Olesya and I took the bus to Belokurikha on Saturday, March 1st. “It’s about 15 minutes away.” Maybe I misunderstood or misheard. Maybe it was, “It’s about 50 minutes away.” In reality, Belokurikha is about an hour bus ride drive from Biysk. I’ve heard of this town before. Many times when I’ve asked, “Where were you this weekend?” my students answer, “I was in Belokurikha.” The road to Belokurikha is excellent. There are almost no potholes, and there is lovely scenery. Putin has a summerhouse there. Belokurikha is to Altai Krai as Park City is to Utah. It’s a resort town and not entirely representative of the rest of the area. In fact it is in general discord with the surrounding area, at least money- and culture-wise. And damn if it isn’t beautiful. There are aspens
... read more
