There are some cities in Russia that you will never get the chance to visit. According to the rumors, Russia is home to about 42 cities that the Russian government has classified as secret. apparently, only a handful of people in the country are privy to the names and locations of these hidden cities.
These special cities don’t appear on any map, and don’t plan on visiting them any time soon because it is against the law to even enter one of them. They are places in which metallurgy, military, and chemical industry take place and are known by the name ZATO, which stands for closed administrative-territorial entities. We know they are intriguing, but there’s no point in adding them to your travel itinerary.
Russia’s Massive Pipelines
Russia is not only big in size, but it is also rich in natural resources. It has one of the biggest petroleum industries in the world, with the largest reserves. It is also the leading exporter of natural gas and has the world’s second-largest coal reserves.
All those gases need to be transported somehow, and Russia has developed an extensive network of pipelines. There are so many pipelines that if you put them all together, they would make a pipeline that is 259,913 kilometers long. The circumference of the Earth is only 40,075, so traveling through all of Russia’s pipelines is like going around the world six and a half times.
A National Pastime
Chess has been one of the most beloved games in Russia for hundreds of years. Historians have even been known to claim that Czar Ivan IV died in 1854 in the midst of a chess match. In 1917, when the Bolsheviks came to power, the game’s popularity increased, and it became Russia’s favorite pastime.
Russians love chess because they feel that the game represents their ideals. It is not a game of chance but requires skill and a carefully thought-out strategy. The state-sponsored its first national chess tournament in Moscow in 1921, and to this day, many of the best players in the world are Russian natives, including the current number five Alexander Grischuk.
The Shamanistic Island
Although once hugely popular, Shamanism has declined in most places in the world, but it is still alive and kicking on one isolated island in Siberia. The remote island of Olkhon still practices the religion in all its glory, probably because its remoteness has kept away influences from other religions.
Olkhon Island is not only home to Shamanism, but it is also the third-largest lake island in the world. The island is covered in forests and is known for having very little rainfall. Less than 1,500 people live on the island full time, but in recent years it is drawing more and more tourists due to its natural beauty and interesting culture.
Come In, the Water’s Freezing
The Russian people love to go to the beach to swim, and they won’t let a little thing like freezing winter temperatures stop them. While some only do the cold dip once a year to start the new year off right, others enjoy their icy swims all winter long.
Many Russians believe that swimming in ice-cold water is good for their health and head to the beach even on the coldest days. Their bravery has earned them the adorable and appropriate nickname “walruses.”