"The Vodka Train" The Trans Siberian Railway. The only way to travel over land from Russias capital to the far, far eastern parts of this enormous country. This is a railway with extreme importance for the Russian economy, and it's people. A stabile transport connection, second to good communication is the most important reason for economic prosperity in the remote parts of any country. The vast, almost endless area of Sibiria is supplying the rest ...

"The little man who almost defeated death" History books are full of great men, but unlike Peter the Great (204 cm / 6'8") Lenin was a very short man. The great leader of the Communist revolution in Russia, the main man in charge of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1924 is known all over the world, and I have read so much about him. About how he was smuggled home from Switzerland to lead the revolution to how he "handled" his opponents. ...

"Moscow" Here I had my first encounter with the police. I arrived in Moscow so early in the morning that I decided to sleep a little on the train station, I sat on a bench with my big backpack between my legs, leaning over it, and the small one enclosed between me and the large backpack. Clothing wise I looked like a bum with my oversized jacket, train-hair (after sleeping on the train your head has been moving around so much at night that there is r...

The Trans Siberian Railway is often called the vodka train. The train ride from St. Petersburg to Moscow I decided to call a "Russian Tradition". Sasha and her friend took me to the train station to see me off and to make sure I got on the right train. My car was on the complete opposite side of the platform, and this made me realize how long this train was. Must have been more than 70 cars! On this enormous train a new world opened to me. There wer...

Etter at moren til Sasha lagde frokost til oss gjorde jeg meg klar til å se St. Petersburg på nytt. I dag hadde Sasha eksamen, og likevel hadde hun tid til å vaere med meg hele kvelden i går. Hun tegnet inn alle stedene jeg burde dra til på et kart og lærte meg noen russiske ord. Gjennomgangen av det kyrilliske alfabetet kom også godt med. Nå kan jeg lese russisk! Det høres visstnok ut som om jeg er full når jeg leser russisk. Å gå rundt i byen uten d...