russia-insider--2020-09-17--Wondrous Rostov Veliky (the Great): The Soul of Russia

This article from our archives was first published on RI in November 2015 Finding myself stuck in the midst of a creative crisis I decided to follow advice I had read about in “ The Artist 's Way ” by Julia Cameron .
When your inner artist is exhausted , said Cameron , you need to go to a calm and serene place , switch off from the daily grind and your mobile phone , and listen to your inner self .
So I jumped into my car and drove off to Rostov Veliky , barely three hours away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ batteries .
My trip coincided with the fun and delicious Rostov Veliky Ukha Soup Festival .
The town ’ s main square was filled with groups of people from different regions of Russia .
They were all cooking “ ukha , ” Russia ’ s most popular fish soup , using local , regional recipes .
While soup was being served up , several authors of children ’ s books came to the town square to meet their little readers .
At another end , a few charity organizations collected money for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jury went from one pot to another , scooped up the soup with large spoons and tasted all the regional variations of the soup .
They were evaluating the quality based on three criteria : the broth , the fish and the dish as a whole .
The festival was a lot of fun , but since the aim of my little journey was to spend some time with myself , I ate a bowl of delicious Tatar fish soup and escaped from the crowd .
I went for a walk around Rostov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this small Russian town are comparable to those I had after visiting Venice in Italy or Toamasina in Madagascar .
I saw authentic Russian exoticism up close for the first time in Rostov Veliky , despite having been born in Russia and lived my whole life here .
People often and rightly say that Moscow is not the “ real ” Russia .
Rostov Veliky is undoubtedly a must-see place for Muscovites , Peterburgers and residents of large cities from around the world .
It paints a different picture of life than one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and gives you the opportunity to put your own life into perspective .
One of Russia ’ s most ancient cities is quite rough around the edges and desolate with the exception of its beautiful Kremlin , which is the town 's main enterprise .
In a wonderful way all of this goes hand in hand with the pride and dignity of Rostov Veliky .
It was my first visit to this town , yet I strolled along the streets with a strange sense of familiarity , as if the paint chipping on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street were somehow known to me .
I just had n't seen them in a long while .
My exhausted inner artist was enjoying the walk and interacting with a type of melancholy that you can only find in Russia , when suddenly I was interrupted by a phone call .
It was my father .
He asked if I had arrived safely and told me that my great grandfather had worked as a horse cab driver in Rostov before the Russian Revolution of 1917 .
Every morning he attached a cart to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long , similar to Russian émigré writer Gaito Gazdanov in Paris many years later .
I hung up , switched off my phone and got to thinking : was it a coincidence or does genetic memory really exist ?
The route of an artistic person Legend says that in the old days the holiness of Rostov Veliky was so undisputable that its residents did n't even consider building fortress banks or other protective constructions around it .
Even the suspicious Ivan the Terrible came here to hide when he felt unsafe .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – 1613 ) the city was attacked and all of the inhabitants were slaughtered .
There was n't a single person left alive to bury the bodies .
Only two steps away from the Kremlin ( well , everything in town is a frog 's leap from the fortress ) is a hotel for visiting artists who arrive to paint life in a typical Russian town .
These visitors can enjoy freshly baked bread from the monastery and stroll along the embankment .
If only there were wooden platforms on the banks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect for yoga : the sun rises directly over the picturesque lake .
The Kremlin itself has a hotel on its premises , so it is possible to spend a night in the sacred old chambers .
On the next day foreign guests can book a guided tour in English or take a master class in how to ring church bells .
After the Kremlin tour and some rest by the nearby lake take a walk around this small town .
You will find the old Dutch fortress bank , which was built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , and today overgrown with nettle , burdock and dandelions ; a section of town featuring buildings constructed during the rule of Catherine the Great ; and old wooden houses with carved window frames .
The streets are surrealistically empty – there is hardly anybody outside , as many have left looking for a better life .
It is a perfect location for filming , a fact not lost on Soviet and Russian filmmakers who have shot many projects here over the years .
This town has always attracted artistic people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's unique mission disappeared when I reached the bank of the gigantic , mysterious and incredibly blue Lake Nero , which came into existence before the Ice Age .
One can spend hours sitting on its banks , looking at the sky ’ s dome reflecting in the lake or through binoculars at churches on the other side .
They say that a person with good eyesight could count as many as 30 churches before the Revolution in 1917 .
Many of them remain today .
On the banks of Lake Nero , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meditative state .
The artist in you wants to play again and is ready to give you fresh unconventional ideas .
Rostov Veliky is a tiny Russian town with a very strong energy and it can rescue even the most fatigued person in the world from any artistic crisis they might be experiencing .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in November 2015
Finding myself stuck in the midst of a creative crisis I decided to follow advice I had read about in “The Artist's Way” by Julia Cameron. When your inner artist is exhausted, said Cameron, you need to go to a calm and serene place, switch off from the daily grind and your mobile phone, and listen to your inner self. So I jumped into my car and drove off to Rostov Veliky, barely three hours away from Moscow, to recharge my drained creative batteries.
The most Russian town
My trip coincided with the fun and delicious Rostov Veliky Ukha Soup Festival. The town’s main square was filled with groups of people from different regions of Russia. They were all cooking “ukha,” Russia’s most popular fish soup, using local, regional recipes. While soup was being served up, several authors of children’s books came to the town square to meet their little readers. At another end, a few charity organizations collected money for their various causes. The ‘Ukha’ jury went from one pot to another, scooped up the soup with large spoons and tasted all the regional variations of the soup. They were evaluating the quality based on three criteria: the broth, the fish and the dish as a whole.
The festival was a lot of fun, but since the aim of my little journey was to spend some time with myself, I ate a bowl of delicious Tatar fish soup and escaped from the crowd. I went for a walk around Rostov Veliky.
The impressions I got from this small Russian town are comparable to those I had after visiting Venice in Italy or Toamasina in Madagascar. I saw authentic Russian exoticism up close for the first time in Rostov Veliky, despite having been born in Russia and lived my whole life here. People often and rightly say that Moscow is not the “real” Russia.
Rostov Veliky is undoubtedly a must-see place for Muscovites, Peterburgers and residents of large cities from around the world. It paints a different picture of life than one sees in Russia’s largest cities and gives you the opportunity to put your own life into perspective. One of Russia’s most ancient cities is quite rough around the edges and desolate with the exception of its beautiful Kremlin, which is the town's main enterprise. In a wonderful way all of this goes hand in hand with the pride and dignity of Rostov Veliky.
It was my first visit to this town, yet I strolled along the streets with a strange sense of familiarity, as if the paint chipping on every corner and every pothole in the street were somehow known to me. I just hadn't seen them in a long while.
My exhausted inner artist was enjoying the walk and interacting with a type of melancholy that you can only find in Russia, when suddenly I was interrupted by a phone call. It was my father. He asked if I had arrived safely and told me that my great grandfather had worked as a horse cab driver in Rostov before the Russian Revolution of 1917. Every morning he attached a cart to his horse and drove passengers all day long, similar to Russian émigré writer Gaito Gazdanov in Paris many years later.
I hung up, switched off my phone and got to thinking: was it a coincidence or does genetic memory really exist?
The route of an artistic person
Legend says that in the old days the holiness of Rostov Veliky was so undisputable that its residents didn't even consider building fortress banks or other protective constructions around it. Even the suspicious Ivan the Terrible came here to hide when he felt unsafe. However in the Time of Troubles (1598 – 1613) the city was attacked and all of the inhabitants were slaughtered. There wasn't a single person left alive to bury the bodies.
Only two steps away from the Kremlin (well, everything in town is a frog's leap from the fortress) is a hotel for visiting artists who arrive to paint life in a typical Russian town. These visitors can enjoy freshly baked bread from the monastery and stroll along the embankment. If only there were wooden platforms on the banks of Lake Nero, this place would be perfect for yoga: the sun rises directly over the picturesque lake.
The Kremlin itself has a hotel on its premises, so it is possible to spend a night in the sacred old chambers. On the next day foreign guests can book a guided tour in English or take a master class in how to ring church bells. After the Kremlin tour and some rest by the nearby lake take a walk around this small town. You will find the old Dutch fortress bank, which was built after the Time of Troubles (1598-1613), and today overgrown with nettle, burdock and dandelions; a section of town featuring buildings constructed during the rule of Catherine the Great; and old wooden houses with carved window frames.
The streets are surrealistically empty – there is hardly anybody outside, as many have left looking for a better life. It is a perfect location for filming, a fact not lost on Soviet and Russian filmmakers who have shot many projects here over the years. This town has always attracted artistic people.
Any doubts I had about Rostov Veliky 's unique mission disappeared when I reached the bank of the gigantic, mysterious and incredibly blue Lake Nero, which came into existence before the Ice Age. One can spend hours sitting on its banks, looking at the sky’s dome reflecting in the lake or through binoculars at churches on the other side. They say that a person with good eyesight could count as many as 30 churches before the Revolution in 1917. Many of them remain today.
On the banks of Lake Nero, like it or not you may enter a meditative state. The artist in you wants to play again and is ready to give you fresh unconventional ideas. Rostov Veliky is a tiny Russian town with a very strong energy and it can rescue even the most fatigued person in the world from any artistic crisis they might be experiencing.


russia-insider--2020-09-17--Gorokhovets – The Hidden Jewel of Central Russia

This article from our archives was first published on RI in March 2016 Having already visited all the famous cities of Russia ’ s celebrated tourist route known as the Golden Ring , we wanted to visit somewhere which is less well-known and which has n't yet lost its provincial charm .
Although several of its neighbours in the region are part of the Golden Ring route of ancient Russian cities , the city of Gorokhovets is more often than not left off this list .
It is not a particularly famous city and it has never played a central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it have real links with any major figures from Russia history or culture .
Gorokhovets however is an old merchant city whose appearance has hardly changed since the 19th century .
Gorokhovets could be described as a hybrid of the established tourist destinations of Plyos , with its hilly surroundings on the River Volga , and Suzdal , with its multitude of old churches and buildings and provincial atmosphere .
The city is located relatively close to the large city of Nizhny Novgorod on the M7 Federal Highway .
Up until the recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod which makes a stop in Gorokhovets , there was no direct train link between Gorokhovets and the capital .
These years of poor transport links nevertheless helped Gorokhovets remain unspoiled by industrialisation .
We visited the city in the height of summer and the city appeared very calm with very few people about , in fact it was only the odd car now and then that spoiled the illusion that I had travelled back in time .
I instantly appreciated why the city has been named a historical city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of old buildings which have survived in the city .
Among the typical wooden Russian houses with decorative window frames are some elaborate examples .
One such building is the house of industrialist Mikhail Shorin which is a modern style wooden mansion complete with a tower .
Normally the only buildings in Russia to survive from the 17th century tend to be churches , however Gorokhovets also has seven 17th-century stone buildings which were once home to merchants .
As a comparison there are only four surviving 17th-century civil buildings in nearby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of Gorokhovets ’ s surviving civil buildings is the Sapozhnikov House , which is now a museum and inside its thick stone walls the building ’ s interiors have been recreated to how they would have originally looked .
Walking around the labyrinth of staircases and going down to the cellar allows you to soak in the history of the place .
The main square is dominated by the Annunciation Cathedral , which is a traditional Russian monumental style of cathedral with five pale blue domes .
Today it no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is owned by the neighbouring museum , although this arrangement may change in the near future .
Also here is the Sretensky Convent which was established in 1658 on the orders of Patriarch Nikon and today is once again a functioning convent .
From here we crossed the pontoon bridge over the River Klyazma to visit the Znamensky Monastery on the other side of the river .
It is only possible to make this crossing in the summer when the bridge is there or in winter when the river has frozen over .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ get stunning views of the city which appears like a scene from a Russian fairy tale : wooden buildings , onion-dome churches and monasteries rising above the river on a picturesque hill .
It is a view which has not drastically changed over the last 300 years .
The hill is known as Puzhalova Hill ( derived from the old Russian word for ‘ to frighten ’ ) and features in one of the most famous legends about the city .
Being situated between Moscow and Kazan , Gorokhovets served as a Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Tatars throughout the 15th and 16th centuries .
One such raid came in 1539 but it is said that the Tatars were scared off when they saw a vision of a knight appear over the hill .
It is well worth the rather steep walk up here via a rickety staircase both to look around the Nikolsky Monastery at the top and to enjoy the views from here of the River Klyazma and the Znamensky Convent and endless forests on the other side of the river .
The final destination on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural beauty just outside the city called Bald Hill , as no trees grow on the hill ’ s summit because of the wind .
According to legend a Tatar khan who died during a raid on Gorokhovets was buried here .
From here you treated to completely unspoiled views of the forests on the other side of the River Klyazma which run to the horizon .
Out of all the cities in Russia we have visited , Gorokhovets occupies a special place .
Here there is a perfect combination of provincial charm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsurprising that Gorokhovets has been used as the backdrop for several historical films as it really looks as if time has stood still here since the 19th century .
It is a great place to spend a weekend and forget all about the hustle and bustle of modern life .
In terms of tourist infrastructure , there are several guesthouses here and a nice hotel .
There is not much choice in terms of restaurants or cafes in the city , but provided you are not expecting fine dining you shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will celebrate its 850th anniversary and the regional authorities have pledged to restore the historical centre .
It is possible that this will give the city a new lease of life and establish it as a favourite destination for tourists .
Alternatively , it may result in the city ’ s historic buildings being renovated to such an extent that they appear to be brand new .
Just to be on the safe side , there is no reason for delaying your visit to this authentic and charming provincial city !

This article from our archives was first published on RI in March 2016
Having already visited all the famous cities of Russia’s celebrated tourist route known as the Golden Ring, we wanted to visit somewhere which is less well-known and which hasn't yet lost its provincial charm. Although several of its neighbours in the region are part of the Golden Ring route of ancient Russian cities, the city of Gorokhovets is more often than not left off this list. It is not a particularly famous city and it has never played a central role in Russian history, nor does it have real links with any major figures from Russia history or culture. Gorokhovets however is an old merchant city whose appearance has hardly changed since the 19th century. Gorokhovets could be described as a hybrid of the established tourist destinations of Plyos, with its hilly surroundings on the River Volga, and Suzdal, with its multitude of old churches and buildings and provincial atmosphere.
The city is located relatively close to the large city of Nizhny Novgorod on the M7 Federal Highway. Up until the recent launch of the Lastochka high-speed train between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod which makes a stop in Gorokhovets, there was no direct train link between Gorokhovets and the capital. These years of poor transport links nevertheless helped Gorokhovets remain unspoiled by industrialisation.
View of the city from Klyazma river
We visited the city in the height of summer and the city appeared very calm with very few people about, in fact it was only the odd car now and then that spoiled the illusion that I had travelled back in time. I instantly appreciated why the city has been named a historical city as you are immediately struck by the number of old buildings which have survived in the city. Among the typical wooden Russian houses with decorative window frames are some elaborate examples. One such building is the house of industrialist Mikhail Shorin which is a modern style wooden mansion complete with a tower.
House of Mikhail Shorin.
Normally the only buildings in Russia to survive from the 17th century tend to be churches, however Gorokhovets also has seven 17th-century stone buildings which were once home to merchants. As a comparison there are only four surviving 17th-century civil buildings in nearby Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow only has one. One of Gorokhovets’s surviving civil buildings is the Sapozhnikov House, which is now a museum and inside its thick stone walls the building’s interiors have been recreated to how they would have originally looked.
Sapozhnikov House
Walking around the labyrinth of staircases and going down to the cellar allows you to soak in the history of the place.
The main square is dominated by the Annunciation Cathedral, which is a traditional Russian monumental style of cathedral with five pale blue domes. Today it no longer functions as a place of worship and is owned by the neighbouring museum, although this arrangement may change in the near future. Also here is the Sretensky Convent which was established in 1658 on the orders of Patriarch Nikon and today is once again a functioning convent.
Blue domes of the Annunciation Cathedral
From here we crossed the pontoon bridge over the River Klyazma to visit the Znamensky Monastery on the other side of the river. It is only possible to make this crossing in the summer when the bridge is there or in winter when the river has frozen over. From this side of the river you get stunning views of the city which appears like a scene from a Russian fairy tale: wooden buildings, onion-dome churches and monasteries rising above the river on a picturesque hill.
View of the city from Klyazma river
It is a view which has not drastically changed over the last 300 years.
Gorokhovets. Beginning of XX century
The hill is known as Puzhalova Hill (derived from the old Russian word for ‘to frighten’) and features in one of the most famous legends about the city. Being situated between Moscow and Kazan, Gorokhovets served as a Russian defensive outpost and was subjected to raids by the Tatars throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. One such raid came in 1539 but it is said that the Tatars were scared off when they saw a vision of a knight appear over the hill. It is well worth the rather steep walk up here via a rickety staircase both to look around the Nikolsky Monastery at the top and to enjoy the views from here of the River Klyazma and the Znamensky Convent and endless forests on the other side of the river.
The final destination on our trip was to a site of natural beauty just outside the city called Bald Hill, as no trees grow on the hill’s summit because of the wind. According to legend a Tatar khan who died during a raid on Gorokhovets was buried here. From here you treated to completely unspoiled views of the forests on the other side of the River Klyazma which run to the horizon.
The Bald Hill
Out of all the cities in Russia we have visited, Gorokhovets occupies a special place. Here there is a perfect combination of provincial charm and beautiful natural surroundings. It is unsurprising that Gorokhovets has been used as the backdrop for several historical films as it really looks as if time has stood still here since the 19th century. It is a great place to spend a weekend and forget all about the hustle and bustle of modern life. In terms of tourist infrastructure, there are several guesthouses here and a nice hotel. There is not much choice in terms of restaurants or cafes in the city, but provided you are not expecting fine dining you shouldn’t be disappointed.
In 2018 the city will celebrate its 850th anniversary and the regional authorities have pledged to restore the historical centre. It is possible that this will give the city a new lease of life and establish it as a favourite destination for tourists. Alternatively, it may result in the city’s historic buildings being renovated to such an extent that they appear to be brand new. Just to be on the safe side, there is no reason for delaying your visit to this authentic and charming provincial city!


russia-insider--2020-09-16--10 of the Best Russia Holiday Destinations – Beyond Moscow and St Petersburg

This article from our archives was first published on RI in February 2016 Karelia , a republic in north-west Russia , is known as one the country ’ s most beautiful places .
The nature here is breathtaking and more Finnish than Russian , with lakes , waterfalls and trees growing on giant rocks .
Ruskeala is a village close to Sortavala , one of the region ’ s bigger towns .
The main interest here is Ruskeala mountain park , with a marble canyon that is now a lake with crystal clear water , and another underground lake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or hike .
In summer there are light shows on the lake .
Since Ruskeala is tiny most tourists stay in Sortavala .
Hostel Lämpö is a popular choice .
Don ’ t be put off by the shabby pre-Soviet building : it is renovated inside and the location is excellent .
If you ’ re staying for a while , there are several resorts , such as Hotel Piipun Piha , near the lake , slightly further from the town centre , which offer sauna and barbecue facilities , too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ train from Ladozhsky railway station in St Petersburg to Sortavala ; depending on the train the journey will take about 4-5 hours .
From there several buses can take you to Ruskeala , or you can book a taxi – the drive will take about 20 minutes .
On the north-western spurs of the eastern Sayan mountains , the Stolby nature reserve is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Siberia .
The reserve ’ s main attraction are its rocks and cliffs , called stolby , “ pillars ” in Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cliffs are 55 meters high , while the highest go up to 600 metres .
Rock-climbing and hiking are popular activities , although for those interested in the local flora and fauna the reserve also offers guided tours of the Siberian fir taiga that sprawls underneath the rocks : a mix of a hike and a botanical and zoological tour .
In the wooden cabins on the reserve ’ s grounds , surrounded by the taiga and the rocks .
There are separate small cottages for six and eight people , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ the village ’ and is a bit of a hike from the reserve ’ s main reception buildings but there is a car service for when you first arrive with your luggage .
• Dorms from £5 a night , six-person cottages from £47 , zapovednik-stolby.ru How to get there ?
Fly to Krasnoyarsk from Moscow or St Petersburg ( about five hours ) and get to Stolby on a bus or taxi ; that journey will take around 11/2 hours .
Velikiy Novgorod , also known as Novgorod the Great , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country , often called the “ birthplace of Russia ” .
For a long time the city was a sovereign principality , founded by merchants and ruled in relative democracy , and the unification of Novgorod with Moscow in the 15th century was an essential step towards a unified Russia .
The city is an historic one and the traditional wooden architecture museum of Vitoslavlitsi is a must-visit ; the open-air exhibition of Russian izbas ( farmhouses ) has an ancient tradition of building without nails or metal to hold the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Novgorod is also one of the oldest in Russia , dating back to the 11th century .
The Beresta Hostel with its traditional old-Russian interiors , or the Kozhevniki B & B , and its post-Soviet styles , are both good choices .
• Doubles from £26 , dorms from £3 How to get there ?
Fly to St Petersburg and take a fast Lastochka train ( about 3 hours ) from Moskovskiy railway station .
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is on the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east of Russia and is the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ) in the northern hemisphere .
Ecotourism in this region is a new trend , with various activities on offer from mountain and volcano hikes , sailing and kayaking to fishing and hunting trips .
The town is also a foodie destination : Kamchatka crabs and other seafood are known delicacies .
In the Nachalnik Kamchatki ( The Boss of Kamchatka ) mini-hotel , where all the rooms are nature-themed , with names such as Winter , Forest and Bear .
There are very few hostels in the town , Hostel Fiesta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book your rooms in advance .
• Doubles from £32 , dorms from £11 How to get there ?
The only way to get to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from the European part of Russia is to fly : a direct eight-hour flight from Moscow ( book in advance as fares are high ) .
The city of Kazan , in Tatarstan , is over a thousand years old and has always been an eclectic place , balanced between the Russian Orthodox and Muslim cultures with churches and cathedrals neighbouring mosques .
One of the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Kremlin fortress .
It ’ s named after the city ’ s last queen , Söyembikä , who , according to legend threw herself off the tower , but actually was captured by the Muscovites led by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century , when the city was conquered .
The eclectic food of the region , a mix of Russian and Tatar , is one of the city ’ s highlights : try the traditional tea with chuk-chuk , a sweet pastry dish .
Stereo Hostel in the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vibe – and a bar onsite .
If you ’ re looking for a quieter stay , the Stary Gorod Hotel ( Old Town Hotel ) is an affordable retreat in the city centre , with views of the historic Märcani Mosque .
How to get there ?
Fly from Moscow ( 90 minutes ) or St Petersburg ( 2 hours ) , or take an overnight train from Moscow ’ s Kazanskiy railway station .
Lake Baikal is the deepest in the world .
Many Russians say that seeing the vast “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and others tell stories of the Baikal monster , echoing tales of the Loch Ness monster .
There are several hiking paths and in the summer you can swim in the lake , although the water is cold even in August .
The shores are scattered with resorts , hotels and camping grounds , although many of them are of the Soviet times .
The Lagoon Ranch resort is on the western bank of the Baikal , in the area called the Small Sea , and offers several types of accommodation : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to double rooms and separate cabins .
There are stables and a horse-riding arena , sports grounds , Russian sauna and Baikal tour guide services available .
• Two-person summer houses from £20 , doubles from £28 , cabins from £37 How to get there ?
Direct flights to Irkutsk are available from Moscow only .
Buses and shuttles to the resorts leave from various locations in Irkutsk and take about three hours – ask for details when you book your accommodation .
Yessentuki is a name you might see on the shelves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : this historical resort town , famous for its mineral and hot springs , gave its name to a brand of a salty mineral water .
The town has been a destination for the health-conscious since the 19th century .
The Kras Hotel Resort is near the city centre , has a spa and swimming pool , and some rooms dining and living room areas .
A slightly cheaper option is to book a hotel close to the town ’ s famous baths and springs , for example Hotel Orange .
• Doubles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £19 at Kras Hotel Resort How to get there ?
Direct flights to Mineralniye Vodi airport are available from Moscow ( two hours ) and St Petersburg ( three hours ) .
Some hotels offer airport pick-up , or take a train into Yessentuki – the journey is about 40 minutes on a shuttle bus and an hour on a train .
A tiny piece of Russia in Europe , Kaliningrad used to be called Königsberg , and the architecture in the city ’ s old town still points towards Europe and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German heritage can be seen in the surviving Brandenburg Gate and the Fishing Village , a tourist attraction with recreated medieval-style buildings .
The flea markets here are known to be the best in Russia – many collectors from all over the world come here in hope of finding relics from the second world war .
The Amber museum is another popular attraction .
The city centre Utro Hostel is housed in a 19th century building , with minimalist design and big windows , and the city ’ s lowest prices per bunk-bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Kaliningrad are available from Moscow , St Petersburg , and several European cities ( including Berlin , Riga and Copenhagen ) .
Overnight trains to Kaliningrad leave from Berlin and Warsaw .
If you plan to travel between other parts of Russia and Kaliningrad , you will need a double-entry visa .
There is also a special short-term Kaliningrad visa available on the border .
For more information visit the Foreign Affair Ministry website .
Far east is a dream destination for many Russians , and Vladivostok , at the head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart of it .
The city was founded in the middle of the 19th century .
The best place for views is the Eagle ’ s Nest Hill , the city centre ’ s highest point .
This is also a food destination as seafood is abundant here and because of the proximity to the Russian-Chinese borders it ’ s almost the only place in Russia where good Chinese food is widely available .
The Teplo Hotel is close to the railway station , for all those Trans-Siberian railway travellers , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expensive is A Hotel Amur Bay , which is in a white 1980s-designed building .
Although a chain hotel ( of the Azimut brand ) , it ’ s worth the price for the amazing sea views of the Golden Horn and Amur bays .
• Dorms at the Teplo Hotel from £6 , doubles at A Hotel Amur Bay from £24 How to get there ?
Direct eight-hour flights to Vladivostok from Moscow .
Vladivostok is also the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian railway .
Trains leave from Moscow ’ s Yaroslavskiy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six days .
Ecotourism is booming in the region with new resorts and hotels popping up all over the Altai – known as the ‘ golden mountains ’ .
Many offer guided and themed tours of the nearby areas , such as hikes following the routes described in local legends , that are told to the visitors as they go .
Sailing , kayaking and fishing are among other activities .
Spa treatments are widely available with special saunas in big cedar barrels .
Altai is famous for its honey and herbs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also offered at the local resorts .
Altika eco-hotel is one of the new developments in the region .
Most rooms have panoramic views of the woods .
Maryin Ostrov resort is a slightly more expensive option but also offers treatments in its spa .
• Doubles at Altika from £35 B & B , doubles at Maryin Ostrov from £39 B & B Direct four-hour flights to the Gorno-Altaysk airport leave from Moscow Domodedovo .
From Gorno-Altaysk there are buses and trains to the smaller villages , depending on your resort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organised with the resort ; ask before booking .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in February 2016
Ruskeala, Karelia
Why go?
Marvel at … Marble canyon, Ruskeala, Karelia
Karelia, a republic in north-west Russia, is known as one the country’s most beautiful places. The nature here is breathtaking and more Finnish than Russian, with lakes, waterfalls and trees growing on giant rocks. Ruskeala is a village close to Sortavala, one of the region’s bigger towns. The main interest here is Ruskeala mountain park, with a marble canyon that is now a lake with crystal clear water, and another underground lake. You can rent boats, go diving, or hike. In summer there are light shows on the lake.
Where to stay?
Since Ruskeala is tiny most tourists stay in Sortavala. Hostel Lämpö is a popular choice. Don’t be put off by the shabby pre-Soviet building: it is renovated inside and the location is excellent. If you’re staying for a while, there are several resorts, such as Hotel Piipun Piha, near the lake, slightly further from the town centre, which offer sauna and barbecue facilities, too.
• Doubles from £34, dorms from £6
How to get there?
Take the train from Ladozhsky railway station in St Petersburg to Sortavala; depending on the train the journey will take about 4-5 hours. From there several buses can take you to Ruskeala, or you can book a taxi – the drive will take about 20 minutes.
Stolby Nature Reserve
Why go?
On the north-western spurs of the eastern Sayan mountains, the Stolby nature reserve is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Siberia. The reserve’s main attraction are its rocks and cliffs, called stolby, “pillars” in Russian, after their shape. The smallest cliffs are 55 meters high, while the highest go up to 600 metres. Rock-climbing and hiking are popular activities, although for those interested in the local flora and fauna the reserve also offers guided tours of the Siberian fir taiga that sprawls underneath the rocks: a mix of a hike and a botanical and zoological tour.
Where to stay?
In the wooden cabins on the reserve’s grounds, surrounded by the taiga and the rocks. There are separate small cottages for six and eight people, and a hostel. The cabins area is called ‘the village’ and is a bit of a hike from the reserve’s main reception buildings but there is a car service for when you first arrive with your luggage.
• Dorms from £5 a night, six-person cottages from £47, zapovednik-stolby.ru
How to get there?
Fly to Krasnoyarsk from Moscow or St Petersburg (about five hours) and get to Stolby on a bus or taxi; that journey will take around 11/2 hours.
Velikiy Novgorod
Saint Sophia Cathedral. Photograph: Alamy
Why go?
Velikiy Novgorod, also known as Novgorod the Great, is one of the most important cities in the country, often called the “birthplace of Russia”. For a long time the city was a sovereign principality, founded by merchants and ruled in relative democracy, and the unification of Novgorod with Moscow in the 15th century was an essential step towards a unified Russia. The city is an historic one and the traditional wooden architecture museum of Vitoslavlitsi is a must-visit; the open-air exhibition of Russian izbas (farmhouses) has an ancient tradition of building without nails or metal to hold the wooden planks together. The Kremlin fortress in Novgorod is also one of the oldest in Russia, dating back to the 11th century.
Where to stay?
The Beresta Hostel with its traditional old-Russian interiors, or the Kozhevniki B&B, and its post-Soviet styles, are both good choices.
• Doubles from £26, dorms from £3
How to get there?
Fly to St Petersburg and take a fast Lastochka train (about 3 hours) from Moskovskiy railway station.
Pertopavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Why go?
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is on the Kamchatka peninsula in the far east of Russia and is the most eastern town (with more than 100,000 people) in the northern hemisphere. Ecotourism in this region is a new trend, with various activities on offer from mountain and volcano hikes, sailing and kayaking to fishing and hunting trips. The town is also a foodie destination: Kamchatka crabs and other seafood are known delicacies.
Where to stay?
In the Nachalnik Kamchatki (The Boss of Kamchatka) mini-hotel, where all the rooms are nature-themed, with names such as Winter, Forest and Bear. There are very few hostels in the town, Hostel Fiesta being one of the few, so book your rooms in advance.
• Doubles from £32, dorms from £11
How to get there?
The only way to get to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from the European part of Russia is to fly: a direct eight-hour flight from Moscow (book in advance as fares are high).
Kazan
View from the Kremlin fortress in Kazan. Photograph: Alamy
Why go?
The city of Kazan, in Tatarstan, is over a thousand years old and has always been an eclectic place, balanced between the Russian Orthodox and Muslim cultures with churches and cathedrals neighbouring mosques. One of the city’s landmarks is the Söyembikä Tower in the Kremlin fortress. It’s named after the city’s last queen, Söyembikä, who, according to legend threw herself off the tower, but actually was captured by the Muscovites led by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century, when the city was conquered. The eclectic food of the region, a mix of Russian and Tatar, is one of the city’s highlights: try the traditional tea with chuk-chuk, a sweet pastry dish.
Where to stay?
Stereo Hostel in the city centre has a 1970s sci-fi bachelor pad vibe – and a bar onsite. If you’re looking for a quieter stay, the Stary Gorod Hotel (Old Town Hotel) is an affordable retreat in the city centre, with views of the historic Märcani Mosque.
• Doubles from £16, dorms from £4
How to get there?
Fly from Moscow (90 minutes) or St Petersburg (2 hours), or take an overnight train from Moscow’s Kazanskiy railway station.
Lake Baikal
Why go?
Lake Baikal is the deepest in the world. Many Russians say that seeing the vast “Siberian sea” is a unique experience, and others tell stories of the Baikal monster, echoing tales of the Loch Ness monster. There are several hiking paths and in the summer you can swim in the lake, although the water is cold even in August. The shores are scattered with resorts, hotels and camping grounds, although many of them are of the Soviet times.
Where to stay?
The Lagoon Ranch resort is on the western bank of the Baikal, in the area called the Small Sea, and offers several types of accommodation: from the most affordable two-person summer houses to double rooms and separate cabins. There are stables and a horse-riding arena, sports grounds, Russian sauna and Baikal tour guide services available.
• Two-person summer houses from £20, doubles from £28, cabins from £37
How to get there?
Direct flights to Irkutsk are available from Moscow only. Buses and shuttles to the resorts leave from various locations in Irkutsk and take about three hours – ask for details when you book your accommodation.
Yessentuki
Pump room in Yessentuki, which is famous for its hot springs and mineral water.
Why go?
Yessentuki is a name you might see on the shelves of Russian grocery stores around the world: this historical resort town, famous for its mineral and hot springs, gave its name to a brand of a salty mineral water. The town has been a destination for the health-conscious since the 19th century.
Where to stay?
The Kras Hotel Resort is near the city centre, has a spa and swimming pool, and some rooms dining and living room areas. A slightly cheaper option is to book a hotel close to the town’s famous baths and springs, for example Hotel Orange.
• Doubles from £11 in Hotel Orange or from £19 at Kras Hotel Resort
How to get there?
Direct flights to Mineralniye Vodi airport are available from Moscow (two hours) and St Petersburg (three hours). Some hotels offer airport pick-up, or take a train into Yessentuki – the journey is about 40 minutes on a shuttle bus and an hour on a train.
Kaliningrad
Fishing Village, one of Kaliningrad’s tourist attractions
Why go?
A tiny piece of Russia in Europe, Kaliningrad used to be called Königsberg, and the architecture in the city’s old town still points towards Europe and not Russia. Traces of Kaliningrad’s German heritage can be seen in the surviving Brandenburg Gate and the Fishing Village, a tourist attraction with recreated medieval-style buildings. The flea markets here are known to be the best in Russia – many collectors from all over the world come here in hope of finding relics from the second world war. The Amber museum is another popular attraction.
Where to stay?
The city centre Utro Hostel is housed in a 19th century building, with minimalist design and big windows, and the city’s lowest prices per bunk-bed.
• Doubles from £8, dorms from £11
How to get there?
Flights to Kaliningrad are available from Moscow, St Petersburg, and several European cities (including Berlin, Riga and Copenhagen). Overnight trains to Kaliningrad leave from Berlin and Warsaw. If you plan to travel between other parts of Russia and Kaliningrad, you will need a double-entry visa. There is also a special short-term Kaliningrad visa available on the border. For more information visit the Foreign Affair Ministry website.
Vladivostok
View over Vladivostok and its Golden Bridge
Why go?
Far east is a dream destination for many Russians, and Vladivostok, at the head of the Golden Horn Bay, is the heart of it. The city was founded in the middle of the 19th century. The best place for views is the Eagle’s Nest Hill, the city centre’s highest point. This is also a food destination as seafood is abundant here and because of the proximity to the Russian-Chinese borders it’s almost the only place in Russia where good Chinese food is widely available.
Where to stay?
The Teplo Hotel is close to the railway station, for all those Trans-Siberian railway travellers, and has dormitories and private rooms. Slightly more expensive is A Hotel Amur Bay, which is in a white 1980s-designed building. Although a chain hotel (of the Azimut brand), it’s worth the price for the amazing sea views of the Golden Horn and Amur bays.
• Dorms at the Teplo Hotel from £6, doubles at A Hotel Amur Bay from £24
How to get there?
Direct eight-hour flights to Vladivostok from Moscow. Vladivostok is also the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian railway. Trains leave from Moscow’s Yaroslavskiy railway station – the journey will take six days.
Altai mountains


russia-insider--2020-09-16--Check out These Wondrous Wooden Churches in Russia

This article from our archives was first published on RI in September 2015 William Clement Smith builder of timber frames and wooden churches are his passion .
When he saw a photograph of the wooden churches of Kizhi Island in Mortise & Tenon Magazine , he saved up his money and headed to Karelia with his family to celebrate his 60th birthday and see the spectacular ensemble with his own eyes .
He went to Kizhi ’ s wooden churches , the authentic village of Kinerma , the Belomorkanal and the town of Kem ' to uncover the secret of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are seven reasons why more than 180,000 people come every year to see these churches on this tiny island in Karelia and why you should not miss out .
1 .
The wooden architecture in the churches on Kizhi Island is rated to be world 's eighth wonder and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List .
2 .
Legend has it that the architectural ensemble on Kizhi Island ( in Lake Onega , 764 kilometres north of Moscow ) comprising two churches and a bell-tower built in the 18th and 19th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named Nestor .
According to legend , the only tool Nestor used was his axe .
He apparently did not use even a single nail .
When the building was completed in 1714 Nestor threw his axe in the lake so that nobody could replicate his masterpiece .
However , it must be pointed out that , contrary to legend , there are nails in these wooden buildings , but they were used only to fix the decorative wooden panels to sloping walls and not in the original construction .
4 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kem ' ( 1105 kilometers from Moscow ) is built from logs so thick that no human being could ever wrap their arms around them .
Source : Photoxpress One of the best tour companies for foreign visitors in northern Russia , including Karelia and the Solovetsky Islands , is You can reach Petrozavodsk , the capital of Karelia , by train from Moscow or St. Petersburg , or plane from Moscow St. Petersburg , Kaliningrad or Sochi .
The planes on this route fill up quickly , so it ’ s best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trip fares from Moscow start at 5,945 rubles ( about $ 91 ) .
For cheap flights around Russia we recommend using 7 .
While people all over the world are in awe of the construction of Russian northern churches , Smith believes that the main secret to their long-lasting success is quite simple : in contrast to British architecture Russian churches are built with boards that lie horizontally , not vertically.Source : PhotoxpressOne of the best tour companies for foreign visitors in northern Russia , including Karelia and the Solovetsky Islands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in operation since 2001 , the company employs English , German , French , Italian , Swedish and Finnish-speaking tour guides .
You can choose from a selection of tours on the company ’ s website or if you prefer their specialists can develop tailor-made routes based on your wishes.You can reach Petrozavodsk , the capital of Karelia , by train from Moscow or St. Petersburg , or plane from Moscow St. Petersburg , Kaliningrad or Sochi .
The planes on this route fill up quickly , so it ’ s best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trip fares from Moscow start at 5,945 rubles ( about $ 91 ) .
For cheap flights around Russia we recommend using jetradar.com , a travel search engine .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in September 2015
This article originally appeared at Russia & India Report
William Clement Smith builder of timber frames and wooden churches are his passion. When he saw a photograph of the wooden churches of Kizhi Island in Mortise & Tenon Magazine, he saved up his money and headed to Karelia with his family to celebrate his 60th birthday and see the spectacular ensemble with his own eyes.
He went to Kizhi’s wooden churches, the authentic village of Kinerma, the Belomorkanal and the town of Kem' to uncover the secret of this incredible, airy architecture. Here are seven reasons why more than 180,000 people come every year to see these churches on this tiny island in Karelia and why you should not miss out.
1. The wooden architecture in the churches on Kizhi Island is rated to be world's eighth wonder and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Source: TASS/Ruslan Shamukov Source: TASS/Ruslan Shamukov
2. Legend has it that the architectural ensemble on Kizhi Island (in Lake Onega, 764 kilometres north of Moscow) comprising two churches and a bell-tower built in the 18th and 19th centuries, was sculpted by a carpenter named Nestor. According to legend, the only tool Nestor used was his axe. He apparently did not use even a single nail. When the building was completed in 1714 Nestor threw his axe in the lake so that nobody could replicate his masterpiece. However, it must be pointed out that, contrary to legend, there are nails in these wooden buildings, but they were used only to fix the decorative wooden panels to sloping walls and not in the original construction.
Photo credit: Alamy/Legion-Media
3. During World War II, a Finnish pilot refused to obey an order to bomb Kizhi Island. He was in awe of the unusual architecture of the wooden churches and couldn’t bring himself to carry out the mission.
Photo credit: RIA Novosti/Alexei Danichev Photo credit: Alamy/Legion-Media3. During World War II, a Finnish pilot refused to obey an order to bomb Kizhi Island. He was in awe of the unusual architecture of the wooden churches and couldn’t bring himself to carry out the mission.Photo credit: RIA Novosti/Alexei Danichev
4. The Assumption Cathedral in the Karelian town of Kem' (1105 kilometers from Moscow) is built from logs so thick that no human being could ever wrap their arms around them.
Source: TASS/Shpikalov Georgy Source: TASS/Shpikalov Georgy
Source: TASS/Ruslan Shamukov 5. Kizhi's Church of Transfiguration is currently undergoing restoration. These works are as complex as they have ever been – the church is being lifted by a special construction device and is literally hanging in the air. During the renovations people have started calling it “the flying church.”Source: TASS/Ruslan Shamukov
Source: TASS/Vladimir Nevolaynen 6. The skilled carpentry of the Russian North is a disappearing art, just like Venice. Hurry to see the mastery of these builders before strong northern winds blow these little churches away.Source: TASS/Vladimir Nevolaynen


russia-insider--2020-09-16--Why Russians Are the Best at Ballet (Video)

Russian ballet is a reflection of the Russian soul and the eternal dream of perfection This article from our archives @ @ @ @ @ in March 2016 Ballet is a constant of Russian culture , its finest calling card @ @ @ @ @ ballet performances were organized during the time of the tzars in the 17th century , @ @ @ @ @ to gain popularity not only in Russia but all over the world .
The universal @ @ @ @ @ : Russian ballet , with all its gracefulness and figurativeness , is a reflection of @ @ @ @ @ eternal dream of perfection .
Nowadays ballet is no longer an elitist art anymore , @ @ @ @ @ audiences .
Millions of people admit that watching Russian ballet is an absolute pleasure .
@ @ @ @ @ wrong ?

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russia-insider--2020-09-15--See For Yourself, 30 of the New, Modern, Amazing Airports of 'Stagnating Russia' (Great Pictures)

This article from our archives was first published on RI in February 2019 The author is CEO of the Awara Group , which offers consulting , accounting , tax , and legal services .
He is the author of several books on politics and philosophy , as well as Putin ’ s New Russia .
He speaks fluent English , Russian , Finnish , and Swedish , and German , French , and Spanish less fluently .
He resides in Moscow .
Click here for an archive of his excellent articles on RI about the Russian Economy .
This article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What prompted me to write this Awara Accounting report on the impressive development of Russia ’ s airports was to produce a cure for the but-beyond-the-MKAD syndrome .
The MKAD is the 110 kilometer outer ring road around Moscow .
And this syndrome refers to the habit of the detractors of Putin ’ s Russia to claim that any visible development of Russia , if any , has happened only within the limits of Moscow city – “ just go outside the Ring Road and you ’ ll see there ’ s nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who suffer from this syndrome live in a deep-seated cognitive dissonance where they just refuse to trust their lying eyes , while some of them are just peddlers of pure propaganda or victims of the latter .
So , let ’ s see what actually happens beyond the MKAD .
Amazing airports have been built or reconstructed both in Moscow and across the vast country and many other impressive projects have been presented .
And it is not just airports , it is roads and bridges , too .
Those Awara has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Putin ’ s incredible infrastructure investments .
You can read about the amazing new bridges at this link : Putin the Pontiff – Bridge maker and the great development of Russia ’ s roads here .
What ’ s remarkable is also the efficiency and speed of the construction of the new airport terminals .
Most of them have been built in three years and some in two or even less .
The Simferopol airport ( above ) was built in two years and was up and running within three years from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krasnoyarsk ( below ) needed only1.5 years to complete the construction .
Our method was to review all the airports in a list of all of Russia ’ s international airports .
( An international airport is one into which a plane can fly directly from a foreign country as it runs a passport control ) .
There were 79 airports in our list .
From what I had registered from the news and in my travels , I expected that there would be some 10 or 15 cool new airports to present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much more overwhelming as it turned out that almost every one of the listed airports had been reconstructed or was due for reconstruction .
Instead of writing up an easy piece with nice pics , I ended up spending weeks on identifying and digesting all the information .
The investigation showed that practically each one of the 79 airports had either been modernized or about to be so .
I identified less than 10 airports on the list of international airports which were not brought up to modern quality standards since 2000 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those half were either remote outposts or military airfields .
I am confident , that all the passenger airports in the major Russian cities ( defined as having some 150 thousand or more inhabitants ) will be totally modernized within the next 6 years .
Practically all the development of the international airports has been funded by both public and private money , where the infrastructure like runways and flight controls have been recipients of public funds whereas the terminals have been mostly built by public funds .
In addition to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regional airports with more or less regular traffic .
These will all also be upgraded according to a multibillion government program on development of regional airports running up to 2024 .
This forms part of a broader strategic program ordered by President Putin to improve the Russian economy , demographics and infrastructure with public and private funding amounting to a total of $ 400 billion .
An important goal with the development of the airports is to help decentralize the economy by way of increasing direct interconnectivity of Russian cities instead of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has in the past really hampered the overall development of the country .
The new airport facilities are really needed to keep up with the passenger boom The new enlarged and reconstructed airports cater to a growing number of passengers .
In 2000 , when Putin first took office , the Russian airports served 35.5 million passengers , but by 2018 the number had grown sixfold to 205 million .
That surpasses the 135 million passengers of the USSR in the 1980s .
The growth has been huge and accelerating , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number grew by one third .
In the meanwhile , the Moscow air cluster with 97 million passengers ( 2018 ) has become Europe ’ s third largest air hub after London ( 126 mln ) and Paris ( 104 mln ) .
Sheremetyevo – Europe ’ s fastest growing airport – alone has grown 4.5 times since 2000 to present 46 million .
At the same time , Moscow ’ s second airport Domodedovo grew from handling 2.8 million passengers in in 2000 to 30 million in 2017 .
Air travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity , these figures then show that there is much going on that does not catch the eye of the GDP .
When I first came to Moscow by air in 1993 , the city did not have a single modern airport .
Actually , back then the Sheremetyevo international airport , present day Terminal F , should have formally counted as a modern one as it was built only about a decade earlier in 1980 in time for the Moscow Olympics .
But the airport – built by a West German company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functionality from the start .
Both the façade and the interior design was informed by a dark and gloomy style prevailing in Russia during the 1970s .
My impression as a passenger was that that the terminal must have been in operational neglect at least three decades by then .
I used to hate having to travel through that airport and each time I would wish they ’ d remove the heavy copper circles which were misdecorating the ceilings and literally weighing over the heads of the passengers .
One day sometime in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the copper was gone and a white suspended ceiling was there instead .
Somebody told me that the reason was that the commodity price of copper had surged .
Whatever , I was happy for it .
In the 1990s the restrooms where stinky and you ’ d be lucky if they were furnished with paper .
And then there was the strong kerosene fumes wafting around the whole airport .
An odor which you would connect with Russia in good and bad .
For me it actually became so characteristic of Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrival inhaling that fume , like one would mountain air , happy as I had returned to Russia from the increasingly oppressive West .
But today all has changed , if Sheremetyevo Terminal F was probably the worst of all the world ’ s major airports , I considered the new Terminal D as one of the best when it opened in 2009 .
Presently the terminal is overcrowded as it operates way over its planned capacity , but that should ease when the domestic traffic is fully transferred to the new Terminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If Sheremetyevo Terminal G was depressing , then the domestic terminal then called Sheremetyevo 1 was like a parody of all that was wrong with the later stages of the USSR just before its demise .
Moscow ’ s second airport , Domodedovo , at that time was very much the same , but today Domodedovo along with Sheremetyevo are modern international airports meeting the highest global standards .
There is a third major Moscow airport as well , the Vnukovo airport .
And a smaller , fourth Moscow cluster international airport , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2018 , in time for the FIFA World Cup , Moscow ’ s Sheremetyevo got the new Terminal B for domestic flights .
This one will be merged with present Terminal C , after the renovation of the latter , to form a hub for domestic flights , while Terminals D , E and F will serve international flights .
An underground shuttle train opened in 2018 already connects the domestic and international terminals .
The old Domodedovo terminal in Moscow A waiting lounge at the old Domodedovo The new Domodedovo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2012 ( above ) and old , in 2000 ( below ) Vnukovo , Moscow 's 3rd airport .
Let ’ s now go beyond the MKAD and look at the other new amazing airport complexes around the country .
This is just a selection , there is much more .
Saint Petersburg was really in a need of a modern airport , and it was therefore such a relief when it finally opened in 2013 Belgorod a city of 350 thousand inhabitants close to the Ukrainian border got this new beautiful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Far East got a new airport terminal in 2012 as part of the preparations for the APEC 2012 summit .
Yekaterinburg , Russia ’ s third largest city on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains received a new terminal in 2009 .
This new airport complex was erected in 2012 in Kazan , the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan , Russia ’ s sixth most populous city .
It was built in the run up to the 2013 Summer Universiade and enlarged for the 2018 FIFA World Cup .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian enclave at the Baltic Sea , opened in 2017 The new airport in Nizhny Novgorod was also built as part of Russia ’ s infrastructure upgrade in preparation for the 2018 football World Cup .
The new airport in Novosibirsk is from 2015 .
Novosibirsk with 1.5 million is a city in Siberia at the Ob River .
The Trans-Siberian Railway fueled much of the city 's growth in the 19th century .
The new terminal in Perm from 2017 is a real architectural gem .
Perm has a population over one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Urals 300 kilometers north-west of Yekaterinburg and 400 kilometers north of Ufa .
Rostov-on-Don is one more of the cities which got a new airport terminal ( opened 2017 ) in preparation for the FIFA 2018 World Cup .
In fact , this was a brand new airport built on virgin field , whereas the other airports in this survey represent development and enlargements of previously existing airports .
Sabetta on the Yamal peninsula got an airport in 2014 in connection with Russia ’ s push to develop its Arctic regions and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye gas field .
In 2014 opened the new airport in Samara in the southeastern part of European Russia on the east bank of the river Volga .
Simferopol airport in Russian Crimea is probably the nicest airport in the world .
Built in 2018 , four years after Crimea ’ s liberation from Ukrainian occupation .
It was an amazing feeling travelling through that airport .
The architect has really managed to do what is most important in places like that , to neutralize the stress factor .
Everything is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you get a feeling that you are in a giant spa instead of an airport .
The Simferopol airport really calmed my nerves on a busy travelling day .
The Sochi airport was built in 2009 and enlarged in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics .
This airport in Talakan in the Republic of Sakha ( Yakutia ) opened in 2012 .
The new international terminal in Tyumen was opened in 2017 .
Tyumen was the first Russian settlement in Siberia and now has an estimated population of 750 thousand .
Ufa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Urals received this new air terminal in 2015 .
This is the airport in Volgograd , the WWII name of which was Stalingrad .
A new international terminal was constructed in 2016 and in 2018 another terminal for domestic flights was opened to accommodate football fans for FIFA 2018 .
The newly constructed airport in Krasnoyarsk opened in December 2017 .
Krasnoyarsk is located at the Yenisei River in Siberia .
With a population over one million it is the third largest Siberian city after Novosibirsk and Omsk .
Novosibirsk got a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one before 2022 .
Those were some of the airports built and upgraded within the last decade , now let ’ s look on some airport projects underway .
The Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov presented in May 2018 this bold project for the new airport in the Chechen capital Grozny .
The construction is expected to commence in 2020 .
The projected new terminal at the Saratov airport is one more of the new Russian airports with daring architecture , not only functionality but beauty , too .
Saratov on the Volga River @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousand will have this airport up and running in 2019 .
The Irkutsk airport will be modernized with this new terminal in 2020 .
Irkutsk is a city of 600 thousand people near the Lake Baikal .
Krasnodar , Russia ’ s fastest growing city , in the South of the country will get a new airport and air city hub by 2023 .
This new terminal in Nalchik is due by 2020 .
Nalchik is a city of 300 thousand situated at an altitude of 550 meters ( 1,800 ft ) in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is Russia ’ s easternmost big city situated on the Kamchatka Peninsula .
Interestingly , Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is actually situated quite a bit eastward from Tokyo if you go by the latitude of geographic coordinates .
That should really give you an idea how huge Russia is .
This new airport terminal will be erected there by 2021 .
As part of Putin ’ s drive to develop Russia ’ s Far East , Khabarovsk will get a new modern airport terminal by 2019 .
Further the airport will be developed into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of business centers , hotels and an exposition center .
Khabarovsk , a city of more than half a million people , is located at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers about 800 kilometers north of Vladivostok and only 30 kilometers from the Chinese border .
Chelyabinsk is just to the east of the Ural Mountains and 210 kilometers south of Yekaterinburg .
This city with more than 1 million inhabitants will soon get this new airport terminal which is due in 2019 .
The construction was spurred by the BRICS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held in Chelyabinsk in 2020 .
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with a population of 200 thousand is on the Sakhalin island , one thousand kilometer west from the Kamchatka Peninsula .
Their new airport terminal is due by end of 2019 so as to accommodate growing needs of tourism and business .
We will round off this survey with this impressive new airport terminal which will be erected in Gelendzhik .
Gelendzhik is a Black Sea resort 250 kilometer west from Sochi .
In fact , between Sochi and Anapa on the whole coast , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gelendzhik , but this one is truly a gem .
The new terminal will be built by 2021 .
Gelendzhik is the only one in our survey which does not presently have the status of international airport , but that should be taken care of by the time this new airport is done .
With Gelendzhik completed , Russia ’ s Black Sea region will have six modern large airports – Sochi , Gelendzhik , Anapa , Simferopol , Krasnodar , Rostov-on-Don – in a matrix of roughly 300 kilometers between airport .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doubly remarkable considering there was not a single decent airport there before 2009 .
Considering also the road building happening in the region , the area is on its way to develop into a Russian Provence , with which it already shares the climate and nature .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in February 2019
The author is CEO of the Awara Group, which offers consulting, accounting, tax, and legal services. He is the author of several books on politics and philosophy, as well as Putin’s New Russia. He speaks fluent English, Russian, Finnish, and Swedish, and German, French, and Spanish less fluently. He resides in Moscow.
Click here for an archive of his excellent articles on RI about the Russian Economy. This article first appeared at the Awara Group.
What prompted me to write this Awara Accounting report on the impressive development of Russia’s airports was to produce a cure for the but-beyond-the-MKAD syndrome. The MKAD is the 110 kilometer outer ring road around Moscow. And this syndrome refers to the habit of the detractors of Putin’s Russia to claim that any visible development of Russia, if any, has happened only within the limits of Moscow city – “just go outside the Ring Road and you’ll see there’s nothing but poverty and ruin.”
Many of those who suffer from this syndrome live in a deep-seated cognitive dissonance where they just refuse to trust their lying eyes, while some of them are just peddlers of pure propaganda or victims of the latter.
So, let’s see what actually happens beyond the MKAD. Amazing airports have been built or reconstructed both in Moscow and across the vast country and many other impressive projects have been presented.
And it is not just airports, it is roads and bridges, too. Those Awara has covered in other reports in the series on Putin’s incredible infrastructure investments. You can read about the amazing new bridges at this link: Putin the Pontiff – Bridge maker and the great development of Russia’s roads here.
What’s remarkable is also the efficiency and speed of the construction of the new airport terminals. Most of them have been built in three years and some in two or even less. The Simferopol airport (above) was built in two years and was up and running within three years from the decision to initiate the project. Krasnoyarsk (below) needed only1.5 years to complete the construction.
Russia’s 79 international airports
Our method was to review all the airports in a list of all of Russia’s international airports. (An international airport is one into which a plane can fly directly from a foreign country as it runs a passport control). There were 79 airports in our list. From what I had registered from the news and in my travels, I expected that there would be some 10 or 15 cool new airports to present. But no. The task proved much more overwhelming as it turned out that almost every one of the listed airports had been reconstructed or was due for reconstruction.
Instead of writing up an easy piece with nice pics, I ended up spending weeks on identifying and digesting all the information. The investigation showed that practically each one of the 79 airports had either been modernized or about to be so. I identified less than 10 airports on the list of international airports which were not brought up to modern quality standards since 2000 or on the way to it. And of those half were either remote outposts or military airfields. I am confident, that all the passenger airports in the major Russian cities (defined as having some 150 thousand or more inhabitants) will be totally modernized within the next 6 years.
Practically all the development of the international airports has been funded by both public and private money, where the infrastructure like runways and flight controls have been recipients of public funds whereas the terminals have been mostly built by public funds.
In addition to the 79 international airports there are some 60 regional airports with more or less regular traffic. These will all also be upgraded according to a multibillion government program on development of regional airports running up to 2024. This forms part of a broader strategic program ordered by President Putin to improve the Russian economy, demographics and infrastructure with public and private funding amounting to a total of $400 billion.
An important goal with the development of the airports is to help decentralize the economy by way of increasing direct interconnectivity of Russian cities instead of people having to fly transit through Moscow, which has in the past really hampered the overall development of the country.
Some of the airports are developed into regional logistics and business centers like the air city in Khabarovsk.
The new airport facilities are really needed to keep up with the passenger boom
The new enlarged and reconstructed airports cater to a growing number of passengers. In 2000, when Putin first took office, the Russian airports served 35.5 million passengers, but by 2018 the number had grown sixfold to 205 million. That surpasses the 135 million passengers of the USSR in the 1980s. The growth has been huge and accelerating, just in five years from 2014 to 2018 the number grew by one third.
In the meanwhile, the Moscow air cluster with 97 million passengers (2018) has become Europe’s third largest air hub after London (126 mln) and Paris (104 mln). Sheremetyevo – Europe’s fastest growing airport – alone has grown 4.5 times since 2000 to present 46 million. At the same time, Moscow’s second airport Domodedovo grew from handling 2.8 million passengers in in 2000 to 30 million in 2017.
Air travel is a very solid indicator for economic activity, these figures then show that there is much going on that does not catch the eye of the GDP.
MOSCOW
The rapid enlargement of Sheremetyevo started when it in 2007 got the new Terminal C. Then came the fascinating Terminal D in 2009, and in 2010, the Terminal E connecting Terminal D with the old Terminal F and serving as the end station for the new airpor
When I first came to Moscow by air in 1993, the city did not have a single modern airport. Actually, back then the Sheremetyevo international airport, present day Terminal F, should have formally counted as a modern one as it was built only about a decade earlier in 1980 in time for the Moscow Olympics. But the airport – built by a West German company – was terribly outdated in design and functionality from the start. Both the façade and the interior design was informed by a dark and gloomy style prevailing in Russia during the 1970s. My impression as a passenger was that that the terminal must have been in operational neglect at least three decades by then.
I used to hate having to travel through that airport and each time I would wish they’d remove the heavy copper circles which were misdecorating the ceilings and literally weighing over the heads of the passengers. One day sometime in the early 2000s it did happen; the copper was gone and a white suspended ceiling was there instead. Somebody told me that the reason was that the commodity price of copper had surged. Whatever, I was happy for it. In the 1990s the restrooms where stinky and you’d be lucky if they were furnished with paper. And then there was the strong kerosene fumes wafting around the whole airport. An odor which you would connect with Russia in good and bad. For me it actually became so characteristic of Russia, that I later found myself upon arrival inhaling that fume, like one would mountain air, happy as I had returned to Russia from the increasingly oppressive West.
But today all has changed, if Sheremetyevo Terminal F was probably the worst of all the world’s major airports, I considered the new Terminal D as one of the best when it opened in 2009. Presently the terminal is overcrowded as it operates way over its planned capacity, but that should ease when the domestic traffic is fully transferred to the new Terminal B, which opened in 2018.
If Sheremetyevo Terminal G was depressing, then the domestic terminal then called Sheremetyevo 1 was like a parody of all that was wrong with the later stages of the USSR just before its demise. Moscow’s second airport, Domodedovo, at that time was very much the same, but today Domodedovo along with Sheremetyevo are modern international airports meeting the highest global standards. There is a third major Moscow airport as well, the Vnukovo airport. And a smaller, fourth Moscow cluster international airport, Zhukovsky (Ramenskoe) opened in 2018.
In 2018, in time for the FIFA World Cup, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo got the new Terminal B for domestic flights. This one will be merged with present Terminal C, after the renovation of the latter, to form a hub for domestic flights, while Terminals D, E and F will serve international flights. An underground shuttle train opened in 2018 already connects the domestic and international terminals.
This is the old Sheremetyevo 2 (now called Terminal F), Russia’s only “modern” airport before 2000 when Putin became president.
The old Domodedovo terminal in Moscow
A waiting lounge at the old Domodedovo
The new Domodedovo (above and below)
New, in 2012 (above) and old, in 2000 (below) Vnukovo, Moscow's 3rd airport.
Let’s now go beyond the MKAD and look at the other new amazing airport complexes around the country. This is just a selection, there is much more.
SAINT PETERSBURG
Saint Petersburg was really in a need of a modern airport, and it was therefore such a relief when it finally opened in 2013
BELGOROD
Belgorod a city of 350 thousand inhabitants close to the Ukrainian border got this new beautiful terminal in 2013.
VLADIVOSTOK
Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East got a new airport terminal in 2012 as part of the preparations for the APEC 2012 summit.
YEKATERINBURG
Yekaterinburg, Russia’s third largest city on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains received a new terminal in 2009.
KAZAN
This new airport complex was erected in 2012 in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia’s sixth most populous city. It was built in the run up to the 2013 Summer Universiade and enlarged for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
KALININGRAD
This new airport in Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave at the Baltic Sea, opened in 2017
NIZHNY NOVGOROD
The new airport in Nizhny Novgorod was also built as part of Russia’s infrastructure upgrade in preparation for the 2018 football World Cup.
NOVOSIBIRSK
The new airport in Novosibirsk is from 2015. Novosibirsk with 1.5 million is a city in Siberia at the Ob River. The Trans-Siberian Railway fueled much of the city's growth in the 19th century.
PERM
The new terminal in Perm from 2017 is a real architectural gem. Perm has a population over one million and is located in the, Urals 300 kilometers north-west of Yekaterinburg and 400 kilometers north of Ufa.
ROSTOV-ON-DON
Rostov-on-Don is one more of the cities which got a new airport terminal (opened 2017) in preparation for the FIFA 2018 World Cup. In fact, this was a brand new airport built on virgin field, whereas the other airports in this survey represent development and enlargements of previously existing airports.
SABETA, YAMAL PENINSULA
Sabetta on the Yamal peninsula got an airport in 2014 in connection with Russia’s push to develop its Arctic regions and in this case especially the Yamal LNG project and the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye gas field.
SAMARA
In 2014 opened the new airport in Samara in the southeastern part of European Russia on the east bank of the river Volga.
SIMFEROPOL
Simferopol airport in Russian Crimea is probably the nicest airport in the world. Built in 2018, four years after Crimea’s liberation from Ukrainian occupation.
It was an amazing feeling travelling through that airport. The architect has really managed to do what is most important in places like that, to neutralize the stress factor. Everything is so spacy, harmonious and green that you get a feeling that you are in a giant spa instead of an airport. The Simferopol airport really calmed my nerves on a busy travelling day.
SOCHI
The Sochi airport was built in 2009 and enlarged in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
TALAKAN, YAKUTIA
This airport in Talakan in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) opened in 2012.
TYUMEN
The new international terminal in Tyumen was opened in 2017. Tyumen was the first Russian settlement in Siberia and now has an estimated population of 750 thousand.
UFA
Ufa, the capital city of Bashkortostan at the Urals received this new air terminal in 2015.
VOLGOGRAD
This is the airport in Volgograd, the WWII name of which was Stalingrad. A new international terminal was constructed in 2016 and in 2018 another terminal for domestic flights was opened to accommodate football fans for FIFA 2018.
KRASNOYARSK
The newly constructed airport in Krasnoyarsk opened in December 2017. Krasnoyarsk is located at the Yenisei River in Siberia. With a population over one million it is the third largest Siberian city after Novosibirsk and Omsk. Novosibirsk got a new airport in 2015 and Omsk will get one before 2022.
Those were some of the airports built and upgraded within the last decade, now let’s look on some airport projects underway.
GROZNY
The Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov presented in May 2018 this bold project for the new airport in the Chechen capital Grozny. The construction is expected to commence in 2020.
SARATOV
The projected new terminal at the Saratov airport is one more of the new Russian airports with daring architecture, not only functionality but beauty, too. Saratov on the Volga River and with a population of some 850 thousand will have this airport up and running in 2019.
IRKUTSK
The Irkutsk airport will be modernized with this new terminal in 2020. Irkutsk is a city of 600 thousand people near the Lake Baikal.
KRASNODAR
Krasnodar, Russia’s fastest growing city, in the South of the country will get a new airport and air city hub by 2023.
NALCHIK
This new terminal in Nalchik is due by 2020. Nalchik is a city of 300 thousand situated at an altitude of 550 meters (1,800 ft) in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains.
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is Russia’s easternmost big city situated on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Interestingly, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is actually situated quite a bit eastward from Tokyo if you go by the latitude of geographic coordinates. That should really give you an idea how huge Russia is. This new airport terminal will be erected there by 2021.
KHABAROVSK
As part of Putin’s drive to develop Russia’s Far East, Khabarovsk will get a new modern airport terminal by 2019. Further the airport will be developed into a logistic hub with an air city consisting of business centers, hotels and an exposition center. Khabarovsk, a city of more than half a million people, is located at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers about 800 kilometers north of Vladivostok and only 30 kilometers from the Chinese border.
CHELYABINSK
Chelyabinsk is just to the east of the Ural Mountains and 210 kilometers south of Yekaterinburg. This city with more than 1 million inhabitants will soon get this new airport terminal which is due in 2019. The construction was spurred by the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization summits to be held in Chelyabinsk in 2020.
YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with a population of 200 thousand is on the Sakhalin island, one thousand kilometer west from the Kamchatka Peninsula. Their new airport terminal is due by end of 2019 so as to accommodate growing needs of tourism and business.
GELENDZHIK
We will round off this survey with this impressive new airport terminal which will be erected in Gelendzhik. Gelendzhik is a Black Sea resort 250 kilometer west from Sochi. In fact, between Sochi and Anapa on the whole coast, there are no high quality resorts except for Gelendzhik, but this one is truly a gem. The new terminal will be built by 2021. Gelendzhik is the only one in our survey which does not presently have the status of international airport, but that should be taken care of by the time this new airport is done. With Gelendzhik completed, Russia’s Black Sea region will have six modern large airports – Sochi, Gelendzhik, Anapa, Simferopol, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don – in a matrix of roughly 300 kilometers between airport. That is an impressive density in itself and doubly remarkable considering there was not a single decent airport there before 2009. Considering also the road building happening in the region, the area is on its way to develop into a Russian Provence, with which it already shares the climate and nature.


russia-insider--2020-09-15--Post-War Berlin, the Summer of 1945

Post-War Berlin, the Summer of 1945

This article from our archives was first published on RI in May 2015 This article originally appeared at New Cold War.org Unique film footage of how Berlin looked and how it was returning to life after war in the summer of 1945 has recently been posted to ‘ Berlin Channel ’ on YouTube .
The film footage was shot only months after the capitulation of Nazi Germany on May 9 , 1945 .
Pictured in the seven-minute video is the awful damage to Berlin caused by the crazed , last-ditch resistance by the doomed Nazi regime to the approaching armies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s correct , mainstream media .
Contrary to what many of you report , the battles which decided the outcome of World War Two were not fought in western Europe .
No , they were fought on the territories of the Soviet Union and other countries of eastern Europe .
Eighty per cent of the civilian and military casualties of World War Two in Europe were suffered there .
In the end , it was the Soviet army that liberated Berlin , the seat of Nazi power .
All of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war returned last year to the hallowed fields of eastern Ukraine .
This present war is aided and abetted by the same NATO imperialist countries that quietly watched–some even cheered–some 85 years ago as the Nazis brutally rose to power in Germany in 1933 and then set out on a path of European conquest .

This article from our archives was first published on RI in May 2015
This article originally appeared at New Cold War.org
Unique film footage of how Berlin looked and how it was returning to life after war in the summer of 1945 has recently been posted to ‘Berlin Channel’ on YouTube. The film footage was shot only months after the capitulation of Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945.
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and surrounding ruins in Berlin in summer 1945
Pictured in the seven-minute video is the awful damage to Berlin caused by the crazed, last-ditch resistance by the doomed Nazi regime to the approaching armies of the Soviet Union.
Yes, that’s correct, mainstream media. Contrary to what many of you report, the battles which decided the outcome of World War Two were not fought in western Europe. No, they were fought on the territories of the Soviet Union and other countries of eastern Europe. Eighty per cent of the civilian and military casualties of World War Two in Europe were suffered there. In the end, it was the Soviet army that liberated Berlin, the seat of Nazi power.
All of this is worth recalling as, unbelievably, war returned last year to the hallowed fields of eastern Ukraine. This present war is aided and abetted by the same NATO imperialist countries that quietly watched–some even cheered–some 85 years ago as the Nazis brutally rose to power in Germany in 1933 and then set out on a path of European conquest.


russia-insider--2020-09-18--The Liberation of Crimea: One of the Ten Major Blows that Destroyed Adolph Hitler

The Crimean offensive that led to the liberation of the peninsula from the forces of Germany and its allies began on April 8 , 1944 .
Commemorating the anniversary of the event , historians stressed the unique nature of this operation , launched to liberate Crimea , and its vital military role in clearing the path for the Red Army to reach the Balkans This article from our archives was first published on RI in April 2015 Note : With the upcoming 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War just around the corner we are publishing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is so important to Russian collective memory .
The Crimean offensive of 1944 , which saw the victorious advance of the Red Army and the rout of the Germans , has been called unique by historians , and one of the 10 critical ‘ blows ’ delivered by ( Joseph ) Stalin during the second world war , that destroyed ( Adolf ) Hitler .
It began on April 8 and ended mid-May , by which time the 17th German-Romanian Army ( Group A ) was completely destroyed , and the Soviet Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The wind , the snow , the rain , the mud ... sappers , soldiers waist-deep in the icy water were building bridges , and then repairing them after they were broken by storms .
All this was being carried out under heavy gunfire and bombs from the enemy .
A Titanic Task ... ” is how Boris Bozhedomov , military historian at the Research Institute of the Military Academy described the battle .
He was speaking during a roundtable to commemorate the anniversary of the operation .
He was describing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shallow Sivash Gulf , separating the northern part of Crimea from the mainland which was controlled by Soviet troops .
To cross this gulf , the Red Army built bridges more than a mile long , in treacherous conditions .
As the historians emphasized , German forces desperately tried to cling on to Crimea .
Despite the fact that German troops on the peninsula had been cut off from the mainland in the fall of 1943 , Hitler refused to evacuate his soldiers and allied armies .
Mikhail Myagkov , scientific director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Soviet leadership was aware of the crucial strategic importance of this operation .
In Germany , they were hoping that German soldiers would emulate the feat of the Soviet troops in 1941-1942 .
At that time , the Germans had required 250 days to capture Crimea , with the assault on Sevastopol lasting 30 days , while Soviet troops then liberated all of Crimea in just 35 days , and Sevastopol was taken back in just 4 days .
Before the offensive of 1944 , the Red Army ’ s strength was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Soviet group consisted of about 470,000 soldiers , against 200,000 German and Romanian soldiers .
However , in order to take advantage of this strength , the troops first had to be concentrated secretly in the two areas where the attacks would take place – Perekopa ( in the north ) and Kerch ( to the south-east of the peninsula ) , using the bridgeheads previously taken from the enemy at those sites .
However , as Bozhedomov pointed out , the enemy was aware that , given the impossibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of soldiers could not be infiltrated covertly ) , these were the only directions of possible attacks , and was working on preparations to repel them .
Nevertheless , the Soviet troops quietly managed , unnoticed by the Nazis , to concentrate a significant number of troops , including an armoured corps , in a relatively small area .
The main attack came from Perekopa .
The second was in the direction of Kerch , which was taken back on April 11 .
In just a few days , Soviet troops broke through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the enemy began retreating .
By mid-April , Soviet troops were near Sevastopol .
Two hasty attempts to break through the enemy ’ s defences failed , and so began preparations for a full-scale assault , which began on May 5 and ended on May 9 .
As a result of this operation , the German-Romanian forces lost 140,000 men , about half of them becoming prisoners .
The Red Army ’ s losses amounted to 17,000 men , killed in battle .
According to Sergei Chennyk , editor of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crimean operation demonstrated the quintessence of combat experience , which the Red Army had gained by that time .
According to him , this “ decisive operation ” was followed by a string of continuous victories .
One of the ten ‘ Blows , ’ or successful strategic offensives conducted by the Red Army in 1944 , which led to the complete defeat of Nazi Germany .
The operation itself was distinguished by a high degree of motorization ; the Red Army rolled forward quickly , with soldiers barely having to move on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also distinguished by the geography of the peninsula itself ; being likened to an impregnable medieval fortress , surrounded on all sides by moats .
Nevertheless , Soviet troops managed to take back this fortress in record time .
As the historians pointed out , this operation opened the path to the Balkans for the Red Army , while the heavy losses suffered by Romanian troops led that country , a few months later , to abandon its alliance with Germany and join the anti-Hitler coalition .

The Crimean offensive that led to the liberation of the peninsula from the forces of Germany and its allies began on April 8, 1944. Commemorating the anniversary of the event, historians stressed the unique nature of this operation, launched to liberate Crimea, and its vital military role in clearing the path for the Red Army to reach the Balkans
This article from our archives was first published on RI in April 2015
Note: With the upcoming 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War just around the corner we are publishing more material related to that epic conflict that is so important to Russian collective memory.
This article originally appeared at Russia & India Report
The Crimean offensive of 1944, which saw the victorious advance of the Red Army and the rout of the Germans, has been called unique by historians, and one of the 10 critical ‘blows’ delivered by (Joseph) Stalin during the second world war, that destroyed (Adolf) Hitler. It began on April 8 and ended mid-May, by which time the 17th German-Romanian Army (Group A) was completely destroyed, and the Soviet Union regained control of this strategically crucial region.
Titanic Task
“The wind, the snow, the rain, the mud... sappers, soldiers waist-deep in the icy water were building bridges, and then repairing them after they were broken by storms. All this was being carried out under heavy gunfire and bombs from the enemy. A Titanic Task...” is how Boris Bozhedomov, military historian at the Research Institute of the Military Academy described the battle. He was speaking during a roundtable to commemorate the anniversary of the operation.
He was describing efforts of the Red Army to force the shallow Sivash Gulf, separating the northern part of Crimea from the mainland which was controlled by Soviet troops. To cross this gulf, the Red Army built bridges more than a mile long, in treacherous conditions.
As the historians emphasized, German forces desperately tried to cling on to Crimea. Despite the fact that German troops on the peninsula had been cut off from the mainland in the fall of 1943, Hitler refused to evacuate his soldiers and allied armies.
Mikhail Myagkov, scientific director of the Russian Military-Historical Society, said the Soviet leadership was aware of the crucial strategic importance of this operation.
In Germany, they were hoping that German soldiers would emulate the feat of the Soviet troops in 1941-1942. At that time, the Germans had required 250 days to capture Crimea, with the assault on Sevastopol lasting 30 days, while Soviet troops then liberated all of Crimea in just 35 days, and Sevastopol was taken back in just 4 days.
Secret Concentration of forces
Before the offensive of 1944, the Red Army’s strength was reinforced with superior equipment and enhanced manpower. The Soviet group consisted of about 470,000 soldiers, against 200,000 German and Romanian soldiers.
However, in order to take advantage of this strength, the troops first had to be concentrated secretly in the two areas where the attacks would take place – Perekopa (in the north) and Kerch (to the south-east of the peninsula), using the bridgeheads previously taken from the enemy at those sites.
However, as Bozhedomov pointed out, the enemy was aware that, given the impossibility of a full-scale landing (tens of thousands of soldiers could not be infiltrated covertly), these were the only directions of possible attacks, and was working on preparations to repel them. Nevertheless, the Soviet troops quietly managed, unnoticed by the Nazis, to concentrate a significant number of troops, including an armoured corps, in a relatively small area.
Double punch
The main attack came from Perekopa. The second was in the direction of Kerch, which was taken back on April 11. In just a few days, Soviet troops broke through the German defences – from both directions, and the enemy began retreating. By mid-April, Soviet troops were near Sevastopol. Two hasty attempts to break through the enemy’s defences failed, and so began preparations for a full-scale assault, which began on May 5 and ended on May 9.
As a result of this operation, the German-Romanian forces lost 140,000 men, about half of them becoming prisoners. The Red Army’s losses amounted to 17,000 men, killed in battle.
According to Sergei Chennyk, editor of the magazine “Military Crimea”, the Crimean operation demonstrated the quintessence of combat experience, which the Red Army had gained by that time. According to him, this “decisive operation” was followed by a string of continuous victories. One of the ten ‘Blows,’ or successful strategic offensives conducted by the Red Army in 1944, which led to the complete defeat of Nazi Germany.
The operation itself was distinguished by a high degree of motorization; the Red Army rolled forward quickly, with soldiers barely having to move on foot.
The operation to liberate Crimea was also distinguished by the geography of the peninsula itself; being likened to an impregnable medieval fortress, surrounded on all sides by moats.
Nevertheless, Soviet troops managed to take back this fortress in record time. As the historians pointed out, this operation opened the path to the Balkans for the Red Army, while the heavy losses suffered by Romanian troops led that country, a few months later, to abandon its alliance with Germany and join the anti-Hitler coalition.