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cyndy22 · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 1:07 am Post subject: Russians and vacations

Summer will soon be here. Where and what are the popular destinations and things to do for Russians on their holiday vacations? I know that many families go to their dachas but what are other possibilities? And when is vacation time? Do people have much choice in choosing the time they want to take vacation? How much time does the average Russian havew for vacation?

UsualSuspect · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 2:41 am Post subject: The hols

Cyndy,
Depends on what is affordable. A lot of camping in summer, or for those that can afford it, Black Sea and further fields such as Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey and in the other direction, Bali. Note that these countries do not have savage visa restrictions against Russians. Mostly the holidays are in summer, as school is out and the weather is good.

Regards
Usualsuspect

cyndy22 · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 3:14 pm Post subject:

It's nice that other countries don't have the strict visa requirements for Russians. Bali is surprising to me. I'd like to go there too! Are there alot of nice campgrounds and parks where people go to camp in Russia? Camping is affordable so I imagine alot of people do go camping. I wonder if people who live in the cities like to camp?

UsualSuspect

Cyndy,
From what I have seen, there are very few "organised" campgrounds along the lines of a lot of ones in the USA. When I went (and when my wife and other Russians went) it was basically pitch a tent, lean-to and away you go. I was in Khakassia camping around a group of lakes maybe 400 klms south of Krasnoyarsk. The only thing majorly different from my experiences here in Oz was that pit toilets were a good 50 metres away and everyone dug their own, and usually surrounded by stakes with tarp/cloth around them. Not too many big bushes out there!!
Given that the ownership of land in Russia is administered totally differently due to an odd blend of Tsarist laws still in effect and the accumulation/dissolution of communist definitions (my opinion), "wild" camping (as my wife says) is the norm I would say.
I never saw a Ranger or the equivalent, just Militia guys on the highway making room for the combines/trucks. I couldn't even tell you what "sort" of land we were on, be it some collectives or a nature reserve or just vacant land.

Hmmm...maybe I could post up a picture or two in the sites gallery....

PS, I'm dribbling about Siberia, a very sparsely populated part by comparison with what lies on the other side of the Urals.

Enjoy
Usualsuspect

Camrade · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 7:12 pm Post subject:

2cyndy22

camping is a great thing
almost every man from Spb love to go somewhere out of the city on camping, to make some shashlyk Smile

to tell the truth - campings are quite popular

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3431

This is one the biggest differences for between the US and Russia. In Russia if you go in the forest, it does not have be a state/national/federal park. You can walk around, pick mushrooms, find place for barebeque, etc. No one cares. On one hand, there are not too many organized stores or any other place to buy stuff. But the advantage of this is that you and the nature feel free and undistrubed. In the US everything is organized. Here in the New York area, there's no such thing as just forest or the lake. In most cases, you have to pay a fee to enter. Everything is organized. There are police offiers often driving by making sure no one is drinking alcohol (even beer) -it's illegal to drink alcohol in the public parks in New Jersey, for example. It's difficult to find quiet/untouched place in the forest here within 1 hour drive from large cities. In Russia you can drive 20 miles from the city and find totally unspoiled forest where you can walk around and no one will care. In a way, that makes you feel more free. So, the polical reality of Russia is quite different from the realtity when it comes to picknics...

cyndy22 · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 8:56 pm Post subject:

I work for the Massachusetts state park system and it is true that in US, state and national parks are managed, some more so than others. It is true that in many parks, people who enter with cars need to pay access fees. Then there are camping site fees. In MA state park system people who want to camp are expected to reserve campsites well in advance and this can only be done by telephone with vendor, Reserve America. There are however a variety of types of camping, everything from more primitive wildnerness sites to very sophisicated sites with electricty and other amenities. Also in US there are many privately owned camp grounds. I think there are pros and cons to the US camping as well as the type of camping in Russia. Russians certainly have more freedom in where they camp without fees. Americans have access to restrooms,, showers, cabins, yurts, cooking facilities, and security, etc.

I do see alot of Russian immigrant families and other former Soviet Repulic families and groups in the MA parks. I see them mushroom picking, fishing, picknicking and enjoying themselves. I think that Russians do have a great appreciation of nature.

Comrade, I am glad to hear that people in SPB enjoy camping. Is this how you typically spend vacation time?

Vic · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject:

Datcha, black sea, fishing in the country. I for one will go to my family's datcha (which just happens to be on the Black Sea - in Sukhum, Abkhazia). Alot of fun really, the plane ticket to Sochi/Adler costs only 3100 roubles there and back, so it is great if you want to go for a week or two, although my buddies usually react strangely when I say that my datcha is on the black sea - in their opinion it is far away...but when they end up in a traffic jam trying to get to theirs in Moscow oblast', it is not that much farther Laughing

Daria · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 10:09 pm Post subject:

cyndy22 · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 10:33 pm Post subject:

Vic,
Is the Black Sea area very crowded in summer with tourists? And is is mainly Russians or what other tourists would you say vacation there in summer? I hope to go there sometime with my friend from Ukraine.

Daria · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 10:45 pm Post subject:

cyndy22 · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 10:48 pm Post subject:

Daria,
Does that mean you are one of the richest of the rich? Smile

BTW what's your itinerary if you have one in Russia. Will you be in St. Pete?

Daria · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 10:54 pm Post subject:

Camrade · Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 11:45 pm Post subject:

2cyndy22

for me there are lots of ways of spending vacations Smile

camping - is just one of them... for many people who work during the week camping is a way of getting rid of they stresses or something, because it doesn't take lots of time, and it's a great chance to spend a weekend with the family. But I am just talking about many people in Spb Smile

not about all of them

Jutrzenkapolska · VIP Joined: 16 Sep 2004 Posts: 534

Welcome back, where were you all this time?!

People everywhere need to stop reading Fenimore Cooper Smile

. Camping is singularly unpleasant, damp, stressful and totally, absolutlely pointless.The "beauty of wild and unspoiled nature" Laughing

sure looks alot less beautiful when you are swelling with mosquito bites.

Now, it might be fun to go into the woods with your friends, a guitar and a case of hard liquor.And watch the guys try to jump over the campfire drunk.But I've never done that.

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