Why a Booktrail?
2000s: Following the Volga through the heart of Russia is a journey of over 1000 miles!
The Way a River Went: Following the Volga Through the Heart of Russia
What you need to know before your trail
Thom meets his childhoood friend Vicky Marshall, the grandduaghter of neighbours in rural Dorset when he six years old. At the same time of this idyllic childhood, on the other side of the world, communism in Russia was at its peak. Leonid Brezhev was at the peak of his powers as General Secretary of the Communist Perty there. The Cold War is at its height. Years later and the two friends have lost touch with each other. Thom starts a business where he takes people on tours of Russia, such is his passion for the country and its people. It’s there that he meets Vicky again and the real journey into Russia begins as well as the renewal of their friendship, and the discovery of a new kind of relationship altogether.
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
It says on the blurb that Thom Wheeler is not a an to be put off by the prospect of an uncharted, impractical or downright dangerous journey.” He certainly isn’t as who else would travel more than 1000 miles along the length of the Volga river.
Hermitage Museum
Every journey starts somewhere and this one is no exception. As the author says, “Any virgin trip to the Venice of the North will have a visit to the Hermitage high on the agenda. This museum is one of sheer delights inside – from the sensual marble on the staircase to the wealth of exhibits, this is a museum where a few days is essential and where each visit shows up something new.
The Journey
The journey follows the river starting at Volgaverkhovye, Staritsa, Tver, Yaroslavi, Nizhy Novogorod, Kazan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd and the finally to Astrakhan. This is not just a journey of the river or indeed a travelogue but a history of Russia to in a way.
The River Volga
The Volga River is in fact so wide in places that it’s impossible to see from one side to the other. The western side can reach heights of up to sixty feet above water level and across history the Volga has had many names including Atil, Itil, Idil and then Volga. Russian cities along the way have also changed names – Volgograd is also known as Stalingrad – so to see the journey is one of history and of the changing face of the country turns the entire adventure into something much more interesting than just a travelogue.
Satellite towns
There are many a town and village near to the river that they visit along the way- satellite towns they are recalled – and one , Yaroslavl which is near Moscow. A perilous train journey ensues and is where Thom notes how the sparse towns fly past his dusty train window leaving behind a Russia which would turn into a bustling metropolis almost within a couple of minutes. Sergiev Posad is where he experiences some spiritual enlightement at St Sergius of Rodonezh
Destination: Astrakhan
Where Next?
