Сообщений в теме: 12

[Low Rider Srb]

Privet / Zdravo / Hello

This is my first post on this forum.I'm Branislav, I live in Serbia city of Novi Sad.Me and my girlfriend are planning to visit Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. I don't speak Russian , I know only some words that are similar to Serbian ones so I can understand some things but mainly I use Google Translator.In your responses to this thread you can write in Russian because Translator was working ok 'till now aznd if I don't understand something I will ask. I can speak Serbian to you as well if that would be easier to understand , but I don't think so.
I'm big fan of Russia and it's people,land,music,films ,football clubs....everything.This summer me and my girlfriend are planning to visit Russia , Belarus and Ukraine.We are traveling on the budget so we'd probably go by hitchhiking and surfing couches (we are active Couchsurfers).As you maybe know Serbs can go to Russia without visas finally and stay there 30 days.So we have 30 days to wonder around Russia and see some interesting stuff, meet interesting people...
Our trip is gonna last about 60 days and other 30 days we will use in Belarus, Ukraine and Romania.
We have another (ambitious) trip in our minds in about 2 years where we're gonna hitchhike to China and come back with train, while hitchhiking we are planning to visit a lot of eastern Russian cities and sights so this trip will be only European part of Russia without cities that are on Moscow-Vladivostok rail road.
"Till now we have some ideas what to visit , but as we don't like touristy places and where ever you type Russia Moscow and Piter pop out.I mean offcourse we will visit Moscow and St. Peterburg , but we need some advices for some other destinations in Russia.
We want to see some non touristy stuff,unique and interesting. We have some rough plan about places we could visit ofcourse maybe we won't visit all of them but some of them we will.It goes like this (from north to south accept Piter,Moscow and cities around Moscow which are standard):

Murmansk- The thing that this city is so far on the north is interesting by itself.I like port cities and i'm very interested in the Navy.Also would like to see how is that 6 months day,6 months night thing functioning.I never been in any city like this (so far north) and really wanna go there.

Karelia- I saw a lot about this part of Russia on the internet.It sounds and looks great.

Kursk or Belgorod -i'm studying history and i'm very interested in WW2 so this would probably be very interesting sight.

Voronez- Looks like very cool and vibrant city.

Volgograd-see under Kursk and Belgorod

Kalmykia- only budist area in Europe sounds to good to be true

Rostov or Krasnodar area- because we are very interested in Cossack culture.

After making this list we still have some feeling that these are again some ordinary destinations visited by hundreds of people and that there are some beautiful places hidden from the outside world (I don't think about cities with army bases).
So if you have some suggestion which places we should visit or have some opinion about places from the list please write it in Russian English , Serbian...
If you need some info about Serbia or need couch in Novi Sad you are welcome to ask or stay...
thanks in advance

Poka / Bye / Pozdrav

[Аскет]

Здраво, Бранислав! Добро дошли!

Murmansk- The thing that this city is so far on the north is interesting by itself.I like port cities and i'm very interested in the Navy.Also would like to see how is that 6 months day,6 months night thing functioning.I never been in any city like this (so far north) and really wanna go there.

I would suggest Arkhangelsk instead. It is an old Russian port, much older and more interesting rather then Murmansk. It has an old fortress and also hosts famous museum of traditional Russian architecture - unique in a sence. And many other interesting places on the way. I would suggest 7-10 days including arrival-departure.

Karelia- I saw a lot about this part of Russia on the internet.It sounds and looks great.

It really is. One week at least.

Kursk or Belgorod -i'm studying history and i'm very interested in WW2 so this would probably be very interesting sight.

Not that much, in fact. Just a couple provincial museums. Not for the first visit.

Voronez- Looks like very cool and vibrant city.

It is really nice, but not for your tight schedule. But it is also very interesting in terms of the WWII history. Well, maybe a couple of days. But there are very interesting monuments and natural reserves in Voronezh region.

Volgograd-see under Kursk and Belgorod

Yes, it is better. They have an interesting museum, ruins and huge monuments. But one day is enough.

Kalmykia- only budist area in Europe sounds to good to be true

It really is. I like it and recommend it. It is really that exotic and interesting. But you should be careful there - it is specific. Three-four days.

Rostov or Krasnodar area- because we are very interested in Cossack culture.

Never been, sorry.

Well, these are just brief comments. So, if you are interested in any - just any - specification, just ask, here are lots of experts

[Dixie]

Kalmykia- only budist area in Europe sounds to good to be true

Moreover, it is world's chess capital too

After Kalmykia you can visit Dagestan - very interesting mountain villages, ancient city of Derbent and hospitable people. But also be careful there.

Murmansk- The thing that this city is so far on the north is interesting by itself.I like port cities and i'm very interested in the Navy

Also, the city of Arkhangelsk and nearby town of Severodvinsk, that is a base for Northern Fleet Navy

Rostov or Krasnodar area- because we are very interested in Cossack culture.

Then you go south - to the city of Sochi (where the Winter Olympic Games 2014 will be hold) and then to Abkhazia, a very interesting region too (I think you know that Abkhazia declared independence, but there is no visa control between Russia and Abkhazia)

Also, there is a city of Novgorod - the ancient Russian capital. It is situated between Moscow and St. Petersburgh.

After making this list we still have some feeling that these are again some ordinary destinations visited by hundreds of people and that there are some beautiful places hidden from the outside world

I guess Russia is not an ordinary direction for Europeans at all, so don't mind

P.S. Have you decided where to stay in Belarus?

[Аскет]

we'd probably go by hitchhiking and surfing couches (we are active Couchsurfers)

By the way, here you can find useful tips on hitchhiking as well as hosts in many Russian cities.

After Kalmykia you can visit Dagestan - very interesting mountain villages, ancient city of Derbent and hospitable people. But also be careful there.

It might be extremely interesting but also really dangerous - think twice.

[Low Rider Srb]

About Murmansk - Arkhangelsk dilema:
Well when i was planning this i thought about Arkhangelsk as well but i choose Murmansk because it's more on the north so for me that's kind a more exotic.Arkhangelsk is much closer and I guess easier to reach by hitchhiking, so we will talk about it again.I guess if you all say I should go to Arkhangelsk I really should go there.

About Kalmykia
I never consider Kalmykia as a dangerous place in any way.I read a bit about Kalmykia people and they sounded quite patriotic and loyal to Russia, not like some Caucasus nations (or maybe i'm wrong).When you say be careful do you mean be careful in political or high crime rate way??

About Dagestan and Caucasus republics
The thing that everybody is saying that it's very dangerous makes it much more interesting.At least for people like me, but unfortunately not for Ivana (my girlfriend).The bad thing is that we both don't speak Russian so we can't communicate with people.As i say for all things , we will talk about it


About Abkhazia-
On the internet travel web sites they say that Abkhazia is dangerous.I think that's more like some western political thing then the real truth at least for Serbians.They also say that you need some kind of permission to enter if you are not Russian or Abkhaz.I dunno do Serbs need it.I never heard anybody from Serbia went there after the conflict.

Thank you for your answers.

P.S. I almost forgot.In Belarus we are planning to go to Minsk,Brest and Vitsyebsk (because it's on our way to Piter), do anybody know about some other interesting places?
In Ukraine we are planning to go to:Ternopil (we have some CS friends there), Kiev and Crimea.We know that Crimea's gonna be crowded in august when we will be there (and we don't really like crowded places) but that area is so beautiful that we can't skip it.

Сообщение отредактировал Low Rider Srb: 12 марта 2009 - 23:45

[Аскет]

About Murmansk - Arkhangelsk dilema:

Murmansk is also a good challenge. But all-in-all I would suggest Arkhangelsk, at least for the first visit.

About Kalmykia

Kidnapping is reported. Not often, but shit happens. Firstly it is rather poor republic, secondly it is desert with its traditions sometimes and other stuff. You wanted exotic, didn't you?

but unfortunately not for Ivana (my girlfriend).

That's the thing (clever girl ).

The bad thing is that we both don't speak Russian so we can't communicate with people.

It took me a couple of days in Serbia to start talking Serbian - jезики сличне

About Abkhazia-

We have separate thread about Abkhazia dangers: http://www.bpclub.ru...showtopic=10568 Try to read it.

For you to understand the structure of the forum: "Тёмная сторона" - "The Dark side" - is dedicated to dangerous aspects of travel.

I never heard anybody from Serbia went there after the conflict.

Perfect chance to be the first!

[Аскет]

In Belarus we are planning to go to Minsk,Brest and Vitsyebsk (because it's on our way to Piter), do anybody know about some other interesting places?

Minsk - 2 days (3 days with museums - I recommend), Brest - several hours for the fortress only (+nearby large railway museum), Vitebsk - 1 day.

The best source of information concerning interesting places in Belarus: http://globus.tut.by/

In addition to what you've mentioned I would recommend Слоним with its convent Жировичи and the nearby castle-church in Сынковичи.

There are also some interesting places where you can easily trace Polish influence, like Гродно, Мир, Лида for example. But if you've been to Poland, I'd recommend to skip it for the sake of exploring pure local culture. By the way, there is very interesting skansen close to Minsk - must see.

[Low Rider Srb]

In Brest we would like to be one day in the city,fortress and all....and one day to go up north in the forests of national park.
We've never been to Poland, but Grodno is a bit off the our path.We'll see it some other time.

[sergeyf73]

In Belarus it is a very nice place to visit - the Mir castle, it is near the road from Brest to Minsk.
Actually, it is a part of UNESCO world heritage:
http://sr.wikipedia....

[Low Rider Srb]

We put that on the list few months ago,but thanks anyway

[Dixie]

In Ukraine we are planning to go to:Ternopil (we have some CS friends there), Kiev and Crimea.We know that Crimea's gonna be crowded in august when we will be there (and we don't really like crowded places) but that area is so beautiful that we can't skip it.

And in Ukraine you have missed one very interesting city - Lviv, it is really cool gothic city and the birthplace of the genius Stanislaw Lem
Also, the city of Odessa at the Black Sea - it is VERY recommended to visit, something like Gabrovo, but lots better and bigger

And there are some small towns with interesting architecture at the west of Ukraine - Kamenec-Podolsky, Uzhgorod, Ivano-Frankivsk.

[Аскет]

Back to WWII. You might be interested in visiting two museums hosting large collections of heavy armour: tank museum in Kubinka and Central Air Force Museum in Monino.

Kubinka is situated close to the Moscow-Minsk highway only 64 km away from Moscow. They have hundreds of tanks, among them lots of samples related to the WWII period including unique machines, such as Soviet flying tank, German Sturmtiger and Maus etc.

Monino is 40 km away from Moscow. Its collection consists mostly of Soviet aircrafts. Highly recommended.

In Moscow there are also a couple of large WWII armour exhibitions and several museums dedicated to the war history.

[AND]

We know that Crimea's gonna be crowded in august when we will be there (and we don't really like crowded places) but that area is so beautiful that we can't skip it.

What are the results? And how has this trip ended, tell us, please!