RuSWY Train
Explore your own Russia!
Have one-of-a-kind lifetime experience: 6 cities, 9288 km long journey from Moscow to Vladivostok. We did it in 2017, going from Vladivostok from Moscow, and we are planning to repeat this trip once travelling becomes possible again.
HISTORY
RuSWY train project was held in 2014 and 2017. The concept of this travel program is to give participants a chance to explore Russian life and get acquainted with our country through different activities while crossing the country by train. In 2014 a pilot train trip came to life bringing participants to Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk. It was an amazing experience and a perfect way to learn more about Russia. In 2017 a group of 32 participants from 13 countries travelled from Vladivostok to Moscow visiting Irkutsk, Novosibirsk and Kazan on the way. After the main route some participants went on to explore Saint Petersburg. We enjoyed amazing nature, swam in the Baikal lake, met locals and spent a lot of time talking to each other and sharing our experience.
MISSION OF THE PROGRAM
To familiarize the SWY alumni with the Russian culture, traditions and modern lifestyle, show different aspects of Russian life and contribute to sustainable society.
GOALS OF THE PROGRAM
  • Familiarize participants with Russian way of life, historic and cultural traditions and values;
  • Promote understanding, networking and cooperation among the youth from SWY participating countries;
  • Develop program participants' leadership skills;
  • Implement volunteer projects in the cities of visit.
OUTCOMES
All participants will take part in an educational and cultural program «Explore your own Russia!» in order to broaden their horizons, to improve their understanding of Russian culture and language and to create youth projects among participants. All participants will be split into four teams and assigned a topic. The teams will work on their topics during the trip running a blog with photos, videos, texts and expressing their ideas in any other way possible. The outcome of the whole trip will be four fully completed projects presented in Vladivostok.
Participants arrive in Moscow on their own prior to the program
start date. The participants are responsible for their departure
from Vladivostok to respective countries.
EXPLORE RUSSIA! EXPLORE YOURSELF!

Learn, live adventures and travel the longest railroad in the world!

There are different options to get from Moscow to Vladivostok. Connections from Moscow to Vladivostok are in operation since 1916 year. The Trans-Siberian is not actually a particular train, but rather a railway which you may travel along on different trains.

We will take the route Moscow – Kazan –Yekaterinburg – Novosibirsk - Irkutsk - Vladivostok, more than 9000 km by train from European to Asian part of the world.

On your way from one city to another you can see "a fast motion show of what Cossacks, stagecoach drivers, and construction workers of the Tsar saw when they crossed the swamps to Siberia and laid the foundation stone for one of the most impressive achievements in engineering history".

Let's make a unique and fascinating lifetime experience!

Moscow
Moscow is the capital and a mother city of the ancient state of Russia with a rich history. Moscow is the largest city of Europe with approximately 11 million inhabitants. Today Moscow is a huge metropolis with innumerable suburbs.

We will explore Moscow's classical landmarks such as the Kremlin and the Red Square. You will also definitely have a chance to experience Russian subway, metro, which is a true museum. Moscow never sleeps: you can find anything at any time! There are plenty of things to do during couple of days before the departure.

Though if you have been to Moscow, it's doesn't mean you have been to Russia. So be ready to explore and experience more than just a fascinating golden domed capital.

Kazan
Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, third capital of Russia also named the sports capital, it's one of the largest economic, scientific and cultural centers in the country. The city is located by the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia.

The city celebrated its thousand anniversary in 2005. Kazan has the atmosphere of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity and included into the UNESCO World Heritage Cities list. Kazan is the host city for the 2013 Summer Universiade, 2015 World Aquatics Championships, 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is the industrial, political, and cultural center of the Urals. The city is a major stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway and the border between Europe and Asia. Today more than 1 million people live in Yekaterinburg and it is the 5th largest city in Russia.

The town was founded in 1721 by Catherine the Great as a fort and metallurgical factory. The Imperial family was brought to Yekaterinburg on the Trans-Siberian in 1918 and executed there. After the fall of the Soviet regime the monument that marks the place of execution was erected.

Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is one of the biggest cities in Russia and the largest one behind the Ural. Novosibirsk is the main Siberian transportation hub and the capital of Siberian Federal District. It's situated right in the middle of Russia. Novosibirsk lies along the Ob River.

Novosibirsk is well known for its academic institutions and universities. In Akademgorodok, a nearby town of academicians, you will find more than 15 universities, 43 institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and over 100 other research institutions of nearly all research branches. Novosibirsk is also the biggest cultural center of Siberia.

Irkutsk
Irkutsk is the capital of Eastern Siberia on the Angara River, the nearest big city to glorious Lake Baikal. Irkutsk has nearly 600 000 inhabitants, it's a medium-sized town in Russian terms. Irkutsk is famous for its wooden architecture. Nowadays it's a mixture of small (1 or 2 stories) timber houses and modern buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Baikal
Baikal Lake, being UNESCO Heritage, is one of the Earth's most impressive natural wonders. It's so large that all of the rivers on earth combined would take an entire year to fill it.

With approx. 650 km in length and 80 km in width, Lake Baikal is one of the biggest lakes in the world and it still grows 2 cm every year. But above all, with a depth of 1637 m, Lake Baikal is the world's deepest lake and probably the only big lake worldwide which water is drinkable. In the summertime its crystalline blue waters are transparent to a depth of forty meters!

Let's discover the magic and legendary Baikal!

Vladivostok
Vladivostok (variously interpreted as "Rule the East," "Lord of the East," or "Conqueror of the East") is the home of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean. During 35 years of the Soviet era (from 1958 to 1992) Vladivostok was off-limits to foreigners and finally was re-opened for tourism.

The beautiful and varied landscape in and around the city provides many opportunities for interesting sightseeing. Vladivostok is located not far from the Chinese border and is also within easy reach of Korea and Japan. Its proximity to other Asian cultures is reflected in its own very diverse culture.
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Feedback from participants of RUSWY train 2017
RUSWY Train Feedback from Amer Maraqa, Jordan
Somaya Ali, Bahrain, RUSWY Train feedback
info@ruswyaa.org, Profsoyuznaya Street, 90, Moscow, Russia 117485, INN 7728467883, PSRN 1197700005282, Public Offer