FROM THE BARENTS SEA TO THE SEA OF JAPAN

republic of udmurtia – республика удмуртия

izhevsk – ижевск

Izhevsk is the capital city of the Udmurt Republic. It was founded in 1760. Being one of the major centers of arms manufacture the city was closed for foreign tourists during the Soviet times. Nowadays travelers are free to come and to see its cathedrals, parks, presidential palace and fire arms museums.

The Presidential Palace.

One of the oldest arms museums - the Arsenal - is located in Izhevsk.

To Izhevsk arms makers.

The St. Michael Cathedral was restored in old Russian style with usage of modern materials.

WWII memorial.

It was in Izhevsk during World War II where Mikhail Kalashnikov began his career of a small arms designer. In Izhevsk he invented the world famous AK-47 submachine gun named after him. In 1995 Mikhail Kalashnikov was awarded the rank of an honorary general of the Russian Army.

The Kalashnikov Museum stands across the St. Michael Cathedral. In the museum one can learn a lot of both Kalashnikovs – the person and the submachine gun. The museum houses a shooting gallery where visitors are encouraged to fire AK-47 and a sniper rifle.

An old water tower next to a modern hotel.

Popular today quirky monuments are also available in Izhevsk.

A certain “Izhik”- Izhevsk’s mascot.

votkinsk – воткинск

The town of Votkinsk located some 50 km from Izhevsk is the birthplace of the world-famous composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Pyotr Tchaikovsky with the Swan Lake in the background.

The house where Tchaikovsky was born and the area around the house is now a museum.

After visiting the museum guests can take a stroll along the Swan Lake.

Votkinsk’s peculiarity: Lenin stands not in front of the local administration as in most other cities, towns and villages all over Russia but in front of the Annunciation Church.

The local iron making plant produced anchors for the Russian Navy from 1782 till 1912. Some anchors for big battleships weighed 5.5 tons. The one on the pedestal weighs 2.1 tons.

The iron making plant. The town was founded in 1757 around the construction site of the plant. Tchaikovsky’s father was the managing director in 1837-1848.

Colonial style.

Travelers can stay in The Zhemchuzhina Hotel located on the Swan Lake shore just a two-minute walk from the Tchaikovsky museum.