February 21, 2023

Riding through Russia


Riding through Russia
Ziganshina at a stop on her route. RIA Novosti, Tatyana Ziganshina

Tatyana Ziganshina, a Russian female motorcyclist, set a world record for riding from Magadan to Mirny across permafrost in 2022. The nearly 2,000-mile journey gifted her the ride of a lifetime in just ten days.

Her first trip was around 124 miles, from Nakhodka to Ussuriysk. In an interview with RIA Novosti, Ziganshina saw her motorcycle as an extension of herself, believing that she and her bike are one together. "The air seems to pass through me. The floral aroma intoxicates me..."

She claims that no man-made architecture can beat what nature has to offer. From the Caucasus Mountains to Lake Baikal, she was endlessly fascinated by the Russian landscape. "In Moscow, I realized that because of modern technology, one can deteriorate. Now, everything is done for us: cleaning, washing, one doesn't even have to visit the store, there are delivery options. But when I travel, I go back to the basics. I maintain my equipment, I cook for myself."

Upon returning from her solo journey, Ziganshina says she was a different person. She became more in tune with her body riding independently across the country, even noticing that her priorities and tastes evolved. Although she had a support system of friends who were always in touch with her, she was forced to overcome obstacles single-handedly: sluggishly riding through sand, experiencing technical difficulties, and encountering bears on three separate occasions.

You Might Also Like

Trekking Baikal
  • January 01, 2011

Trekking Baikal

Winter offers unique travel opportunities to Russia, particularly when it comes to Siberia. For instance, how about a trek across the world’s largest freshwater lake? Or ice skating atop crystal clear waters, then enjoying a searing banya...?
Of Rivers, Mines, and a Lake
  • September 11, 2017

Of Rivers, Mines, and a Lake

Two days in Irkutsk and one on Baikal, where we meet a soft-spoken mechanic and visit two very different tourist destinations.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

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.

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.

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