Baikal Mile

A crazy ice speed race has been taken its’ a place on Baikal Lake this year on 27 February 2020 – 2 March.

Since USSR times cold war between Russia and USA. And then nowadays sanctions and so on. So russians decided to make theis on Bonneville competition ‘branch zone’.

That’s a technical challenge for the frozen bodies, burning minds and surely great challenge for the unbelievable designed vehicles. This year

Let’s see amazing pictures from Baikal and all that stuff on instagram by hashtag #baikalmile

Russian breakfast in the wild

However, you probably just got your morning coffee in the office and started your brand new day full of job routine and dreams about your next vacatons, dreams of the wide opened borders in a whole world and getting russian visa for free along with the gift ticket to the bright airplane. Oops.. Too much dreaming! But during the big isolation era we need some wild russian cusine recipes. So, maybe you could do something similar to fullfill your day. Like Dale Carnegie said “Today is life – the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today. Get interested in something. Shake yourself awake. Develop a hobby…” and write me a short note that you going to get to Russia soon! 😉

Get your wild breakfast!

The gift to Ekaterinburg from Guangzhou

Europe and Asia border

Sister cities or twin towns are a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities, counties, oblasts, prefectures, provinces, regions, states, and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties. So one if the twin towns of Ekaterinburg is Guangzhou. Chinese government present that flower sculpture as a gift to Ekaterinburg. And it was a surprise to have a traveller with that origin. Mr.Cole visited the border of Europe and Asia near Ekaterinburg during his journey across Russia.

What you need to go by Transsiberain railway

Spill some wine into your glass, smell it gently and think: how do the russians do that – too much vodka is killing them but they are still alive! And you make a decision to go by Trans-siberain railway. And now you imagine you hold a shaking grained glass in the midnight train in the middle of nowhere – frozen russian motherland.

What do you need to make this journey?

Encourage to go is the most importans thing you need
Than a vacation and a bit of money,
Russian visa for a month or so
and 10 most useful russian words

That’s it!

Ekaterinburg – guide yourself around city center

Watch the aerial video guide around Jekaterinburg

Welcome to Ekaterinburg, Yekaterinburg or even Jekaterinburg!

1. Railway station

Most travelers begin to discover the city from the Railway station. And we decided to start the guidance here.

The central railway station main building dates back to 1914, but it received its contemporary look only in 1939. Let’s start our walk from here along Sverdlova street which stretches to the city centre. Lined with Soviet neoclassic housing from the 1950’s in a sort of perspective it brings you to the one of the most well-known places of the city – the Church on Blood. It had built at the place of assassination of the last Russian tzar. You can visit the church and its little museum to learn about the days the emperor and his family spend in Ekaterinburg.

Literary Quarter

Proceed along Proletarskaya street across the quiet Literary Quarter with its wooden museums of local writers from late XIX – early XX century towards the busy Lenina street (alias Main Prospect) where you can find the brightest exemplars of constructivist architecture, Ekaterinburg is so proud of. Turn left and explore the House of Press (1930) with its own street of restaurants inside and the Ural State University (1957). Walk on along the Lenin street to Hotel Iset – another gem of constructivism (1920’s) with a soviet style self-service cafe Fabrika-Kukhnya on the ground floor.

After lunch break like Kondinsky had

After a short break let’s return to the city center and enjoy the stunning building of the Opera House (1912). Then walk towards Malysheva street and check out the northernmost skyscraper Vysotskiy. Here you can explore the panorama of the city from the top of 280 meters and visit the museum of a famous soviet poet, singer and actor of theatre and cinema, Vladimir Vysotskiy. Now let’s walk to the place of foundation of the city at the river bank – the river Dam. It was constructed as a part of the cast iron factory and dates back to 1723. The former buildings of the factory house a museum of architecture, a lore museum and many others. There is an exposition of factory machinery outside.

The Dam and the city founders

Beside the Dam stands the monument to the founders of the city, Vasiliy Tatischev and Willam de Gennin. Also note the beautiful Neo-Gothic building across Lenin street – that is the House of Sevastyanov, a rich collegiate assessor of XIX century. Now we suggest to walk along the river towards the Circus taking a selfie with the monument of the Beatles, jump-typing your name on a huge keyboard and chasing the ducks on the river. And when you finish with observing the area around the Circus hit the 8 Marta street down to the 1905 Square to see the statue of Lenin and the City Hall. Proceed until you reach the Yeltsin center and spend at least 3 hours diving into the history of modern Russia. There are some nice restaurants inside to relax and finish your day in Ekaterinburg. 
Don’t forget to check out Samovar (some-of-our) hiking tours in the beautiful natural sites of the Urals to make the best of your experience in Russia!

It’s really that cold in Russia?

Average temperature map for December in Russia

Climate of Russia is well known as the tough and cold one. Even frozen bears falling asleep in forests of Siberia and bones of mammuth still in a fresh state is there. But telling the truth – that’s not that bad. An you don’t need that much vodka to stay alive.

Russia is a big country that consist of time zones likewise the climate is significantly changing from place to place. So, let’s get first preceiptions of temperature in the major russian cities.

Saint-Petersburg

It’s famous about the weather. I bet you heard about the white nights during the summe. It’s mild time when you could enjoy the city and see the magic of movable bridges during your night walks but there’s nothing comparable with the ‘black days’ during the winter! So, never try it! Around -10°C wind and snowy rains. Completely wet shoes and clothes and has no ability to get warm again. If you decided to visit it during the winter – take tons of socks and spare shoes with you, waterproof jackets, windblock stuff and hang around the best bars with live jazz.

Moscow

There is humid continental climate with warm and long summer and short winter. Coldest time for Moscow is Dec-Feb, when the average temperature is -10°C. Extreme is -20°C for few winter days usually in February. During the summer daylight lasts more than 18 hours and you can spend whole day observe the city and for a warm night get into the nightlife of the biggest city of Russia.

Let’s move a bit further to East – Ural mountains.

Yekaterinburg.

Summer here is shorter than in Moscow and lasts usually from May till September. Warmest days in July with extreme +30°C and average +20°C during the day. Due the mountains around could play with the weather and better to take a jacket with you even it’s pretty hot during the day. Temperature here get down below zero usually in October. Coldest time is Nov-Feb with average -15°C. Extreme cold few days here could be -30°C during the day time with some wind. In case you’re willing to go travel Russia in winter – you can ask for some warm clothes for you. We have some stuff you  could use to survive.

But probably you want to know about the coldest place in Russia where the still ~500 people live in – it’s Oymiakon village. Absolute minimum temperatures during the wintertime go below -65°C degrees (-85°F).

Here you can check the average temperature map of Russia according the month.

Top 10 must-know words and phrases when traveling in Russia

If you suddenly appeared in Russia, this few useful words and must-know phrases will be extremely helpful for you to get rid of any situation during your travel. So, let’s go or ‘Поехали!’

  • Привет – [Privet] – Hi

  • The basic and useful greetings, but never use it for greeting custom officers and police!

  • Как дела? – [Kak dela] – How are you?

  • If you read this – than you already met someone. Just ask how they’re doing!

  • Хорошо – [Khorosho] – Good, Very well

  • Probably, they told you [Khorosho] that means good! And if they offered you vodka you will guess it easilly. But what if not??

  • Пиво – [Pivo] – Beer

  • That’s right! If not vodka it will be beer for shure. But never mix it. Otherwise see the last phrase.

  • Давай – [Davai] – Let’s go! or Give me the thing

  • That’s you have to answer if you willing to show your respect and drink some beer with that person! Also instead of toast you could say every time Davai aka Cheers! Likewise useful to say bye-bye.

  • Спасибо – [Spasibo] – Thank you

  • Be polite – give a thanks for the beer!

  • Пожалуйста – [Pazhaluysta] – Please or You’re welcome

  • They probably said this word that means You are very welcomed!

  • Где туалет? – [Gde tualet?] – Where is the toilet?

  • Useful in 30 minutes since you’ve join their company.

  • До свидания – [Do svidaniya] – Goodbye

  • Just a great word when you decide to escape the company. Do not use it if they don’t want to let you go. In this case use the previous one.

  • Я заблудился – [Ya zabludilsya] – I got lost

  • In case you were not strong enough and mixed vodka with beer. Than you’ve got lost. Use this phrase until you figure out of the situation.

All the best on the hard way across. Don’t drink too much and avoid of drinking with tattoed russians. Давай!

Baikal Expedition

Russian winter. Wooden house

Go into the wild

Winter Forest

18 memorable days, 5000 kilometers of russian roads, 7 passengers in the legendary russian van, gently called “Bukhanka”, we go from Moscow thought the cold Russia to the magic gem of it – Baikal lake, to enjoy seeing it’s surreal deep blue ice, swim into the ice pool, make a selfies with Baikal cuties – nerpas, fishing for omul fish and have real russian bath on the way.

Russian white water spot – the Roarer

There’s a nice white water spot pretty close to Ekaterinburg to have some extreme rafting after few days of the train on your transsiberain way. It’s located on the one of the most picturesque river of Urals – the river Iset.

By the way – if you are brave enough – you can pedal around 90km along the river and you will reach Ekaterinburg by your kayak! Just look at some pictures wrom that amazing spot of rocks to climb, white water, russian birch forest and even deep cave with bats to explore. Everything at one day and even more in our The Roarer tour