Hello Natasha, I follow your vlogs off and on. This one reminded me of my own experience on the Trans-Sib. I travelled with my parents and brother from Harbin to Prague and back in 1938 (I was 7) and again Harbin to Berlin (and later Prague) in July 1940 (the war was about to start). It took about three weeks each way and each time, with a short stop in Moscow. The choice was 'miagkii' or 'zhestk'i, (ours was zhestkii), but there was a vagon-restoran and even a shower. And because of the wider rail gauge, the 'kupe' for 4 was quite spatious. --- You can tell I must be quite old (90) .I have lived in Canada for tthe last 52 years. Natasha, I wish you good health and good luck in all your endeavors.
Thank you for sharing that with us! We are all so spoiled now that we can't imagine it. I wish often we could go back in time and rid ourselves of much of this modern world which in return would remove much stress I believe.
I just found your channel by accident, I like the way you show the "real thing" with out drama or composed scenery, showing not only the pretty and manicured lanscapes, but the true reality. Grettings from Central California. Subscribed.
I agree. Actually, thinking about her videos, they come over very like livestreams and those are generally as unmanicured as you can get aren't they? I'm looking forward to her livestream next weekend. I'm hoping it's out in town and not all indooors.
@Richard Kent all I know (I'm British ) is that Russia is big 11 time zones but obviously was a lot bigger when it was soviet union /u.s s r /c.cc p because that included Poland Hungary Latvia Belarus Ukraine Lithuania ,Moldova ,ubekistan ,Tajikistan ,khazakstan ,and maybe a couple more who know have there independence the federation is a lot smaller but still made up of republics am I right ? I still don't understand what you mean ? Thank you
@Richard Kent you have to bury the past I'm Irish catholics were driven out of protestant areas 50 years on things change people change it is what it is jaw jaw not war war
Very cool! I'm from Texas and I love seeing videos like this. A lot of people film touristy stuff and I don't see trains and other things being vlogged. Everyday things in other countries is very fascinating.
"Hand-me-down" trains (!), $2 bed linen, 8 hrs. on the Trans-Siberian (instead of 7 freakin' days), grumpy conductors, tsarist-style tea mugs. Your wealth of details expresses so much about Russia's Far East, Natasha. You left me wanting more.)))
@@springsummer816 unfortunately, she showed only what she wanted to see. Business and first class Trans-Siberian cars are comfortable and quit affordable. During our trip, my kids refused to stay in first class, they found “hostel” cars much interesting, interacting, and informative. Maybe for kids it was youthful maximalism (youthful high spirit) , they take coach class trains and flights in the USA also.
@@westnblu buddy, I would not get on a train whose average speed does not exceed 80 km per hour, just to lose 5 days of life in random company, looking at the monotonous landscape, even if the toilet was made of gold, but that's just my subjective opinion,
I like how clean the train is. No graffiti (inside and outside), no damage or vandalism, even the floor and the toilette are so clean, very nice. And I like the woman at 5:20 selling food on her sweet little improvised food stand. And i think you have more than two hundred subscribers 😉 ... congratulations!
Russian railways are just in a different league, I think I have never seen a single graffiti in 40 years of my life in Russia. I can hardly imagine any train allowed out to its route before it is 100% neat and tidy
In winter it is very beautiful to travel with the train. I recommend to buy tickets online and watch out for eco-toilets and air conditioning. Trains without these are super old and slower than the more modern ones. I travelled from Kazan to Omsk with the Transsib in January and on the route back it took us 6 hours less, because at first we travelled with a really old (but cheap) train.
"Hand me downs" that was a fascinating tidbit of information. This tells us outsiders so much about what the provincial relationships with Moscow are. thanks!
@@iatsd Yeah, the (german) trains i used to ride as a kid are now in service in Romania and Czechoslovakia. And i kinda miss those, noisy and wobbly as they were, they were also more spacious and comfortable.
yeah it is common, Im from Denmark and we do the same, the trains that used to ride from Copehagen to the other big cities are used on the smaller side rails once we buy new for the "main" line.
Yes, for me that would definitely be a great part of the trip. Experienced something similar on a public bus while I visited Costa Rica. That makes any trip so much more real and memorable!
I took a train from london to inverness once, had a really nice conversation with an older scottish lady - I could barely understand her scottish accent, but it was super nice!
Yes, until they tell you they were the killer on the Orient Express and you wished that you bought a first class ticket instead of a 3rd (Not going to get much sleep tonight)! 😂
@@tacituskilgore2258 So people are like sheep? A million sheep are afraid of one shepherd dog? I would think of people as more intelligent than sheep but this Covid situation convinced me otherwise. Therefore, if the Russians like communism, starvation, dying at the age of 65 while their president drives golden cars and has more money on his bank account than some smaller countries do it is fine by me. Let them stay home and be poor generations more to come.
The Russian Trans-Siberian Railway was an amazing engineering accomplishment for its time. It crossed a longer distance than the American Trans-Continental Railroad did.
Thank you Natasha. I love how you just record almost everything. In the middle of the video it always makes me laugh when you are like" Look it's a boot! or what ever random object in a weird place." I also like it when you stop to admire artwork or an old thing.
This video is so neat. $20(ish) for 500 kilometers distance is so mindblowing to think about. Thanks for taking this video, and showing a perspective that most of us would never see!
Used to take the train from Moscow to Helsinki with my family when I was young. By far my favorite traveling memories where on those trains, I always loved the bunk beds and tea mugs, this is very nostalgic for me. Thank you Natasha!
Thank you for the videos, Natasha, it's interesting to see how things really are for local people, not the dressed-up, tourist-trap, footage we normally get. Keep it up.
Those подстаканники (cup holders) are so unique. Maybe they are just ordinary items for Russians, but they are both a clever design to avoid spilling and a brilliant work of art.
@@zloychechen5150 lol that's right as well, but as my Russian friend once told me, a true Russian is never afraid to hold a lava hot tea glass with his bare hands.
@@ilmarinen79 Indeed. In the west, Russian glass holders can be very expensive (around $35 CAD, depending on the seller of course). I wonder if in Russia they are cheaper.
while in America we have the WORST rail, receiving BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars, that always runs on a deficit, and is always broken, with cramped single seats costing $100's
@@rugfixr the billions are small potatoes, and the reason Amtrak can't make ends meet is that it doesn't own the track. In the one location it owns the track (northeast corridor), it's on time and earns money.
@@keyalpha1 I suffer with social anxiety but when I was younger I pushed myself and managed to get out there and talk to a lot of people, so in my experience if you push yourself, and face your fear, you can build confidence and surprise yourself. These kind of anxieties get worse when you give in to them.
Yes, this is what I was thinking... These are some pretty nice 'hand-me-downs' honestly. Upkeep-wise they look to be about as good as our "new" city buses in my small city in Florida, and I rather like those buses if not the sorts of people that ride them.
Oh my, i'm so amazed by the fact that you have hot water and mugs on your trains! For Free! I don't travel that many long distances on rails, but i bet here in Germany you would have to pay for the mug and the water.
Moreover, these old water dispensers are hybrids and can be heated with electricity OR with coal or wood! This is really handy for long stretches in the middle of nowhere, where lack of heat/hot water might come lethal.
@@fjellyo3261 No wonder. Compare the size of both countries. Vatican City you even "travel" faster. They don"t even have a train. But then they have a Papamobil.
Wow what an eye opener for me, I've just run across your videos and I've never really seen anything like this, on the ground in Russia with everyday Russians. ! It's fascinating for me, an American, to get a glimpse into Russian life. I have always felt fortunate to be born in America, and I am so thankful that my parents came here from Italy in the 1920s instead of South America. My mom told me that many Italians, including some of my family members, went to South America instead of North America, and they were not happy there. You seem like a wonderful young lady, and I hope you find everything in life that you hope for!
I would love to travel Russia it looks very beautiful. The architecture is amazing so much history in your beautiful country. Greetings from Australia 🇦🇺👍
It's so enjoyable to see how similar we are instead of looking for differences (Midwest USA & Russia) ... I thoroughly enjoy each one of your videos ... thank you, thank you, thank you ... keep up the good work 👏 👏👏👏👏
👍🙏 Отличный репорт! Все показано и рассказано, как есть. Сам лично предпочитаю ездить именно 🚅 сохраняется дух романтики на ЖД! 😊 Кстати, РЖД надо отдать должное обновляет парк вагонов. Bon voyage ✌️
This is a great story. I’m slightly train obsessed, so this looked like it would be a lot of fun. The train looked neat and clean - it didn’t look old at all.
@@karstenengelmann925 It was not the start of the train service. That was in Moscow, 6 days earlier. Every coach has a lady that makes sure that everything stays clean.
This is so cool! Thank you for putting the text/Russian words on the screen now and then; It really helps me learn vocabulary and because of my hearing disability, it helps me follow what you're talking about when there is some background noise in the audio. :) Spasibo!
An interesting journey and, of course, listening to Natasha is always nice!👍 I remember how, during a trip in a similar carriage, I bought a pie from an old woman at the station. And until the end of the trip I did not get out of the toilet. It was an unforgettable trip! 😂
Natalia, thank you. Your video's are so raw and real, I just love this format. Sooo much better than the slick tourist propaganda - Love from Australia.
Julie, I've lived/worked in Russia and I'd say the Transiberian trip crossing 12 time zones is a trip for a masochist is a marketers fabrication of a very long monotonous trip. A lot of Russia, especially east of Yekaterinburg is swamp - how much can you look at? Best to fly to a larger city and then fan out to your various destinations and take in the Russian villages.
@@mikeinfortcollinslynn7898 😂 Yeah right. Famous swamps of Altai mountains, illustrious swamps of Baikal lake, prominent swamps of Kamchatka volcanoes, not to mention great swamp of pacific ocean, everything is a swamp to the east. Seriously I would recommend to make stops and not to take transsib trip at once
@@mikeinfortcollinslynn7898, my thoughts exactly! 👏👏👏 As a local I never saw the appeal. (unless it is this "golden" luxury train for tourists 🤣🤣🤣) Could it really had been hyped up by some "Lonely Planet" guide sometime ago???
I enjoyed this as it reminded me of the several times I have ridden the same train from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk (12 hours), Vladivostok to Bikin, etc. I am American but adopted an infant from Vladivostok and discovered his family living in a tiny village near Bikin. Our journeys there are full of fond memories. I am impressed with your English skills and your basic style of commentary.
Platzkarte was a synonym to "bilet" (ticket) in Russian. However, during the XX century the meaning has transformed to the 3rd class carriages in trains.
Whenever i traveled with platzkart, it felt so alive compared to travelling by train in western Europe... My best journey was from Vienna to Baku by train - 5 amazing days!
I feel so lucky to have found your channel. It provides me not only with entertainment (driving tests) but with an informal education about Russia and it's nice people. Thank you. poka, poka!
Классно, очень хорошее видео. Большую часть своей молодой жизни я провел в поездах и страшно скучаю по плацкарту, чаю, платформам. Вы прекрасно все показали, Наташа. Я живу в Штатах последние 24 года и меня тянет, как каждого на прошлые воспоминания.Я провел свою детскую жизнь в поездах по России. Свердловск-Одесса. После Хутора Михайловский начиналась Украина с вишней, грушами, яблоками, жареной картошкой. Но это было очень давно, когда мы жили в одной стране. Никогда не был на Дальнем Востоке.. Дольше Самарканда не заезжал. А судя по вашему видео у вас все как было когда-то. Храните это.
Traveling by train in Russia was one of the best memories I have of the country, by that time my Russian was decent enough so I could speak with the people and share our points of view, I hope to take it again for the complete journey! Great video BTW!!!
Большое спасибо Вам, милейшая Натальюшка. Продолжите (или продолжайте? ) пожалуйста делать эти уникальные видео ; сделайте их более длительными по времени, если Вам это не трудно. УДАЧИ...
Would love to travel through Russia by train. Just started learning the Russian language a few weeks ago. On a multiple week trip, at least being able to have a basic conversation with someone in their own language is a must. Tnx for the video! Excellent channel!
There is always smoked fish being sold at the stations in my region. And kvas, and super greesy pies 😄 Oh, I remember all this stuff from my childhood, and my mom used to say that if you eat it, you can literally die at the same moment 😄 Or spend the rest of your trip in the Russian train toilet, that is even worse than death 😅
I read another comment that a person bought a pie from an old lady at one of the stops, and they lived in the toilet for the rest of the journey. So, it all adds up.
@@lightdark00 haha, oh, I'm sure that this happebz from time to time, especially in the South of Russia, where the heat in summer is always unbearable, and all the food gets spoilt in an hour.
I use to travel with my family when I was a child by train from Vladivostok to Moscow. ONE WEEK on the way! Just live in the train😁👌 Look the same as Natasha showed 🤪
My god, the flashbacks. I rode the TransSib in 1983 from Moscow to Chabarovsk. We travelled in 2nd (no way they would let a westerner ride Platzkart at the time). The samowar, the tea glasses. Chabarovsk station, the aluminium railcars... I especially remember the hospitality of the co-travelers. The ride from Moscow to Chabarowsk took about 6 days, during which we ate in the dining car only twice. for all other meals we were invited. I especially fondly remember the home-distilled wodka of one of the hosts...
The Trans-Siberian is on my bucket list, the whole way and back, first class, a lot cheaper than the Orient Express, also on bucket list. In the meantime will have to make do with London - Edinburgh - Inverness overnight sleeper or the Cornish Riviera Sleeper.
Try the railway in Bulgaria, wife and I went from Sofia to Varna 1st class 2 tickets worked out about £24 return, beautiful country and beautiful countryside just remember to water and food as there is none on the train.
This was a very modern train. I remember my journey from Almaty Kazakhstan to Yekaterinburg, Russia. We were in 2nd class and at that time (2006-2007), 2nd class would probably be what 3rd is today. The worst part of the journey freezing weather and warped wooden windows that had masking tape strips to help stop the cold air from coming into the compartment. Heat was very minimal. The only touch of modern, were the Russian border guards who had laptops to handle visa and passport check when we crossed from KZ to RU. A 48 hour trip in the dead of winter to spend Christmas with my wife's parents in Yekaterinburg. The worst were the toilets. I mean primitive. If you were a female, you would squat over the stainless steel toilet and not let your bottom touch the toilet seat. Train personnel would clean the toilet and sink with strong bleach, which was disgusting to breathe. I think Natasha's toilet accommodation was better even though the train was a 10 year old hand-me-down from Moscow..
Totally agreed. The train car presented is definitely better than the most cars used in Czechia a EU country. Actually, our railway operators buy 30-40 yrs old cars from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and so on and present them as new ones after some repairs. The Czech railways relatively declined during the period of free democratic governments and the rate of death in accidents is almost 5x higher per year than in Germany and more than the EU average doubled. Railway is the future mode of transportation and Russia is a railway country. No doubts about it.
I'm glad that you videoed your journey on the train, it was very interesting. I have travelled on a few trains in different countries myself. You filmed it well. Congratulations on reaching 200k Subscribers, the Channel is growing quite quickly now. Well done Natasha!
This train reminds me of the Amtrack train I took from my home in Hutchinson, Kansas to Chicago and back home again. I enjoyed it. It is a different way to travel. Usually, I travel by car or plane. But it was not any faster than if I had driven there in my car. But it was a lot more fun.
Thanks for keep sharing lots of Russian sceneries and situation. Love to know more & more cultures and lifestyles, specially Russian one. I felt welcomed and with lots of traits really close to yours whenever I met Russians. I have many girl friends from the Western part and less from the Center side (Siberia). It is really bad that the Far East is forgotten in that way. Somehow it is understandable since you are a really big country but also I can see the bad intentions. Well, I hope all you in the Far East have your chance to aspire to a much better situation. Send you lots of love & my best wishes directly from crazy warm Mexico.
@@nesser52 It's a legacy of 90's. Far East was very criminalized during 90's and it was impossible to develop it properly until very recent times. I think that situation will drastically improves during next decade.
Not much different in a way than a coach full of people. But there you get to lay down flat. Why did Amtrak not design cars like that except for the super expensive sleepers !
500km, 8 hours for 20 bucks that's insane. I just looked up from Hampshire to Wales (120 odd miles) in UK, 4 hours, 4 changes of train and a cost of 45 quid.
@@zloychechen5150 I would find it hard to believe it's more expensive than the United States, although really the problem is that there are very few rooms available. There may be regular seats available, but anything private is just incredibly expensive
I really want to take the trip. All the way from Moscow. When I was in Russia 12 years ago, my ex-wife and I went back and forth between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod a few times. We were there for an adoption, so the last trip back to Moscow was with 2 kids!
It’s really interesting to see your vlogs about life in contemporary Russia, specially the Far Eastern parts. I did once take the train from Beijing to Moscow (5 & half days) and a few days later, after breaking my journey in Moscow, on to London (2 days). Of course that train joins the trans-Siberian line only at Ulan Ude after transiting Mongolia. In those days I lived in Hong Kong, which I left on a Saturday morning to fly to Beijing, 2/3 days later caught the International train to Moscow, then on to London, where I arrived around Saturday lunchtime, almost exactly 2 weeks after leaving home in Hong Kong. I travelled “soft class” (the top class then, basically two bunk beds sharing a shower & washing facilities between another 2-berth next door. Our meals were taken in the restaurant car, not too bad by my recollection if very plain, and at least there was Russian wine from the Black Sea area mostly with lunch and dinner - this was in the mid-1980s, so another era completely. I’ve done a few other lengthy train journeys over the years, but the only other train journeys still on my bucket list are the Blue Train in South Africa and the Gan in Australia from Adelaide to Darwin - maybe one day 🤞😀.
The Ghan is from Adelaide to Darwin over 3 days through the heart of Australia. Named after the Afgan camel handlers who were brought over with their camels (still quite a few ancestors of the Afgan camel herders.). They were used in the heart of Australia to transport goods etc. Camels were let go (as the handlers did not want to kill them as instructed) and Australia is now the only country in the world with wild camels
Very interesting and cool to visit your country , I live in Mexico , and I like to travel at your country to know more about your culture have a great time and greatings from Mexico
I love your videos. I am in a wheelchair and in poor health so I will never get to visit Russia. But your videos is almost like being there. Thank you so much.
Your smiles have reduced in frequency since you left the U.S., Natasha! I know there are large cultural differences in the social practice of smiling, so I hope you are still happy inside. Great video! Cheers from your scientist friend in Carlsbad, California.
the toilet shown in this video is actually pretty new, I remember that around 5 years ago the train toilets were different, they had a pedal that opened up the bottom and flushed everything on the tracks, so conductors closed them when the train approached a station
We had such train toilets here in Germany until around the 90s at least, in the old regional trains. No-one stopped you from flushing them in train station, it was more of an unspoken rule not to. Really bizarre, thinking back on it, how seeing some toilet paper and feces on the tracks was "normal".
Glad to see these carriages are still in use. I travelled between Moscow-Kazan in 2000. Very comfortable to sit in,but the heating was too much. You got a better deal. I travelled on the Sapsan in 2015. The seats were the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on anywhere. This includes train,bus,car or park bench!
I visited the USSR on a university trip for two weeks. The trip included Moscow, Riga, and Leningrad. Moscow to Riga, Riga to Leningrad, and Leningrad back to Moscow were by train. The trip from Moscow to Riga was overnight in an open car somewhat like the one in the video but even more open and perhaps like a military barracks. The car was occupied half by us American university students and half by Baltic states truck drivers who were on their way home from delivering a convoy of trucks to Moscow. We had vodka (purchased from the hard currency stores in Moscow) and they had food. We shared. After a while, the language barrier ceased to be an issue. I recall learning one of the drivers had been at Stalingrad and drove a Studebaker truck.
Was the USSR really looking “run down?” At that point and did the Soviet Travel Service appoint a “guide” who likely ordered you to close your windows for most of the journey? Gotta love those “State Secrets”
I have thought about taking the Trans Siberian Railway and maybe one day I’ll do it. I thought the way you -Natasha designed and produced your video was well on the way of being professional and you should really consider taking a job either in tv presentation and traveling as you have a natural leaning towards this type of topic. Good luck!
Lovely video, Thank You! I am from Sweden and just love to see how everything works and looks like in the mighty mighty country in the east. Things and places can look rather stripped while other things can look very detailed, and arty. I bet a lot of people get curious on going there because of your videos.
They used to be much worse in the nineties and early noughties. Everything was dirty, a lot of stuff was broken, half of the windows wouldn't open, which is a tad inconvenient if it's +32 outside. And that's in the western part of Russia. Those carriages were gradually phased out, and now the "shitty" ones are relatively decent in most places.
Ania a, in the 90's yes, when the liberals took power under Yeltsin they did everything so people live like shit, only after Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin began to be President things changed for the best. The best Train company you can pay for it's РЖД and the best tickets it's SV (СВ in Russian) and Kupé, platzkart I don't recommend it, it's just this stupid antifa feminist girl just show only negative things about our country.
@@alexmikityanskiy1155 Not really, I mean the third class of course, if you want to pay cheap, as in every country always the cheapest services are not the best, but if you pay for Kupé or SV it's quite decent.
Hello Natasha, I follow your vlogs off and on. This one reminded me of my own experience on the Trans-Sib. I travelled with my parents and brother from Harbin to Prague and back in 1938 (I was 7) and again Harbin to Berlin (and later Prague) in July 1940 (the war was about to start). It took about three weeks each way and each time, with a short stop in Moscow. The choice was 'miagkii' or 'zhestk'i, (ours was zhestkii), but there was a vagon-restoran and even a shower. And because of the wider rail gauge, the 'kupe' for 4 was quite spatious. --- You can tell I must be quite old (90) .I have lived in Canada for tthe last 52 years. Natasha, I wish you good health and good luck in all your endeavors.
wow what an experience you must have scared with that war about to happen and three weeks in a train thats too much for me
Great story! What a blessed life. Congrats on hitting NINETY! Rudy
wow good memories. I wish you all the best
Thank you for sharing that with us! We are all so spoiled now that we can't imagine it. I wish often we could go back in time and rid ourselves of much of this modern world which in return would remove much stress I believe.
You're 90? Bs
Its so nice to see Russia from a train and how Russian people travel such great distances
I just found your channel by accident, I like the way you show the "real thing" with out drama or composed scenery, showing not only the pretty and manicured lanscapes, but the true reality. Grettings from Central California. Subscribed.
I so much agree with you, we are so sick of those super-curated and edited vlogs, that this video feels like a breath of fresh air :)
I agree. Actually, thinking about her videos, they come over very like livestreams and those are generally as unmanicured as you can get aren't they? I'm looking forward to her livestream next weekend. I'm hoping it's out in town and not all indooors.
@Richard Kent how so when she is actually on Russian soil ?????
@Richard Kent all I know (I'm British ) is that Russia is big 11 time zones but obviously was a lot bigger when it was soviet union /u.s s r /c.cc p because that included Poland Hungary Latvia Belarus Ukraine Lithuania ,Moldova ,ubekistan ,Tajikistan ,khazakstan ,and maybe a couple more who know have there independence the federation is a lot smaller but still made up of republics am I right ? I still don't understand what you mean ? Thank you
@Richard Kent you have to bury the past I'm Irish catholics were driven out of protestant areas 50 years on things change people change it is what it is jaw jaw not war war
This sort of "slice of life" vlog content is among my favorite thing to watch online. Please do more videos like this.
Very cool! I'm from Texas and I love seeing videos like this. A lot of people film touristy stuff and I don't see trains and other things being vlogged. Everyday things in other countries is very fascinating.
I agree with you!
No one cares that you're from texas
@@fayereaganlover You don't care, others may actually care. Don't speak for others, please. Thanks in advance.
Absolutely! I share your view! Fascinating!
Yes.Seeing daily life in other places is more interesting to me also.
Круто, что иностранцам нравится. Могут узнать побольше о нашей стране. Ты молодец))
I'm so mesmerized by all your videos. I find your demeanor, mannerisms, and even the way you speak quite soothing. Please don't stop making content!
Hi Natasha! Thankyou for another interesting video..
love, from Arizona US ❤
Thank you very nice video gave me back happy memories for when I did the transfer
"Hand-me-down" trains (!), $2 bed linen, 8 hrs. on the Trans-Siberian (instead of 7 freakin' days), grumpy conductors, tsarist-style tea mugs. Your wealth of details expresses so much about Russia's Far East, Natasha. You left me wanting more.)))
hostel on wheels
@@springsummer816 unfortunately, she showed only what she wanted to see. Business and first class Trans-Siberian cars are comfortable and quit affordable. During our trip, my kids refused to stay in first class, they found “hostel” cars much interesting, interacting, and informative. Maybe for kids it was youthful maximalism (youthful high spirit) , they take coach class trains and flights in the USA also.
@@larissaolson3751 train should be fast, comfort is a secondary concern
@@springsummer816 well... Depends the distance . Russia is a big land mass u wouldn't want to traverse big distances being uncomfortable.
@@westnblu buddy, I would not get on a train whose average speed does not exceed 80 km per hour, just to lose 5 days of life in random company, looking at the monotonous landscape, even if the toilet was made of gold, but that's just my subjective opinion,
I like how clean the train is. No graffiti (inside and outside), no damage or vandalism, even the floor and the toilette are so clean, very nice. And I like the woman at 5:20 selling food on her sweet little improvised food stand. And i think you have more than two hundred subscribers 😉 ... congratulations!
she sells traditional tube pastries with boiled condensed milk filling.
@@maria.5974 would love to try it 😋😋😋
Russian railways are just in a different league, I think I have never seen a single graffiti in 40 years of my life in Russia. I can hardly imagine any train allowed out to its route before it is 100% neat and tidy
4:12 Ah, nothing like observe a dedicated person and her passion for the job.
lol she seems pissed
I would travel the Trans-Siberian Railway. It's got to be the way to experience the people and the vast distance.
.... can be extremely boring over 10 days .... better to stop every 800 k
In winter it is very beautiful to travel with the train. I recommend to buy tickets online and watch out for eco-toilets and air conditioning. Trains without these are super old and slower than the more modern ones. I travelled from Kazan to Omsk with the Transsib in January and on the route back it took us 6 hours less, because at first we travelled with a really old (but cheap) train.
"Hand me downs" that was a fascinating tidbit of information. This tells us outsiders so much about what the provincial relationships with Moscow are. thanks!
It's common all over the world
@@iatsd Yeah, the (german) trains i used to ride as a kid are now in service in Romania and Czechoslovakia. And i kinda miss those, noisy and wobbly as they were, they were also more spacious and comfortable.
yeah it is common, Im from Denmark and we do the same, the trains that used to ride from Copehagen to the other big cities are used on the smaller side rails once we buy new for the "main" line.
@@K__a__M__I haven't seen one yet, we use reconditioned ones with only the chassis kept
American school buses end up as public transport all over Central America also.
Hello Natasha. I have just recently followed your channel. Your sharing is very good. Thank you.
Спасибо вам большое. 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇
Does anyone else love the feeling of Sonder from meeting people on trains, hearing their stories, and passing by life with them?
Yes, for me that would definitely be a great part of the trip. Experienced something similar on a public bus while I visited Costa Rica. That makes any trip so much more real and memorable!
Sounds like a nightmare to be forced to me lol
I took a train from london to inverness once, had a really nice conversation with an older scottish lady - I could barely understand her scottish accent, but it was super nice!
Yes, until they tell you they were the killer on the Orient Express and you wished that you bought a first class ticket instead of a 3rd (Not going to get much sleep tonight)! 😂
no, i dont.
natashas trippy music reminds me of an old silent comedy.her videos are starting to get more polished now,very enjoyable outing this is.
You are right that music from the silent comedy show 'The village of fools' ruclips.net/video/1sXSLwBGduU/видео.html
Maski Show
I love Russia! Their traditions, language, landscapes, food and the people are so unique. I wish all the best to Russia.
I especially love Putin's dictatorship in which 179.7 of the 180 million people live on the brink of starvation.
@@SuperiorBettingTips as all the russians do
@@SuperiorBettingTips they stay hungry, stay foolish
@@tacituskilgore2258 So people are like sheep? A million sheep are afraid of one shepherd dog? I would think of people as more intelligent than sheep but this Covid situation convinced me otherwise. Therefore, if the Russians like communism, starvation, dying at the age of 65 while their president drives golden cars and has more money on his bank account than some smaller countries do it is fine by me. Let them stay home and be poor generations more to come.
@@SuperiorBettingTips in 19th century russians were serfdoms and it's okay for them to tolerate the arbitrariness of the authorities
The Russian Trans-Siberian Railway was an amazing engineering accomplishment for its time. It crossed a longer distance than the American Trans-Continental Railroad did.
Thank you Natasha. I love how you just record almost everything. In the middle of the video it always makes me laugh when you are like" Look it's a boot! or what ever random object in a weird place." I also like it when you stop to admire artwork or an old thing.
This video is so neat. $20(ish) for 500 kilometers distance is so mindblowing to think about. Thanks for taking this video, and showing a perspective that most of us would never see!
it would cost $500 in the us for that distance under bidinflation!
Used to take the train from Moscow to Helsinki with my family when I was young. By far my favorite traveling memories where on those trains, I always loved the bunk beds and tea mugs, this is very nostalgic for me. Thank you Natasha!
Thank you for the videos, Natasha, it's interesting to see how things really are for local people, not the dressed-up, tourist-trap, footage we normally get. Keep it up.
Absolutely LOVE this video. Real Russia by a real person..Great work!
I really like your perspective of Russian things in English. Thanks for making these videos. They're very informative.
Thank you so much for this video 📹 😍
Haha, their "old" trains still look 20 years younger than the trains we have here in Bulgaria.
The trains in BG are 4 years old brand new turkish ones. Obviously you are not frequent traveller.
Those подстаканники (cup holders) are so unique. Maybe they are just ordinary items for Russians, but they are both a clever design to avoid spilling and a brilliant work of art.
I think they are mostly to avoid burning yourself.
@@zloychechen5150 lol that's right as well, but as my Russian friend once told me, a true Russian is never afraid to hold a lava hot tea glass with his bare hands.
They keep them just because of tradition. It's a kind of RZD trademark. People don't use them IRL.
I was thinking that would be a cool souvenir from the trip - if those are sold. Tea is good.
@@ilmarinen79 Indeed. In the west, Russian glass holders can be very expensive (around $35 CAD, depending on the seller of course). I wonder if in Russia they are cheaper.
Thanks for sharing the journey with us.
Very similar to the trains called a “3-tier sleeper” in India. I’ve had many wonderfully convivial rides on those.
while in America we have the WORST rail, receiving BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars, that always runs on a deficit, and is always broken, with cramped single seats costing $100's
I've travelled on those.
@@rugfixr the billions are small potatoes, and the reason Amtrak can't make ends meet is that it doesn't own the track. In the one location it owns the track (northeast corridor), it's on time and earns money.
Honestly the best part about these "slow" trains is the people you meet and talk to for hours on end. You'll never forget each other
The thought of it does seem nice. Too bad I don't know how to talk to people.
@@keyalpha1 well, if you will take a trip long enough you will learn for sure!
I agree, I often experience this on trains in Pakistan.
I agree. I met so many interesting people when I traveled on Amtrak across the US. Experiences you wouldn't get by flying.
@@keyalpha1 I suffer with social anxiety but when I was younger I pushed myself and managed to get out there and talk to a lot of people, so in my experience if you push yourself, and face your fear, you can build confidence and surprise yourself. These kind of anxieties get worse when you give in to them.
Those trains still seem to be maintained in top condition even if they are old ones.
The car is a relatively new one, it would seem. I've ridden old soviet platskarts, those are terrible.
in ukraina i traveled in wagons they are much more worse condition
Depend of the train company you pay for, РЖД it's the best.
Yes, this is what I was thinking... These are some pretty nice 'hand-me-downs' honestly. Upkeep-wise they look to be about as good as our "new" city buses in my small city in Florida, and I rather like those buses if not the sorts of people that ride them.
I was impressed actually. I have been considering travelling from Europe to China via train, and you have just encouraged me more to try it!
Oh my, i'm so amazed by the fact that you have hot water and mugs on your trains! For Free! I don't travel that many long distances on rails, but i bet here in Germany you would have to pay for the mug and the water.
Moreover, these old water dispensers are hybrids and can be heated with electricity OR with coal or wood!
This is really handy for long stretches in the middle of nowhere, where lack of heat/hot water might come lethal.
You can buy the mugs as a souvenir.
Here in Germany you hardly ever travel more than 10 hrs by train ^^.
@@LordDavid04 i try to buy or to steal one of these tea glasses in ukraina but my girlfriend did not allow me to do that . . . 😀
@@fjellyo3261 No wonder. Compare the size of both countries. Vatican City you even "travel" faster. They don"t even have a train. But then they have a Papamobil.
".....and the whole train sleeps into slumber...." So cute!
Well yes, but you'l have loads of people snoring.
Wow what an eye opener for me, I've just run across your videos and I've never really seen anything like this, on the ground in Russia with everyday Russians. ! It's fascinating for me, an American, to get a glimpse into Russian life.
I have always felt fortunate to be born in America, and I am so thankful that my parents came here from Italy in the 1920s instead of South America. My mom told me that many Italians, including some of my family members, went to South America instead of North America, and they were not happy there.
You seem like a wonderful young lady, and I hope you find everything in life that you hope for!
I would love to travel Russia it looks very beautiful. The architecture is amazing so much history in your beautiful country. Greetings from Australia 🇦🇺👍
It's so enjoyable to see how similar we are instead of looking for differences (Midwest USA & Russia) ... I thoroughly enjoy each one of your videos ... thank you, thank you, thank you ... keep up the good work 👏 👏👏👏👏
👍🙏 Отличный репорт! Все показано и рассказано, как есть. Сам лично предпочитаю ездить именно 🚅 сохраняется дух романтики на ЖД! 😊
Кстати, РЖД надо отдать должное обновляет парк вагонов. Bon voyage ✌️
"The far east gets the older train cars."
Somebody tell Mr. Bald he can come here and ride in a Soviet train car!
I was going to say not Soviet enough for him :) and no murals lol
yeah Mr.Bald has zero videos of the Far East, that's a sad!
He did that video already. I prefer Natasha:s video.
@@pav688 true, hes creepy
He allrdy has video where he travels whit same kind of train
This is a great story. I’m slightly train obsessed, so this looked like it would be a lot of fun. The train looked neat and clean - it didn’t look old at all.
Yes, I was impressed with how clean the bathroom was…at least at the start.
@@karstenengelmann925
It was not the start of the train service. That was in Moscow, 6 days earlier. Every coach has a lady that makes sure that everything stays clean.
@@lvovodessa wow! I have so wanted to do this in life. One day, one day…thank you for your videos, they are awesome!
It's so cool, the locals selling things at the stops 05:25 ! Thanks for sharing this video. 🚢
This is so cool! Thank you for putting the text/Russian words on the screen now and then; It really helps me learn vocabulary and because of my hearing disability, it helps me follow what you're talking about when there is some background noise in the audio. :) Spasibo!
An interesting journey and, of course, listening to Natasha is always nice!👍 I remember how, during a trip in a similar carriage, I bought a pie from an old woman at the station. And until the end of the trip I did not get out of the toilet. It was an unforgettable trip! 😂
Ouch!!
Спасибо Наташа! Видео было очень интересно и полезно. Я надеюсь что однажды я могу ездить на этом поезде. Привет из Венгрии.
Natalia, thank you. Your video's are so raw and real, I just love this format. Sooo much better than the slick tourist propaganda - Love from Australia.
So cool to see this side of Russia. I'd love to travel the Transiberian railway one day. Great footage! ❤
Julie, I've lived/worked in Russia and I'd say the Transiberian trip crossing 12 time zones is a trip for a masochist is a marketers fabrication of a very long monotonous trip. A lot of Russia, especially east of Yekaterinburg is swamp - how much can you look at? Best to fly to a larger city and then fan out to your various destinations and take in the Russian villages.
@@mikeinfortcollinslynn7898 thanks for the input! What did you do for work in Russia?
@@mikeinfortcollinslynn7898 it's not the end but the means what matters here. The experience of being and living with other people.
@@mikeinfortcollinslynn7898 😂 Yeah right. Famous swamps of Altai mountains, illustrious swamps of Baikal lake, prominent swamps of Kamchatka volcanoes, not to mention great swamp of pacific ocean, everything is a swamp to the east.
Seriously I would recommend to make stops and not to take transsib trip at once
@@mikeinfortcollinslynn7898, my thoughts exactly! 👏👏👏
As a local I never saw the appeal. (unless it is this "golden" luxury train for tourists 🤣🤣🤣)
Could it really had been hyped up by some "Lonely Planet" guide sometime ago???
i'm from Brasília Brazil, and i watch your videos everyday. thanks for your videos, it's so cool!
Hi Natasha. that was really freaking cool, thanks for sharing
You. Young lady, are the greatest !
I enjoyed this as it reminded me of the several times I have ridden the same train from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk (12 hours), Vladivostok to Bikin, etc. I am American but adopted an infant from Vladivostok and discovered his family living in a tiny village near Bikin. Our journeys there are full of fond memories. I am impressed with your English skills and your basic style of commentary.
Interestingly to me, 'platzkart' is a German loan and means 'place card' / 'seat ticket'. Thank you for the very interesting video.
Russian has quite a lot of German loan words. I was surprised when I started learning Russian. Like Butterbrot, Kartoffel, Rucksack,...
And coupé is French ! hehe
@catsapp animation Karl Marx (Карл Маркс) was a German guy :-)
Platzkarte was a synonym to "bilet" (ticket) in Russian. However, during the XX century the meaning has transformed to the 3rd class carriages in trains.
@@sif_2799 there are also many words in German that came from the Russian language.
Whenever i traveled with platzkart, it felt so alive compared to travelling by train in western Europe...
My best journey was from Vienna to Baku by train - 5 amazing days!
I feel so lucky to have found your channel. It provides me not only with entertainment (driving tests) but with an informal education about Russia and it's nice people. Thank you. poka, poka!
I love the fact that Russia has SO many train lines.... Great video !!!! Actually, ALL your videos are good !!!
Better than my train ride from Milan to Rome that I took years ago. Lots of grumpy people and it smelled of urine.
Yeah but it was western urine smell. Western urine smell makes people like Natasha euphoric.
Классно, очень хорошее видео. Большую часть своей молодой жизни я провел в поездах и страшно скучаю по плацкарту, чаю, платформам. Вы прекрасно все показали, Наташа. Я живу в Штатах последние 24 года и меня тянет, как каждого на прошлые воспоминания.Я провел свою детскую жизнь в поездах по России. Свердловск-Одесса. После Хутора Михайловский начиналась Украина с вишней, грушами, яблоками, жареной картошкой. Но это было очень давно, когда мы жили в одной стране. Никогда не был на Дальнем Востоке.. Дольше Самарканда не заезжал. А судя по вашему видео у вас все как было когда-то. Храните это.
Traveling by train in Russia was one of the best memories I have of the country, by that time my Russian was decent enough so I could speak with the people and share our points of view, I hope to take it again for the complete journey! Great video BTW!!!
What to say? Is huge, with plenty room for families, and seems cozy, specially for long distances.
And thats the cheapest carriage class there!
Большое спасибо Вам, милейшая Натальюшка. Продолжите (или продолжайте? ) пожалуйста делать эти уникальные видео ; сделайте их более длительными по времени, если Вам это не трудно. УДАЧИ...
Would love to travel through Russia by train. Just started learning the Russian language a few weeks ago. On a multiple week trip, at least being able to have a basic conversation with someone in their own language is a must. Tnx for the video! Excellent channel!
Really love the glimpses of daily life that you show us! Makes me want to visit your part of Russia more with every video :D
HI, Natasha, good job keep it up
There is always smoked fish being sold at the stations in my region. And kvas, and super greesy pies 😄 Oh, I remember all this stuff from my childhood, and my mom used to say that if you eat it, you can literally die at the same moment 😄 Or spend the rest of your trip in the Russian train toilet, that is even worse than death 😅
Hahaha...love it that's very funny.
Это смешно ха ха ха 🇨🇦
I read another comment that a person bought a pie from an old lady at one of the stops, and they lived in the toilet for the rest of the journey. So, it all adds up.
@@lightdark00 haha, oh, I'm sure that this happebz from time to time, especially in the South of Russia, where the heat in summer is always unbearable, and all the food gets spoilt in an hour.
Funny , train station food in Australia has a similar reputation 🤣
I use to travel with my family when I was a child by train from Vladivostok to Moscow. ONE WEEK on the way! Just live in the train😁👌 Look the same as Natasha showed 🤪
That sounds horrible!
@@pav688 for children it sounds interesting and exciting
Heey! Haha cool experience :D
My god, the flashbacks. I rode the TransSib in 1983 from Moscow to Chabarovsk. We travelled in 2nd (no way they would let a westerner ride Platzkart at the time).
The samowar, the tea glasses. Chabarovsk station, the aluminium railcars...
I especially remember the hospitality of the co-travelers. The ride from Moscow to Chabarowsk took about 6 days, during which we ate in the dining car only twice. for all other meals we were invited.
I especially fondly remember the home-distilled wodka of one of the hosts...
The Trans-Siberian is on my bucket list, the whole way and back, first class, a lot cheaper than the Orient Express, also on bucket list. In the meantime will have to make do with London - Edinburgh - Inverness overnight sleeper or the Cornish Riviera Sleeper.
I'd recommend 2nd class, Kupe, and hanging out in the restaurant car all day.
Yes, I've done the Trans Siberian. Four times.
@@karnasaur Are you over 65
Try the railway in Bulgaria, wife and I went from Sofia to Varna 1st class 2 tickets worked out about £24 return, beautiful country and beautiful countryside
just remember to water and food as there is none on the train.
This was a very modern train. I remember my journey from Almaty Kazakhstan to Yekaterinburg, Russia. We were in 2nd class and at that time (2006-2007), 2nd class would probably be what 3rd is today. The worst part of the journey freezing weather and warped wooden windows that had masking tape strips to help stop the cold air from coming into the compartment. Heat was very minimal. The only touch of modern, were the Russian border guards who had laptops to handle visa and passport check when we crossed from KZ to RU. A 48 hour trip in the dead of winter to spend Christmas with my wife's parents in Yekaterinburg.
The worst were the toilets. I mean primitive. If you were a female, you would squat over the stainless steel toilet and not let your bottom touch the toilet seat. Train personnel would clean the toilet and sink with strong bleach, which was disgusting to breathe. I think Natasha's toilet accommodation was better even though the train was a 10 year old hand-me-down from Moscow..
Totally agreed. The train car presented is definitely better than the most cars used in Czechia a EU country. Actually, our railway operators buy 30-40 yrs old cars from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and so on and present them as new ones after some repairs. The Czech railways relatively declined during the period of free democratic governments and the rate of death in accidents is almost 5x higher per year than in Germany and more than the EU average doubled. Railway is the future mode of transportation and Russia is a railway country. No doubts about it.
I did the Trans-Sib 7 years ago. Amazing experience. Will never forget how vast the landscape was.
YES! This is exactly the content I was hoping you would make! I’m so excited for your next adventure. 🚊
I'm glad that you videoed your journey on the train, it was very interesting. I have travelled on a few trains in different countries myself. You filmed it well.
Congratulations on reaching 200k Subscribers, the Channel is growing quite quickly now. Well done Natasha!
This train reminds me of the Amtrack train I took from my home in Hutchinson, Kansas to Chicago and back home again. I enjoyed it. It is a different way to travel. Usually, I travel by car or plane. But it was not any faster than if I had driven there in my car. But it was a lot more fun.
Thanks for showing us the day-to-day life of ordinary Russian people.
Thanks for keep sharing lots of Russian sceneries and situation. Love to know more & more cultures and lifestyles, specially Russian one. I felt welcomed and with lots of traits really close to yours whenever I met Russians. I have many girl friends from the Western part and less from the Center side (Siberia). It is really bad that the Far East is forgotten in that way. Somehow it is understandable since you are a really big country but also I can see the bad intentions. Well, I hope all you in the Far East have your chance to aspire to a much better situation. Send you lots of love & my best wishes directly from crazy warm Mexico.
Since taxes are not going directly to the area it's taken from, it is kinda forgotten
@@nesser52 It's a legacy of 90's. Far East was very criminalized during 90's and it was impossible to develop it properly until very recent times. I think that situation will drastically improves during next decade.
@@olekscap4620 really? I thought epicenter was European part
so cool thank you from the usa
Well done , Natasha. You're so adventurous.
I'm older ; so I think I would save my money, & purchase a first class ticket. See you next time, Natasha.
It was very interesting to see how everyone is together on the train while laying and sleeping on the beds all out in the open.
Not much different in a way than a coach full of people. But there you get to lay down flat. Why did Amtrak not design cars like that except for the super expensive sleepers !
Hostel on wheels
Probably not always nice. Depends on the other people. So a private room like in second or first class might be better :).
I feel like wanting to travel to Russia 🇷🇺🏙️⛪ after watching your video blog. Hello from Germany 🇩🇪🏰 , New Zealand 🇳🇿🐏, and Australia 🇦🇺🦘
500km, 8 hours for 20 bucks that's insane. I just looked up from Hampshire to Wales (120 odd miles) in UK, 4 hours, 4 changes of train and a cost of 45 quid.
$20 is a lot of money in non-Moskow Russia
trains in the uk are outrageously expensive. well, actually, everything is, but transport especially.
@@zloychechen5150 I would find it hard to believe it's more expensive than the United States, although really the problem is that there are very few rooms available. There may be regular seats available, but anything private is just incredibly expensive
@@rpfree вовсе нет.
@@rpfree no, not all. I would say 50 bucks is the lowest limit of 'rather expensive '
I really want to take the trip. All the way from Moscow. When I was in Russia 12 years ago, my ex-wife and I went back and forth between Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod a few times. We were there for an adoption, so the last trip back to Moscow was with 2 kids!
Fun fact: *Yt just recommended this video today,And I immedietly subscribed after watching!* 💖
It’s really interesting to see your vlogs about life in contemporary Russia, specially the Far Eastern parts. I did once take the train from Beijing to Moscow (5 & half days) and a few days later, after breaking my journey in Moscow, on to London (2 days). Of course that train joins the trans-Siberian line only at Ulan Ude after transiting Mongolia. In those days I lived in Hong Kong, which I left on a Saturday morning to fly to Beijing, 2/3 days later caught the International train to Moscow, then on to London, where I arrived around Saturday lunchtime, almost exactly 2 weeks after leaving home in Hong Kong. I travelled “soft class” (the top class then, basically two bunk beds sharing a shower & washing facilities between another 2-berth next door. Our meals were taken in the restaurant car, not too bad by my recollection if very plain, and at least there was Russian wine from the Black Sea area mostly with lunch and dinner - this was in the mid-1980s, so another era completely. I’ve done a few other lengthy train journeys over the years, but the only other train journeys still on my bucket list are the Blue Train in South Africa and the Gan in Australia from Adelaide to Darwin - maybe one day 🤞😀.
THat must have been epic!
Thank you for sharing your experience. These snippets of memories are valuable all the way into the future.
The Ghan is from Adelaide to Darwin over 3 days through the heart of Australia. Named after the Afgan camel handlers who were brought over with their camels (still quite a few ancestors of the Afgan camel herders.). They were used in the heart of Australia to transport goods etc. Camels were let go (as the handlers did not want to kill them as instructed) and Australia is now the only country in the world with wild camels
That must be a very exciting train trips! Thanks for sharing 😊
Thank you for sharing your story, Sir. Very interesting!
You're living my dream. I look forward to watching this 👌❤
Juanita Carroll Young. Ur saying absolutely right.
Very interesting and cool to visit your country , I live in Mexico , and I like to travel at your country to know more about your culture have a great time and greatings from Mexico
So cool I wanna take that Train all the way across stopping here and there! Thank you for sharing.
Cool video! Traveling by train is the best, always interesting talking to people and just watching the world go by. I would love to do this journey.
I love your videos. I am in a wheelchair and in poor health so I will never get to visit Russia. But your videos is almost like being there. Thank you so much.
Your smiles have reduced in frequency since you left the U.S., Natasha! I know there are large cultural differences in the social practice of smiling, so I hope you are still happy inside. Great video! Cheers from your scientist friend in Carlsbad, California.
Is Carlsbad here in the Czech Republic 🇨🇿? 🤔
I always love your music choices 😻
The Trans-Siberian 3rd class train is what we need here in the states instead of Greyhound/Megabus. Liking those tables and beds!
Hello friend 👋 My name is Evgeniya and I’m from Russia.🇷🇺
I also make a video about life in Russia
the toilet shown in this video is actually pretty new, I remember that around 5 years ago the train toilets were different, they had a pedal that opened up the bottom and flushed everything on the tracks, so conductors closed them when the train approached a station
Sounds really appealing
Так и было )))
We had such train toilets here in Germany until around the 90s at least, in the old regional trains. No-one stopped you from flushing them in train station, it was more of an unspoken rule not to. Really bizarre, thinking back on it, how seeing some toilet paper and feces on the tracks was "normal".
@@drsnova7313 seems like soviet and german engineers shared their carriage design ideas
@@drsnova7313 hahaha German technology hahahaha
Just love your videos taking a look at Life in Russia . The train is fascinating and as an experience I would love to try it . From the UK 👍😊
Glad to see these carriages are still in use. I travelled between Moscow-Kazan in 2000. Very comfortable to sit in,but the heating was too much. You got a better deal. I travelled on the Sapsan in 2015. The seats were the most uncomfortable I have ever sat on anywhere. This includes train,bus,car or park bench!
I visited the USSR on a university trip for two weeks. The trip included Moscow, Riga, and Leningrad. Moscow to Riga, Riga to Leningrad, and Leningrad back to Moscow were by train. The trip from Moscow to Riga was overnight in an open car somewhat like the one in the video but even more open and perhaps like a military barracks. The car was occupied half by us American university students and half by Baltic states truck drivers who were on their way home from delivering a convoy of trucks to Moscow. We had vodka (purchased from the hard currency stores in Moscow) and they had food. We shared. After a while, the language barrier ceased to be an issue. I recall learning one of the drivers had been at Stalingrad and drove a Studebaker truck.
"... delivering a convoy of trucks to Moscow."
Glorious Soviet production: take from the West that which cannot be produced around Moscow.
Was the USSR really looking “run down?” At that point and did the Soviet Travel Service appoint a “guide” who likely ordered you to close your windows for most of the journey? Gotta love those “State Secrets”
@@christianfreedom-seeker934 When we would pass something run down on the right the guide would direct our attention to something on the left.
@@geoh7777 Riga is in Latvia which was part of the USSR. Nothing came from the West.
@@geoh7777 Dude! Baltic States was part of Soviet Union back in then.
I have thought about taking the Trans Siberian Railway and maybe one day I’ll do it. I thought the way you -Natasha designed and produced your video was well on the way of being professional and you should really consider taking a job either in tv presentation and traveling as you have a natural leaning towards this type of topic. Good luck!
these videos are so calming to me. mainly because of natashas soothing spirit. :)
Lovely video, Thank You! I am from Sweden and just love to see how everything works and looks like in the mighty mighty country in the east. Things and places can look rather stripped while other things can look very detailed, and arty. I bet a lot of people get curious on going there because of your videos.
Am I the only one who thinks this train looks actually pretty nice and clean? I would imagine trains in Russia are way worsre!
You must be used to Amtrak
They used to be much worse in the nineties and early noughties. Everything was dirty, a lot of stuff was broken, half of the windows wouldn't open, which is a tad inconvenient if it's +32 outside. And that's in the western part of Russia. Those carriages were gradually phased out, and now the "shitty" ones are relatively decent in most places.
Ania a, in the 90's yes, when the liberals took power under Yeltsin they did everything so people live like shit, only after Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin began to be President things changed for the best.
The best Train company you can pay for it's РЖД and the best tickets it's SV (СВ in Russian) and Kupé, platzkart I don't recommend it, it's just this stupid antifa feminist girl just show only negative things about our country.
They smell terrible too.
@@alexmikityanskiy1155 Not really, I mean the third class of course, if you want to pay cheap, as in every country always the cheapest services are not the best, but if you pay for Kupé or SV it's quite decent.
enjoyed watching the video. Thanks for putting nice video and information about your country. Thanks Natasha
This was awesome to see ! And congrats on passing the 200k subscribers mark - You definitely deserve this !