June 01, 2021

Ferreting Into Adventure


Ferreting Into Adventure
Is it possible to be jealous of a ferret? Apparently, yes.  Photo by Christel Sagniez via Pixabay

We love to lavish our pets with trips to the park and cute new accessories, but this Russian man went above and beyond when he paid R30,000 (approximately $400 USD) to send his pet ferret on a four-day nature excursion through the Altai region of Siberia.

The pet owner in question is a businessman who deals with cryptocurrency, meaning that he both has to travel occasionally for work and has the disposable income to pamper his little critter with the beauty of the Altai. Normally, a four-day trip with this particular travel company costs R15,000 per individual, but because this particular individual happened to be a ferret, the pet owner agreed to pay an extra R15,000 for a supervisor to accompany the animal on its grand tour. 

The supervisor will also be responsible for making sure that the ferret gets its own special food, warm showers, and walks on a leash during the excursions. They also are responsible for updating the ferret's owner with a daily video diary of their pet's adventures. 

Specifically, these adventures will include a trip to the seven waterfalls along Lake Teletskoye, mountain climbing, boat rides, white water rafting, and horseback riding. Accompanying the ferret and its supervisor will be a group of human tourists as well, who, we assume, are eager to meet their furry companion, although how much help it will provide with raft-rowing is yet to be seen.

You Might Also Like

Big River of Siberia
  • September 01, 1997

Big River of Siberia

Russian Life sent a writer and photographer on a two week cruise down and up the vast Lena river. They brought back some colorful and fascinating views of this remote territory.
Altai and Beyond
  • August 01, 1997

Altai and Beyond

In this, the final installment in Russian Life on their trans-Russian journey, Gary & Monica Westcott expore the remarkable Altai before racing across the steppe with winter fast at their heels, in pursuit of their final goal: Hammerfest on the northeast Norwegian coast.
Off Russia's Beaten Path
  • April 01, 1997

Off Russia's Beaten Path

A look at adventure travel in Russia today, with lists of tours and firms and their offerings. Plus things to consider before "making the leap."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
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.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
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.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
How Russia Got That Way

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.
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.
The Samovar Murders

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.

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