Shamanic Olkhon Island at Lake Baika(l)

Marshrutka (minibus): Irkutsk – Olkhon, 6 hrs of twists and bends on a bumpy road which at one point vanishes and turns into an even bumpier dirt road. Olkhon Island is THE place to go on Lake Baikal both for Russian and foreign tourists and local people, very often of Mongolian origins called Buryats, who

Exploring Russian Land-Brainscape

As one of my friends commented on our photos that every second picture shows us drinking beer, we decided to do something physically challenging for a change. The challenge involved hiking with our backpacks from Listvyanka to Bolshie Koty village along Lake Baikal shore. It is a 25-kilometre trek which we hoped to do in

Voluntary Exile into Siberia

We’ve been on the train for 44 hours and it’s been exactly half of our train journey. Today we woke up at 9:00 am Moscow time, but 11:00 am Yekaterinburg time, our first city in the Asian Russia, and felt a much welcome relief from the unbearable heat, which accompanied us since we left Moscow.

Two ‘Religions’ of Russia: Orthodox Russian Church and Vladmir Ilyich Lenin

On Sunday, 24th July, we experienced two opposing ‘religions’ dividing the Russian society since the beginning of 20th century: the Orthodox Russian Church with the Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia as its head and the atheist Communist Party with its father, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. These two were at opposing extremities and politics

Absurdities of Modern Russia

These are just a few situations which struck us as very particular, if not absurd. I’m sure the Russians would find absurdities of a different kind in Poland too. My intent is not to ridicule or mock Russian lifestyle, but present a few interesting cultural differences. Afterall, little absurdities and oddities give life the edge

St Petersburg: Proud Lion at Daytime & Playful Lion Cub by Night

St Petersburg during daytime: faded facades of past grandeur and dodgy courtyards, idyllic canals, romantic Neva River bank and the odour of sewage mixed with urine, Russian beauties with long high-heeled legs in high-street dresses and old pudgy ‘babushkas’.

First Impressions of Rossiya: Red Tape and Kasha

Crossing the Estonian – Russian border at about 2am: tamozhennyĭ chinovnik (the customs officer) gets on the bus to collect all passengers’ passports. An Italian couple sitting behind us had quite an awakening when they were told they do need a passport to enter Rossiya, not to mention a valid visa. Obviously, they were dumped