kazan — Blog — Amaury Dreher

Introduction to a long train journey :

Like many other people I had been dreaming of making the Trans-Siberian journey once in my life. For a long time I kept putting it off, hesitating and postponing, always finding excuses: lack of money, too little knowledge of the Russian language, Covid 19 context, etc... And suddenly, one day I said to myself 'fuck it, let's do it'.

My solo trip took place at the beginning of 2022 during the period of rising tension with Ukraine and before the war actually happened. Fortunately, the tricky geopolitical background had no real influence on my trip except at the very beginning when I arrived at the Moscow airport : the border police almost denied me from entering the country because of the multiple sensitive visas in my passport, the lonely aspect of my trip and the photo equipment I was carrying (drone, telephoto lens, etc...).

Before describing the journey, it is necessary to clarify something: the Trans-Siberian Railway is not a train, but a railroad line. Thus, there are many trains that use this line at different times and with different routes. It is quite possible for those who wish to do so not to make any stop and to go directly from Moscow to Vladivostok without getting off. The trip will then last 7 days and will probably be quite boring. As far as I am concerned, I decided to select a few cities to explore. Therefore I targeted the following itinerary: Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Baikal (Irkutsk) and finally Vladivostok.

In order to save time I decided to skip Saint Petersburg which I love so much but I had already explored extensively on previous trips.

transiberian Journey — *My itinerary of 22 days through the Russian Federation.*

So in total I chose to visit 7 cities and travelled 9000km during three weeks across 8 time zones.

From a Western European standard the whole train journey was extremely affordable with a total of 270 euros spent for the tickets (mixing 2nd and 3rd class).

Life aboard the train

I was able to take different trains throughout the trip with sometimes disparate but always suitable comfort. All of them were featuring toilets, a restaurant car and free unlimited hot water for coping with the tea addiction that all passengers have. One of the trains even had a shower!

I think I can say that the train is very representative of the society in general. All social categories, all ages, all profiles can be found abord: students, senior citizens, workers joining their families, young executives, mothers with children, etc...

I will go straight to the point: Alcohol is forbidden in the train compartments. On the other hand, yes, it is quite possible to drink vodka with locals in the restaurant car. If this amused me at first, I also quickly understood that the daily life of the staff who worked there was not always cheerful with the regular presence of alcoholic passengers. An employee even became anxious and obliged me to delete some pictures I took there in order to preserve the image of the train (and maybe of the Russian society).

It would never occur to me to spend 3 nights in a train in my own country, but abroad the experience seems immediately more exciting. My interactions with the other occupants of the compartment were varied, sometimes jovial, funny, and leading to long interesting conversations; sometimes colder or even almost non-existent. The snowy landscapes across the windows were often monotonous but still fascinating. Forests follow one another with villages and their small wooden houses. From time to time one could see gigantic and old-fashioned looking factories that appeared like ghosts of the communist past.

*A Samovar : the strategic hot water supply of the train for passengers*

The train is a universe in itself. Solidarity reigns on board. I remember two babushkas who provided me with food and tea with many smiles. My Russian being precarious but sufficient for basic conversations, I was able to talk with them and get to know more about their lives during USSR. They kept caring at me for hours like If I were their own grandson.

Each carriage has a samovar where you can get hot water to prepare your tea or eat noodles. In addition to the main restaurant car, It is also possible to buy some snacks from the officer in charge of each car. These people are real heroes and take care of everything: bringing sheets to new passengers, cleaning the car, carrying meals from the restaurant car, checking tickets on the platform, selling stuff, warning sleeping passengers of an imminent stop that concerns them, etc.. I still don't understand when they are actually resting.

It happens that some stops last more than 20 minutes. These are the joys of smokers who rush out of the train sometimes in the middle of the night dressed in simple pyjamas to go burn a cigarette on the platform despite the freezing temperature of -20 degrees.

On board the train behaviors vary: many have their eyes glued to their cell phones. Some are reading books, others are looking at the snowy landscape. Because of their open design, the Platzkard cars are not much quiet. You can hear all the near passengers snoring. If like me you have trouble sleeping, you'd better opt for Kupe, the second class which offers more privacy. However the Plarkzard class offers tremendous socialising opportunities.

Concerning safety on board I never really felt that me or my stuff were in danger. I made my whole trip with many valuable items (laptop, drone, camera, etc...) that I sometimes left unattended in the wagon without any problem. The only small risk may be that some passengers in the restaurant car can become too drunk and start to quickly drift from nice fellowship towards nationalistic & aggressive positions. Apply common sense and all should be fine.

Moscow :

Day 1.

I won't elaborate too much on the Russian capital that I had already visited many times in the past and previously depicted.

In a word, Moscow is the largest city in Europe with about 15 million inhabitants. The atmosphere is both cold and swirling with monumental architecture and less influenced by European than St. Petersburg is. The city absorbs your mental energy as much as it increases it.

The city is an epitome of what a modern megalopolis should be with its constant activity, numerous parks, international restaurants, museums, shopping centers and historic buildings. Security seems to be omnipresent and the streets are clean. Unlike most European cities, the nightlife is not centralized in specific areas but rather scattered throughout the city. As a foreigner it is relatively easy to go out alone in bars and strike up a conversation with people, especially if you can articulate a few words in Russian.

It has to be noted that the city is infinitely more modern and developed than the rest of Russia which by the way generates anger and frustration in many Russians. Thus, Moscow attracts many foreign workers and students because of its countless opportunities and dynamism. The cost of living seems to be lower than anywhere in Europe except for housing which is similar to Western Europe.

Like every time I visit the city I am struck by the efficiency of the metro which, in addition to being beautiful and impeccable, greatly facilitates travel through this megalopolis.

As this was a city I already knew, I decided to skip sightseeings and to focus instead on relaxing before the big trip that awaited me. Thus, I spent most of my time in the sauna of my hotel as well as on the roofs of the buildings in front of the business district "Moscow City" to admire the skyscrapers.

Nijni Novgorod :

Day 3.

Nizhny Novogord was the first stop on my long journey. The city is easily accessible from Moscow as the train ride is only 4 hours long and turned out to be very comfortable.

aerial russia — *Morning drone view of Nijni Novgorod*

Nijni Novogord was founded 800 years ago and remains well known for its connection with the writer Maxim Gorky who lived there. The Gorki name was used for the city throughout the entire Soviet era and it was not until 1990 that the current name was adopted.

Until the collapse of the USSR the city was completely closed to foreigners who could not enter for security reasons. Indeed the city contains many industrial activities and the communist central power wished to limit the risks of espionage or sabotage by the Western bloc.

Nowadays the city is still a major military and industrial hub with offices from various international companies such as Intel, Volkswagen or KPMG. The city has recently benefited from a strong development thanks in particular to the hosting of some matches of the 2018 World Cup and modernization works (construction of two metro lines, development of the riverbank, etc...).

Like many other cities in Russia Nizhny Novgorod owns a Kremlin which consists of a historical fortress built on a hill. Its summit offers an exceptional panoramic view of the surroundings and reminded me a bit of my past life in Finland. Despite the biting cold I managed to get my drone off the ground to take some shots of the city from above and to fly over the frozen Volga River.

The old town concentrates a lot of historical buildings and has a rather European atmosphere with trendy cafes, various stores and art galleries. Interactions are sometimes difficult due to the small number of English speakers among the inhabitants. However, there is always at least one young person nearby with a decent level and willing to help.

*A cool evening with Russian people and a despaired cat :))*

Nizhny Novgorod was also a nice opportunity for me to immerse myself in the local life by spending evenings with some young people and a family. We ate blinis and discussed about cultural differences between life in Russia and in France.

Too much wine and a lost key drama later, I finally made it back to my Airbnb to get some rest before the journey to Tatarstan.

Kazan :

Day 5

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic I could not travel from Nijni Novogord to Kazan by train. After many searches for alternative routes, I finally decided to go there by carpooling with Dimitri that I met through the Blablacar app. The duration of the journey and his non-existent English were a good opportunity for me to practice my Russian. At first, Dimitri was not very talkative and even cold, but his behavior became more and more relaxed as the trip went on. Finally he cared about me as if he had always known me.

After lots of troubles with the local cabs, I finally managed to reach the center of Kazan where strong winds and a temperature of -20 degrees slashed my face.

Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan and is often referred as the ‘Third capital of Russia’ after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The city is located on the banks of the Volga river and features around 700 000 inhabitants.

Tatarstan is an autonomous republic and has a special status. It even has its own president. The Tatar people are direct of descendants of Genghis Khan and they managed to maintain their own cultural identity. Since very ancient times the city has been an important stopover of numerous trade routes for connecting Asia with Europe.

Throughout History Kazan has been influenced by many ethnicities and few nations fought to ensure its control before Ivan The Terrible finally seized it. Since then, it never left the Russian domination.

The republic of Tatarstan is one of the most developed in Russia. Indeed the economy is favored by the presence of numerous oil fields.

Overall Kazan was an excellent surprise for me. It owns a cute and lively downtown with colorful architecture and bustling streets full of cafés, restaurants and bars. Few areas even reminded me a bit of Saint Petersburg.

Like the whole Russian Federation, Kazan is multi-ethnic and this can be felt in the architecture with the presence of the Qolsharif mosque in the middle of the Kremlin very close to different churches. The city also features a few synagogues. Because of the cold and my desire to enjoy the city without being a slave to my camera I didn't take many pictures, preferring to stroll around the streets and try out all the coffee shops.

I was initially intending to try the traditional Tatar cuisine but unfortunately it seems that almost all the dishes are horse-based which is not so much my type of meat. Maybe I'll have more courage on my next visit!

Ekaterinburg :

Day 7.

Historical fact : it is in Ekaterinburg that Tsar Nicholas II and his family got murdered by the Bolsheviks putting an end to the Romanov’s dynasty.

I arrived to Ekaterinburg after a 15h train journey in Platzkart (the Russian 3rd class), so let say I was not so fresh and full of energy, nevertheless my Airbnb turned out to be more cosy than I had imagined.

Amaury Dreher — *Me trying to pretend I am not freezing*

Yekaterinburg is the capital of the Urals and marks the junction between Asia and Europe. It is the 4th largest city in Russia and remains known as the city of Boris Eltsine. Similarly to Nijni Novogord, the city hosted some games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and benefited from some major economic investments over the recent years.

Maybe it was only the randomness of the encounters but I had the impression that the inhabitants of Yekaterinburg were more open-minded than in other regions of Russia that I could visit.

I was able to try out the nightlife through hidden bars and several nice meetings of all ages. The people were easy-going and welcoming. They did not seem to have met many foreign travellers recently. I remember in particular a small bar whose frontage did not appear to be very impressive. After a few minutes inside I found myself eating Pelmenis (a Russian specialty quite close to the Polish Uszka) and then chatting with the whole bar over beers and shots that I didn't know exactly what they contained.

As an urban temple of constructivism, Ekaterinburg has a rather cold architecture. Depending on the district, the urban landscape seems either extremely structured or anarchic.

Thus it is not homogeneous, with modern buildings next to Soviet blocks or buildings from the time of imperial Russia. Each street owns its share of surprises and you never know what to expect: church, shopping mall, Soviet block, hipster café, 19th century style buildings, etc..

Either by flying a drone or by climbing the Visotsky observation deck one can sense the scale of the city which is not obvious when roaming around the streets.

It was when I saw this foggy horizon dotted with imposing buildings, either modern or Soviet, that I actually realized how far Europe was.

Eventually, I visited the Yeltsin Center, a huge cultural center dedicated to the first president of the Russian Federation. I am not an expert on the subject and therefore it is difficult for me to say if the glorification of the guy was legitimate or not, but I really enjoyed looking at all the archival material (newspapers, television clips, interviews, objects of the time, etc...) and get to know more about the 90s era in Russia’s history which saw a period of instability and the advent of oligarchs.

Ekaterinburg cityscape — *Aerial view of a modern district and the Yeltsin center*

Krasnoyarsk :

Day 11.

I arrived to Krasnoyarsk after spending 2 nights in a train, an experience which never happened to me before. I was exhausted by the previous evening encounters and lack of sleep. Nevertheless I got quickly awakened by the icy uppercut that the wind blew to my face when I found myself on the platform of the station at 7AM.

Krasnoyarsk is one of the oldest cities in Siberia. The surrounding region concentrates a lot of gold reserves and has strongly contributed to the development of the city. The Krasnoyarsk region is also sadly famous for hosting some of the Gulags and labor camps which were active during USSR times.

To be honest, I had never heard of this city until the day I started preparing my trip. I needed a rest stop between Yekaterinburg and the Baikal lake in order not to spend too much time in the train. Also, I liked how the city name sounded and so out of curiosity I decided to spend two nights there. It was also an opportunity to explore a less touristy and probably more authentic city. Most of the people I interacted with had never met a French person and a lot seemed to be ignorant of many aspects of European culture (perhaps as much as the Europeans are of Siberia).

Russian people in a bar — *A cool evening with friendly locals*

The city is nowadays a large scientific, educational, and sports center of Russia. I managed to meet with some locals and we went out to several bars in the city. Besides, I really recommend to pay a visit at “All You Need” bistro where I probably had my best meal in Russia.

Some landmarks of Krasnoyarsk seem to have been directly inspired and imitated from European ones whose Big Ben and St. Stephen's Church in Prague. The city is also bordering a natural park with stunning rocks but I had no time to explore it.

In the end, I can say that Kranosyark was a nice break during my journey before heading to one of the main goals of the trip: Lake Baikal.

*Despite the polar temperatures the river never freezes because of a dam upstream*

Baikal Lake & Olkhon Island :

Day 14.

Lake Baikal seemed to me to be a parallel universe. I had long imagined this incredible place through the travel stories of Sylvain Tesson, the French writer who lived 6 months on the shores of the lake in a wooden hut.

Some statistics to introduce the lake and its massive scale:

Baikal lake is bigger than Belgium. It is thus on a real immensity which extends on more than 30 000km square.
Baikal Lake is the deepest lake in the world and the first in terms of volume (but the second in terms of surface).
It is also considered as the oldest existing freshwater lake on Earth (23 million years old).

Given my itinerary and the extremely tight time constraints, I only had two days to really explore the lake and its surroundings.

The weather was not cooperating but it probably contributed to increase the feeling of mystery that rules over the lake. The landscapes reminded me some of the scenes from the Interstellar movie with an impression of a dangerous and bewitching snowy planet. The snowy ground blends with the misty sky.

From time to time, the ice emits a deep noise that I have never heard before except in electronic music. It's a sign that a vehicle is speeding by and the vibration are producing an echo which is spreading below the ice resulting in a massive “boom” sound similar to a distant explosion.

Even though I put all my effort to break it the ice never cracked. According to what I heard it can be up to two meters thick in some places on the lake. This does not prevent fishing enthusiasts from coming with adequate equipment to pierce the ice and spend the day in the cold to catch some fish.

The immensity of the spaces and the calm that prevails create a feeling of freedom and unbelievable serenity. During my day of exploration on the lake I was able to discover icy caves and admire huge rock structures that seem to pierce through ice to reach the sky.

In order to immerse myself a little more in the local atmosphere I decided to spend a few nights on an island in the middle of the lake.

So after taking several buses and boarding a hovercraft for the first time in my life I finally found myself on Olkhon Island. This place is supposedly famous for hosting some Shamanic people. To this date I still don't understand if it's a real cultural trait or if it's just a way to attract tourists but I enjoyed my stay there.

Shamans or not, the islands is populated by many Buryat people who are a specific ethnic group descendants of the Mongols. Thus, like few other parts of Russia the island is influenced by Buddhism. This cultural heritage can also be seen in Ogoy Island which is inhabited but host a Stupa (Buddhist monument) at the top of its main hill.

*View of the Khuzhir village on Olkhon Island*

I couldn't have enjoyed more these few days of calm and contemplation. After all these large urban centers that were Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Krasnoyarsk, I was now in the middle of a quiet place, surrounded by a pristine nature. I even took the opportunity to work on overcoming my phobia of dogs which were numerous in the village. The success was relative but the effort deserves recognition.

The guesthouse where I spent two nights was held by Vera and her husband who live all year on the island turned out to be amazing hosts. Their place featured an outdoor wooden sauna sauna where I spent countless hours. The village of Khuzhir was interesting to explore with its many wooden houses in traditional style. The inhabitants live mainly from tourism and fishing. There are also some horse and cattle breeders.

After the two nights spent in the island I boarded again the hovercraft to reach the opposite shore and we headed back to Irkutsk. It was a kind of a speed race because the next morning I had to board the next and last train of my trip which was to last almost 4 days until Vladivostok.

Therefore, unfortunately I did not have enough time to explore calmly Irkutsk which is one of the biggest cities in Siberia.

Vladivostok :

Day 20.

Fun fact: North Korea is less than 100 km away and a train seems to go there…

Lighthouse — *The lighthouse on the shore of the Sea of Japan*

Vladivostok is located at the terminus of the Transiberian Railway in the Russian Far East. Its strategic location made it as an important diplomatic and economic outpost throughout History. Nowadays the city has been hosting the Russian Pacific Fleet and many landmarks are visible throughout the city reminding about the past of the Russian Navy (former submarines, sculptures, commemorative plates, statues, etc..)

I arrived there totally exhausted after spending more than 80 hours in the train (3 nights) and craving for a shower.

My time in Vladivostok was limited to only 2 full days so I did not loose any time and decided to start exploring as soon as I had my first coffee of the day.

Vladivostok is the epitome of what a maritime industrial city is. Thus, the area is scattered with fishing ports, marinas, ship repair factories and container port.

The city faces the Sea of Japan and acts as a major economic and industrial hub for the Pacific region. Therefore it is a strategic asset for Russia and international trade, especially for the automotive industry and raw materials (coal). It is estimated that around 30% of the population is somehow linked to the automobile import business. If not all the inhabitants of Vladivostok are believers, they all worship Toyota.

Vladivostok is not a concentrate of architectural jewels as Saint Petersburg or Moscow can be. Nevertheless, there is an obvious charm in walking through its meanders, climbing its various hills that offer views of the horizon of the Sea of Japan but also on the different districts of the city that differ so much from each other.

Vladivostok looks somehow like a race video game set with its hills, its port, the various industrial areas and especially its two huge bridges that span the sea to connect the different districts. In addition to these architectural aspects, Vladivostok has a real drifting culture that I had the chance to discover thanks to a local. Gigantic bridges, wide avenues, urban highways, all kinds of intersections and junctions : all this wet and shiny asphalt provides an amazing playground for speed lovers and powerful cars.

The city seemed quite cosmopolitan to me with obvious Chinese, Korean and Japanese influences. Out of curiosity I decided to dine in a North Korean restaurant where I noticed that the menu included Zacuska (which is also a traditional Romanian dish).

Surprisingly, Vladivostok was the second most expensive city of the whole trip (after Moscow) but remained far below Western standards.

I hope to have the opportunity to come back in the summer to enjoy the terraces and explore the surroundings a bit more.

This is the end of this fabulous trip that left me with incredible memories. If I first considered it as a constraint, the Covid 19 context was actually a blessing because I met absolutely no foreigners during my whole train journey.

In the future, I plan to repeat the experience during the summer, this time going through the alternative route to Ulan-Bator in Mongolia and probably pushing south up to China. Looking forward :))