August 28, 2020

Kamchatka or Bust


Kamchatka or Bust
What our Alaskan readers see off their front porches. Козинцев, Wikimedia Commons

Now's your chance to check out a part of Russia you might only know from a game of Risk.

Kamchatka, a peninsula in the Pacific ocean, is set to become the next big ecotourism hotspot. Russian authorities are making plans to revamp roads, ports, and other infrastructure to draw tourists to this area, along with stringent environmental protections for tourist-magnet natural wonders.

Reportedly, ecotourism currently makes up only 2 percent of Russia's tourism sector. Kamchatka, and its Alaska-like scenery, could be Russia's ticket to environmental fame. Sights like Three Volcanoes Park and Avacha Bay have already seen some development.

Somehow, though, we just don't see ziplines, nighttime jungle tours, and rural hostels taking off.

You Might Also Like

The Battle for Kamchatka
  • December 01, 1995

The Battle for Kamchatka

Alaska Airlines has been serving the Russian Far East for 20 years, but lately it has faced some new difficulties.
Kamchatka: Where the River Runs Hot
  • August 01, 1996

Kamchatka: Where the River Runs Hot

The wilderness of Kamchatka provided Andrew Tarica with stunning volcanic scenery and a lifetime best day of fishing. In this issue's Travel Journal, he tells the story.
Kayaking Kamchatka
  • March 01, 2001

Kayaking Kamchatka

Remote, wild and pristine, the Kamchatka peninsula is an adventure traveler's dream. We join Christine Seashore and her husband while they kayak the coast of this amazing region.
Duck Devil and Little Wolf
  • January 01, 2002

Duck Devil and Little Wolf

It's not every day one is invited on a pilgrimage by a Siberian shaman. Which is how Christine Seashore and John Turk ended up roaming Kamchatka's frozen tundra in search of an elusive pack of reindeer. Oh, and then there is the interesting bit about the mountain bikes...
The Lure of Kunashir
  • July 01, 2003

The Lure of Kunashir

Off limits for eight decades, the Kurile islands are a treasure trove of natural history and geological wonders. We travel to the southernmost island, which is just a stone's throw from Japan.
The Wonders of Kamchatka
  • July 01, 2006

The Wonders of Kamchatka

In the first of a two-part series, we explore the villages, geysers, volcanoes, flora and fauna of Russia’s wildest peninsula.
Bears in the Mist
  • November 01, 2006

Bears in the Mist

Exploring the wilds of Kamchatka, home to an amazing concentration of bears, geysers and natural beauty.
Realm of the Sacred Raven
  • November 01, 2003

Realm of the Sacred Raven

In the second installment of Ilya Stogoff's travels in the Russian Far East, the author explores the steamy side of Kamchatka.
Koryak Cultural Loss
  • March 01, 2013

Koryak Cultural Loss

At the furthest edge of the Russian Far East, in a quiet bay near the very top of the Kamchatka Peninsula, a tiny community of Koryaks struggles with the loss of its traditional culture.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955