On Russian Roads

Once again, we

gather a team of experts to help us shine light on an important Russian

travel topic. This time we introduce a new expert on travel in Russia, Hazel Barker. She and Bob Greenall unravel some of the mysteries of driving Russia’s roads.

Russian Life: Ilf & Petrov start out their book, The Golden Calf, by noting that the world is divided into two sorts of people: drivers and pedestrians. Certainly, when it comes to travel in Russia, few Westerners fall into the driving class, preferring to be driven or to ride by train or plane. Some of this is certainly history – just driving around the country by car has not been allowed foreigners until recently. But there is also this element of fear...

Hazel Barker: Driving in Russia is not nearly as terrifying as people would have you believe. However it’s just as well to be prepared. Get your vehicle serviced and ask your mechanic what spare parts you should take. Despite an ever increasing number of foreign cars on the roads in Russia, the chances of getting spares are remote. But driving yourself in Russia is a great way to avoid other tourists and meet the locals.

Bob Greenall: I agree. Preparation is everything. If you’re taking your own car, make sure to get everything in tip-top condition before you leave. A healthy suspension is particularly important to cope with all those bumps in the road.

Be sure to take one or two canisters of gas with you. Gas stations are not as obvious as they are in the West, nor as frequent, and finding one may sometimes take longer and more effort than you would think. Most major towns include them on local maps. But they may also be closed because of shortages – in some rural areas where delivery is erratic and possibly still in Ukraine, which has been at Russia’s mercy for its oil since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

It really does pay to be self-sufficient, and to know something about the mechanics of the car you’re driving. As in many other things, Russians like to rely only on themselves or their friends, and not on (often non-existent) services.

HB: Bob raises a good point about gas stations. Fuel stations in Russia, until recently, were just that – no water, no air, no service. However, modern service stations are opening across the country. Keeping a mileage logbook is necessary so you know how much fuel is needed to fill your tank, since you pay before you fill. Fill up at every opportunity. Long range tanks – standard on Toyota LandCruisers – are great if you intend to drive through Siberia, where there are long distances between fuel stations. We had no problems getting diesel on either trip. Diesel and leaded gas, in various octane ratings, is available, but unleaded gas is not.

RL: Well, that raises an interesting issue, since many Western cars are designed only for unleaded fuel... Does that mean it is preferable to get a Russian car in country?

RG: Absolutely. Russian cars, not surprisingly, are built for Russian roads. Though they may not be so good elsewhere, you won’t regret taking one. Next best are European cars – Volvo, Peugeot, Volkswagen. Avoid Japanese or American makes – you’ll have trouble finding spare parts and the gas will virtually cripple the engine. If you’re going somewhere really obscure, you’ll almost certainly need something like a Niva (four-wheel drive) as much of rural Russia (and I mean Western Russia as well as Siberia) is not served by paved roads.

HB: Many European cars have diesel engines and diesel is cheap and clean, although you might like to have the injectors checked when you get home. From Novosibirsk east, Toyota LandCruisers and other Japanese 4WDs are very common. Russian mechanics are amazing – they can even “make” quite sophisticated spare parts, e.g. plastic blades inside our power brake vacuum pump!

As to roads, we found that, interestingly, big city roads are among Russia’s worst – lanes are often unmarked and driving becomes a slalom around huge, raised manholes. Country roads are mostly sealed and bear little traffic.

RL: OK, so you’ve got your car tanked up for the drive to Perm, you’ve got spare canisters of gas, a spare tire, fan belt, water, etc. etc. Are there any other essentials to consider?

HB: Get a little Russian. While you’ll be surprised how many people have a smattering of English and that this, plus mime, will usually get you to the hotel/fuel station/road out of town, you should learn the Russian for basic directions: left, right, bridge, etc. You’ll also need to know the Cyrillic alphabet to be able to read road signs and your bible, The Automobile Road Atlas (ÄÚÎ‡Ò ‡‚ÚÓÏÓ·ËθÌ˚ı ‰ÓÓ„), which covers the whole of the former USSR. You should be able to get one at your first major Russian town. Check at roadside stalls as well as bookshops.

BG: The atlas is essential. They’re actually quite easy to find in Moscow. Also stock up on plenty of food at every possibly opportunity. Some major roads now have a Russian version of the wayside cafe, but this is not thoroughly recommended. Otherwise, once on the road you’ll have to be content with roadside kiosks selling just liquor, soft drinks and candy, or poorly stocked village shops.

HB: I agree you should stock up with food whenever possible. But don’t overlook roadside stalls and markets where you can buy fruit, vegetables, honey, bread etc. There are also “truck shops” which call at smaller towns and often have the freshest stock.

RL: What about the provincial GAI [traffic police]? For most who know about driving around Russia, these “guys” loom large as both an irritation factor and a high cost of traveling by road...

HB: The GAI may stop you at barriers as you enter towns, but I have found that waving your International Drivers Permit, smiling and saying “Tourist!” will usually get you through with the Russian equivalent of “Have a good day!”

RL: Any final suggestions?

HB: Neither of us has warned about overnight parking! Do not, ever, leave your car unguarded at night. While few hotels have secure parking once you’re out of the major cities, most towns have guarded carparks where, for a few dollars, your car and camping gear, etc. will be safe.

RL: How about closing with each of you telling us a favorite drive between two cities, either because it is scenic or particularly interesting?

HB: It’s really hard to choose a favorite drive in Russia, but inevitably we think of the Far East. We were lucky enough to meet Dr. Victor Yudin, the tiger research scientist, at Gaivoron, near Spassk Dalny. He took us to Lake Khanka on the Chinese border, where there were wonderful wild flowers and water birds. All around Lake Baikal there’s great scenery. The road from Irkutsk to the Buddhist spa at Arshan, in southwest Buryatia, winds through the Sayan mountains, past the extinct Potukhshy volcano and beside the Irkut River.

BG: One journey I’ll never forget was a visit to a men’s prison in the depths of Ivanovo Region. As a guest of the local prison service, I was taken out there from the city of Ivanovo in an Interior Ministry jeep. As it happened, the last 30 miles of the journey were a dirt road into the wilderness. If this hard vehicle with virtually no suspension was, on the outward journey, uncomfortable, on the return journey the next morning it was truly breathtaking. My prison officer hosts proved most deft at the great Russian art of drinking vodka, and my head and stomach suffered most severely the consequences of trying to keep up with them. This, I have to confess, was the only time in my life I have ever tried hair of the dog, and a good thing too – a shot of strong Lithuanian spirit was only just able to sooth my innards sufficiently to prevent them erupting every time we went over a pothole.

Robert Greenall, former Managing Editor of Russian Life and an incurable traveler about Russia, is author of two travel guides, The Explorer’s Guide to Moscow and The Explorer’s Guide to Russia. He presently lives in London and works for the BBC. Hazel Barker has driven across Russia twice in the past three years – from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok and from Vladivostok through Siberia, Mongolia and Central Asia. Her most recent guidebook, Russia and Central Asia by Road, published by Bradt Publications, is due out in November 1997 and should be available in December through Access Russia (800-639-4301). She lives in Australia and is a writer for Expanse magazine.