River cruise: Russian North

Welcome!

This web site is a photography gallery on Russian North. These photos were made in 2001, when I had a river cruise (with scientific conference in solid state chemistry). The full cruise was about a week or two - we started from Moscow and went to St. Petersburg.

Here are some points of cruise (I hope you will see a photos)

Moscow - the start of river cruise

We started from Moscow River. Nothing interesting

Uglich

A very old russian town. The most interesting thing is Museum of vodka.

Kirillo-Belozersky monastery

One of armed monasteries of old lang syne...

Mandrogi

Something like a village, living by souvenirs trade. It is stylized as "Russian" - really it is business. It sucks.

Kizhi

Complex of village (some houses "izba") and church. It is a sample of wooden architecture of old - all was made without any nail or iron (and it stays till now, except lightning-catchers they are metallic).

Valaam

Island with monasteries and sketes - no houses at all. Monks lived there... But for me it is interesting not due to religious things, but to the nature. The coast of Valaam is very strange-shaped^ lots of small islands, bays and so on.

Saint Petersburg - the end of river cruise

It's quite another story...

The full list of photos:

• On river - morning. The start of cruise.
• Museum of vodka (do you know what is it? :)) in Uglich town. It was prohibited to make photos. :)
• Museum of vodka in Uglich: device for making hooch.
• Collection of vodka bottles in the museum. Ancient people were wery strengthful...
• Kirillo-Belozerskii monastery: what for the defending wall doing near the lake?
• Kirillo-Belozerskii monastery: the tower. Belozerskii is translated as White-Lake.
• Tower at Kirillo-Belozerskii monastery - another view.
• View of the early morning at this river cruise: Svir river.
• Another view: morning at river trip.
• Another view: morning at river trip.
• Seagulls at Onego Lake: they are flying after the deck and try to catch pieces of bread people throw to them.
• Kizhi from very far: these green islands are the visiting card of the region.
• Kizhi at Onego Lake: this is a wonderful village of wooden architecture.
• Main Kizhi crurch from the island.
• The Preobrazheniya Gospodnya church of Kizhi: full view. (The church of Transfiguration)
• The part of church of Kizhi
• Looking from the main church of Kizhi to Onego water...
• Burial place at Kizhi. Wooden...
• Kizhi Church ansamble from near
• A part of Kizhi church: no iron parts except modern lightning conductor
• Wooden mill at Kizhi - without any iron part or nail.
• White night on Onego Lake. Really, it is morning.
• The coast of Valaam island on Ladoga Lake
• A fairy view from high coast of Valaam to Ladoga lake.
• This is the rocky coast of Valaam (from inner gulf).
• Me at Valaam island
• Me at Vallaam island: the coast is very rocky and high. The Ladoga lake is seen.
• The tree on Valaam
• Lake inside th Valaam island. This is a historical place - the first monks lived near it.
• Old deadfall of trees at Valaam
• A fairy view from island Valaam to the one of its inner gulfs, formed by Ladoga lake
• One more view to gulf of Ladoga lake
• The coast of Valaam island is curved and ancient - stones are water-cut.
• Pines at the Valaam coast - a wonderful samle of Russian North nature.
• Gulf of Ladoga lake at Valaam
• North port of Valaam island - now is not used.
• The old north port at Valaam
• Simply a pine
• At the road to Skitskii island this stone is settled at 1863.
• The way To Skitskii island - a part of Valaam - crosses the lake. The road is destroyed and risky...
• The All The Saint's skete - church and living place at Skitskii island.
• Sunfall at Ladoga Lake: white night... We enter to Ladoga.
• Spaso-Preobrazensky cathedral at the center of Valaam.
• Spaso-Preobrazhenkii cathedral at Valaam - view from close place.
• Leshevoe lake at Valaam island - it is across the road. This lake should be full of fish.
• White nights at Ladoga lake.
• White nights at Ladoga lake.
• White nights - the sun is lower than the horizon, but not very deep.
• The deep night - white night becomes red.
• The end of the trip - we are near St. Petersburg. I liked to stand up early at this cuise- the sun is rising. It worth doing it.