Yaropolets
Volokolamsk district, Moscow region

Key words

Lenin, Krupskaya, hydroelectric station, Pushkin, nature reserve, Moscow Aviation Institute

Where is Yaropolets? .

On the Old Riga highway, 30 miles to Volokolamsk if travelling from Staritsa to Moscow, or 30 miles from Volokolamsk if travelling from Moscow. Easy to get to by car. Direct bus from Metro Tushinskaya. Or a train from the Rizhsky Train Station (Metro Rizhskaya) to Volokolamsk, then a bus to Yaropolets.

What do to

Local history museum.  A large part of its exposition is about the first or one of the first hydroelectric power stations build under the direct patronage of Lenin and his "friend and comrade" Krupskaya.

"Lenin spoke with peasants about the importance of electrification" tablet on the wall of the Yaropolets Museum

Admire the bust of Lenin and Krupskaya together. One of a kind to the best of my knowledge.

See the Goncharov Estate. A rare example of the entire estate complex competently restored.

Accommodation

Yes, you can stay at the Goncharovo Estate too! Only $50 per person per night (summer 2011). I think meals are included too.

It is a "sanatorium" type establishment with specialization on cardiovascular diseases, and leeches are one of the most commonly practiced methods!

Read about "sanatorium", "dom otdyha", "turbaza", "kemping" etc. in
Types of Rural Accommodation
>>

The bad news is that you can no longer move in on the spot even if rooms are available. You need to go to the Moscow Aviation Institute Trade Union Committee at Volokolamskoye Shosse 4. Call/fax them at 8-499-158-4294 or write to ppo@mai.ru. If writing be realistic and don't expect a quick answer.

Soviet style, for which I'm developing a progressing admiration, is well and alive here. A good example is the main entrance with "No entry to strangers" sign in one of the most welcoming sanatoriums I've encountered.

Safety

Not a concern at all in a place like Yaropolets.

Yaropolets in the Internet, in English

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Report prepared early March 2005
Updated August 17, 2011

If you are thinking of hiring me for a customized tour:

Better go from Moscow to St. Petersburg, not the other way around, or else your travel enthusiasm will clash with my road fatigue. We start fresh from Moscow, and come to St. Petersburg 5 days later tired of roads and all that implies.

Also, two seems to be the right size of the group. I can keep two other personalities in mind but three is a crowd and four is a definite overload to a loner like me. On the other hand, if you have a positive reason for travelling, eg. journalism, research, business, or whatever, I can take you for longer. I seem to have a much better to tolerance to people's projects than to people themselves.

Please note the above to make the experience enjoyable for you and tolerable for me.