First of all, I would like to highlight, in my opinion, the main thing is the relevance of these books in the present, already in 2015. The world of "Man" does not stand still. Politics, the economic situation, social anxieties and the situation of a particular region of the country, and the countries themselves, change approximately every 5-7 years, and the route St. Petersburg - Vladivostok in 2012, and the Caucasian Serpentine 2013 is what is called the word "today", not the future or the past.
I am sure that this situation will continue for at least 3 more years, during which they will not have time to lay asphalt on the federal highway p242, disperse banditry and destroy poverty in Dagestan and Chita, and measure the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia. For those who are going on a journey through our vast homeland and the CIS countries in the near future, these books will be useful, whether they are already an experienced traveler, or just trying their hand. After that, interest in these travels of the early 21st century will resurface after a century or even two. As if we are now, it is interesting to read the essays of the traveler Goncharov, where in 1853, in a sleigh, on dogs, deer and horses, from the Ayan station on the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk, for a year and a half, with frostbitten legs, he traveled from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg. So it will be interesting for a Russian citizen of the future to plunge into Pavel’s journey from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok in the distant 21st century, where he made the journey in 25 days on the oldest, low-power Hayabusa, traveling on the road. While for 50 years now, modern motorcyclists on their hyperbikes magnetically hovering above the ground at a speed of 500 km per hour have been making this journey in 7 days.
This current urgency of the situation is reinforced by a simple statement of facts and events, without any political overtones. The author does not hesitate to write about what he saw, calling a spade a spade. In the world of dominating political censorship and information “curtains”, these books, like a glimmer of light in the darkness, shed the true state of things, which made me genuinely surprised at times. A striking example is the Chechen Republic, closely associated with terrorist attacks, corpses, and on and on, one of the most prosperous republics of Russia at the moment.
Reading one and then the second book, you see the dramatic changes in the author's pen, while maintaining the main motives permeating the book, namely the love of the locals for their land, hospitality and the desire of most people to help their neighbor. If the first book resembles a traveler's notes with a statement of facts, fixing the kilometers traveled, reports in the form of separate notes and postage stamps on envelopes, which, despite periodically heavy rains that watered our travelers on the road, remained carefully dry, and are now flaunting in the Popov Museum of Communications Petersburg, then the second book is an integral literary work. And although the author does not compete with the literary lions of our time in style, this simplicity makes the book interesting in its own way.
The frankness, intimacy of personal life, emotions and simplicity with which the author addresses the reader in both books is discouraging. At first, this causes a slight smirk. Especially if you yourself have already managed to get pretty worn out in the saddle and see the world. A kind of meeting on the road with an unfamiliar novice traveler, overwhelmed with impressions, who pours out on you a stranger, his feelings, openly and without hesitation. At the same time, this frankness, coupled with the respect that is born from the boldness of the author's steps, his active position, his always optimistic view of sometimes unpleasant and terrible things, creates real friendship between the reader and the author. It happens imperceptibly, of course, somewhere in the middle of the book. And you yourself begin to be surprised how you have already become a friend, and you want to extend your helping hand to him, with the words “Pashka, hold on! I am in a moment…” Separately, I would like to say that the author does not hide his gratitude to everyone to whom his path has led. Naturally or with meaning, but boldly inscribing their names in the history of his travels, he blurs the line between national, socio-economic, political differences, thus showing that good and evil live in every nation, city, corner of the world.
Of course, there are wishes to the author and his future works. For example, I would really like the author to love photography, as well as the journey itself. I would take a good lens for shooting landscapes, although it is quite inconvenient, expensive, and hard. More portraits of people of the places where he was, animals, in a word, photographs that would stimulate the reader to give up everything mortal and break into the road. For future readers of travelers, I would make a separate appendix to the book in the form of background information about places that are dangerous in his opinion, sections of roads, outlined the total travel budget, what to see and so on. I also wish to be more modest in my third-party descriptions not directly related to travel. Let's say the phrase "sent his wife to Greece, and he went to the Caucasus", or something like that. If this book is designed for a simple person, and, in my opinion, we have the majority of such people, then with such notes, this simplest reader will say in his defense: “Ah, well, I see! He stole, now he is traveling. And although it is clear that the author has such qualities as: willpower, the ability to take responsibility, an enterprising mind, and activity, and, surprisingly, honesty, thanks to which his life is what it is. But only, as you know, each of us looks at the world with his own eyes, and for the majority the world revolves around his own axis. He, a simple reader, with such an attitude in life, cannot admit that, despite his spiritual urges for success and adventure, he lacks the character to achieve all this .... From here, unflattering reviews are possible, about the author and about the book itself.
And of course, information dissemination. Personally, I got these books as a gift, and before the Motosolidarity forum, I knew nothing about this author-traveler.
Summing up, I would like to wish the author, in my opinion, the most important thing: not to lose that spiritual openness, enthusiasm and purity with which these books are written. Do not overgrow with pathos from your own victories and achievements. And keep the love of people. And in gratitude, the reader will forever retain his friendship with the author and will be with him no matter what.
Pavel Kobyak, St. Petersburg motorcycle traveler, writer, founder of the “Sat and Ride” movement, writer
How to sit and ride...
It all started when at the age of sixteen I went by train from St. Petersburg to Moscow: then I woke up with a powerful desire to see the country and the world. And away we go: Tikhvin, Vyborg, Leningrad region, around Lake Ladoga on a bicycle. A motorcycle appeared - I began to make small trips to Belarus and Karelia; on a snowmobile went on a whole expedition through the forests from Murmansk to Moscow. And in winter there was a snowboard, Kamchatka, Elbrus and Tatras.
How are the fees for the big races? Having caught fire with the idea, you think over the route in detail and prepare the contacts of all the people who will meet you on the way, prepare the motorcycle technically and prepare yourself physically. And most importantly, set yourself up for success.
... And then write
I printed out two thousand copies and simply sent them all over the country to all the main motorcycle clubs - so at one time the unknown Yura Shatunov walked around the trains and handed out his cassettes
… And make a board game
Once I was watching a movie and one of the episodes made me think about board games. I took a piece of wallpaper and a glass of yogurt - and began to draw route from Murmansk to Vladivostok. The goal of the game as such is to “get” to the goal first and intact. Just like on the road, anything can happen to you here: a motorcycle breaks down, you get arrested for immoral behavior at a festival, you go out with friends in some city. The characters here are famous motorcycle travelers, and the motorcycle models are real - Harley Davidson, Suzuki Hayabusa and others. So you are completely immersed in the motorcycle culture and geography of the country.
An artist, a developer, a caricaturist and a layout designer helped me in my work: they poured figures, mathematically calculated moves, created a general cartoon style, laid mountains and riverbeds.
About the mission and the Uzbek police
Often associated with some kind of mission. For example, in Uzbekistan, we once met Englishmen who were riding a bicycle from London to China through the Pamirs: for every kilometer they traveled, a certain public organization collected money from all over the world and sent it to help homeless children. Our goal was to unite the CIS countries - this is especially important in the light of recent events. We were escorted on the trip by the St. Petersburg House of Nationalities: they gave us a letter in seven languages - they say, we are going on a friendly mission and ask the administrations of settlements to support us.
The Uzbeks eagerly listened to our stories about St. Petersburg, drank tea from bowls and treated us to pies - and in the end did not take a penny. And I gave them a magnet with the Palace Bridge
In what way does the trip contribute to the unification? First of all, through personal contacts. Take Uzbekistan, for example. Once we stopped for breakfast at a random place, and when the Uzbeks found out that we were from St. Petersburg, they called the whole family together. Men and women, grandfathers and grandchildren - all eagerly listened to our stories about the city, gave tea from bowls and treated us to pies - and in the end they didn't take a penny. And I gave them a magnet with the Palace Bridge.
I also liked the Uzbek policemen. We were warned that it was customary for them to shake hands. And when you ask, they say, how are you, how is your family, they immediately break into a smile, tell you everything and treat you to samsa or strawberries.
All you need is to scatter mobile points every two hundred or three hundred kilometers - and we will have a great alternative to traveling to America and Europe
How to make infrastructure
It's a shame that for all the beauty of our places - Kamchatka, Baikal, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and the Caucasus - it is difficult to travel around them due to the underdeveloped infrastructure. There are simply no garbage cans around Lake Ladoga, and in the Trans-Baikal Territory for a thousand kilometers there are no gas stations, no hotels, no workshops. Perhaps the most important thing in my project is to captivate young people with travel. The logic is this: the more people travel and see these problems, the more they will talk about it, and then act. All you need is to scatter mobile points every two or three hundred kilometers - and we will have a great alternative to traveling to America and Europe.
Photos provided by the hero of the publication.
This is interesting
Pavel Kobyak annually rides more than 40,000 kilometers on a motorcycle in Russia, Europe, the USA, and exotic countries. He made his first trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow at the age of 16. A little later, as a tourist, I explored the entire Leningrad region by bus. Overcame 800 km on a bicycle around Lake Ladoga in a week.
For your information
The international portal "Sat and went" is dedicated to traveling around Russia and the world.
The main objective of the project is to develop independent tourism in Russia and help novice travelers.
The site features interactive maps, videos, articles, news and blogs about traveling on a variety of vehicles, from snowmobiles and motorcycles to SUVs and bicycles.
For beginners, detailed routes are posted on the portal, gas stations, motorcycle services, local motorcycle clubs, hotels, catering establishments are marked on the maps - with reviews of tourists, as well as contacts of those who can be contacted for help.
