On Thursday we witnessed an UAZ van ferried to the other side of Kuzomen, to the true “beyond”. That’s the only way, except the helicopter, to get to places like Chavanga, Strelna, or Chapoma.
Here are a few photos to show you how it happens, with the floating platform being pushed by a motor boat. The cost of this adventure across the river is ~5000 roubles ($70) per crossing. more >>
Sunday early morning we are off to Murmansk to do a presentation of two books: The Trip to Kolvitsa and A Singer from Chapoma.
The Trip to Kolvitsa, partly prepared by Alexandra, is about the history of the village of Kolvitsa on the south edge of the Kola Peninsula. The book cobmines reminiscences of Kolvitsa old-timers, photos from their family archives, documents from the Murmansk archive and Local History Museum.
A Singer from Chapoma was compiled by the local history expert Stanislav Borodkin and the Kola Center for Wild Nature Preservation. The book contains interviews with people who knew singer Avgusta Vladimirovna Alexeyeva (Suryadova),and the texts of her songs.
The event is held on Nov. 15 at 3pm at the Central City Library at Kolsky prospekt 93.
Apart from having translated the preface to “Kolvitsa” I have nothing to do with lofty literature and am off to Murmansk in the capacity of a humble driver for Alexandra &Co.
The road ends in Kuzomen. This trip by our friend and colleague, local history expert Gennady Alexandrov, was beyond any semblance of a road, which makes me want to share it with you.
Chapoma and Pulonga are marked with red arrows.
The trip starts with hiring a heavy truck and crossing the Varzuga River:
100-something kilometers of a gruelling non-road, and you’ll find yourself in Chapoma. more >>