Russian Travel Guide

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Природа. Урал

The rivers of the central Urals

In Ancient Rus’ rivers were referred to as “God’s roads” and along their banks settlements and cities bubbled with life. During the summer, river currents served as highways for many boats and merchant caravans while in the winter the rivers’ frozen waters provided a track for sledges. Rivers also served as a stimulant in the development of new lands. Russians travelled to both the Ural Mountains and the lands of Siberia by water as back then rivers were used as the main route of travel. Hundreds of years have passed since this time and nowadays masses of tourists follow the paths that traders and travellers took before them. On their journeys they hope to catch a glimpse of the Ural rivers, which have played witness to the magnificent geological transformations that have taken place here over time. Traces of the different periods can easily be seen on their steep banks, just like on sto...

Extreme helicopter operations

As Russia prepares for the 2014 Winter Olympics, big changes are taking place in the southern city of Sochi as the Olympic village is built from the ground up. Dozens of world-class sport complexes are under construction, along with hundreds of kilometres of new roads, tunnels and bridges. And all of this is being done in the mountainous region of the Caucasus. Mast lighting is being installed on the “Russian hills” where the Olympic ski jump complex is located. It is impossible however, to get heavy ground equipment to such heights, so workers must use helicopters instead. Between the peaks of Mount Aibga the wind is extremely unpredictable and constantly changes direction, which complicates things further. The pilots have to install 50-foot mast lighting in difficult to access areas, but not every helicopter is capable of hovering over an installation point for several minutes. The Kam...