Day 30 - Sacred and spellbinding time with the Buryats and Shamen

Welcome

6,256 Miles  GMT +9 hours Temp –13

The Buryats are an indigenous people, related to the Mongols. They have their own republic, on the other side of the lake, but on this side of the lake they have a community a little north of us on Olkhon Island, which is considered one of the five global poles of shamanic energy by the Buryat people. 

Public transport

We caught the hovercraft up to Olkhon Island this morning and met some of the Buryat community. No hovercraft stops, you just start walking on the ice and then flag it down. The island has a long history of human habitation. The original indigenous people were the Kurykans, forefathers of two ethnic groups: the Buryats and Yakuts. The indigenous Buryats believe the island to be a spiritual place, and on the western coast is Baikal's most famous landmark, the Shamanka, or Shaman's Rock. Natives believe that Burkhan lives in the cave on this rock. The rock is one of nine Asian most Sacred Places. 

The Shamanka Rock

The people were very friendly and welcoming and greeted us with traditional scarves, to tie on the rock as we leave. They have usually made their living from fishing, fur hunting and livestock. However some of them are now embracing the tourist industry in different ways, from arts and crafts to accommodation and fishing trips. They took us around their farm in a very informal manner, there was no special show put on, it is very much take things as you find them. We witnessed the slaughter of two goats, and the subsequent butchering, which was very interesting as they were very careful not to spill any blood, and waste none of the animal. We met two people making woodcarvings and furniture and another preparing furs. We were introduced to the Shaman, who talked to us about various things. Some of them were a bit uncanny/spooky, still trying to process what went on there. You can read about an outline of their beliefs here. 

We walked back some of the way and had bit of a scamble round in the ice field that is created by the currents pushing the ice against rock and the shore, as the ice forms. From a distance it looks quite tame, but up close is very different with huge chunks of ice lifted and twisted out of the surface, some bigger than Lean and I. We also found some ice caves and had a good crawl around with icy stalactites and stalagmites, it was just like I’d imagine prehistoric times. 

We eventually caught the hovercraft back down to Lystvyanka, as Lena really wanted to try her hand at kite skiing, which is one of the adrenalin adventures on offer here in the winter. I’m adventurous, but I like snow to fall on and the prospect of being dragged across the ice at around 30mph on a pair of skis, so Anya and I decided to spectate. 

Not quite mad enough to try this

We’ve been down to the bar to buy our friends a drink and say goodbye, then we’re heading out on the lake to see if we can capture the night sky. I’ve not done much astro-photography, so it will be a night of trial and error. We’ve warned Sergei and Alina that if they see lights it’s not UFO’s or the lake spirits, it will just be us with head torches, probably dancing round the tripods to keep warm. If Tiny was still with us she would whistle with glee at the very prospect of it all.

but this was great fun

We leave for Ulan Ude in the morning.

Day 29 - Siberian Women are Wonderful

The Wonderful Elders Of Buguldeyka

6,256 Miles  GMT +9 hours Temp –7

Today has been a total joy. Siberian women are fantastic. We started the day with meeting the village elders, all women and all dressed in their traditional best. They wanted to know about my village, and how things are run there. I gave them a potted history of Tynemouth and North Shields and showed them the pictures I have. There were some warm smiles when I told them it had been a busy fishing port. The sea fascinates them. None of them have seen one before, or heard of the Vikings, or seen brick houses, or a lighthouse. When I showed them the map of the blog, there were gasps of amazement at how far I have travelled, and Anya too, they were equally curious about other parts of Siberia, but not other parts of Russia and distinctly not Moscow. The furthest any of them have been is Irkutsk. They keep verbal histories, and ensure the old ways are not lost, but they do embrace some modern things – mobile phones, bottled gas, Satelite TV. They have a very strong faith in the orthodox church, but no chapel in the village. Each house has it’s own shrine, but they are also very respectful of the local Buryats and their Shamanistic beliefs. They don’t think of themselves as Russian, they identify as Siberian. Lena asked them if when the Buryat Republic had been closed by the Soviets they had been aware of that or noticed anything different? They had been told, and warned not to cross the lake, but they ignored it because ‘the Soviets’ had no right to put down a boundary on their land or the Buryat’s, because they didn’t respect the land or  people. Four women who defied the might of the Soviet machine and told their village to do the same. Lena was quite moved by them. Partly because they reminded her of her mother, who would have smiled today, but also that the older generation in Russia put the land and people ahead of anything else. It’s known as Rodina ‘Родина’ which translated is, a love of the motherland. Some Russians may have forgotten it but the Siberians haven’t.

Danicng in the Market

On leaving there we caught the bus back to Listvyanka to top up our provisions, as the local shop only has dried goods and fish. There are two markets in the village, a fish market and another that sells everything else. We met a lovely elderly Buryat trader lady, and were talked into buying Yak cheese, smoked goat, and some garlic. She told us that we should visit her tribe on Olkhon Island, which we said we would tomorrow.

Our favourtie Buryat trader

 

On the other side of the market there was a bit of a knees up, some of the market women dancing, as the market was quiet. We were given tea while we completed our shopping, and eventually dragged into dancing in the market place with the locals. Everyone here seems so happy and content, it’s quite infectious.

CSI Siberia - the Clanger thief

We’ve had lovely time making ice sculptures this afternoon, and playing with trick photography, as it’s been much warmer today than it has been for a while. Curried goat went down well for supper.

Day 28 - Lake Baikal - The 'coolest' place so far

Home sweet home by the lake

6,256 Miles  GMT +9 hours Temp -19

Sergei is a fisherman and fur hunter and built the house we are staying in. Alina keeps the guesthouse and smokes the fish, which is Omul, a distant relative of the Salmon. Giant Kippers for breakfast, fab. 

Sergei and Alina

Sergei has offered to take us ice fishing, and he’s also given us some places to look for the Nerpa Seals, which are the only fresh water seals in the world and only live in Baikal. He was 'processing' two mink this morning when we saw him. It was a bit gruesome, but it’s a way of life here, and an old one. The furs he sells and the flesh is used to feed his dogs. 

the scale of the place

We’ve been out on a bit of walk on the ice and in the snow today. I can’t tell you how beautiful and peaceful it is. All you hear is your own breathing and the crunch of your boots on the ice and snow and even that feels like an intrusion on the forces of nature here. There is something very other worldly about this place, I can feel it but I can’t see it or touch it, question is can I photograph it. I hope so.

You should see the ones that got away!

We’ve been up to the bar tonight, which was something else. Probably the whole village crammed in, playing traditional folk music, at one end and some of the women trying to talk at the other. Alina introduced us to everyone, as Sergei was playing the accordion. We were asked if we could play an instrument, which I can’t, so I was asked if I knew a story. Lena has been hiding a talent as she can play the balalaika, so went to replace someone in the group. When she’d finished she interpreted the Lampton Worm for me, which was received with great amusement, followed by an interlude on the violin by Anya.

We’ve been invited to meet the village women tomorrow morning for tea. I have no idea what to expect, but can't wait as no doubt it will be full of surprises.

Day 26 & 27 - This trip just gets better, but not warmer

Licking ice sculptures can seriously damage your tongue

Irkutsk - Listvyanka - Lake Baikal

6,256 Miles  GMT +9 hours Temp -19

We had most of the day to explore Irkutsk, starting with a beautiful sunny morning but still bloody freezing. Sadly the museum to the Decemberists was closed. However we did find some of the original wooden houses from the late 1800’s, Bogoyavlensky Cathedral, the 18^th century Saviours church and a collection of ice sculptures in the centre of town. It was immediately obvious when walking round today just what a wealth of cultural diversity there is here. Tuvans, Buryats, Mongols, Russians, Poles and at leat one Geordie. I’ve seen more ethnic diversity today than I have in the rest of Russia combined. I’ve also seen more fur coats than I think I have in the rest of my life, but this is the commercial centre of the Russian fur trade. The mink slippers were tempting but the hat is more practical.

The people are brilliant, so friendly as they are used to tourists here and quite a few people are learning English and want to speak and practice. People seem a lot more relaxed here, so chilled they take camels for walks.

Lena challenged me to eat ice cream outside at -19. Well howay, how hard can it be lyke? Two bites, it stuck to my mouth and protruded like one of Madonna’s famous cones. Lena and Anya ended up on their knees in the snow laughing, and I needed to wait until she stopped and got me a cup of tea to release me from the ice cream gag. Combined ages of 130 something, going on 9. 

Ice breaker waiting for Spring

My love of six degrees of separation has been further fed. The ship in one of the photos is one of the ice-breakers from Lake Baikal parked up for the winter. In the local museum I found out that the original ice-breaker was made in kit form and came from Newcastle England, it’s long gone and languishes at the bottom of the lake somewhere. Some research required when I get home, as my grandfather might have had a hand in making it.

A local train to Listvyanka, on the shores of Lake Baikal, followed by a trek to a bus stop for a bus to our final destination, Buguldeyka. The bust top was in the middle of nowhere. I asked Lena if she knew where she was going, “oh yes, I was here four years ago”……not the kind of reassurance I was looking for exactly, however we did find it. The bus was late according to the timetable, which is a first, so we had to run round the bus top periodically to keep warm – tuggy round a bus stop in Siberia, who’d have thought it, this trip just gets more surreal by the mile.

probably the coldest bus stop in the world

We are staying in a small wooden cottage right on the side of the lake. It’s next door to our host’s Sergei and Alina, and are delightful and so hospitable. The fire and stove was ready lit for us, fresh fish and bread in the larder, they have shown us the wood pile and told us that if we need anything just to ask. 

The cottage is small and very rustic but it’s homely and truly Siberian. Buguldeyka is a tiny village of around 18 wooden houses, and bar that doubles as a village shop. This is kind of the Lake District of Siberia but without the tourists or the sheep.

The lake is the world’s deepest freshwater lake. It contains more water than all of the North America’s five great lakes combined. It’s 395 miles north to south, 37 miles wide and more than a mile deep. That’s one hell of a puddle. However, at the moment its one hell of an ice rink, frozen to a depth of up to 10ft, and it’s crystal clear if you wipe the surface snow away.

Torvill & Dean eat your hearts out :)

Day 23, 24, 25 - Frozen out of Krasnoyarsk, onwards to Irkutsk

Girls night out in Irkutsk

6,194 Miles GMT +9 Temp -11

We travelled to Krasnoyarsk on Wednesday evening, arrived on Thursday afternoon. We were planning on staying there, however our carriage attendant Anna told us shortly before we arrived that it was –34 with freezing fog. Even the locals avoid that, so with the train stopping for around 20 mins, Lena purchased new tickets, Anya went in search of Chocolate and I took photos of the station mosaic before we jumped back on the train for the 27 hours journey to Irkutsk.

Proper cold

We are now out of Industrial Siberia and at what is considered to be the gateway to the Far East. We have recently passed by the Sayan Mountains and through the Altai & Tuvan Republics in the snow. We saw a few Yurts/Gers and some herding nomads on the way here. For the first time I realised how far away I am from home, even felt a bit homesick. For the rest of the journey we will have the Mongolian then Chinese border to our right, and on the left mostly the Siberian wilderness.

We arrived at Irkutsk on Friday evening. Thankfully the Hotel Gloria was Glorious – the room was like a real hotel room. It had carpet on the floor, there was a bath – praise be, the heating works properly, the staff have stamped our papers for 10 days for free - bliss. Now I know why Lena loves Siberia.

We went in search of a restaurant just a few doors away, and met the women in the photo above who invited us to eat with them, as two of them are learning English. They were just lovely, we shared a couple of bottles of Mongolian Merlot, and they recommended the Mongolian BBQ, which was excellent. We were invited to go onto a night spot with them, but we politely declined, as we’ve been warned about women in fur coats previously. 

We walk dogs, Siberians take their camles out..........

We spent Saturday exploring Irkutsk, which is a truly multi-cultural delight, as well as being the former home of the Decemberists, a group of Russian folk heroes who I’ve detailed below. 

One of the originl homes built by the Decemberists

 Irkutsk was founded in 1651 as a Cossack garrison to control the indigenous Buryats. Irkutsk was the springboard for the 18^th century expeditions to the far north and east, including Alaska, then known as Irkutsk’s American district. As Eastern Siberia’s trading and administrative centre, Irkutsk dispatched Siberian furs and ivory to Mongolia, Tibet and China, in exchange for silk and tea. A major percentage of the city was burnt down in 1879, However during the 1880’s there was a large gold rush in the area and the city was quickly restored and rebuilt. Known as the ‘Paris of Siberia’, Irkutsk did not welcome news of the October revolution, the cities well-to-do merchants only succumbed to the red tide in 1920.

Former residents of Irkutsk the ‘Decemberists’, a group of aristocratic, liberal leaning army officers, who had occupied Senate Sq in St Petersburg, in an ill-conceived coup against Tsar Nicholas I. The date was December 26^th 1825, hence their soubriquet. The mutineers were poorly organised and outnumbered. After a stand-off which lasted most of the day, the Tsars troops opened fire, killing about 60 people, the rebellion crumbled. Five leaders ere executed and the remaining 121 were sentenced to hard labour, prison and exile in Siberia. They became romantic heroes of a sort, but the real heroes were their women, many of who abandoned their lives of comfort and sophistication to follow their husbands or lovers into exile. The first was Yekaterina Trubestkaya who is alleged to have travelled 6000 km by coach to Nerchinsk and then on arrival went straight to the silver mine to find her husband.

Others had to wait for months in Irkutsk or Chita for permission to see their men, meanwhile setting up small social circles, and over a period of two decades the exiled families opened schools, formed scientific societies and edited newspapers.

The Decemberists were granted amnesty when Nicholas I died in 1855, and while some of them returned to St Petersburg, some remained and their legacy provided the early infrastructure of the area.

Our next stop is Lake Baikal, where we are apparently staying in a traditional Siberian cottage for a few days.......its just a train, a bus and a bit of a walk ........to be continued

Day 22 - Novosibirsk - Forever in my memory ....for lots of reasons

the lovely women of Novosibirsk

5,062 Miles GMT  +7hrs Temp -18

Up early again this morning to be at the station for just after 5am, for our 7 hour journey. 

Very few people on the train but we paid the now customary 200 rubles(£4) to the provodnitsa because they’ve all been lovely.  We had two Russian Sailors, Valerie and Alexei, in the next carriage. They came to say hello, so we shared our picnic with them as kind of brunch. Their train had been searched yesterday too.They are on their way back to Vladivostok, both 19 and very big football fans, took the mickey out of England because Russia is getting the World Cup, but they had both heard of Newcastle United. Six degrees still holds true, even in Siberia.

a spot of painting in the park

We had an interesting walk around the town, especially the outdoor market, with women standing all day working in these temperatures. One of them was selling hot soup so we stopped and the women who were standing and talking just joined us into their conversation, which had two amusing aspects. The first being that they thought I was blind because I was wearing sunglasses, and so were highly amused to find out that I was foreign and in Russia in the winter. The second was that they offered me two places to get a good cheap fur coat, which in isolation wasn't funny, however............... We left the market to go and find our hotel, which turned out to be the kind of hotel that rooms could be booked by the hour, with a few women outside, all very friendly and wearing fur coats looking for business.

Fur coats galore, but I declined

The railway museum, which we also declined

Lena was mortified, as she has booked the hotels, telling us that it had been advertised in the newspaper. We have of course been completely sympathetic and not pulled her leg at all….haha.  We tried two others, but they were pretty awful too, as the city is a big dormitory for workers in mining and oil, so we decided to leave tonight for Krasnoyarsk. 

The chapel of St George, which used to mark the centre of old Russia

As it had started to snow heavily and we had about four hours to fill so decided the cinema might be good, it was, it just wasn’t the good we expected..….. Star Wars Episode II, dubbed in Russian. ‘могут быть силы с вами’ – ‘may the force be with you’. Laugh, I think I’ve got a suspected hernia, as the whole film was dubbed in Russian, very badly, by one person. I took my balaclava out of my pocket to bite on, tears rolling down my face. 

We might not have stayed in Novosibirsk for long but I think I'll remember it for a long time.

Day 21 - Omsk, it wasn't named after a womble

Approaching Omsk

4,681 Miles GMT +7hrs Temp -16

A lot of the buildings are nondescript, presumably built in the soviet era, one or two very old timber typical Siberian buildings remain, but looking slightly the worse for wear. We took refuge from the cold briefly in the Dostoyevsky literature museum. Lena and Anya were allowed in but I’m not because I have a camera, and the museum keeper is obviously a stickler for rules, as its in a my bag. “But you have camera, not allowed in with camera” Lena interprets. He won’t allow me to give him the bag either, so I told them to go ahead, while I walk up and down outside. They weren’t in there for long. When I asked if there was anything interesting Lena told me they had some drawings by Dostoyevsky, but quickly adds “It’s a good job he could write, because he couldn’t draw”

We did the local art gallery, which looks a little tired but there are some really interesting paintings, all by Russian artists. Alas no photographs and no postcards. We then move to the Liberov Centre, which celebrates the life and works of a Siberian artist A N Liberov, a folk painter who was I’m informed is the master of the Siberian landscape. I liked his work but again, no photographs and no postcards. 

Omsk Station

Lunch was in one of the bars that appear to occupy one in three of every building, in the area. Apparently Omsk is kind of a dormitory town, with many people working out in the mines, forests and oil fields further away, its quiet during the week but at weekends it becomes the wild East.

We walked through the park and the military hardware as Lena described it in her childhood is still in evidence here too, a tank here, a rocket launcher there, even a fighter plane. This city was closed to anyone but residents and military staff here, due to the concentration of military enterprises. This is a city with the population and the land coverage of the whole of Tyneside - and they closed it. It’s inconceivable to me.

Uspensky Cathedral, Omsk

Cathedral interior

Our final stop was at the Cathedral. The original building, consecrated in 1896, was demolished during the Soviet era, but was rebuilt in the 1990’s although I would never have guessed. We had a look inside and priest appeared, he was very welcoming and told us about the building and the icons.

Our hotel is called the Hotel Ural, We’ve nicknamed it the urinal as it’s grim, no carpet, nylon sheets and there is no hot water between 10pm and 7am. Beware 2* hotels in Russia. Don’t even think of a 1*, it’s probably the back of a Lada. 

2* discomfort