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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Sep 11, 2016 06:00 PM 1200 km south - in the Russian train
Sergiey and Katya took me to Vorkuta railway station. Ride on the city bus cost here only 16 roubles! My train was already there but there was enough time to take a souvenir pictures in front of the old locomotion staing next to the platform. Then my passport was checked at the entry to the car and it was time to say goodbye to my new friends in Vorkuta. Since I had overnight journey ahead I decided to buy 2nd class -"kupeyny" berth. In thic class the compartments are closed so it is safer and you have more privacy.
Till the evening I saw through the window (dirty and not possible to open) well known, but still attractive views of tundra and big rivers of Russian Far North. The distance to destination - station Kotlas Yuzhny was almost 1200 km...
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Sep 10, 2016 06:00 PM Workuta - Komi Republic
I am still north of the Polar Circle - in Vorkuta. Lucky me! they say that usually they have first snow here around September 10th, but not this year!... Vorkuta is the capital of Komi Republic.
Nothing was here till 1924, when Russian geologist Chernov found here - underground - high quality coal.
Ten years later first mine was already working here. Communist Soviet Union sent here prisoners and deported people, also from my country - Poland to work in very harsh conditions. Today I saw a big, white cross in the abandoned miners settlement Rudnik put there to memorize those, who never returned home from Vorkuta.
250 000 people lived here in the 90-ties. Now - only around 60 000. City still have strong communist flavor with the central Lenin street. Lenin still stands on the monument - "still alive". The only sign of changes is nice orthodox church built 3 years ago in the new quarter.
My host Sergey took me also to the 67 parallel monument close to the airport an the ornate station. We found also Red October Reindeer Sovhoz, but no animals there -they are far away in the tundra. Instead they offered reindeer meat. One kilo of smoked, dark meat costs 20 USD, - lets try the delicacy!
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Sep 09, 2016 06:00 PM In the 4th class through the Russian Arctic
Today I travel from Salekhard to Vorkuta. It is one of the few public rail connections built above the Polar Circle, completed in 1958. But the begining of the line is in Labytnangi - on the other side of the huge Ob river. Going from Salekhard you have to take marshrutka (microbus) no 6 going to the ferry (pereprava). It costs 50 rou for 25 min drive. Then you have to take car ferry - free for walkers - nightmare if raining - no shelter on the ferry! Once on the other side you have to take another marshrutka to the railway station -50 rou, 15 min.
OnRussian railways you have like 4 classes of service. The lowest - OBSHCHIY is just hard seat in the huge car. Today I spent 10 hours in such a car. Only 2 trains per day cross the Polar Ural mountains by this single-track route. Only few tiny stations on the way - in the middle of nowhere... Let you know that this is very picturesque journey. At 4 pm Moscow time we reached tiny Poliarny Ural station where Asia meets Europe. I had excellent weather so the views of the autumn tundra and mountains were great. I reached Vorkuta already in the dark. But what a day!
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Sep 08, 2016 06:00 PM Get off the ship! Quickly!
It was 5.30 am when the crew was knocking the door. Get off the ship! We are in Salekhard! Fortunately I know Russian enough to ask if the ship is sinking. No mercy. Go out! It was raining when I disembarked as the last passenger. They immediately took the ship to the "shipyard". No wonder - this is the only one who can sail north...
In the elegant building of the river terminal I was shaving myself and then cooking my morning coffee (take your heater with you!). Then I took the short, but wet walk to the "9 sov" mini hotel. Bad luck! - since yesterday they are out of running water and electric power... In the center of Salekhard you will find tourist information office. Rare institution in Russia! I got a city map and suggestion to call NORD guest house - also close to the river terminal. OK. They charge 1100 roufor the bed in gge twin room with shared bath. Guest kitchen is upstairs. Good choice! I visited an interesting museum near the covered market (50 rou entry fee) Then it was the time to buy the ticket for my train to Vorkuta departing tomorrow from Labytnangi - on the other side of Ob. They sent me to the travel agency since there is no railway ticket office in Salekhard. And in the agency i paid 460 rou for the 4th class ticket and.... 350 rou commission fee. The lady in the tourist info office did not want to help me to use their computer to book the ticket using my credit card. They want to make the profit. Just let you know... Do it by yourself!
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Sep 07, 2016 06:00 PM Drugged through the Far North...
Cabin is very little. If you are spending all day on the ship it is hard to be all the time in your little cabin. So you go to the deck and walk around the ship -100 m distance, maybe less. But they closed now the head of the ship due to the drugging operation so you walk like a tiger in the cage... Very frustrating... But it is You who wanted to try Russian Far North... Cold wind is blowing, but no rain today... All right... I have my mp3 with me to listen to my favorite music.
It was reported, that one lady said: -Oh, Wojciech Dabrowski - that guy who is listening Chopin even in the Himalaya! True! So now they will say that I am listening the Chopin music even in the Far North.
We were scheduled to be back in Salekhard today at 6 pm. Everybody is asking himself: when, when?
Somewhere in the afternoon we changed dragging boat for the stronger one. One of the officers told us e well kept secret: we will be in Salekhard in the morning, with some 13 hours delay. No official excuse... Just be happy! Russia...
We have been awarded by beautiful sunset on the wide river. Fifth nighton the Kalashnikov...
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Sep 06, 2016 06:00 PM On the broken ship...
We are sailing back south - to Salekhard. Are we? After my morning coffee prepared with free kipyatok (bring your own coffee) I recognized that we do not sail. We stay on the anchor in the middle of nowhere! Far Russian North.... Why? Nobody knows except the captain Viacheslav Utyshev. The crew is not allowed to give any information... Like in the NKWD times... Are we stranded on the shallows? - maybe... After some 5 hours we saw another ship approaching us. They throw the steel rope to tight the ships and they started to drag us... One hour, two hours... News arrived to the deck: "Kalashnikov" is broken. They will drag us slowly all the way to Salekhard! No excuses, no compensation. There will be delay for sure. But nobody knows when we will disembark... That's Russia and that's 61-years old ship...
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Sep 05, 2016 06:00 PM Antipayuta - northernmost point
In the night we crossed Obskaya Guba - a big bay sailing to the northernmost settlement accessible by public transport. The access to Antipayuta is very picturesque - by the long, meandring river which crosses tundra. Sun was shining and the autumn colors of tundra were just great. We anchored in the middle of the river to be taken by little boats ashore. I had 9 hours to enjoy the place.
On the outskirts of thd settlements I visited the chums - tent-like houses of the Nenets tribe. Nenets are short, friendly and proud of their culture.Unfortunately the herds of their reindeers were farcaway in the tundra - you can find them only flying there by helicopter. My young friend from Antipayutz shoved me thecway to the unusual Nenets cemetary - some 2 kms from the settlement, by the river. Rainboots are necessary to get there. Very strange place and not easy to see because Nenets do npt like such a places to be disturbed.
In the village there is nice, new school - I visited it with a permit of the master. And there is also stolovaya - eatery with the prices 50%lower from those on the ship. They built also nice orthodox chapel. The sun was shining and the day ended with a great sunset. I have a new company in my crampy cabin: crying child, little sobaka (dog) and 3 local adults...
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Sep 04, 2016 06:00 PM Ka - la - shni - kov
Teplokhod (that's how they call it here. "Mekhanik Kalashnikov" is the sister ship of "Rodina", "Kulibin" - I sailed Lena and "Matrosov" -I sailed Yenissey River years ago. Built in Germany in 1955 it is little different - instead Asian-style toilets it has little bit devastated western-style toilets. All three salons (lounges) are closed so what you can do is to sit in your cabin with 7 other people or to walk on the deck.
Ob is a huge river - sometimes you cannot see the coast on the both sides.
In the late afternoon we arrived to Novyj Port - one of the very few settlements on Yamal peninsula. I had 3 hours to visit this little place. The main attraction is Merzlotnik - underground natural cold store built in permafrost by the prisoners after thd 2nd WW. It is impressive labirynth with lovely cristals. Free, but you have to find the caretaker -Vaska to be guided. I saw also the run-down cemetary of the prisoniers, who die here - nobody takes care of it. On the outskirts of the settlement theee is huge base of Gasprom. Forget about any folklore...
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Sep 03, 2016 06:00 PM Russian Far North...
Salekhard - Yamal. After 4 days on the old river ship I can connect to the internet. The city in the Arctic looks very nice with lovely painted buildings and wide streets. They built nice arport (see picture). The money comes from the deposits of gas :) My new friend - Katya prepared for me great meal, including bortch and big fried fish. I bought some food for my next ship journey and in the evening I reported to river terminal in Salekhard to board my second river ship - "Kalashnikov" - famous name , isn'it? You have to kow tat before boarding the junk ship you have to go to the elegant building of the terminal - some 100 m away and uphill to be weighted. I got there my "carry on" badge for my backpack and returned to the ship 5 m7nutes before departure. Stupid procedure, but what you can do? We are sailing north again!
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Sep 02, 2016 06:00 PM Fourth day on the river boat
Last night we were stopping several times in the small settlements and the captain was announcing that through the loudspeakers so I slept very bad. But the weather is improving! No rain, even little sunshine. On the shore there is already tundra - limited trees are little but it is already autumn here so they are in tho lovely, bright colours... I am spending hours walking along the short deck. We are sailing north and north. For the locals it is normal, but I am courious that I am getting closer and closer to the Polar Circle. The distance that "Rodina" is sailing on its way from Omsk to Salekhard is 2783 kms!
Everybody was already tided and waiting for the moment when the houses of Salekhard will appear on the horizon. At 2 pm we reached the Salekhard landing just in front of the new, elegant terminal. Katya was waiting for me ashore. I did not see her before but she regnized me by the picture from my website. So nice, so friendly! First of all we bought the ticket for my next ship - going further north. Then he took me out of the town to be photograpthed at the Polar Circle Monument. Welcome to the Arctic!
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