Russia is a labyrinth consisting of many labyrinths placed inside the labyrinth. And in each labyrinth you are waiting for your own “minotaurs.”

The Moscow labyrinth.

According to the research of the famous Russian archaeologist and researcher of “underground Moscow” Ignaty Stelletskiy, underground constructions under the buildings of the XVI-XVII centuries, located within the Garden Ring, are connected to each other and to the Kremlin by a network of underground labyrinths. And initially the plan of the underground capital was created by the Italian architects of the Moscow Kremlin – Aristotle Fiorovanti, Pietro Antonio Solari and Aleviz Novy. In particular Stelletskiy wrote: “All three architects as foreigners could not leave Moscow and had to lay down their bones in it …” The archaeologist discovered a well-coordinated system of 350 underground points, thanks to which, for example, it was possible to get from the Kremlin to the Vorobyovy Gory. However, after Stelletskiy’s death, the studies were classified.

“Kandalaksha Babylon”

“Babylon” – the so-called labyrinths in the Russian North, where, by the way, there were a lot of them. There is a version that they were originally called “avalonami” (in honor of the Celtic mythical island of the Blessed), and then, with the advent of Christianity, according to the consonance – “Babylons”. Some believed that the ancient people in these buildings sacrificed, others – places for initiations, the third – places of power, where a person can move into another dimension. There was even an opinion that these were fish traps, which fell into the labyrinth during the tide.

It is not known what originally function was performed by “Babylon”, built on the shores of the Kandalaksha Gulf 3-5 thousand years ago. It is known that the Saami conducted their shamanic rituals here at the beginning of the last millennium. Then this place was inhabited by Russian Pomors, who treated the “Babylon” very cautiously. It was believed that a “journey” through the maze could result in a descent into hell. True, they say, Pomory-Old Believers still enjoyed the “Babylon” before the beginning of naval navigation: they say, with the help of the labyrinth, it was possible to control the winds.

“Umba Babylon”

Near the river Umba (near Kandalaksha) you can find another “Babylon”. Probably, its functional did not differ from the neighboring Kandalaksha labyrinth. Local residents said that “Babylon” is in the old Sámi cemetery, and the passage of the labyrinth can result in unwanted contacts with ancient spirits.

The Great Solovetsky labyrinth

This labyrinth is located on the Big Solovetsky Island. It consists of two intertwined snakes. Regardless of which way you are going, you will always return to the entrance. There is a belief associated with this “Babylon”: the popular rumor said that it helps to double “material” values. For example, if you pass a labyrinth with 10 rubles in your pocket, your capital will soon grow to 20 rubles. People scientists, “investment” version is, of course, called nonsense.

Pyskorsky labyrinth

This labyrinth was accidentally discovered in 1915 in the Urals, near the Pyskorskaya Mountain. At one time on the mountain stood Pyskorsky Monastery, the birthplace of the famous Stroganovs. Under the monastery, monks created a system of tunnels, underground chapels, secret cells, warehouses and other premises. To study the labyrinth more thoroughly and failed, because soon a single underground passage in it was closed by a descending landslide. It is interesting that among the locals there have long been legends about hidden treasures in the mountain, while some of the villagers in a dream from night to night came to an old man and indicated the location of the treasure.

“The Garden at Tempel Pavilion”

Peter I was a big fan of labyrinths. It is said that no less than ten buildings throughout Russia were built by the order of the modern tsar. Peter even attributed the creation of some “babylon” in the Belomorie, which archaeologists allegedly are mistaken for today’s Neolithic structures. But these are all rumors. With complete certainty, one can attribute to Pyotr Alekseevich the authorship of only one labyrinth – in Peterhof, which was created according to the plan of the French specialist Jean Baptiste Leblon. The labyrinth, called “The Garden at the Temple Pavilion”, was an almost square plot of about 2 hectares. In the center of it was an oval pool, from which eight paths separated; they were crossed by a ring alley, dividing the site into sixteen clumps, in which flowers were planted. Despite the “vegetable” origin of the labyrinth was not so innocuous: there were rumors that some “travelers” were completely lost there. According to another legend, “The Garden at the Temple Pavilion” was eventually chosen by the first Russian Masons, who conducted their secret rituals in it.

“Labyrinth of the Spiritual”

This icon, written in the XVIII century, you can see in the New Jerusalem Monastery. The image is very unexpected for Russian iconography: knowledgeable people talk about the influence of the Western Christian tradition. Although this is not important. “Labyrinth of the Spiritual” includes 12 circles: two entrances lead to the Kingdom of Heaven, and twelve – to hell. The icon serves as a kind of a detector of sinfulness: having gone visually from the center to the road, you are allegedly rested precisely in your main sin. People said that you can go through the “Labyrinth Spiritual” just before confession (and once in a while).

Visa-free entry, free trains around the country and the opportunity to see the best teams of the world and 11 cities of Russia – foreign fans have heard about such opportunities. But several friends from abroad wrote to us at once, who do not understand how this will all work: “Now to get FAN-ID?” Como obtener FAN-ID Comment obtenir FAN-ID? (How to get a fan’s passport?) “.

We have drawn up an instruction, which, by the way, is useful to Russian football fans. So if you have friends or relatives who want to get to Russia at the 2018 World Cup, tell them about what’s written here.

Almost 3.5 million fans have already expressed a desire to buy tickets for the World Cup matches in Russia and more than a million of them are foreigners. Until November 16, many will receive a notification that their applications have been approved.

Approval of the application is not a ticket, it will come a little later. Having received it, you can already begin to design a Passport fan or, in an international vowel, FAN-ID. This is a document without which you will not be allowed to enter the World Cup match even if you have a ticket. So it is necessary to arrange it.

But FAN-ID has a second function – very useful for fans from those countries whose citizens need a visa to enter Russia. Here it is necessary to say that for a resident of, say, the EU countries, the registration of a Russian visa is seven circles of hell and the second function of FAN-ID will make life much easier for them.

FAN-ID will become that document (apart from a regular passport or other certificate) that will allow the foreigner to enter Russia 10 days before the 2018 World Cup without visas and leave no later than 10 days after the final match is played . Of course, if the border guards do not have other questions to the driver.

Well, the third point: the passport of the fan and the ticket for the match will allow you to travel by train to the city where this match is held free of charge. And in the same city on the day of the game, present these two documents in public transport – the journey will again be free for you.

Below is a step-by-step algorithm for obtaining FAN-ID for those fans whose ticket application for matches is approved.

If you are a foreigner and are outside of Russia:

1. Apply for FAN-ID on the website www.fan-id.ru. To process the application, you will need the number of the approved application for the purchase of a ticket for the match or match ticket number, as well as data of the identity document.

IMPORTANT! Specify the data of the document on which you plan to enter the Russian Federation for World Cup matches.

2. Wait for the approval of the application. The notification about the status of the application will be sent to you via SMS and by e-mail. If you think that the approval of the application does not come very long, you can check the status of the application on the site in the appropriate section.

3. After approval, you will be sent a FAN-ID by mail to the address that you indicated when you made the application. The notification that FAN-ID has been sent to you will come to the e-mail and eseme.
You can choose courier delivery to one of the visa centers located abroad. To do this, when making an application, you need to select the type of delivery “To the VFS visa center”, then select the country and specify the visa center from the list available in this country.

Tracking the delivery of items with a nested Fan Passport is available on the portal of the visa center: vfsglobal.com. The tracking code will be indicated in the SMS and e-mail notification.
The term of FAN-ID delivery abroad is up to 30 days. To the border post office of the postal exchange is carried out within 7-11 days. Further, the delivery time should be specified at the local postal operator.

IMPORTANT! The delivery of tickets for World Cup matches and the issuance of FAN-ID are not related to each other.

If you are a citizen of Russia, this process is simplified. The first step is exactly the same as for foreigners, but after the approval of the application you will be able to get a Passport fan not only by mail in the designated post office, but also personally at any Passport Center for the fan, whose addresses can be found there, on site www.fan-id.ru.

Also, it will be useful to see the site  http://welcome2018.com/

The train journey from Beijing into Mongolia, across Siberia and finishing in Moscow is one of the most epic of itineraries linking two very large countries. This journey aboard a very comfortable train covers almost 8000 kilometres/5000 miles all in two weeks travelling through six time zones and ever changing landscapes. The trip will expose you to several different cultures and a myriad of exciting and unusual landscapes and all this while relaxing in your compartment or the observation/day car.

Your journey by train departs from Beijing travelling to Mongolia. Before arriving in Mongolia, the vast and expansive Gobi Desert is another highlight.

1. Baikal Nature Reserve

The beautiful reserve encompasses Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, and also one of the biggest sources of fresh water.

The coniferous and deciduous forests of the nature reserve are home to over 300 species of animals and 80 species of plant. Some 25 of them are listed in the Red Book of Endangered Species.

Rivers feeding Baikal have black grayling, lenok, burbot and taimen. Fishing is permitted, but only to an extent.

For those not fond of hiking, there are plenty of camp sites on the shores of Lake Baikal. Prices in such “tourist villages” are affordable and the locals are friendly.

2. Kuznetsk Alatau Reserve

Located in the south of Central Siberia, the reserve features a beautiful and unique ecosystem. The valley, hemmed in by high mountain ridges, rests in pristine cedar woods cut by crystal clear, ice cold rivers, and vast deep lakes fed by glacier caps and underground water.

The reserve is very popular with hikers in summer and winter alike. The hiking trails in the region are not too difficult, with many convenient well-trodden paths and shelters scattered along the route: small huts where you can put up for the night if you are not particularly fond of tents.

As a rule, the distance between the shelters is equal to or less than a day’s hike.

3. Altai Reserve

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Russia’s largest reserves. It is almost surrounded by high mountains and borders on the great Lake Teletskoye in the south. Remarkably, there is not a single road anywhere in the reserve.

The main part of the reserve is covered by wild forest, interspersed with occasional paths laid by gamekeepers. The area is home to 1,190 lakes.

The Belukha Mountain – the highest peak of the Altai Mountains and Siberia, requires special equipment and prior training to climb. The mountains feature incredible views among which, as chance would have it, is the endangered snow leopard.

Those who would prefer peace and quiet can find a cottage on the shores of Lake Teletskoye. For $10 a day per person, you can enjoy delicious meat roasted over the open fire and the traditional banya.

4. Kronotsky Nature Reserve

The reserve makes up one of Russia’s oldest protected areas and is located on the Kamchatka Peninsula bordering the Pacific Ocean. It is home to waterfalls, the Valley of Geysers, thermal lakes and Kronotsky, an active volcano of the same name.

The only geyser field area in Eurasia, the Valley of Geysers, is one of the official Seven Wonders of Russia. Its area exceeds that of the famous geyser fields in Iceland many times over.

5. Caucasian Biosphere Reserve

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the reserve is located on the northern and southern slopes of the Western Caucasus.

It’s not far from the well-known resort, Sochi: the city draws water from rivers flowing from the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve and its vast forests bring fresh air to the city.

The reserve includes part of the Caucasus Mountains, the famous permanently snow-covered Mt. Elbrus and Mt. Kazbek, each over five thousand meters high. As Europe’s highest peak, Elbrus lures mountaineers from all over the world.

Another sight is the largest and deepest lake in the North Caucasus, Lake Kezenoyam. Salmo ezenami, is a rare species of trout, which is native only to the lake.

A special permit is necessary to visit other parts of the reserve. The permit can be obtained in Sochi at the headquarters of the reserve.

6. Great Arctic Nature Reserve

The territory encompasses immense polar deserts and the Arctic tundra. Most of the year, it is covered with snow, which only melts briefly in summer. The home of polar bears is the biggest protected area in Eurasia.

7. Vasyugan Swamp

The swamp lies in western Siberia, between the Irtysh and Ob rivers. It is one of the largest swamps in the world and serves as a major source of fresh water for the region. Though the swamps are mostly shallow, the area does not see many tourists. The place is rife with rare species of animal and bird.

8. Far Eastern Marine Reserve

The reserve was set up to preserve rare species of marine wildlife and plants. In general the area has very rich fauna, both on and below the sea surface, although many of the species are now endangered.

The reserve’s northern part houses a comfortable hotel offering no-frills accommodation on the seashore.

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