ARCHIVES: RUSSIA

ON A SPECIAL QUEST: Karaganda, Kazakhistan
When my husband and I first flew into Karaganda, Kazakhstan, the first thing I noticed was the smell. The warm breezes blowing in from the vast Kazakh steppe and over the tarmac smelled almost like the air of my family's farm, located half way around the world in the high mountain deserts of Utah.

A PLACE THAT DOES NOT EXIST: Georgia, Abkhazia
I started walking back across the Inguri River Bridge, which separates the post-Soviet Republic of Georgia from what once used to be a prime tourist destination in the former USSR, Abkhazia. The bridge’s halfway point boasts a statue of a gun with a twisted barrel ... I could hardly think of a more ironic place for housing this embodiment of peace.

WHERE HISTORY STARTS: Moscow, Russia
For me (and for the majority of tourists) Moscow is a big Russian city with lots of business centers and sightseeing among which were the Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Kremlin and other famous places. But frankly speaking, if you want to get to know the capital of Russia it is not enough to visit only these “standard sightseeing” places.

TAMADA THE TOASTMASTER, PATRIARCH OF TRADITIONAL GEORGIAN FEASTING: Republic of Georgia
The tamada is not a mere ‘toastmaster’. He is the collective soul of the Georgian people. He is warm and welcoming, a proud father and a dedicated son, a patriot, and an admirer of women. He is an incurable romantic, deeply nostalgic, and he has a kind word for everyone. There is not a feast too informal for him to attend. If there is wine – and there always is – there is a tamada.

CHANGING THE ARTISTIC FACE OF MOSCOW: Sculptor Zurab Tsereteli
Moscow has its own chief sculptor who has changed the architectural layout of the Russian capital. His name is Zurab Tsereteli. Whether or not he has made Moscow more beautiful only spoilt it are heated debates that will last for ever.