Tchaikovsky



Tchaikovsky

Name: Maria Plotnikova

Age: 32

Profession: Photographer

City: Perm Krai

How long have you been doing photography? Since 2006.

What style or genre most interests you? From a professional point of view I am interested in documentary photography, and news and sports reporting. But my true love is street photography.

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for? The city of Tchaikovsky in Perm Krai was named after the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who was born in the neighboring town of Votkinsk. In 1955, they began building a massive hydroelectric station on the Kama River, and on the outskirts of the construction site a workers' village rose up. By 1956 it had already attained the status of a city, and the name Tchaikovsky was proposed by the residents of the city themselves. At present, the population of the city is about 80,000 persons.

Tchaikovsky is known for its winter sporting traditions. The city has an Institute of Winter Sports, an alpine ski center, the biathlon center, Snezhnika, and a ski-jump complex where international competitions are held.

What are some things that only locals would know about the city? Tchaikovsky is located on the border with the Udmurt Republic. Just outside Tchaikovsky is a small village called Novy ("New"), the residents of which all work in Tchaikovsky. Yet there is a one-hour time difference between the Udmurt Republic and Perm Krai, and a two-hour difference between Moscow and Udmurtia. So it is that the residents of Novy must rise one hour earlier, in order to get to work on time, even though it is just a five minute drive away.

The most interesting twist happened in 2010, when the administration of the Udmurt Republic decided to change over to Moscow Time. Thus, for a few years the unlucky residents of Novy were forced to live in a parallel world: on the one hand, their village was living on Moscow Time, on the other, their work/study/daytime world in Tchaikovsky was two hours ahead. Luckily, a few years ago, Udmurtia returned to its previous time zone and so the difference returned to just one hour.

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city?  Central Square, Tchaikovsky Square, Snezhnik Biathlong Complex, the city beach, the Park of Culture and Rest, the embankment and pier.

Website: mariaplotnikova.com

Instagram: @mplot



Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

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.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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