Travel Blog | About TravelBlog | World Facts | Travel Wallpaper | Travel Forum | Backpackers Travel Insurance | Services | Cameras

South Travel Blogs

Background: Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Josef STALIN (1928-53) strengthened Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period. While some progress has been made on the economic front, recent years have seen a recentralization of power under Vladimir PUTIN and an erosion in nascent democratic institutions. A determined guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya.



Links: South Travel Blogs (17) | South Travel Photos | Map of South | Russia Travel Forum | Russia Facts | Map of Russia

Areas in South: Astrakhan | Bashkortostan | Gelendzhik | Grozny | Krasnodar | Novorossiysk | Rostov on Don | Sochi | Tuapse | Vladikavkaz | Volgograd

Russia

Russia Location


Recommended Books:

Hostels in Russia
Latest South Blog Entries
South Photos











« back 1 10 next »
Tuesday 6 May - Volgograd to Akhtubinsk, 162 km Kasha for breakfast, which I ate with some of my new pot of jam . Fortunately it was a fine sunny day with light winds, and the terrain was steppe - flat with low rolling hills, so the distance was not too bad. We crossed the huge hydroelectric dam across the Volga, very impressive. Much nicer landscape now, bushes and trees and no longer the endless fields. We saw horses and several herds of cows, which we have not seen up till now in Russia. At the closed town of Znamensk we [View Full Entry]

Grannysmith - Angela Smith | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
924 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 2nd 2008 | 81 Views | [diary=294345]

Cooking lunch 080508
Astrakhan Kremlin

By passenger
June 12th 2008

Beslan

 Europe » Russia » South
Beslan... On 1. September 2004 terrorists occupied a school in Beslan. Until 3. September teachers and children were caught there without water. There were bombs mounted around them in the gym. On the 3. September the bombs were detonated. At least 386 people were killed, 186 were children. Because of respect towards the victims, this entry won't include subjective comments. [View Full Entry]

passenger - tower of fire | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
54 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 13 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 12th 2008 | 43 Views | [diary=286620]

-
-
the entrance

By passenger
June 12th 2008

Vladikavkaz

 Europe » Russia » South » Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz - the city where few of my relatives dwell. I've been in Vladikavkaz many times, but this entry includes pictures from summer 2007 and spring 2008. Vladikavkaz is definitely not a tourist city, and in fact the first time I've seen tourists in Vladikavkaz was winter 2008. They were at the Zej, which is considered as the wonder nr 2. of the region around Vladikavkaz on some fancy list of wonders. And indeed it is one! Anyway those tourists were from another russian city, so basically no real "tourists". And no wonder, Vladikavkaz is a depressing place pertaining to work [View Full Entry]

passenger - tower of fire | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
211 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 52 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 12th 2008 | 78 Views | [diary=286606]

kinky looking cats
now that
on the way to the mountains

When the train started to move from Rostov, I was tired enough for a sleep. The destination was from one big river of Europe to another big one which draws the border between Euorope and Asia. I started from Don and I would end in Volga. The wagon I was traveling in was like a dorm. Beds were located right and left along an aisle, and wagon was full of both men and women. As someone who was born in Middle East, it was a little hard to absorb the fact men and women who were totally strangers sleeping all togather [View Full Entry]

Gorkem Turan - Gorkem Turan | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1449 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 28 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 4th 2008 | 213 Views | [diary=272682]

In the train from Rostov
Eternal fire
The stairs for the honour of 62nd army

The journey which I have been dreaming for a long while did not start very well. My friend who wished to join me could not come because of his visa problems, secondly I was very very close to missing my plane from Istanbul to Rostov, and thirdly a corrupt officer sticked me and a few other Turkish citizens to the Rostov airport for a few hours just for his wish for getting some "small presents" like a bottle of whisky and a handful of cigars. At last he got his cigars and we were out of the airport at 4 am [View Full Entry]

Gorkem Turan - Gorkem Turan | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1015 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 16 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 29th 2008 | 56 Views | [diary=271211]

Rostov - River Side
Main Church of Rostov
Rostov Sun Set

By vkramer515
January 11th 2008

Sochi / Red Meadow

 Europe » Russia » South » Sochi
Next Olympic Skier
Next Olympic Skier
Well, maybe not, but I did ski the moutain where the 2014 Winter Olympics will be held (Sochi / Red Meadow).
In keeping with what has become an annual tradition, I decided to go skiing over MLK weekend, which is also my birthday weekend. I got the idea when Freddie was looking for (cross country) ski pants and I threw out the idea to Leo and/or Freddie about downhill skiing. Neither had downhill skiied, but both were interested. The other barrier we ran into, they have not served in the army yet so they do not have their external passports so we had to stay in the country. There is some skiing just north of Moscow, but I wanted to do something [View Full Entry]

vkramer515 - Vince Kramer | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1799 Words | 3 Comment(s) | 10 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: January 13th 2008 | 216 Views | [diary=233950]

Future Skiers
At the Airport
Heading to the Beach

It’s an old question: which is Europe’s highest mountain - Elbrus (5,642m) in the Caucasus, or Mont Blanc (4,807m) in the Alps? A team of geographers has determined that Elbrus does indeed belong to Europe, because of the position of the glaciers, although the mountain itself stands on the border with Asia. So Elbrus proudly represents Europe in the challenge of the Seven Summits. It’s far from the hardest mountain to climb; but - hey, how many people do you know who’ve done it? So here I am, ready to conquer yet another mountain and add one more to my Seven [View Full Entry]

Egis Vincel - Egis Vincel | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1034 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 4 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 4th 2007 | 59 Views | [diary=225045]

Elbrus_August_2007
After the victory
In the local settings

Yes, I know I'm a day early, but I don't know if I'm going to update tomorrow. So remember Guy Fawkes tomorrow. And since I'm writing from the world of political repression, celebrate dissidents, though let's not kill anyone, ok friends? Ok, happy subjects. I'm in Sochi and it's warm and pretty and I'm wearing flip flops. Basically it's fantastic compared to life in Peter or Moscow. It wasn't quite warm enough to go to the beach today, but hopefully it will get there at some point this week because I'm determined to go back to Peter with a tan. Even [View Full Entry]

lilith1987 - ~ | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
351 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: November 4th 2007 | 59 Views | [diary=216790]


The beaches along greater Sochi …are the rocky kind …not sand ..not pebbles ..but rocks ..3 times bigger than the ballast found on the roof of a city apartment building... Somehow the natives can tough it out …but the foreigner ..suffers …in fact you can tell who is who by what happens the second they step onto the beachhead .. The natives ..stay focused on the chosen spot …they do not miss a step on the rounded rocks...and may even hurry a bit … you do not fear anything ..until you have something to loose .. so now …with the prize [View Full Entry]

granhefe - John B Naradzay | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
668 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 20th 2007 | 30 Views | [diary=171537]


By granhefe
June 18th 2007

Sochi and - 5

 Europe » Russia » South » Sochi
Here are some of the things I learned on my first trip to Sochi ..last year in September of 2006 … Sochi is actually “Greater Sochi” …for in the early 1960s’ ..3 towns ..were added to Sochi to make “Greater Sochi …” Khosta, Adler & Lazarevskoye were added …I mention this …so that when you are booking a hotel in the center of Sochi …well …it may be in the center of greater Sochi ..rather than the center of Sochi proper …you could end up 50 km from where you thought you would be! Khosta and Adler are t [View Full Entry]

granhefe - John B Naradzay | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1148 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 18th 2007 | 35 Views | [diary=170745]



« back 1 10 next »