every year. Before the helipad and the trail were built, the reserve was closed to the public (apart from some illicit guests). Today 1,200 visitors per season are o cially allowed. ey y in by helicopter, come on foot from the Dyatlov pass or from Ivdel, or by vehicle in ATVs and jeeps. Trans- port, of course, is only permitted to go as far as the edge of the reserve — the rest of the way to the Pillars is on foot only. Many interesting people, all of them eager for adventure, have come here. I particularly recall one young lady who cut her leg on a stone and walked to the border of the reserve on pain killers. e guys who were there helped her out by carrying her things. ey were running out of meds, and in fact, she needed sur- gery on her leg. We came to the Vologda boundary in the evening. A helicopter was due in the morning. She was to be evacuated, which meant that she would be ➜ 66 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

All visits to the One of the Pechora Pillars must be taiga’s signature supervised by features are berry the reserve’s fields in sphag- inspectors. num swamps, Everyone who with bright spots comes to the Man- of cloudberry, pupuner plateau cranberry and now walks only blueberry adorn- on the gravel path ing the white to allow nature to moss. restore itself. There are many The pillars are places suitable for beautiful at all a tent on the way times, but espe- to the reserve. cially in the rays of the setting sun. The Dyatlov Pass. Nothing special, just stone out- crops and a past tragedy. Before the helipad and the trail were built, the reserve was closed to the public (apart from some illicit guests). Today 1,200 visitors per season are officially allowed. They fly in by helicopter, or by vehicle in ATVs and jeeps. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 67

NATURE RESERVE Komi 68 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Komi NATURE RESERVE The landscapes of the reserve are beautiful at any time bells with me. In theory, this was to warn the animals of the year, but especially in late summer and early that I was approaching, so that they would get scared autumn, when the mountain tundra is replete with an and leave. In reality, I once experienced the oppo- abundance of colours and the northern berries ripen. site. It was a warm sunny day. I was walking on an old track winding between the trees when, some 20 meters before the turn (I counted the steps later — when you’re afraid, you naturally exaggerate), I spotted something moving, and looked up. At that moment, a large hairy beast jumps from the path into the thicket and almost noiselessly makes its way through the fallen trees and dri wood into the wilderness. My rst thought was: my, it’s so big and u y! At rst, I wasn’t frightened or alarmed, but wondered to myself what touching its fur, so beautiful in the sun, would have felt like. And then, when I realized that the bear had heard and smelled me from afar, but stayed there to look at me out of curiosity, I felt afraid. Had the animal chosen to act di erently, the outcome, too, would have been di erent. One evening before going to bed, I went to the Pil- lars to watch some buzzards hunt at twilight. Ahead of me, perhaps a hundred meters away, I saw the silhouette of a fox next to the trail. I stopped, and the fox walked in my direction — I was jubilant that it was about to run right past me! But when the animal, having run up to two meters from me, lay down on the ground right there, I was shocked. I did not expect this from a wild animal. It was a very young, lean male fox... and a very curious one. I got down and sat motionless. We spent about ten minutes like that. en the fox grew bolder, approached, pushed my sneaker with its nose, and then, tried to bite it. I untied the lace and handed it to the fox. A game began. Like a little playful dog, he pulled the lace with his teeth, tried to rip it from me, falling on his front legs and jumping around me. He didn’t allow me to touch him and didn’t follow me home. But he le me with a memory for life. TLR The Pechora- missing her chance of going to the Pillars and back. In GETTING THERE Ilych taiga sea at the morning, she was hysterical: the entire group was sunset. getting ready to walk to the plateau, leaving her behind. How to Get There a stove in mind. Last year, a The 11km trail And yet she had walked all that way! Was it only to stop The easiest, but also the five-day trip that included from the Vologda and turn around barely 10 kilometres from the destina- most expensive way to visit coming to and from by heli- boundary to the tion she had dreamed of reaching! It was very di cult the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature copter, accommodation in a Manpupuner pla- to get her to calm down and explain to her that health Reserve is to order a helicop- mountain camping site and teau. Without it, was of a far greater importance. ter tour from Perm. daily trips to the plateau on the road to the A one-day excursion will cost snowmobiles cost 80 thou- pillars would be My Wild Beasts you 45 thousand roubles sand roubles ($1,050). extremely muddy. (about $600). Another option The Pechora River ere are quite a few di erent zones on the reserve, is to gather a group of friends, What to See is the water gate each of them an attraction in itself, each in its own style take a train to the city of The Dyatlov Pass, of the reserve. and with its own inspectors — or “locals”. Take, for Ivdel, order a local “GAZ-66” Mount Otorten and the stone The reindeer is one instance, the Torreporreiz, ridges of stunning beauty — or a “Ural” transfer to the “gate” at its foot… It was this of the reserve’s the name translates from Mansi as “Stone City”. I had Auspiya river and walk with mountain that Igor Dyatlov most beautiful dreamed of seeing them, but it turned out that the ter- your backpacks along the and his team were attempt- inhabitants. ritory was closed. Besides the Pillars, you can also visit trail for about 110 kilometres. ing to reach back in 1959, Although consid- our country’s rst ever moose farm. Founded in 1949, You need to get a pass to the when the notorious incident ered tame, the it is located in the village of Yaksha. Another beautiful Reserve six months prior. occurred. In the village of reindeer lead a zone is Shezhym-Pechorsky. It stands on a small cli on Where to Stay Yaksha you can pay a visit semi-wild life. the Pechora river; several of the reserve’s pedestrian and As an option, you can to the world’s first elk farm. After all, it is the water routes pass by it. stay in the mountain modules The reserve features numer- human who fol- on the Reserve’s territory on ous sections, each unique in lows the deer in Bears frequented our trails, sometimes overturn- the Vologda boundary. its own way, but Shezhym- their constant ing the wooden walkways across swampy places as If you are hiking or skiing, Pechora is probably the most wanderings, and they played. To be on the safe side, I always carried bring tents. In winter, you picturesque of them all. not the other way will need two- or three-layer Don’t miss out on a trip to round. tents made with the use of find the source of the great northern river Pechora in the mountains. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 69

IN FOCUS Putorana Early September is a very interesting time in the Putoranas. While in the summer the midnight sun circles the sky day and night, by September the dark- ness is returning little by little, meaning the Northern Lights are visible. But the sun only dips below the horizon, and, leaving red streaks in the sky, does not allow itself to be forgotten. THoEfLOPSTuWtoOrRaLDna 70 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Putorana IN FOCUS IN THE DEPTHS OF SIBERIA, TWO MIGHTY RIVERS RUSH TOWARDS THE ARCTIC OCEAN: THE LENA AND THE YENISEI. THE VAST EXPANSE OF THE CENTRAL SIBERIAN PLATEAU LIES BETWEEN THEM. MANY AMAZING PLACES CAN BE FOUND IN THIS PRIMORDIAL LANDSCAPE, BUT AMONG THEM, ONE STANDS OUT AS TRULY UNIQUE: THE MOUNTAINS OF PUTORANA, OR, AS THEY ARE ALSO CALLED, THE PUTORANA PLATEAU. Photos: Sergei Karpukhin 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 71

IN FOCUS Putorana 72 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Putorana IN FOCUS The Bolshoy Kureysky Water- fall is the largest in Russia in terms of flow rate. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 73

IN FOCUS Putorana Sunrises and sunsets — dubbed “operating time” by photographers — are not to be missed. 74 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Putorana IN FOCUS 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 75

IN FOCUS Putorana Lake Yt-Kyuel. Trans- lated from the Dolgan language it means something like Dog’s Lake, and as such is often called that. It is still in the Putorana Reserve’s buffer zone, but at the far end is a ranger’s hut, and beyond that lies the reserve. 76 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Putorana IN FOCUS 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 77

IN FOCUS Putorana The Putorana Plateau is a land of waterfalls. It would be almost impossible to calculate how many, but you’ll come across them on practically every stream. 78 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

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IN FOCUS Putorana Dog’s Lake (Ozero Sobach’e). The shore- lines of the lakes in the Putorana range are not so simple for a photog- rapher. Or rather, their foregrounds are of little interest — but you’ll often find rocky prom- ontories from which an incredible birds-eye view opens up. 80 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Putorana IN FOCUS 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 81

JrFoOowrUtnwoRowy,NethaErescYiintya’Ss verdlovsk Region main pedestrian street, Weiner Street, has been decorated with Chinese lanterns in the period leading up to the Chinese New Year. JourneyText: ANTON SEMYONOV FROM SVERDLOVSK TO YEKATERINBURG WE LEFT SVERDLOVSK IN 1991, A PIVOTAL YEAR. IT WAS IN THIS YEAR THAT THE SOVIET UNION COLLAPSED ONCE AND FOR ALL, AND THE CITY WAS RENAMED YEKATERINBURG. AND NOW, 28 YEARS LATER, I ONCE AGAIN FOUND MYSELF IN THE CITY OF MY CHILDHOOD. 82 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

НHappens in life, you experience Sverdlovsk Region JOURNEY a feeling when you return many years later to a place you once me in rather severe style: winter temperatures lived and with which a piece of reached -40ºC, and everyone was walking around in your destiny is linked — some- felt boots and fur mittens to protect themselves from thing personal, meaningful, but the cold. e summer, however, was hot, and outside already irrevocably in the past. of the city there were huge mosquitos and ticks. Only You walk around with appre- thick clothing would keep you safe. hension, wondering if your expectations and memories of Arrival those days will match up with the scene that you see today — will And so, a er nearly three decades, I once again you be disappointed, will this found myself in the city of my childhood. Nowa- reunion unravel a part of a long- days, it’s called Yekaterinburg. I arrived at Koltsovo, past era? a modern and well-designed airport, with Ural Air- I was seven years old when we lines and from there a taxi (Yandex) to the centre, moved from Voronezh to Sver- which came to 500 roubles ($6.50) and took a half dlovsk. First year at school, rst hour. school crush, rst friends, rst ght... A er warm, southern During the ve days I spent in the capital of the Voronezh, the Urals welcomed Urals, I o en used taxis and noticed that the cars were quite shabby and almost always dirty. On the third day I couldn’t help (rather cautiously) asking the driver “Why don’t you clean the car?” “I was going to today,” came the laconic reply. e drivers I came across were all di erent. One was worried about a loan — he’d taken out a mort- gage, wanted to pay it o early, but the bank wouldn’t recalculate the interest. Another was a very talkative driver from Kyrgyzstan — a former Soviet republic, now an inde- pendent country. He came to the Urals in his uncle’s footsteps 10 years ago and ended up staying. He has loads of friends in Moscow, but he doesn’t want to move there, prefers things here. He got married here, and had kids. Once a year the family travels to see his relatives in Bishkek, and they visit the famous lake Issyk-Kul’. Driving 2,500 km across the hot Kazakh steppe is something he enjoys. He lives, as he mentioned, in the Sortirovka district, where the Yekaterinburg-Sortirovochny railway station is — a place that raises another vivid childhood memory. In 1988, when we still lived here, a powerful explosion happened at that station. A railway train ➜ Urin-ekva (woman-raven) souvenir from the Zemlya Predkov (“Ancestral Lands”) ethnopark. The Spiral of Time fountain on Weiner Street was built rela- tively recently. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 83

carrying explosive materials (47 tonnes of TNT and There is an incredible 40 tonnes of RDX) rolled down a slope and hit a panorama of Yekaterin- stationary cargo train on the tracks, right next to burg from the viewing a warehouse full of ammable lubricant oils. e platform in the Vysotsky explosion was so powerful that we felt it in our home skyscraper. 8km away from the station — the walls and oor shook as if there were an earthquake, and some- where close by windows shattered. My parents, having seen the mushroom cloud from the window of our apartment, thought a nuclear war had started. Pieces of roo ng felt, ash, and cinders fell from the sky for the whole of the next day. Skyscrapers, Skyscrapers... I stayed in the hi-tech Four Elements hotel in the very centre of the city, from which it was a stone’s throw to our old house. Almost immediately I found the 1905 Square (“Ploshchad’ 1905 goda”), where the city’s main events and parades happen. Lenin is still standing on the same spot, and in the build- ing that once housed the city’s Council of People’s Deputies there is now the city administration. Next door, a huge shopping centre has appeared, called Passage, and near the house where we lived for ve years another 42-storey block of apartments has been Yekaterinburg is thought to be the most compact large city (with over one million inhabitants) in Russia — perhaps that’s why in recent years so many skyscrapers have been built here. Performances in the built, called “February Revolu- Kolyada Theatre are tion”. A new era, but the same old known for their origi- names. nality. The Stone Flower Yekaterinburg is thought to be fountain on Labour the most compact large city (with Square (“Ploshchad’ over one million inhabitants) in Truda”): the oldest in Russia — perhaps that’s why in the city. recent years so many skyscrapers Figures made from have been built here. scotch tape have appeared on the city’s In the very rst one, a 52-storey streets — they are an business centre called “Vysot- installation by the sky”, there is a viewing platform artist Mark Jenkins. — a popular restaurant, Vertical, 84 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Sverdlovsk Region JOURNEY Sculptures near the Museum of located on the second-highest oor with panoramic History, Science, and Technology windows and a great view over the city. Every year of the Sverdlovsk Railway. athletes and amateurs take the skyscraper by storm: a competition is held to see who can reach the top oor A panorama of the city the quickest, with more than 300 runners from vari- centre from the pond ous cities competing. ere are record-breakers too, on the Iset river. like Ivan Kuznetsov, a teacher from Pervouralsk, who completed the race in 4 minutes 42 seconds, taking The hi-tech interior of the 4-star Four rst place. All winners receive prize money from the Elements hotel. organisers. ree years ago on Boris Yeltsin Street (formerly called 9th January Street), the 209-metre-high “Iset” tower was built, containing apartments and pent- houses. It was the rst building in the city’s CBD, Yekaterinburg-City, funded through investment by the Ural Metallurgical Company. e stylish rst- oor restaurant Korova (“Cow”) serves juicy steaks and other European dishes. e 24-storey building of the Sverdlovsk Region government, also known as the White House, is also situated on this street. e House of Soviets stood here until 1991, and at the time it was the highest building in the city. e main tourist attraction on this street is prob- ably the Yeltsin Centre. Tourists and visitors to the city are well advised to take a trip to this modern educational-cultural-museum complex, guarded by a white marble memorial to Boris Yeltsin at the entrance. It is here that red diplomas are handed out to the best graduates of the Ural Federal University (formerly Ural Polytechnic, from which Yeltsin him- self graduated). Yeltsin Centre Of course, the Yeltsin Centre is today one of the most famous and recognisable of Yekaterinburg’s brands. e Yeltsin Foundation should thank its critics ➜ Getting There How to get there Where Tickets from Moscow to Eat to Yekaterinburg will set you The city has a huge number back between $44 and $52, of cafés and restaurants; on with a flight time of 2 hours 8th of March Street alone 20 minutes. A train ticket will there are more than 70! cost around the same, and Try the oxtail soup in Gas- the journey time is more than troli pub, blini with caviar 24 hours. in Dubrovin, delicious cakes Where to Stay and desserts in the “Nye The huge range of hotels Torty, a Torty” café. catering to all tastes and budgets is one of the What city’s advantages for to Buy tourists. A room for Crockery and other two in the 4-star works of Sysert por- Park Inn costs around celain, various pieces $53, in the Four Ele- crafted from Ural ments from $40, and stone, creative souve- in the Hotel Onegin nirs from the shops from $36. in the Yeltsin Centre. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 85

JOURNEY Sverdlovsk Region The Boris Yeltsin Presi- museum to the moment you leave it. e exhibits are HOTO: J2GIS.RU / USTPICK.RU / MONKRESTAURANT.RU / RADUGAKAMNYA.RU / TOP50.66.RU / dential Centre is one all very interesting, modern, and creative. An Amer- WIKIMEDIA.ORG / ANTON SEMENOV / ALEXANDER YAMPOLSKY / RIA NOVOSTI of the most famous ican company developed the concept of the centre for this too, the most ardent of based on that of US Presidential libraries — if only which is the famous lm direc- attractions of modern we had more museums like this. tor Nikita Mikhalkov: the Oscar Yekaterinburg. winner has drawn attention to e Yeltsin Centre is a modern facility — aside the centre’s work so o en that it Protesters and proponents from the museum itself, cafés, restaurants, stores, not only guaranteed the centre’s of family values at the gi shops, vinyl stores, fashion brands and o ces recognisability, but was a form of Yeltsin Centre. can be found across its six oors. You can even rent advertisement in its own right. o ce- or event-space. e centre’s own programme “What’s so terrible about it?” is pretty full, too: there are lectures, conferences, viewers wonder, and then go and master-classes, cinema showings, and discussion visit the “ghastly” place worth panels every day... along with plenty of scandals. As $185 million. we were leaving the centre in the evening, a group of men with hastily written signs were standing on It must be said that the the street near the entrance, protesting against a lec- museum itself clings to its ture being held about same-sex relationships. A few defences on all fronts. Tour police o cers stood nearby, clearly wondering what guides forbade us journalists to do. en some re- ghters drove up, and people from taking videos in the bus, started evacuating the building. Apparently some- which had been converted into one had called the police claiming to have planted a a cinema where Naina Yeltsin bomb; the protesters quickly withdrew. (Boris Yeltsin’s wife), Tatyana Yumasheva (his daughter) and A30p0ptrhoaAcnhninivgersary other famous people were being shown on screen. e heroic During my trip, the Yeltsin Centre was hosting the image of the rst democratically “Bolshoy Ural” international tourist forum, organ- elected president (who, in point ised by the Centre for Touristic Development of of fact, inspires a sense of dissat- Sverdlovsk Region and attended by guests from isfaction in many) is projected other countries and regions of Russia. At the same from the moment you enter the time the “Tourist Souvenir” competition was run- ning and local cra smen were showing o their creations: metalware, swords, knives, stone cra s (there they are, the real Ural gems!), and various dolls. This “seagull” remem- bers Boris Yeltsin from the time he headed the Sverdlovsk Regional Communist Party Committee. A vinyl shop in the Yeltsin Centre: a rich collection in the home of Russian rock.

Sverdlovsk RegioSAnynseeJrxOthpibUoirtciRoenlNaoinfEY at the Museum of Architecture and Design of the Ural University of Archi- tecture and Art. In 1723, a dam was built on the Iset river to serve Handmade souvenir the needs of the Yekaterinburg Mechanical Plant. dolls from the The city’s birth is linked with the opening of this Zemlya Predkov factory 300 years ago. ethnopark. Sheet-forging Sysert porcelain is a folk-art hammer from 1826 at cra that appeared at the end of the Museum of Archi- the 19th century. Nowadays, not tecture and Design. only traditional dishes, teacups, teapots and services are made in e forum began with the opening of the Sysert the Sysert factory, but also por- porcelain exhibition in the Museum of Architec- celain icons! e tea services are ture and Design of the Ural State University for particularly popular, and are dec- Architecture and Art. e museum is located in orated with the faces of the last the Historical park, on the so-called “Plotinka” Russian emperor Nicholas II, killed (“Dam”) — one of the city’s main attractions. A in Yekaterinburg in 1918. With the dam was built on this part of the Iset river in 1723, support of the governor, a new pro- in order to serve the needs of the newly-opened duction complex is being planned Yekaterinburg Metallurgical Plant. e city’s for the factory, where more than birth is linked to the opening of the factory, and 100 people are employed. in 2023 Yekaterinburg will celebrate its 300-year anniversary. tInhethReoyFaolotFsatmepilsyof Perhaps every Orthodox believer who comes to the capital of the Urals will visit the Church on the Blood. It was built on a hill ➜ 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 87

JOURNEY Sverdlovsk Region on the exact spot where the engi- demise. A platform surrounds the A cross marking the neer Nikolai Ipatiev’s house once minesha and a cross was erected abandoned mine shaft stood, and in which Nicholas II, his nearby, and in one of the churches where the bodies of family, and four servants were held a museum dedicated to the royal the royal family were under arrest and then shot on the family has been opened. Here you destroyed. night of July 17th, 1918. In 1977, the can read about the details of the Politburo ordered that the house be murder, which were compiled by the demolished. Yeltsin, who was at that investigator for high-priority cases, time the First Secretary of the Sver- Nikolai Sokolov. dlovsk Regional Communist Party Committee, carried out the task. Excursions around the monas- Consecrated in 2003, the church tery must be booked in advance. is one of the city’s main tourist Getting out of there is also not a par- attractions. ticularly easy task: the internet and mobile connection is bad. But if nec- Interestingly, Yekaterinburg essary, you’ll be able to call for a taxi, used to have a street named a er and from there to the city centre will Rimma Yurovskaya, one of the cost 350 roubles (around $5). organisers of the Komsomol youth movement in the Urals and the Proper Businessman daughter of Yakov Yurovsky, chief executioner of the royal family. Yekaterinburg has a nearby satel- On request of the city’s residents, lite city, Verkhnyaya Pyshma, with the street was renamed in 1992 to a population of more than 70,000 Vladimir Vysotsky Street. Rimma Yurovskaya Street — named a er the daughter of A er visiting the church, I le the Cheka member Yakov Yurovsky, who was the chief execu- the city for Ganina Yama (“Ganya’s tioner of the Tsar and his family — was renamed to Vladimir Pit”), the place where the remains of the murdered royal family were Vysotsky Street in 1992 by request of the city’s residents. thrown into a minesha . and the headquarters of the global e Orthodox Monastery of the metallurgical giant, the Ural Mining Holy Royal Passion-bearers was built and Metallurgical Company. Its gen- here between 2000 and 2003. e eral director and co-owner Andrey complex consists of seven wooden Kozitsyn occupies 22nd place in the churches, one for each of the mur- Forbes 2020 list of Russia’s wealthi- dered members of the royal family. est businessmen. He was born and lives in Verkhnyaya Pyshma, and ree memorials have also been invests the company’s earnings in erected on the site: one for Nicholas the city: he has built sports palaces, II, one for Empress Alexandra Feo- museums, churches, parks. e dorovna and one for their children. population is growing and housing is being built; people want to come is quiet place in the pine here for good work and pay. forest is very tranquil and gives guests the chance to learn about the One of Andrey Kozitsyn’s favour- history of the royal family and their ite places is the Museum Complex of Military and Civilian Technolo- The icon shop gies, which we visited with some in the Monas- fellow journalists. In 10 years, the tery of the Holy museum has collected more than Royal Passion- 500 pieces of military equipment, Bearers. while the Museum of Automotive Technology, 20th Century AUTO, The Orders of the houses the biggest collection of retro Russian Empire of vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles the imperial family in Russia. Vehicles spanning more than 130 years are displayed in the are kept in the new 4-storey building, and the rst museum at Ganina oor is lled with vintage foreign- Yama. made cars — all of which were sold by their owners at auctions. All the cars are in working order and per- fect condition, so much so that it’s 88 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

a distinctly St Petersburg word for “kerb”. I’m not in St Petersburg, am I? Russia’s cultural capital? Yekaterinburg was breaking up in front of me, with this new, unex- plored side of it... And for the rest of my time in the city I was convinced: people in this city are ordinary, cultured, polite. ey’ve started to monetise the common expression “you’re, what, from the Urals?” and now it appears on socks and cards sold in the souve- nir shops. So, I bought some as a keepsake. TLR In the Automotive hard to peel yourself away! In total, the museum’s Technology Museum collection includes more than 160 cars and almost 20th Century AUTO, as many motorcycles and bicycles. there is a collection of cars and motor Instead of an Epilogue vehicles spanning 130 years of history, Before trekking to another cult spot in Yeka- including a minibus terinburg, the Kolyada eatre, I stopped for from the film “Kid- a snack in a café opposite my dear old School napping, Caucasian No. 9. ere were lots of young people there, Style”. obviously students, but the civilised, meas- Souvenir plate “The ured speech of two boys with rucksacks at the Urals — the land of neighbouring table stood out. Hearing the word gems”. porebrik, I almost choked on my co ee — that’s 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A 89

ROUTES Tyumen Region GThoeldBlack Capital THE TYUMEN REGION, LOCATED WITHIN A TWO-AND-A- HALF-HOUR FLIGHT FROM MOSCOW, MAY WELL BE ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL DESTINATIONS FOR A LONG WEEKEND. READ ON ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT, AND WHY A TRIP HERE IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST. REVIEW BY IVAN NIKOLAEV. Y our amazing jour- A City of Happy of Russia. To begin to understand Russia’s only four- ney in West Siberia People why Tyumen’s people are so in level embankment, will start with your love with their city, a visitor needs complete with arrival at its regional Its residents have dubbed it “the to simply take a tour of its most sculptures and foun- centre, the city of best city on Earth”. Studies and popular sites and attractions, like tains, is a favourite Tyumen. e rst city to be built surveys held over recent years the four-level embankment of the leisure site with in Siberia, Russia’s oil and gas have shown Tyumen as ranking Tura River, the merchant-quarter the residents of capital holds vast promise in its the highest in terms of standard of full of beautiful mansions adorned Tyumen. development. living and “happiness index” in all with hallmark Siberian carvings, its The region’s main theatres, museums and, of course, specialty are its atmospheric cafés. Stroll around the signature hot inviting Gilevskaya grove, Zatyu- springs, with over mensky Ecopark or some of the twenty of them city’s other green nooks — and nd located in the imme- your own happiness index escalat- diate vicinity of the ing, too. region’s capital. The carved wooden Siberian Cuisine front pieces which traditionally adorn Many of the city’s restaurants and the facades of old cafés o er traditional Siberian merchant houses menus. e locals are unanimous in can also be seen on mentioning the restaurant Chum newer buildings. (a chum is a traditional Siberian tent) They are the work among the city’s most interesting of skilled modern gourmet spots. It o ers both a tasty artisans. meal along with authentic impres- sions of the region’s history. You will 90 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

The Black Gold of be surprised to find its waiters to be A visitor simply needs to take a tour of Tumen’s Siberia tour features knowledgeable tour guides as they most popular sites, like the embankment of the the history of Sibe- tell you fascinating stories about Tura River, the merchant-quarter, its theatres, ria’s development, the geologists who came to conquer museums and, of course, atmospheric cafés. a tour of an oil- the taiga near Tyumen in the 1960s. extraction site, and The most popular dishes offered salad with crayfish tails. Visitors raw material resources are concen- even participation in in Chum are muksun stroganina fond of experimental cuisine are in trated in the Tyumen region. In the oilmen’s initia- (a delicacy made of thinly sliced for exclusive treats — fusion dishes the course of the captivating tion ritual. frozen fish) and venison salad. By based on high merchant style “Siberia’s Black Gold” tour you’ll These are the exqui- the way, this restaurant-museum cookery and culinary hits of the learn about the history of Sibe- site dishes served was consecrated by a real Siberian USSR, to name but a few. ria’s development, witness the at the popular shaman, and it is believed that if oil-extracting process, eat black “museum restau- you make a wish while there, it will Hot Springs fish ukha (fish soup) and even go rant”, Chum. definitely come true. through the oilmen initiation rite. Every visitor takes Tyumen’s calling card is its natural a moment to sit on Some of Tyumen’s restaurants hot springs — the area around the Rasputin’s Domain Grigory Rasputin’s cook using recipes dating back to region’s capital boasts over twenty antique Vienna chair the 1700s, like vinaigrette with of them. The temperature of the On the way from Tyumen to which is believed to milk mushrooms or the ‘Olivier’ mineral water gushing from the Tobolsk be sure to stop at the vil- bring good luck and bowels of the Earth ranges from lage of Pokrovskoe. It’s home to professional success. +36 to + 45⁰С. Bathing in these Siberia’s first privately owned springs is not merely pleasant and museum, the house of Grigory Ras- relaxing — the procedure triggers putin, one of the most controversial healing processes in the body and and debated figures in Russian tones the skin. history. The exhibition is based on items owned by the Rasputin JOoiilnCinogmtmheunGiatys and family, including original photo- graphs of himself and his relations In the early days of oil and gas with personal signatures and notes. development in Western Siberia, Make sure you take a moment to enthusiasts and romantics from sit on Rasputin’s famous Viennese all over the USSR gathered here. chair: it brings good luck and pro- Presently, 60% of Russia’s national fessional success. TLR 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 91

PtthhyeeoWtaRruuYtsEhesoirEasrnhoKoffavEi,ryND Tobolsk tale poem “The Little Hump- backed Horse” lived and worked in Tobolsk. The white- stone Tobolsk Kremlin is the sole kremlin built beyond the Urals. The museum of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II and family was opened in the house where they lived in exile. FATHER OF SIBERIAN CITIES PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CITY OF TOBOLSK ITS RICH HISTORY, INESTIMABLE CENTURIES-OLD CULTURAL HERITAGE, NATURAL TREASURES, AND ADVANCED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALL COMBINE TO MAKE TOBOLSK ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TOURIST HDESTINATIONS. REVIEW BY MIKHAIL IGNATIEV. e who desires to see Tobolsk was founded in 1587 and the only kremlin beyond the something truly beauti- by voivode (military governor) Urals were built. It was here, too, ful in this world must go Danil Chulkov at the con uence that the rst printing house was built to Tobolsk, was the rec- of the major Siberian rivers, Tobol and the rst Siberian book was pub- ommendation given to and Irtysh; since then it has been lished. e rst school, theatre and readers in 1818 by Sibirsky Vestnik, the centre of historical events for one of the oldest museums of Sibe- a magazine that was published in the more than four centuries. Being ria also opened their doors in this Siberian capital. It is a remarkable the administrative, cultural, spir- city. Tobolsk is deservedly called the fact that, 200 years later, well-known itual, and commercial centre of Father of Siberian cities. contemporaries are still saying Siberia, the city hosted numerous that this city deserves our atten- foreign ambassadors. It became e pride and joy of the former tion. Take, for example, the famous the engine behind the acceler- provincial capital is the Tobolsk traveller Fyodor Konyukhov, who ated development of Siberia’s vast Kremlin ensemble, built in the 17th– admits: “Tobolsk became a part of expanses. 18th centuries. In 1961, it became my destiny thanks to the lasting and e rst capital of Siberia was the heart of the Tobolsk histori- heartfelt a ection it inspired in me the rst in everything — it was in cal and architectural museum and from the very rst time I saw it.” Tobolsk that the rst stone church heritage site. Today, the most signi - cant episodes of Siberian history are 92 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Tobolsk WEEKEND presented in the exhibitions of 18 Ioanno-Vvedensky Convent and the Pyotr Yershov also lived and worked state and private museums. Abalak Holy Znamensky Monastery, here. both included in the list of Sacred Sites Tobolsk is one of the spirit- of Russia. Pilgrims come here not only Since ancient times, the city has ual centres of Russia, along with from Russia, but also from abroad. been famous for its traditional cra s Moscow and St. Petersburg. e Not far from the city there is a sacred and folk arts. e Tobolsk bone-carv- multi-ethnic and multi-religious place for Siberian Tatars — Iskerskaya ing factory, the only one in Russia, city is adorned with 13 Ortho- Astana, where the rst preachers of continues the traditions of old cra s- dox churches, as well as Muslim Islam in Siberia are buried. men by manufacturing art products mosques and a Catholic Church. and souvenirs made of mammoth Among the important religious e rich history of the city is bone. sites close to Tobolsk are the associated with the names of many Tobolsk is actively develop- Tobolsk was founded in 1587 by voivode (military ing as a centre of event tourism. governor) Danil Chulkov at the confluence of the It hosts the annual music festival major Siberian rivers, Tobol and Irtysh. “Summer in the Tobolsk Kremlin”, the international festival “Isker- The popular tourist prominent gures. e last Russian Zhyen”, and the gastronomic festival complex «Abalak» is Emperor Nicholas II and his family “Ukha Tsaritsa”, all of which are a reconstruction of a lived here in exile for eight months. ranked among Top 200 best events stockaded town which Tobolsk is the birthplace of the world- in Russia. e annual historical is located 20km from famous scientist Dmitri Mendeleev, re-enactment festival “Abalakskoe the composer Alexander Alyabyev, Pole” is very popular among guests Tobolsk. the architect and chronicler Semyon and locals. It is an amazing oppor- Remezov, the artist Vasily Perov (a tunity to plunge into the life of member of the Peredvizhniki, or Wan- medieval Russia. derer group), and the former President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Comfortable hotels and hostels Yury Osipov. e author of the famous where you can choose accommoda- Russian fairy tale “ e Little Hump- tion to your liking — from economy backed Horse” (“Konyok-Gorbunok”) rooms to luxury apartments — will allow you to fully enjoy generous Siberian hospitality. Numerous cafes and restaurants will delight you with dishes of European, Russian, and Tatar cuisine. TLR The Church of Tobolsk carved Saints Zacharias and bone is another Elizabeth was built of the city’s most in the 18th century recognizable in the style of the brands. Siberian Baroque. Participants of the Festival of Histor- ical and Cultural Heritage of Sibe- rian Tatars “Isker- Zhyen”. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 93

ROUTES Retro-Train The driver must go through special training in order to operate the steam locomotive. Bologoe. The Seliger retro-train and a Sapsan train. Continuity through the ages. The stationmaster and TEXT: PAVEL CHUKAEV conductors of Seliger in their mid-20th century STEAM u9n4ifToOrUmRsI.S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020 POWERED IN TVER REGION, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS, A REAL, OLD-FASHIONED STEAM LOCOMOTIVE SET OFF ON A REG- ULAR ROUTE. IT’S COMPLETELY NATURAL THAT TOURISTS ARE THRILLED TO RIDE IT.

Retro-Train ROUTES Real retro-tickets are for sale on the Seliger retro- train. TA bridge across the Shlina river Every little is one of the most picturesque boy dreams of parts of the route from riding on an Bologoe to Ostashkov. old-fashioned e whistle of a steam engine cuts steam locomotive! through the silence at Kuzhenkino station on Saturdays. For a few min- retro atmosphere that dominates at are once more used for regular trips utes the sky disappears in pu s of the station. — even if only once a week: on the steam, then passengers leaving the other days of the week a diesel loco- two green wagons ll up the wooden Actually, in Russia you can ride motive hauls the train. Tourists ride platform. e train, which runs from on a steam locomotive in other side-by-side with locals, people visit- Bologoe to Ostashkov in Tver region, places as well — you don’t have to ing their dachas (country homes), and makes a half-hour stop at this sta- penetrate deep into the forest wil- mushroom foragers, while a ride costs tion to re ll the steam locomotive’s derness near Lake Seliger to do so. the same as a normal suburban fare water tanks and to allow passengers For example, tourist rides on steam — only 295 rubles (around $4) for a to visit the old-fashioned station, locomotives are organized on the one-way ticket. now restored and really turned into a picturesque Circum-Baikal Rail- kind of museum. Passengers receive way around the famous Lake Baikal, In Bologoe, seeing a steam loco- a free tour. Tour guides dress in the departing from Irkutsk. But Bolo- motive doesn’t surprise anyone. e railway uniform of the 1960s, just goe — Ostashkov is the rst line station has two memorial steam like the train conductors. If it wasn’t since 1976 where steam locomotives locomotives: one greets travellers at for the chain supermarket at the sta- the station platform, the other awaits tion, nothing would impinge on the them at the square near the station. But the Seliger retro-train, launched in September 2018, is still a special case. e Bologoe — Polotskaya line on which Seliger runs has long been known to transportation lovers as a true sanctuary of railway history. ➜ Tour guides are dressed in uniforms from the ‘60s, just like the conductors. But for the chain supermarket at the station, the retro atmosphere would be complete. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 95

ROUTES Retro-Train The Ruskeala Express arrives at its temporary wooden platform. The departure of the Ruskeala Express is announced by the ringing of bells. The elegant interior of the Ruskeala Express is decorated with bouquets of cowberries. The route of the Ruskeala Express runs through the picturesque region around Lake Ladoga. 96 T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N RU S S I A december 2020

Retro-Train ROUTES e line was built in the beginning the Ruskeala Express, deliver- the number of wagons on the train by of the 20th century, primarily for ing passengers from the city of the end of the summer. military purposes, and moderniza- Sortavala to the marble quar- tion bypassed it altogether — there ries of Ruskeala. is is a daily e price for this ride is somewhat are still manual switches and cosy train (sometimes running twice higher than in Tver region — from wooden stations along the line. a day during the summer), and 455 rubles ($6) for a ticket. e Over the last year, a steady stream in its rst two and a half months ride lasts for one hour. Before the of tourists has been drawn to this of operation it transported twice launch of this train, it was practically line, also attracted by the local as many passengers as the Seliger impossible to get from Sortavala to beauty. e majority of the retro- transports in a year. Ruskeala by public transportation, train’s route runs through deep and a ride by taxi cost a pretty penny. forests with picturesque streams, A di erent period was chosen For the moment, a temporary plat- swamps, and rare trees, and ends for the design of this retro-train: form has been erected in Ruskeala, at the banks of Lake Seliger. the pre-revolutionary era. Old-fash- where there are plans to open a ioned interiors (with the addition marble train station soon. And that’s e Seliger steam locomotive of modern sockets with USB con- not the only perspective for the future experiment was acknowledged to nectors) have been recreated in the development of the Ruskeala Express be a success by its railway com- restaurant car and two compart- project: there are discussions about pany. In the summer of 2019, ment cars. e demand for steam the possibility of a steam locomotive the company launched another locomotive trips in Karelia turned ride across the border — to the Finn- retro-train on a regular route — out to be so high that they doubled ish city of Joensuu. TLR Before the retro-train was launched, it was almost impossible to reach Ruskeala by public transportation. Soon, a marble station will be opened in Ruskeala, and in the long run, an express train will run to the Finnish city of Joensuu. If you’re lucky, GETTING THERE PHOTO: AGTF.RU / API.TOP.ST / CAN STOCK PHOTO / MORSPB.RU / YABLOR.RU / ZEN.YANDEX.RU / you’ll get to see Seliger Retro-Train FIR NOTES.RF / GRIGORY EGOROV / ALEXANDER POPOV / PAVEL CHUKAEV how eggs are fried, according to tradition, Route: Bologoe — Ostashkov — Bol- on a shovel right in the ogoe (Tver Region). Frequency: every locomotive furnace. Saturday. Schedule: departure from A different steam locomotive Bologoe — 9:25, from Ostashkov — leads the Ruskeala Express 15:07. Transit time: to Ostashkov back to Sortavala 3 hours 40 minutes, to Bologoe — (series “Eu”). 3 hours 15 minutes. Ride fare: 295 rubles (around $4) one way. How to get there: almost all trains running between Moscow and St. Petersburg stop in Bologoe. The Ruskeala Express Route: Sortavala — Ruskeala — Sor- tavala (Karelia). Frequency: every day. Schedule: departure from Sortavala - 10:40, from Ruskeala — 17:30. Transit time: around one hour. Ride fare: 455 rubles ($6) one way. How to get there: the departure time of the Ruskeala Express is coor- dinated with the schedule of the St. Petersburg — Sortavala Lastochka trains. 2020 december T O U R I S M & L E I S U R E I N R U S S I A 97

IN VOLOGDA, A CITY KNOWN Father Frost’s CHIEFLY FOR ITS LACE, YOU residence in CAN TRY THE CREAMY LOCAL BUTTER AND ATTEND A SALT- Veliky Ustyug is MAKING WORKSHOP — OR, open for visits THE MOST EXCITING OF ALL, all year round. TAKE A FAIRY-TALE JOURNEY TO VISIT FATHER FROST, THE At the excur- RUSSIAN COUNTERPART OF sion visitors SANTA CLAUS. learn about the history of the TEXT: EKATERINA SMIRNOVA Russian navy, the discovery of Rus- TREASURES sian America and OF THE NORTH the geography 1Day in Vologda of voyages over Almost all guides start their famous Vologda butter according to the Pacific Ocean city tours from Kremlin Square. made by Tot- Here, on the banks of the Vologda 2the original recipe. ma’s sea-faring River, stands the monumental Day in Totma merchants. St. Sophia Cathedral. A beauti- Stay the night in Vologda, and in the morning, get up early ful view of the city opens from its and travel to Totma, a town of sail- 78-meter high bell tower. ors and explorers located 210km Remember to get your pictures from the region’s capital. taken with the monument to the e city’s signature architec- letter “O”, sitting on the bench with tural style is the Totma Baroque. e a sign that says, “Let’s sit and say facades of the churches are adorned our o’s” (a reference to the Vologda by exquisite ornaments called accent!), or next to the art object “cartouches”. called “ e door to...” All these e Church of the Entry into attractions are located in the park Jerusalem, a ship-temple, is home on Cathedral Hill. A visit to Rus- to the Mariners’ Museum. On the sia’s one-of-a-kind lace museum excursion there you will learn about will undoubtedly be the culmina- the history of the Russian navy, the tion of your programme. Don’t discovery of Russian America, and forget to undertake the quest, either the geography of the voyages across — it leads to the carved palisade the Paci c Ocean made by mer- mentioned in a famous song about chants from Totma. Besides all that, Vologda. you can also participate in a real e a ernoon is best spent at the “sea battle”. Semyonkovo Open Air Museum. e history of Totma is rst ere you’ll learn about peasant and foremost the history of the salt traditions in the Russian North industry. Today, fragments of brine and will be able to try making the pipes can be seen in the Totma Ethnographic Museum and in the village of Varinitsa on the outskirts Vologda’s sig- nature lace. 3of the city. Day in Veliky Ustug A er a day of visiting the cul- tural attractions in Totma you’ll take a 4-hour trip to Veliky Ustyug where you can spend the night in one of the city’s hotels. In the morning, refreshed and well- rested, why not head out to see some of the local attractions?