russia: nizhneangarsk, severobaikalsk, and tynda

My last post was about time I spent in two cities, this one is going to be about three cities: Nizhneangarsk, Severobaikalsk, and Tynda. None of these three cities had much to see or do, in fact I stopped in two of them simply because I needed a break from the train. 

My train from Bratsk arrived in Severobaikalsk the next morning. If I had driven, it would've been a 12 hour drive minimum, covering nearly 700 kilometers. The train ride was a bit longer, but as it was my nighttime accommodation, I was fine with the time.

I'd visited Severobaikalsk during winter, and this visit was in summer, so of course everything looked completely different. I remembered that there wasn't anything else I wanted to see in Severobaikalsk, but it made for a decent place to get off the train from 12 hours.

I left my bag in storage, then walked out of the train station, trying to figure out how to get to Nizhneangarsk. Nizhneangarsk is a small town of less than 5000 people, only 25 kilometers from Severobaikalsk. There is an elektrichka between the two towns, but it wasn't until the evening, which defeated the purpose of a day trip, and would've made it impossible to come back the same day.

I knew there was a bus too, but it took me a minute to sort out where to catch the bus.

When I boarded the bus I had to write my name, passport number, phone number, and residence (or was it destination? I didn't know) as part of the local Covid contact tracing protocol. The ride wasn't long, and everyone wore a mask.

Though Nizhneangarsk is pretty small, it is several hundred years old, having been founded in 1643. I'm not sure if there was a main reason for it being founded then and there.

The plan in the 1970s was to have Nizhneangarsk be the headquarters of the western end of the Baikal on Amur trainline, but the powers that be realized the land wasn't suited to having big buildings (they would've sunk) so the planned HQ was moved to Severobaikalsk instead.

Unfortunately, when I got off the bus, it was raining. Not a complete downpour, but definitely more than misting. I knew I'd be in Nizhneangarsk for just a few hours, if that, so I didn't want to waste the time by hiding from the rain, but I also really really really don't like rain when I'm traveling.

Nizhneangarsk is a small town, stretched out along the northern banks of Lake Baikal, there are small mountains behind town. In addition to the rain the clouds were hanging pretty low, so I wasn't able to see the mountains, argh.

The maps show a few memorials spaced out along the lake, and I had seen a mention of a local museum. There were also a few wooden homes/buildings, still in pretty good shape. It looked as if they were all painted regularly, which definitely helped their appearance.

I loved the gray sky against the water of the lake, though I wish I had been able to see a blue sky. I also wish the clouds hadn't been covering the mountains, as I assume the views of the mountains would also have been lovely. Sigh.

The museum marked on the map was not open, I assume for Covid reasons. Darnit.

Before leaving Nizhneangarsk I tried to find a supermarket, but they don't exist there. Smaller grocery stores are as good as it gets. I don't know what people who live there do for an income, but there can't be very many opportunities.

From there I took the bus back to Severobaikalsk. I took the pedestrian bridge over the train station, which put me pretty close to the lake, it was easy to get down to the beach.

When I was here in January, I couldn't see the beach. I couldn't see the lake either, as everything was under a layer of snow. I knew there was ice under the snow, but I didn't get to see it. I wonder if there is ever 'clear' ice near Severobaikalsk, or if it is always broken up, refrozen, and covered in snow.

Since I was able to see the beach this time around I walked along for a while, enjoying the solitude. Severobaikalsk doesn't get many visitors, I don't think. When I got tired, I walked all the way back, over the train station, and to a cafe in town. I spent the next few hours there, basically killing time until heading back to the train station to pick up my bag and board my next train.

Unless I'm guaranteed good weather, I doubt I'll come back to Severobaikalsk or Nizhneangarsk themselves, though I might be more tempted to visit hot springs in the area, or hike in the area, or take photos of the bus stops or city signs.

I was on a train for more than 24 hours to get to Tynda. I stopped in Tynda for the same reason I stopped in Severobaikalsk: I wanted to get off the train. There really isn't much for a traveler like me to see in this area of Russia, if traveling by train. If I had an off road vehicle there would be heaps to see, and plenty of hiking to do.

Tynda is a city of about 35,000 people, nowhere close to anywhere else. The train ride was 27 hours (I arrived in the middle of the night, argh,) and curiously, the train tracks do not follow a road. If driving, it is about 29 hours of driving from Severobaikalsk, going nearly 2000 kilometers.

Tynda was founded in 1917 for the same reason I stopped there: as a rest stop. The original name was Shkaruby, and was changed to Tyndynsky in 1928, and shortened soon thereafter. It is currently a stop along the east-west Baikal on Amur line, as well as the north-south Amur Yakutsk line. (Yakutsk is also on my list of places to go in Russia.)

Tynda boomed while the railway was built, not much has happened since. The population has dropped drastically since the fall of the Soviet Union, like so many towns built for specific reasons during the expansion of infrastructure of the empire. There is very little left, basically nothing for visitors.

I can usually find a few things to see, but in Tynda that didn't happen. There is one Lenin statue, a memorial honouring those who built the railway, and a museum with history of the building of the Baikal on Amur mainline.

Unfortunately, the two days I was in Tynda (because I really wanted to sleep in a proper bed as opposed to a train bed,) were the two days a week the museum is closed, so that knocked it off my list. I can't imagine it would be any different than the BAM railway museum I saw in Severobaikalsk, this one is just further away.

I visited a couple churches, neither was very exciting inside or outside. I found the giant memorial honouring the railroad workers, supposedly locals call it man with a hammer. Lenin was lifesize, meaning a lot smaller than most Lenin statues I've seen. He was also tucked away at the end of a dead end street.

Most of the buildings in Tynda were super boring. Not big enough to be interesting boring, just plain ol' boring. A couple of them have Soviet art deco style 'art' on the sides, but that's about it. 

During two days of walking around Tynda I didn't see 'fun' things for people to do when they want entertainment. I imagine there is at least a small movie theatre, but who knows if there is anything else. Or what people do for fun.

The best part of my time in Tynda was when I found a pedestrian bridge that goes over the Tynda River. The bridge isn't anything exciting, but the river curves a bit at that spot, so it's quite photogenic.

Both days I had a main meal at a random cafe that had cheap burgers. Not amazing, but adequate.

I do not feel at all inclined to come back to Tynda. Not at all.