Russia

I never imagined myself going to Russia, especially by train. After eight months in Asia, Russia seemed like Utopia. Paved roads, recently made automobiles, and hoardes of Caucasians. It was the first place in many months where I didn’t feel the need to triple-wash my fruit before eating it. I was well-fed in Siberia, and entertained till daylight in Moscow.

Stories

Eventually I will catch up on my stories from Russia, I promise. (Ed. note 2026. Promise broken.)

    Favorite Photographs

    Litsvyanka, Siberia

    A two day trip by train from Mongolia left me in Siberia and the capable hands of Elena my tour guide from Irkutsk. Accompanied by twelve fellow travellers we hopped in a van and were whisked to Litsvyanka, on the shores of Lake Baikal, the oldest, longest, deepest and cleanest lake on the planet. Litsvyanka is a small village devoted to fishing and vacationing. We stayed with an old couple we named Mama and Papa Ludmilla. After feeding ourselves on packaged noodles during the train journey, the Ludmillas feasts were immense, each of us adding long forgotten pounds to our bellies.

    Visits

    Red Square and the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

    A short stay in Moscow usually leads tourists to downtown and the Red Square/Kremlin areas. Given all the history behind these buildings it’s a wonder that everyone mostly sits about and has their portraits taken in front of the bricks. On my summer day trips to the square it is hard to imagine it as the same place that witnessed years of military equipment parades, perhaps the most lasting impressions I had of the country until now.

     

    Around Town, Moscow, Russia

    I noticed the color in Moscow at once. I always imagined the city as one big grey, windy, concrete grid. In fact, it’s quite lovely, with lots of european architecture, stylish inhabitants and questionably financed luxury cars zooming about. Also, the young people of Moscow are not the drab, downtrodden youths we Westerners might expect. There is a vibrant, stylish culture surrounding the entire downtown, that is quite a breath of fresh air after the backroads of Asia.

    Moscow, Russia, The Hungry Duck

    Every big city has it’s bar-of-the-moment. In Moscow the most notorious, if not the most popular, is the Hungry Duck Bar and Grill. Every expatriate I met in town would grin widely and groan at the same time when asked about the Duck. Purely for journalistic curiosity I visited and was met with a truly unexpected scene. Decadent? Unruly? Heaven? Check it out for yourself, but be warned of some nudity and lots of beer.