7 places you won't recognize Russia

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The area of Russia is large, but most people can only identify the Golden Ring, Sochi and the neighboring Khrushchev from a photograph. Meanwhile, there are places in the country that are more reminiscent of Iceland, India or Mars.

1. Chuysky tract in Altai

What it looks like: road through the Oberalp pass in Switzerland.

They say there are two troubles in Russia, and one of them is roads. But, looking at this track, you just want to throw your backpack in the trunk and go on a trip. Well, or at least re-read Kerouac. The editorial staff of National Geographic Russia included the Chuisky tract in the top 10 most beautiful roads in the world, and here's why.

Route P256 (or M-52) begins in Novosibirsk and stretches to the very border with Mongolia, and the section of the road from Biysk is called the Chuisky tract. Its length is 953 kilometers. That is, driving along the highway is like crossing the whole of France from south to north.

Like a portal in "Heroes of Might and Magic": each turn takes you to a new place. The road passes through gorges and valleys, winds serpentines past lakes and mountain panoramas shimmering like an Austin Powers costume. Without turning off the highway, you will pass both the noisy rifts of the Katun River and the deserted Chuya steppe - the only place in Russia where camels are bred (no, seriously, camels!).

How to get there

The Chuisky tract begins in Biysk. You can get there from Moscow by direct train No. 136M Moscow - Biysk. It departs on even numbers and runs for 2, 5 days. There is no airport in Biysk, but you can fly to Barnaul or Novosibirsk, and from there, by car, bus or train, arrive at your destination.

2. Kyzyl-Chin in Altai

What it looks like: colored rocks of Zhangye Danxia in China.

You don't have to fly to Mars to take a photo of the Martian landscape. It is enough to know the required turn of the Chuisky tract, and voila - Matt Damon is already growing potatoes behind the neighboring pass.

Kyzyl-Chin in Altai is really called Mars. Red, brick, burgundy, yellow and other shades fall on the rocks in stripes, creating truly cosmic landscapes. Iron, manganese and chrome give the mountains unusually bright colors. There are almost no plants on the cracked ground, only in some places dry bushes and wilted grass are visible.

How to get there

For a start - on an SUV. At the 864th kilometer of the Chuysky tract towards Mongolia, turn right. You need to cross the bridge over the Chuya and enter the village of Chagan-Uzun. From this place, the main road leads to the right, but you need to go left through a poplar grove.

You will pass through the gate of the cow fence and climb a steep climb, after which there will be a fork. You left, down. You will pass along the dry river bed, then - past the shepherd's camps. After the second parking lot, turn right across the river. Go straight a little and you will see colored mountains on the right.

3. Beaches of Primorye

What it looks like: Maldives.

Yes, the advertisement for Bounty could well be filmed in Russia. Triozerie Bay, surrounded by rocks, will surprise you with a snow-white beach and a piercing turquoise sea, in which fish will swim with you. Many people go snorkeling here.

And on the paradise island of Putyatin, you will see grottoes, waterfalls and rocks that resemble animals. In the heart of the island there is a lake, where in late July - early August relic lotuses bloom, which have existed on the planet for more than 100 million years.

The only thing that can spoil the rest are sea urchins at the bottom. But somewhere nearby sika deer are sunbathing. You are unlikely to meet them, but it is good to know that they are.

How to get there

The island is located in the Petra Bay, about 50 kilometers from Vladivostok. The journey by car or bus will take about 3 hours. You need to get to the Danube village, and then transfer to a barge. She runs several times a day and follows to the island for 15 minutes.

4. Embankment "Bruges" in Yoshkar-Ola

What it looks like: city of Bruges in Belgium.

It seems that the President of the Republic of Mari El is a big fan of Colin Farrell, since he decided to copy the Belgian town. "Bruges" is a section of the embankment with Flemish architecture, where neat colored houses with arches and spiers stuck to each other. Unlike the Belgian counterparts, they were built only in 2010. And truffles and lace are not sold in houses with carved facades - basically there are different ministries here.

In general, apart from selfies, there is not much to do here. Unless it is now possible to lay low in Yoshkar-Ola.

How to get there

The most convenient way to get from Moscow to Yoshkar-Ola is by car or train. The trip by car will take 10-13 hours. The branded train "Mari El" leaves Moscow every day at 16:20 and arrives the next day at 06:52.

5. Koyashskoe lake in Crimea

What it looks like: Lake Hillier in Australia.

Koyashskoe lake is no different from others until the summer heat comes - then the water turns pink like a panther. It is colored by microscopic algae and crustaceans. The more intense the heat, the more water evaporates, increasing the concentration of the color.

When the water recedes, the bank is covered with salt drifts. The water is only 1 meter deep, so the salt crystallizes on protruding rocks that look like pink icebergs.

The Cimmerian steppe, in which at other times grasses rage and birds nest, is withering away. The wind carries salt through it, and the steppe becomes unsuitable for all living things. Magic and no letters from Hogwarts!

How to get there

From Moscow, you first need to fly to Simferopol, and from there by road to Kerch. From Kerch, drive to the village of Maryevka. Further about half an hour on foot through the reserve. Bus No. 78 also runs from Kerch to Maryevka. From there, about 5 kilometers along the steppe road in the direction of Mount Opuk. You can get off one stop earlier, in the village of Yakovenkovo, and walk about 7 kilometers along the coast through the reserve.

6. Putorana plateau

What it looks like: Iceland.

Even the name of this place resembles an Icelandic tongue twister. From the language of the Yukaghirs, an ancient East Siberian people, it is translated as "mountains without peaks."

The ancient plateau is located in the geographical center of Russia and is included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. It is about 250 million years old, and during this time it has hardly changed. There is no cell phone, no electricity, and no Walter Mitty. But there are more than 20 thousand waterfalls, including the highest in Russia, fjord-like lakes that go into the distance for many kilometers, and mountains, from which the tops seem to have been cut off.

How to get there

Previously, it was necessary to fly from Moscow to Norilsk, and from there by helicopter or boat. But now the airport is closed for renovations. You can fly through Krasnoyarsk and Svetlogorsk, but there is only one flight per week to Svetlogorsk. In other words, getting to Iceland is a little easier.

7. White Mosque in Bolgar, Tatarstan

What it looks like: Taj Mahal palace in India.

It seems that the White Mosque is always in the shadow of Kul Sharif. But if after "Viking" Russian directors take up a remake of "Slumdog Millionaire", then they will most likely be filming here. The largest Koran in the world weighing 800 kilograms is kept behind the solemn marble vaults of the White Mosque.

How to get there

The mosque is located in the ancient city of Bolgar, about 200 kilometers from Kazan. You can get there by car, bus or high-speed boat along the Volga. The bus runs from the Yuzhny bus station twice a day. You can travel on the "Meteor" motor ship only from May to September.