I already wrote in a previous post (Lala Tulpan in Ufa, or “when the weather doesn’t play nice”) how my stay in Ufa was too short and definitely not "blessed" by good weather. In spite of that the capital of Bashkortostan offered so many interesting sights I managed to take a few pictures, also as "visual... Continue Reading →
Those of you who are most versed in Russian culture have probably recognized a little "play on words" with the Russian ptichye moloko (птичье молоко), the name of a popular candy (more on that below). Albeit not about the famous sweet, this post is also about a very heartfelt national tradition: that of feeding the birds during... Continue Reading →
Ufa is one of the (many) Russian cities I really want to go back to. As I wrote in a previous post (The “evil” sun of Bashkortostan), when I visited the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan the incredibly warm welcome I received from the local people was matched only by the freezing cold temperature outside: -30 degrees and... Continue Reading →
No trip to understand Russian culture would be complete without a visit to a country shed, or its urban equivalent: the garage. The shed and the garage are a heritage of Soviet culture, which has survived in modern-day Russia. An interesting social study and explanation of how the shed became such an important part of... Continue Reading →
his is just an example of one of the endless Russian gems that foreign tourist almost never get to experience. The main reason why is that this natural spa is a 2 hour drive from Ufa and a good 20 hour drive from Moscow, but if you are persistent enough to get to Krasnousolsk and then still a bit further up the road to the spa resort, you will be rewarded with a pristine nature and wonderful thermal waters.
There are two things that surprised me when I first saw the Russian roads during winter. First of all, the excess snow gets removed, but the roads are never completely cleaned. A layer of snow always remains on the road surface. This might seem dangerous, but it is actually for safety. Winter tires are specifically... Continue Reading →
The first time I arrived in Ufa, after a quick 27-hour train trip from Moscow, it was about 30 below, with a heavy snowstorm and strong winds. Not the best weather to fall in love with the place and definitely horrendous conditions to take pictures, as visibility was almost nil. Conditions only improved on the... Continue Reading →
Russia Through The Lens 