Alex Nikonov went exploring his also the secondary ones, who knew
native Russia and decided to take us the sites within the cities, the history,
with him ...
the people, the culture. We wanted
someone who knew that a perceived
t the beginning of unremarkable village could be one of
the year I hadn’t great history, with stories to tell. We
planned to go so wanted to know about minor roads
far at all. Over the that would challenge the bike and the
winter I’d visited rider; local customs and traditions to
several
motorcy- challenge our being.
cle shows in Italy, Germany, Finland
We didn't succeed in our search,
and others. There I saw great interest I'm not at all saddened, we discov-
from motorcycle travellers in Russia, ered it for ourselves.
in particular the Moscow-Vladivostok
The Trans-Siberian tour turned out
Route.
to be the best ride of my life. Don’t get
We’d decided to lead such a ride, me wrong! Sochi, Crimea, St. Peters-
promoted it and formed several burg, the cities of the Golden Ring,
groups for the summer. Initially we Karelia are all very beautiful and in-
wanted a guide, someone who knew teresting, yet they can’t compare with
the roads, locations, attractions; who the Urals, Siberia, Baikal, Trans-Bai-
knew English and could lead the kal Territory and the Far East. There's
group. It wasn’t to be.
a different life, different people, dif-
We found there were no such peo- ferent Russia. The land, the people,
ple in Russia (or we haven’t met them they’re beautiful; curious and real.
yet). We were after someone who
Let’s start with the history. The
knew not only the main roads but Trans-Siberian Railway (Great Sibe-
A
TRAVERSE
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