How to sleep when the sun never sets: 8 bloggers from Russia’s North tell their stories

You don’t even need to know Russian to follow these blogs. Just take a look at the photos and videos and you will fall in love with Russia’s North.

1. Little Fool From The North, Valeria Khlebnikova

Valeria Khlebnikova

“Everything about Chukotka and something more.” Valeria lives in Russia’s northernmost city of Pevek, that has a population of just 4,500 people. She moved here from the big city and everything was new for her: Trying to sleep during the Polar Day, transport problems (you can get there only by plane), and food prices. Take, for example, eggs: In Chukotka they’re up to 10 times more expensive than in Moscow. But you forget about such things when watching the Northern Lights and eating the local stroganina – frozen fish.

2. Chukotka In Legends, Larisa Pletnyova

Larisa Pletnyova

This blog publishes incredible photos of Chukotka’s sunsets, taken by Larisa and other Instagram users. She also recounts stories about the mysterious land, its people, traditions, and culture. Are there polar bears in Anadyr? What’s it like to get stuck in ice? What’s the helicopter thinking about while waiting for its pilot?  

3. Once in Chukotka, Yevgeny Basov

Yevgeny writes about travel in Chukotka, which is actually not so easy. Time is measured in days, not hours; you cannot visit the region without a special permit but in the end, only the weather decides your itinerary. Money doesn’t have much gravitas here and you won’t surprise anyone with your new smartphone: The quality of the connection is good only for calls, forget 3G. If you decide to visit Russia’S Far North – Yevgeny’s blog is a must-read before the trip.

4. The Blog Of Photographer Naturalist, Igor Shpilenok

Igor Shpilenok

Born in the Bryansk Region (Western Russia), Igor spends several months a year in Kamchatka. He’s famous for his photographs of swimming bear cubs and adorable foxes in the snow of the Kronotsky State Natural Reserve. Wild nature is his passion: You can often see his photo exhibitions across Russia. Igor’s wife, U.S. born Laura, is an environmental activist and also a popular Russian blogger. 

5. The LJ Ambassador in Yakutia, Alexei Tolstyakov

Alexei Tolstyakov

The press secretary of the Republic’s Ministry, Alexei, has spent his entire life in Yakutia and loves to travel across Russia. Yakutsk is one of the coldest cities in the world but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t expect a warm welcome here! If you dream of visiting the homeland of mammoths and Russian diamonds, follow Alexei’s blog in LiveJournal!

6. The Ex-Muscovite Diaries, Igor Podgorny

Igor Podgorny

Igor lives in Petrozavodsk and portrays the wonderful nature of the land, which boasts stunning lakes and forests. Ancient wooden churches, wild animals, and warm, hospitable people can all be found in his blog.

7. Local Historian, Natalya Aksentyva

Alexei Grechischev

Natalya is not only a blogger, she’s also a historian from the Perm Region in the Urals. She shows the real life of the region and its remote districts – all of which you are unlikely to see during a normal tour.  The Western Urals is punctuated with several stunning locations worth visiting.

8. Blog About Susuman, Yuri Slyunkov

yurislyunkov

Photographer and biker Yuri Slyunkov creates video blog mixing his two passions. He writes and shoots video about the town of Susuman in the Magadan Region, and rides to remote areas on his two wheels. You’ve most likely you’ve never heard about these places, but one look on his blog will inspire you to travel!

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