Your favourite FSU city?

[mendeleyev]

Which is your favourite FSU city? Please share the reasons for your choice.

[mendeleyev]

Spotlight on Siberia:

This vast territory stretches from the Ural Mountains and then on east past the Pacific to the Arctic. Siberia covers the entire northern half of Asia and is big enough to drop the USA inside and still have room for Mexico and several other South American countries. It is rural: only 40 million people live in this vast area.

The capital of Siberia is large however; Russia's third largest city is Новосибирск or Novosibirsk which means "New Siberia" and is spoken as NO-va-si-beersk.


 

The city population is 1.6 million and is very modern. It is a major hub of the Trans Siberian railroad. The jewel of Siberia is Lake Baikal. Its deepest point is 1,637 meters and it holds 20% of the world's fresh water making it the largest lake in the world by volume.

[mendeleyev]

Staying with Novosibirsk momentarily, we join a backpacker on his trip thru Russia which included Томск (Tomsk) before he arrived in Novosibirsk.

[LAman]

Mendy, you put Odessa in the Crimea, any reason?

[mendeleyev]

Just thinking Black Sea as there are already 18 choices so I was trying to combine some areas but forgot that it could go with Nikolaev, so I may do that. I debated about putting Kerch in there too given that it is southern Ukraine but decided against it.

(edit) Okay, combined the two so thanks LA Man. I debated on Evpatoria but decided not to list it.

Sorry to those choosing Arkhangelsk or Murmansk--I know those are 21 hours apart but there are so many cities, so little poll buttons.   

[JayH]

Mende --I could understand   Odessa,Nikolaev,Kherson -- all in same general area -- but Poltava? More appropriate with Dnipropetvetsk,Poltava,Kremenchug grouped together.Poltava could have been grouped with Kharkov  and other cities in Dnipropetvesk Oblast included( eg Krivoy Rog,Zaporozhye)
Kerch is in Crimea so no problem grouping all of Crimea-that makes sense.

The Crimea stands up on any scale of interest to a visitor.The bigger better known cities are well known--but many places all around the coast have great charm and interest.The area is full of history -- from 1000's of years ago thru to more recent Soviet era.Much of the different era's is preserved to see. Like all of Russian history-- I recommend some advanced study to get the most out of a visit.
Odessa is a jumping full on city- the smaller cities of Niklolaev and Kherson have a charm of their own.

[mendeleyev]

Thanks Jay, I've taken your and LAMan's suggestions and reworked it a bit. It is difficult to try to include cities/regions where there is dating activity and have limited poll options otherwise at some point the poll looks like a dictionary.

I thought about Perm, Rostov and Novorossiysk but except for the one guy from Arkansas, it doesn't seem like many members have had interested in areas like Rostov. Novorossiysk would fit with Sochi and Krasnodar I suppose and Rostov added to Volgograd general area.

It makes for a lot of options, 20, but Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have been added. Perhaps I should have done it by Oblast or Republic but there may be members who know the city but not the region.

Kazan is fairly well traveled so moved a few things around and added it.

[JayH]

  I did not read "dating activity"  when I first read!!  Generally speaking --I do not see any particular place as superior(better) in that respect,Some place agencies are more active and competition intense-- but my rider is the same caveats apply everywhere.
  Prior to my current search I had been in many different countries  and learnt that learning about the people and a counties culture,history etc enhances the experience.
  I often wonder when reading the forums why some guys are even looking in the FSU -- too often I see a closed mind approach to the world in general. Generally speaking -I do not think people are so different the world over-- but the extreme ideas at both ends of the scale is what make problems for the world.
 Just recently-- a long time forum member succeeded and is now married- his comments about his adventure takes in quite a great story with many details of his human experiences.In his travels he got involved looking and learning about life in Ukraine-- to me-- this is a necessary must do to be successful- both in the short and longer term.One of his comments in recent thread in giving advice is to make sure you take in ll that is on offer--meaning the country itself.Great advice I think !!

[Anotherkiwi]

  I did not read "dating activity"  when I first read!!

Ditto!  The poll only asks what is your favourite city - but then says that you can choose three!  Huh?  Either you have one favourite, or three favourites, so I picked the three:
 
1.  St Petersburg - absolute no-brainer for me, as it's the most beautiful city in the world, and there is just so much to see and do.  I've spent a total of 18 days there, and still haven't seen half of what I should.  I'll be back there before I die (I hope!), and it really doesn't matter if there's an FSUW involved in the visit or not! 
 
2.  Sochi and Krasnodar - you've put them together, and that's probably a fair call.  Sochi, with its Mediterranean ambience, really appealed to me, and I thought that the Dendrarium is one of the best Botanical Gardens I've seen (just a shame that I couldn't get anything out of the tour, which was totally in Russian).  The visit to the 33 waterfalls, including a hair-raising ride in an ex-army truck, followed by a dinner and an exhibition of Russian dancing, was the highlight of my visit - and I had to be talked into going!  I would love to be back there for the Winter Olympics, but that won't be happening.
 
Doll will be happy    that I've picked her home town - I was quite surprised how much at home I felt in Krasnodar, and I left feeling that I had badly short-changed myself in the amount of time I allowed to visit.  I've put some photos from Krasnodar in the Gallery here.
 
3.  Kazan - certainly the "smiliest" city I visited in Russia.     Bauman Street has to be close to the best pedestrian mall anywhere, with a combination of great architecture and fabulous shops (and restaurants!).  The Kazan Kremlin is simply amazing, while the Metro and the racecourse (Ippodrom) are both fabulous recent constructions, celebrating the Millennium of the city in 2005.  The Metro is expanding all the time, and Kazan Mega would win my vote for "Best Shopping Mall" I've seen.  Vasilisa - are you watching? 
 
Honourable mentions to Kyiv which, for sheer beauty and number of attractions, would rank second to St Petersburg, and Moscow (mainly for the Metro - the most wonderful underground railway system in the world).

[mendeleyev]

Ditto!  The poll only asks what is your favourite city - but then says that you can choose three!  Huh?  Either you have one favourite, or three favourites, so I picked the three:

Duly noted. I had begun with the idea of a favourite city but realized that there were so many that experienced travelers who've enjoyed various experiences might be deprived of the opportunity to vote for more than one. I should have changed the title to "top cities" or something along those lines.

As readers share their experiences hopefully it will encourage the newer members to get on a plane and make their first trip.

[Fishingguy]

Lviv for many reason. I met a wonderful woman there once upon a time ago. Great memories of walking in the cobblestones and going to the park, sitting at the park and watching life go by. Felt like a intimate (Western) European town.

I'd love to go to the Western part of Russia - Siberia to fish and enjoy wild nature.

Everyone that I know prefer St. Petersburg over Moscow.

[LAman]

Actually, 'favorite city' can be misleading. If it was favorite city to visit, it would definitely be St Pitre!! But if it was meant favorite city to spend time in where it felt like you were home it would be Odessa. Very similar to LA as a melting pot, near the water, plenty of beaches, yet much smaller in size to be able to walk around in centre.
Mendy, is it possible to change vote...I am the 'other' person!!!