Date: 2018-09-12 to 2018-08-14

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Ekaterinburg is a modern city with some skyscrapers and a nice lake in the city center. There are only a few old buildings, which are nowadays mostly museums.

But what I did not know was that Boris Jelzin was here a long time governor. So they have built a great modern museum in the name of him. I visited it and it was really great to see all the facts about the recent history of Russia. You can get an audioguide in English at the reception which leads you through the exhibition.

Date: 2018-09-09 to 2018-09-11

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Date: 2018-09-05

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Date: 2018-09-01 to 2018-09-08

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From Kiev I took a night train to Moscow. It was coming from  Chisinau. In Kiev it departed 3am in the morning and reached Moscow at 4pm. I selected the train, so that I could be sure, that when we reach the border my Russian visa will be valid. It started on the 1st of September.

It was the first time to me going in a 3rd class open compartment carriage.

My first experience on the train was really great. It was in the middle of the night and a fellow traveller from the other upper compartment helped me to lift up my bag to the luggage store above my bed.

In the morning when we reached the border I had to fill oit the immigration card, but did not have a pen. After some words in broken Russian another traveller borrowed me his pen.

When the Russian immigration control came my fellow travellers helped me to explain why I am here.

And when I left the train the sleeping car conductor gave me a clap on the shoulder and wished me a nice trip.

Date: 2018-08-30

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I think everyone who grew up in the mid 80ies remembers the Chernobyl disaster. All this insecurity, lack of knowledge and nowadays we know it was only the sacrifice of more than half a million workers, that Europe did not become completely uninhabitable.

So I went there with a group tour and a lot of respect. On the site I was really puzzled how near we got to the former disaster site, which is now covered with a big metal constructi9on called the second sarcophagus.

2018-08-26 to 2018-08-31

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Date: 2018-08-24 to 2018-08-26

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I was lucky and came into town on 24th of August, which is the independence day of the Ukraine. So the whole town was vibrant and moving. They had several stages in the city centre where bands played. It was wonderful.

Sometimes it is hard to find words. I tought I was well-prepared because I had in school good teatchers and lessons about the Holocaust and Nazi regime.

But just standing there, I was deeply shocked. And then just after Auschwitz visiting Birkenau and seeing the vast dimensions of the concentration camp … what a horror.

In my opinion every Austrian and German should see this.

 

Date: 2018-08-21 to 2018-08-24

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Cracovia is wonderful vivid city, but very touristic. My favourite part of the city is Kazimierz. It is near the castle the quater where formerly mostly jews lived. There are still Synagogues there. I liked the bars, restaurants and cafes there. But what I like most are these small squares, which really give this part of the town a unique flair.