Just popping to Siberia and Asia, want me to get you anything?

So after much deliberation and changing of minds, we finally settled on what we were going to do for our reading week. After choosing Moscow then changing our minds to Vorkuta (possibly only known to some for its Gulag that was a level in Call of Duty: Black Ops), we chose Yekaterinburg. No more changing our minds, we bought the tickets and during that time we amassed a huge queue forming behind us and some pissed off looking Russians.

Platz Class carriage minus the people.

Our tickets are the height of Russian luxury... for third class (also known as Platzkart). Having read a few blogs about travelers using the Platz class and with them many various opinions. One person called it "Platzkart Hell" whilst others said it was a taste of the real Russia and people are friendly and will share food, and more importantly, vodka with you for the duration of the journey. 

The journey will start with a 12 hour trip to Moscow featuring this song on repeat Dschingis Khan - Moskau an overnight stay there and hopefully a Chinese restaurant as well. Russians love their sushi, the majority of restaurants in Petrozavodsk serve sushi. However, there are no Chinese restaurants. What I would do for some Oriental food right now...

Platz Class carriage plus the people.

The journey will continue with a 27 hour journey from Moscow to Yekaterinburg; all on a top bunk to add salt to the wounds. The return journey will be the killer though, we depart Yekaterinburg on the 8th November at 11.41 a.m. and arrive in Petrozavodsk at 12:18 p.m. with only a 5 hour stop in Moscow. On the upside, we will have been on the Trans-Siberian.


I am not entirely sure why I have chosen to go Yekaterinburg, all I know about it is the Romanovs were executed there, there are a mass of Mafioso graves and a monument to the QWERTY keyboard. We can stand in two continents at the same time.

Just over a week until we depart Petrozavodsk for our journey that will last 82 hours overall. It will be an experience, however it might be a one I am not in a rush to repeat any time soon.

Let it sneg! Let it sneg! Let it sneg!

Byez Snyega

So it has finally happened. It has snowed in Russia and I currently feel like a 5 year old child in a sweet shop. Coming from a place that would be lucky to see a millimetre of snow settle, looking out my window today, I did not expect to see the vast amount of snow and white plains, especially at the end of October. All the students from British universities stand out, it's almost like they haven't seen snow before. The Russians on the other hand, couldn't care less about the snow.

So snyegom

Currently snow seems great but it might be short-lived when I realise packing only two pairs of shoes was a huge mistake, but even worse neither of them are very grippy and with the incoming ice, I'm sure I'll spend the remainder of my time in Petrozavodsk on my arse, whilst being laughed at by Russians, who can manage to walk on black ice in heels and stilettos with no problems.

People in England have already started to complain that it is getting cold. Cold? COLD?!? I'd do anything to have a day that was 0 degrees Celsius. Today the maximum temperature it will reach in Petrozavodsk is -1 degrees Celcius (and currently it is said to be feeling like -10 degrees Celcius).

As Shakin' Stevens puts it; "Snow is falling, all around me, children playing, having fun" and now its snowing, I feel rather Christmas-y. 

I think the thermals might need to be broken out soon...

Russian Jägerbombs

While in Kivach (the bar not the waterfall), my friend and I were talking to Max, the barman, and after Jack and Coke for me and a Gin and Tonic for my friend, we decided to ask for Jägerbombs. Please bear in mind this was at around midday...

Jägerbombs are well known throughout the United Kingdom and are a staple for most student nights out. Some students might even have had their first bad experience of alcohol off them. A Jägerbomb is simple really, a can of an energy drink (Monster preferably, none of this Red Bull-shit) and a shot of Jägermeister and drop the shot of Jäger into the glass full of Monster and chug. But Russians have decided to be different and all that something else. A Russian Jägerbomb is even better.

What is a Russian Jägerbomb I hear you ask? Please inform me. Well if you were expecting some big surprise you might be disappointed. Take 500ml of any lager, in our case we drank Petrovskoye "Петровское", and drop the shot of Jägermeister into it. In my opinion it is a rival to the traditional Jägerbomb and there's no bad aftertaste that you get from Red Bull.

This is not the only weird cocktail, for want of a better word, that the Russians drink. There are rumours of a cocktail which is two-thirds of a pint of lager and the rest filled with vodka, but whether this was a Russian trying to see how gullible I was in a drunken state, I am unsure.

Karelian honey

It is also rumoured that my favourite tipple is served in our local, PTZ Pivnoi Bar. I cannot believe that Russians have heard of cider but whether it can rival Strongbow will only be decided when I can find some to try. A few of us had the privilege to go to the regional market in Kirov Square. The market would be perfect for anyone who adores both honey and cabbages as arctic lorries are full to the brim with cabbages (selling for only 10 RUB each, roughly 20p) and over 20 stalls selling honey and all free to try.

However, after a few circles of the market, all of us managed to miss the stall selling regional cider and the Russian version of dripping. It was only after drinking with some Russians in PTZ who mentioned the cider. Unfortunately, it closed almost two weeks ago.

PS I refer back to my previous post, I am not an alcoholic... yet.

Mormons and Sanches Do Not Mix.

Again, it has been a while since I have updated the blog, getting distracted by watching the Russian national team attempt (quite well, I must admit) to qualify for the World Cup and just being in a small town in Russia, there has not been a lot going on.

However, a week or so ago, while a group of us were ordering food in Sanches, a very fine, reputable Mexican restaurant with an atmosphere second to none, we were approached by a man in a suit. He was American and asking us each where we came from in England (not that he knew any other place than London it seemed). Then, he got onto his agenda...

He was here in Petrozavodsk for a total time of two years to help spread the word of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, AKA Mormons. He asked us if we had even heard of them previously or Joseph Smith, in his words "except for in South Park". Now me being a rather non-religious man, I was hoping that he would not continue to ask us to his meetings in their church... he did.

He was pleasant enough but when we asked how many people had converted religions over the 17 or so years they have been here he replied with around 150. 14 a year seems a tiny amount and he even admitted that most do not turn up anymore. But the big question remains; Why are a group of Mormons, who believe in covering their bodies so much, in a reputable restaurant like Sanches, where the waitresses expose their midrift? In layman's terms, Sanches is almost the Russian version of Hooters, admittedly with better food. For those not in the know I have included a picture of some Hooters girls.

Anyway, to move back on to the subject, the conversation seemed to drag and he clearly believed that he could change our viewpoints. Just as we were growing bored of the conversation, the waitress brought us our Baltikas and Coronas. I think the Mormon could finally see he wouldn't be able to convert us. Why, when I am in a country with 1 Litre cans of Baltika and £2 bottles of Vodka would I want to be teetotal?

P.S. I am not an alcoholic.