‘You show beautiful places in Russia, but, Eli, are there regions that are just terrible? Is Magadan region a godforsaken dump? Come on, admit it!’
I was asked this question when I mentioned I'd been to Magadan.
The more I travel, the more convinced I get: we always find what we're looking for. If you look for dirt and trash, you'll find it in any destination. If you look for beauty, you'll also find it anywhere. We attract what we focus on, and then it multiplies and fills our lives. There are no regions in Russia without problems, just as there are no perfect countries in the world. I don't strive to show an ideal Russia: I capture my experience as it is, showing what I find in different regions. What I'm usually looking for is beauty. And I strive to create beauty in my travels, in my creativity, in the way I live.
So, gentlemen, I'll say this: Magadan is BEAUTY! Everyone, visit Magadan one day! The Kolyma episode is already on the channel https://youtu.be/aflx2VuZZB0?si=rmetU...
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We only covered a third of our planned journey, and we didn't yet intend to return to civilization from our magical world with a donkey and dogs, but some events prompted us to end the journey.
The question was: what to do with Serge?!
We asked the Tajik family who had given us a shelter for the last few days if they needed a donkey. It was more of a rhetorical question: donkeys are a very useful animal in this region, and the family was happy. The grandfather of the family said he would look after Serge, and that we can get him back any time or come back to stay in the mountains with their family and set off for another trek.
Well, some people have property. Some have cars. From now on I have a donkey in Tajikistan. My Serge, who will be waiting for my return whenever I want to go hiking with him again.
I don’t know when or if I will ever see my long-eared Tajik or the American comrade again, but I thank them with all my heart for this magical fairy tale.
// I’ve filmed a movie about these adventures which you’ll be able to see sometime soon 🫏🏔️⛺️
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There are many ‘required’ things in our society or the things that you’re supposed to be striving for. Like a big house, cars, branded things… However, one day I just quit a university and office job, and started to make YouTube videos about exploring Russia and post-Soviet countries. Today here I am, exploring the wilderness of Tajikistan with the donkey that I bought to carry supplies for camping.
Some people will think I’m a failure. Some will think I’m weird. But I decided to always follow the path where my heart and soul lead me. And if it means making the decisions that seem unreasonable to most of the society and being a ‘homeless’ nomad, then that should be it, as long as it feels right to me.
By the way, since my childhood everyone called me stubborn as a donkey. Well, I guess I found my soulmate Serge. He’s a 5 years old Tajik boy with a very tough character but we’re building our relationship step by step. ✊🏻🫏🤎
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Some people buy cars. Some buy real estate. Instead I’ve got a Tajik donkey named Serge. Along with him, but mostly thanks to him, since he carries our supplies, we explore the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan.
Also, along the way, two dogs started following us, and we decided to keep them—they will be great guards against the wolves, which are quite common in these mountains. So, that's our international team now: me, an American comrade, Serge the Tajik, and two dogs: Bulochka (‘a bun’ in Russian) and Bulochka Two. Dream team!
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I bought a donkey in Tajikistan.
Wait, am I really writing this?!
Let's start from the beginning. At the end of this summer, I took the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia. Back then I couldn't have imagined how it would change my life. I traveled from Vladivostok to Pyatigorsk, making nine stops, and at the fourth stop, I met an American comrade who was hiking in the Zabaikalsky region (what are the chances of such encounter?!). After camping we decided to travel to Pyatigorsk together and planned to explore the Caucasus Mountains, but one evening we suddenly packed our bags and flew to the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan instead. Now our home is a tent, and the house and all our belongings are carried by the donkey, whom we named Serge. We never know where our next overnight stay will be, but we simply follow the call of the mountains and our hearts.
Oh, I forgot to tell about the donkey. I'll write more about Serge soon!
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I woke up at 6 a.m., just as the train stopped for 30 minutes at Kavkazskaya station. The Caucasus! The Caucasus!
Nine trains from Vladivostok to Pyatigorsk. Almost 10,000 km. 33 days journey.
I'm standing at the Pyatigorsk train station, looking at mount Mashuk, and I can't believe it. I've come all the way from Vladivostok! The landscapes changed so much from the Far East to Siberia, the Trans-Urals, the Urals, and to the Caucasus. This road was like the most cinematic scenes from a film about adventures and travel, and suddenly I got inside the film.
I've arrived. This film is over, but a new one begins. What will be the next film about? I don’t know yet, but I know for sure that I will have to make it beautiful.
P.S. The photos of my journey are arranged in reverse order, from Pyatigorsk to Vladivostok.
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My solo trip across Russia is unexpectedly no longer solo. At some point during our hike in the Zabaikalsky region, my American comrade and I decided to travel to Pyatigorsk together.
Well, now I have a challenge: not only to travel the Trans-Siberian Railway from east to west, but also to make this American guy fall in love with Russia. That will be quite a task because I don’t make stops in typical tourist towns. My goal is to visit every region of Russia, hence we only stop in places that I haven't been before, and mostly that’s in the middle of nowhere in Siberia.
Wherever we stop, it's definitely fun to witness his first times: seeing and swimming in Lake Baikal for the first time, visiting Siberia for the first time, first time trying syrniki, borscht and other Russian soups, blini (Russian pancakes), halva (my favorite sweets), sushki (pretzels), and Doshirak (noodles for a train)...
We travel by platzcart (third class trains), so there are plenty of culture shocks for him. And there will be even many more ahead, because the journey is long. Hang in there, American!
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Walk where the heart calls you.
Walk where it's scary, but following your own path.
Walk into the unknown and gratefully accept what it gives.
Walk where the soul sings.
Walk to see beauty, get inspired, and create even more of it.
Walk far away in the world, and dive deep inside yourself.
Walk forward, and don't give up.
Walk… walk… walk!
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Kodarsky Ridge. For me, it was just a dot on the map somewhere in the far east, but now it has taken a special place in my heart as a place of power and beauty. My first one-on-one encounter with a bear (everything ended well: we were equally scared of each other and ran in different directions), stopping in the endless blueberry fields, seeing the transition from green summer to golden autumn right before my eyes, evening gatherings by the bonfire and the stars, so bright far away from the cities.
Also during the hike, it turned exactly a year since I stopped eating meat. The guys crowned me with a tree branch wreath. I have many reasons not to eat meat. Many people scared me that I would not do well without meat, but a whole year has passed, and everything is going great. I always feel that I have a lot of energy, and recently health checkuo also showed good results. So I continue to listen to myself and my body, and not external voices. And I continue choosing to follow my own path, wherever my heart calls me.
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My train journey from the east to the west of Russia includes a long stop in the Zabaikalsky Krai. Three of my friends from Moscow, and a fellow from America went on a hike along the Kodarsky Ridge. Hiking life away from the hustle and bustle is when all you worry about is the weather, what to wear, where to find water, cook food, and where to sleep the night.
It's a special pleasure to go not in a tourist group, but with a group of friends. That’s a completely different vibe: you plan your route and day as you want, and completely free to do anything.
These photos are like a small piece of the atmosphere on the hike and at the camp sites.
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Hi there! I travel to remote regions and off-the-beaten path places of Russia, discover the real life and culture of the country, and meet different ethnic groups. My goal is to visit all the regions of Russia, join me on my adventures!
Joined 18 March 2017