When people think of Russia they think of the Kremlin, St. Basil's
Cathedral, the
Hermitage, and a variety of other sites located in the cities of European
Russia. What people don't normally think of is Russia's Pacific Coast. While
the mere mention of the word "Siberia" conjures up images of snow and exiled
dissidents, the area east of the Urals has a lot of redeeming qualities, and
technically speaking, the Pacific Coast is not even part of Siberia. From
erupting volcanoes and primitive cultures to a beautiful coastline and modern
cities, Russia's Pacific Coast has it all.
We get to sleep in a bit on day three, leaving the hotel in Petropavlovsk-
Kamchatskiy after a mid-morning breakfast. We will once again climb into
our helicopter and travel north. Located in the "Ring of Fire," Kamchatka
offers views of active volcanoes like nowhere else on Earth. There are
approximately 160 volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula, over 30 of which are
active. Lava and hot magma run right into lush forests packed full of
wildlife, such as the Kamchatkan Brown Bear. Under Soviet control,
Kamchatka was closed to foreigners and Soviet citizens alike. Although this
was done for security reasons, the result is the greatest untouched
wilderness in the world. After a late morning and early afternoon of flight
seeing geysers and volcanoes, we will visit an indigenous village in the
evening. The Koryaki and Itelmeny are the two main ethnic groups on the
peninsula. These fishermen and reindeer herders have remained amazingly
independent of 20th century influence. For more information about the
Itelmeny, the Discovery Channel Online offers a great photographic
Journey To Kamchatka.
musical and juggling acts, and a nightly outdoor discotheque. The
lively Khabarovsk nightlife radiates out of the park and into the many bars
and cafes in the downtown area. A bit farther from the hotel you will find
the bustling market, as goods from the East and West are traded on the open
market (watch your wallet!). Also in town is a not-to-be-missed traditional
Russian circus. If you're looking for a calmer experience, check out the
walking trails in the city's arboretum or meet one of the friendly, laid
back locals and try to visit a Dacha outside of town. The City of Khabarovsk has set up their own web site, for your
convenience.
<
BR>
The last of Russia's major Pacific cities that we will visit is Vladivostok.
Vladivostok's legacy as a merchant shipping port and strategic naval outpost
makes it the best known of Russia's eastern cities. As the site of the
Soviet Union's Pacific Fleet, Vladivostok wasn't open to foreigners until
just recently. As with the last two cities, what you see and do in
Vladivostok is entirely up to you. All of the sites in Vladivostok relate to
the port in one way or another. A naval museum is located in one of the
original churches of Vladivostok, dating back to the 1860s. The highlight
of the port area is probably the tour of two ships from the Soviet Fleet: a
WWII submarine and the first warship in the Soviet Pacific Fleet, the Admiral
Zavoiko, a steam yacht. One should also not leave Vladivostok without
ascending one of the many hills rising out of Zolotoy Rog Bay. Magnificent
views of the port are available from these hilltops. Tons of information on
Vladivostok is available through Russia Far East Online. Also, the newspaper of
Vladivostok's sister city, Tacoma, WA, provides online news for Vladivostok.
As this is a virtual trip, we will climb into our virtual time machine for
day seven. Exiting the time machine, we find that it's winter time in
Sakhalin. This means one thing: skiing! Ski jumping to be exact, good
luck. Our base in Sakhalin will be Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the island's largest
city. The island of Sakhalin has long been an area of dispute between
Russia/the Soviet Union and Japan. The argument had quieted down for some
time, but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Japan has begun to make
noise about its historical claim to the island. For some background on the
history of the island, as well as practical information on Sakhalin,
click here.
This is just a "virtual" trip to Russia's Pacific Coast, so please don't send me e-mails asking where to sign up. All of the activities described in the itinerary are real and available to you, however. I hope that I have provided adequate links to allow you to look deeper into anything of interest. In my opinion, the best way to get the cities of Russia's Pacific Coast is via Alaska Airlines. This site is a little short on information about their Russian routes and vacations, but speaking from experience, they do a good job. I hope that you've enjoyed this "virtual" trip to Russia's Pacific Coast, and that some day you may get to experience the actual adventure.
Return to "Virtual Trips to Russia" project page.