When travelling around the exotic and appealing lands of Kamchatka, visitors should make a point of meeting the peninsula’s largest group of indigenous people, the Koryaks. The name «Koryak» first appeared in the 18th century and originated from the word “khora,” which means deer. The first Russian settlers to the area often heard this word spoken by the natives, prompting them to call them Koryaks, or “reindeer herders.” In this aboriginal community the «Children of the North» told one Russian Travel Guide presenter about native traditions and customs in the area as well as taught them how to prepare a native Koryak dish — apana soup.
Waterfalls, caves, canyons and prehistoric animal remains may seem like foreign and inaccessible things to many city dwellers, but believe it or not, all of them can be found right in Leningrad Oblast! Here there are many incredibly beautiful places and sites of great natural and scientific value that have inspired writers and helped scientists to better understand the Earth and its natural order. Join host Alexander Uvarov on a fascinating journey through the Sablinsk Natural Sanctuary and discover the many wonders it has to offer!
Kronshtadt, a small island city on the Finnish Gulf, was initially built as a fortress however is now known all over Russia for its naval cathedral. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century with a wide variety of specialists from all over taking part in its construction. The tall building was meant to be a monument to fallen sailors and to serve as a landmark to those returning from sea. Evgenia Altfeld set off to check out the history of the cathedral’s construction, also learning about the life of Father John Sergiev, later canonized under the name of John of Kronshtadt. It was much due to this preacher that the cathedral was built. In the late 19th-early 20th century Kronshtadt became one of Russia’s spiritual centres.