Solo in Russia’s most dying region : PSKOV

Hi, I'm Eli. I travel in Russia and my goal is to visit all its regions. So far I've visited 47 of them and the next one is Pskov region. Pskov region is one of the most ancient Russian lands. It's a real reserve of historical and cultural legacy and amazing nature. At the same time it's considered to be one of the most depressing regions with the record of population decline in the entire country. Let's explore Pskov city and the village life in this region. I've arrived in the capital of the region city Pskov. It's probably hard for foreigners to pronounce. It's five letters, four of them are consonants. Pskov. Pskov city was first mentioned in the chronicles in the year of 903, more than a century before Moscow was founded. Literally on every corner of the city you will find ancient churches, cathedrals and architectural sites. There are so many of them that you will get tired to visit them all. But a must-visit place is Pskov Krom. Pskov region is located right on the border. It borders Estonia, Latvia and Belarus. Since ancient times when wars started from the west, this city was the first one to take strikes from enemies, so of course it started from a defense fortress. In all the cities of Russia this fortress is named Kremlin, but only here it's named Krom, so I'm in Pskov Krom. This comes from a word Korm, which means food, and that's because within these walls there was always supply of weapons and food in case of a siege. Behind me there is a monument devoted to the battle on the ice, and they say that this battle is named so because it took place on the frozen lake on the ice, and that Russian soldiers pursued fleeing Germans who fell through the ice, and that's why Russians won. But many historians are against this version because they say that Russian commanders would not plan a battle on the ice because they knew that the ice would crack under their heavy armor. So there are actually lots of myth and legends about this battle. Even now when I watch the news about current events, I don't really believe it. Who knows what happened in 13th century, so choose any version and believe what you prefer to believe. The bus from Pskov left me on the main road on a highway, and now I have about 40 minutes to walk to the village, and I have a boat to catch. I hope I will be on time. I think there was a direct bus there, but I took the wrong one. After all, I was able to hitchhike, and this man offered to give me a ride, and I will be on time for the boat because the village that I'm going to is located on the island. In the lake Pskov, there are three islands Zalita, Bilov, and Talabinets. Talab islands were already inhabited in the 11th century. During the time of imperial Russia, life on these islands was thriving. In 1890s, there were around 3,400 people living here, and the main occupation was fishing. However, during the World War II, the Talab islands were occupied by German troops. Almost the entire population was exiled from the islands, and the buildings were burned down. After the war, when islanders began to return home, it was difficult to rebuild the houses, since there is no forest on the island. Now, the islands, as well as the population of the whole region, are in decline. This is an island Zalita. The biggest part of all the island's population lives here in the village Zalita. In the year of 2000, there used to be about 350 people living here. Now, it's about 130 or even less. So, this village is dying super fast. I see many abandoned houses like this, which are being rotten, and it's so sad, because the surrounding is amazing. Apple pie from a local bakery. I was told that there is one bakery on the island and two shops. By the way, this is not my final destination. I will be staying on another island, and there are no shops at all, nothing. So, I will need to buy some food as well. Looks like there is a shop here, and I've got this jam with brusnika. From the dear Tatiana. I came here to work with my children, to get rid of all the sorrows. And while I was working, I met a new husband, a fisherman. We got married, and he is a local. That's how it is. Do you like living here? Very much. You can relax here completely. If I go to the city, and everything is in a hurry, the ship leaves. I need to sleep. So, you get off the ship, and that's it. You go for a walk, and it's very peaceful. You wake up in the morning, and it's pleasant and warm. I've been living here for a year. There are 10 of us in winter now. There used to be more. Will you stay here as well? Of course. How many people live here in general? In summer, who would have thought? Everyone has a summer house, and they live here, and they have relatives. So, you are friends with everyone, right? Do you know everyone? I know everyone. I'm a postman. Besides, I give out pensions, I communicate, I give injections, I give massages. We have medical stress, so we have to do everything ourselves. So, it's never boring here, right? Never. And when you moved here in 1983, were there more people? Oh, there were a lot of people here. There were about 100 people for sure. Everyone had from 3 to 6 children. The men were engaged in fishing, the women were sewing in their own workshops. So, life was hard. And why did everyone leave? Someone died, and then there was no work. In the 90s, when everything went to ruin, the gas station closed. There was no work, so everyone started to move away. What is this? This is a veranda. The idea came to me a long time ago. I was sewing for my husband for 10 years, persuading him. Moreover, there were so many bottles everywhere in the village. Now the bottles are gone, and the veranda has been built. So, it's completely made of glass bottles. Completely. In the spring and in the autumn, no one comes to us for a month, and we go nowhere. That is, when the iceberg begins to rise, the boat can no longer be lowered. And in the spring, when the iceberg begins to move, the ice can no longer be moved either. For this period, you buy food, right? Yes. How much is it approximately? Well, about a month. We prepare. First of all, vegetable gardens help a lot. Potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage. It's all ours. We buy such products. I personally have a bread oven. I bake bread myself. But there is no store here, it turns out. How do you buy food? Once every two weeks. In winter, the Ministry of Emergency Situations comes to us. They take us. Who wants, they take us to the bay, to that island. We buy there, they bring us back. And in the summer, we took the boats, went to the city. We have our own fish in the lake. Potatoes in the garden. I have chickens, eggs. That is, a natural product. Mushrooms are now growing in the forest. Please, just don't be lazy. Staying on this island has been just amazing. Waking up in this nature and all of this. And I'm gonna leave you with three things at the end of this video. First one. Russia is not Moscow. If you've been to Moscow, you can't say that you've been to Russia. You know, now in our news, they say, Look, Russia is developing so fast. Look at all of these technologies. Blah, blah, blah. Look at these robots delivering food in Moscow. In this village, one babushka is delivering all the letters and everything. No, I mean, robots are cool. But in places like this, you feel more alive. And a place being less developed doesn't mean that it's any worse. And these places are amazing, in my opinion. Second thing. This place is a great travel destination. Put it on your list. Talabskie Ostrova. Talabskie Islands in Pskov region. Yes, in winter, it's only 10 people living here. But in summer, it's actually quite a popular tourist destination. Yes, this place has lots of its own problems. And locals told me that now they have ecological problem because of tourists coming. But they don't get their waste with them from the island. And many other ecological problems. Yes, many people are leaving these cities. And Tatiana, that babushka, also said that it used to be a huge village. Now it's 10 people. But I didn't get this depressing vibe here at all. This place is just amazing. It's so nice to be here, spending time in the nature, being completely unplugged. I just loved it so much. So yes, you can put it on your travel list in Russia. And third thing. If you do decide to visit this place, take your waste with you when leaving. How do they say? Don't leave anything, only your footprints.