Blogs from Kazan, Volga, Russia, Europe

Planning this trip I briefly looked at the option of staying on the train all the way from Moscow to Mongolia, until I saw that was like 5 or so solid days on a train! So a combination of reading and time tables led me first to Kazan, a relatively short hop @ 12 hrs east of Moscow, where I arrived to 27 degrees and sunshine, a nice change from the cloud and rain of St Petersberg and Moscow. Another day, another Kremlin Siting on the Volga, Kazan is where Europe and Asia begin to merge in Russia. Historically the area of a Turkic tribe it was incorporated into the Golden Horde (decedents of Genghis Khan) in the 13th century, became an independent Khanate when their power fragmented and was finally conquered by Ivan the Terrible ... read more

lots and lots of photos... read more

I’ve studied Russian for the past 3 years, taking lessons at the St. Petersburg State Forestry Academy, where I found inexpensive classes and a Soviet-style institution. My teacher for most of my time there was Galina Aleksandrovna. I had assumed that she was middle-aged but looked older; it turned out that she is way past pensionable age – about 75 – but continues working as she enjoys it. We got on well most of the time; I overlooked the archaic textbooks and old-fashioned teaching style in favour of the cultural experience, intelligent conversation, small groups (I was often the only student) and Galina Aleksandrovna’s fascinating anecdotes. In the midst of one discussion she absentmindedly started a sentence with ‘Here in the Soviet Union…’. I felt as though a dream had come true. Before I left Russia ... read more

Russia really is a land of contrasts. A few weeks ago we were inside temples in the Buddhist Republic of Kalmykia, a few days ago we couldn't move for onion domed churches in Suzdal and now here we are in the Republic of Tatarstan, home to 5 million Tatars, where mosques are more common than churches and signs are in Tatar and Russian. The capital, Kazan, is a great place to wander round – it doesn't feel Russian, it has a very free and easy feel, more relaxed than other cities. There are some amazing buildings around, very flamboyant and colourful not at all grey and concrete like my image of Russia. And so much history - established around 700AD by Bulgar Tatars (of Turkic & Slavic origin), it was conquered by the Mongol Golden Horde, ... read more

Volgograd-Saratov-Samara Nasi dalsi zastavkou je misto zvane " Utes Stepena Razina". Sjizdime z hlavni silnice mezi Vogogradem a Saratovem a po 8km po prasnych cestach prijizdime na brehy Volhy. Krajina je zvlnena, porostla brizami a krizovana stovkami vyjetych cest. Ve vesnici se ptame kudy jet a pak uz zvesela projizdime krajinou az na misto, kde je sezeni, zeleny travnik a uzasny vyhled dolu na reku Volhu. Bile utesy lemuji tmave modrou az cernou hladinu reky po ktere pluji lode. Pote zajizdime dolu az na samy breh , kde si macime nohy ve studene vode s jeste plavoucim ledem. Z teto prirodni oazy klidu a zelene se vydavame do mesta Saratov, oazy prachu a ruchu. Krasny vyhled na mesto z Parku Pobedy a prochazka nocnim centrem nam trochu vylepsuji dojem. Hlavnim zazitkem jsou ovsem zlate natrene lampy, ... read more