Dersu Uzala, the Best Guide for Sikhote-Alin

A few weeks ago I have wathced one of the most beautiful films ever. I have the DVD for a long time but put it aside for so long. The film was awarded with an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1975 and it is based on a memoir book. I am talking about Dersu Uzala, directed by the genius Akira Kurosawa for U.S.S.R. and Japan. The film is about the explorer Vladimir Arsenyev and his expedition in Siberia, in Sikhote-Alin, in the early part of the 20th century. It is amazing just because it is shot outdoors in Siberia and I had a chance to admire the beauty of that place. I love the character called Dersu Uzala, a guide for the Russian exploratory group, a man using his instincts and keen observation. The end of the movie is very impressive and sad but you have to watch it because I am sure you will love it. It is a movie made with heart, love, as Akira Kurosawa knows to do.

What is the relation with the postcard? Sikhote-Alin is presented in the card and I want to go there sometimes. I'm not an outdoor person but, maybe for a day, I would love to hear the silence of the harsh Siberia. Sikhote-Alin is a UNESCO WorldHeritage Site from 2001. It is a region consisting of mountain range extending about 900 km to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok. From Wikipedia: "Sikhote-Alin comprises one of the most extraordinary temperate zones in the world. Species typical of northern taiga (such as reindeer and the Ussuri Brown Bear) coexist with tropical species, the Amur leopard, Siberian tiger, and the Asiatic Black Bear. The region holds very few wolves, due to competition with tigers. The oldest tree in the region is a millennium-old Japanese yew."

45.584998,135.744629 Click for Google Maps or use numbers on your GPS to navigate.

Wikipedia For more information, links, pictures and many more Wikipedia is the perfect site to be informed.

Official Site For visiting information (like fees and open days and times) use the official site.
Russia For travel information, the official site of the National Tourist Board, is the perfect location.

The Volcanoes of the Russian Peninsula of Kamchatka

This card is exceptional in my opinion. It is one of the most beautiful that I have. I think it is hard to take such a gorgeous photo and when you think this is not in a very easy to rich place. It is a Kamchatka Volcano card. The volcanoes of the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are 160 volcanoes, from this 29 are still active and six of them are in the UNESCO list. The highest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4,750 m) and it is also the largest active volcano located in the Northern Hemisphere. These volcanic features are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile micro-organisms, which are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments. In 1952 was recorded an 8.2 magnitude earthquake, owing that to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. Those volcanoes are hard to rich but you can see some of them from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The city has developed a tourist infrastructure, the remarkable scenery attracts tourists even though it is expensive and hard to rich (no land connection exists, the only way to arrive is using airplane). Bear hunting and paragliding are some other things you can do there.

56.056044,160.644089 Click for Google Maps or use numbers on your GPS to navigate.

Wikipedia For more information, links, pictures and many more Wikipedia is the perfect site to be informed.

Official Site For visiting information (like fees and open days and times) use the official site.
Russia For travel information, the official site of the National Tourist Board, is the perfect location.

Stone Tree Forest - Yakutsk, Russia

I'm sure that after looking at those magnificent pictures, you will aggree with me when I say that this stone forest (called locally "Lena's Stone Forest") is one of the most amazing places on our planet.

Photo: A. Butorin

These magnificent natural stome formations are placed near a city of Yakutsk, located in the Asiatic part of Russia. It's a breathtaking experience to see them with our own eyes, so the place is very popular among scientists (geologists, paleontologists) and tourists alike. One "tiny" problem with this place is its location. It takes about four days to get there from Moscow: a very long flight and then a three-day-long boat ride, which costs "only" $500 if you're lucky. But once you get there - it's certainly worth seeing.

Photo: V. Grigoriev

 

You can check the location of the Stone Tree Forest on Google Maps - here.

Source:  English Russia
Photo Credits: A.Butorin, V.Grigoriev