Kuril Necklace: Kunashir — Shikotan — Iturup

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The Kuril Islands are a unique place lost in the Pacific Ocean.

On this trip you will find volcanoes, thermal springs and mud baths, Hot and Boiling lakes, climbing Mount Shikotan, relaxing by the ocean and a boat trip to the White Cliffs.

Breathtaking landscapes, spectacular photos and unique impressions are guaranteed!

Location

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Sightseeing tours

from

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

Fumaroles of the Mendeleev volcano

Take a walk through the fumarole field of an active volcano

Relaxation in the thermal baths

Relax in several springs and recuperate in relaxing hot baths

Cape Columnar

You will see fossilized basalt lava, which has divided into regular 5-6-sided columns

Incredible panoramas

Visit remote corners of the Kuril Islands with picturesque headlands and coves

Exciting jeep tours

You will drive off-road vehicles to Kasatka Bay, to the foot of the volcano and the lava plateau

Visit to the "Edge of the World"

Visit a rocky outcrop extending far into the sea and ending in 40-meter walls

Itinerary

Day 1 - Departure by boat to Kunashir Island
12:30 Transfer to the seaport of Korsakov.
14:00 Check-in and boarding the ship.
16:00 Departure to Kunashir Island (t\x "Admiral Nevelskoy" or t/x "Pavel Leonov").
Travel time is ~22 hours.

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Day 2 - Arrival on Kunashir Island. Stolbovskaya ecological trail. Mud healing thermal springs.
14:00 Approach to Kunashir island. Disembarkation.
14:30 Transfer to the hotel. Placement.
15:00 Departure to the ecological trail and the Stolbovskiye mud therapeutic thermal springs.
15:30 Arrival at the parking lot. Exit to the trail.
Along the forest path there are thick hedges of white and stone birches, gray trunks of velvet trees, mountain ash, Sakhalin fir with whitish trunks. The Ayanskaya spruce glows with blue needles up the slope.
If you come in June, you will be able to see how the magnolia blossoms and the aroma of its large white flowers fill everything around!
Along the trail we descend to a tangle of streams of different temperatures.
The water from the streams is mixed in a depression in the ground, here you can take a warm sodium chloride mineral bath.
Nearby, a larger recess is filled with hot mineral mud.
The place is called Stolbovsky thermal springs.
It is necessary to soak up in the lake with thermal mud, rinse with the mineral water of the stream! All the fatigue of the past days will be removed by hand!
16:30 Rest in the springs.
Camping snack (tea, vegetable, meat, fish, bread, cookies, apple).
17:30 Departure on the way back along the path to the motor transport.
18:30 Boarding the transport, departure to Yuzhno-Kurilsk.
19:00 Arrival in Kurilsk.
19:30 Dinner at the hotel cafe.
Important information: Driving to the exit point of the route, then walking 3 km along the path downhill.
Recommendations: On this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, mosquito repellent, bathing accessories, a towel, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and raincoats for shoes or rubber boots.
Day 3 - The caldera of the Golovnin volcano. The Lake Is Boiling. The lake is hot
09:00 Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
09:30 Departure for an excursion of the Golovnin volcano Caldera, Boiling Lake, Hot lake.
10:00 Stop at the observation deck overlooking the Golovninsky cliff.
10:30 Arrival at the beginning of the trail. Exit to the caldera on foot.
During the crossing, stop at the observation deck overlooking the caldera and the Japanese coast across the strait!
Don't forget to turn off the mobile transmission on your smartphone — you may receive a substantial bill for using the mobile Internet in Japan.
13:00 Arrival at the cordon of the reserve.
Camping snack (tea from a thermos, vegetable, meat, fish cuts, bread, cookies, apple).
14:00 Exit to the lakes in the caldera. Visual inspection. Ascent to the observation deck.
Passage along the "hot" trail of the Boiling Lake.
15:00 Reception of mud baths in the Boiling lake. Swimming in the Hot lake.
16:00 Departure on the way back to the parking lot.
18:00 Departure to Yuzhno-Kurilsk.
19:00 Return to the hotel.
20:00 Dinner at the hotel cafe.
Attention! In the area of the fumarole zone on the lake. When boiling, precautions must be taken, it is necessary to step in the wake of the accompanying person — you can fall into hot mud, get chemical burns. You can swim and take mud baths only in certain places.
Important information: From Yuzhno-Kurilsk to the reserve, we move by car, then follow on foot to the caldera of the Golovnin volcano. The total duration of the walking trip is ~ 16 km (round trip).
Recommendations: On this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, mosquito repellent, bathing accessories, a towel, in case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and raincoats for shoes.

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Day 4 - The fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano
09:00 Breakfast in the cafe of the Iceberg hotel.
10:00 Departure for the tour: fumarole field of the Mendeleev volcano.
An active volcano in the southern part of Kunashir Island. There are many fumaroles and hot springs on the slopes of the volcano, the surface of the slopes is covered with coniferous-deciduous forests with dense undergrowth of Kuril bamboo and cedar elfin.
10:30 Arrival at the beginning of the trail. Exit to the fumarole field on foot.
Despite the difficulty in climbing the field, the path leading to it is very interesting:
We walk among the thickets of tall bamboo, taller than a man;
we climb steep, protracted ascents, as if on steps, walking along the roots of trees;
we cross the murmuring streams over a thrown log;
we will stop, and our guide will point out the insidious mustard gas (a very poisonous plant!), offer to admire the beauty and majesty of the Ayan fir tree;
let's go down into the ravine, and we will move from one side to the other, gradually rising to the goal of our excursion: a spacious field on which big and small fumaroles "breathe" in pairs here and there!
12:00 Arrival at the fumarole field.
Visual inspection. A walk through the field. PHOTOSESSION.
13:00 Bathing in the thermal stream of the Mendeleev volcano.
14:00 Camping snack (tea brewed in nature, vegetable, meat, fish, bread, cookies, apple).
15:00 Departure on the way back to the parking lot.
16:30 Departure to the coast.
17:00 Walk along the coast, sightseeing of the coast, kekura Devil's finger and Devil's Gate.
18:30 Return to the hotel.
19:00 Dinner at the hotel cafe.
Attention! In the area of the fumarole field, precautions must be taken, be sure to follow the instructions of the attendant — you can fall into the fumarole, get chemical burns.
Important information: The route is of medium difficulty: 17 km by road from Yuzhno-Kurilsk, 3 km from the road to the fumarole field over rough terrain, mostly climbing (one way). The duration of the tour is 6-7 hours.
Recommendations: On this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, mosquito repellent, bathing accessories, towel, cotton gloves, in adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and raincoats for shoes or rubber boots.

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Day 5 - Excursion to Cape Columnar. Sea crossing to Shikotan Island
09:00 Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
10:00 Departure to Cape Columnar.
Cape Columnar is a unique place where the natural paving stones of the "Red Square" are replaced by views of stone pencils weighing 40 tons and deep—sea fjords.
The bizarre rocks in which you hear the sound of organ music are true thousand-year-old monuments. After all, they were the first areas of the earth that appeared from the depths of the ocean, and were preserved almost in their original form until our era.
Dear ladies, do not forget to take your favorite dress with you and have an amazing photo shoot among the stunning views of Cape Columnar!
13:00 Lunch of fresh Kuril delicacies by the sea.
Relaxing by the sea. Those who wish can swim!
Boarding vehicles. Transfer to the port.
Exit from Yuzhno-Kurilsk on a flatbed.
The approach to Shikotan Island. Disembarkation.
Transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation at the hotel.
Dinner at the hotel.
Important information: Driving to the exit point of the route, then walking along the seashore for about 40 minutes to Cape Columnar in one direction.
Recommendations: On this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, rubber slippers for walking on a rocky bottom in water, mosquito repellent, bathing accessories, a towel, in adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and raincoats for shoes or rubber boots.
Attention! When approaching the island of Shikotan, prepare documents in advance for disembarkation from the ship: a passport and documents allowing you to stay in the border zone (a pass or a contract).

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Day 6 - Snezhkov Bay. The Shikotan Fault
09:00 Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
Departure to Snezhkov Bay.
To see the beauty of the bay, you need to walk about two hours in one direction. But the path itself leading to the sea is beautiful with the views:
A stone-birch stunted forest with intricately curved tree branches.
An open hilly landscape, seemingly plush because of the green-yellow stunted bamboo.
Islands of juniper thickets, and I want to lie down in the very middle and breathe in plenty of useful aromas!
So unnoticed, we will reach the top of the hill, from which a breathtaking panorama will open, covering the entire southeastern coast of the island.
13:00 Hiking lunch (lunch box) in the bay.
18:00 Return to the village.
Excursion to the Fault.
A crevice with ragged edges and a narrow entrance, formed here in a matter of seconds during an earthquake in 1994, dissects the slope of the hill.
The length of the shovel is about 200 m, the depth is up to 10-15 m. The width is about the same.
At the bottom of the fault are well-established pillars of flagstone, forming a fantastic landscape attractive to any tourist group coming to the island.
20:00 Dinner at the hotel cafe.
Important information: The route starts from the village of Krabozavodskoye. It is difficult because of the hilly terrain. The distance there and back is 14-15 km. The travel time there is ~ 2-2.40, back up to 3 hours. It will be much easier to walk along the trail with trekking poles.
Recommendations: On this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, mosquito repellent, in adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and raincoats for shoes or rubber boots.
Day 7 - The cape is the Edge of the World. Nameless Bay
09:00 Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
10:00 Departure to Cape World's Edge. Perhaps the most popular place on the island of Shikotan.
It is a rocky outcrop extending far into the sea and ending in 40-meter walls. When you get here, the meaning of the name immediately becomes clear.
A breathtaking view of the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean opens from above, and the thought involuntarily comes that you are really at the edge of the earth!
14:00 Hiking lunch (lunch box) in the bay.
Not far from the cape "Edge of the world" there is an Unnamed bay.
According to many eyewitnesses, this bay is the most beautiful natural place on the island because of the scattering of islets located inside the bay.
It was there, in 1972, that the film "The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" starring Leonid Kuravlev was filmed.
In the bay you will see the most famous log, which was cut by Robinson Crusoe.
Our escorts will show you the most successful angles for creating photos!
19:00 Dinner at the hotel cafe.
The distance of about 24 km there and back is covered by transport, the transition between the bays up to 4 km is planned on foot. The duration of the tour is 6-7 hours.
Recommendations: on this route, it is advisable to have comfortable sneakers or trekking shoes, who uses trekking poles, mosquito repellent, in adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat, put on waterproof shoes.

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Day 8 - Mount Shikotan. Sea access to the island. Iturup
07:30 Breakfast in the hotel cafe.
08:00 Check-in of rooms. Check out of the hotel.
08:00 Excursion to Mount Shikotan.
The highest mountain on the island of Shikotan is 412 meters. It is located near the village of Malokurilskoye.
At the time of Karafuto, a Japanese sea observation post was located on the mountain, and later, during the Soviet era, military locators were abandoned at the present time.
Most of the island is visible from the mountain. A fault is clearly visible at the foot of the mountain. In clear weather, the islands of Kunashir and Iturup are visible.
11:00 Transfer to the port.
11:15 Boarding the ship.
13:00 Departure to Iturup Island. (t\x "Igor Farkhutdinov").
Travel time is ~20 hours.
Important information:
Meals on board the ship are paid additionally.
Stock up on drinking water and snacks for the trip. Drinks can be purchased on the ship, but much more expensive.
Payment by card on the ship is accepted, but the connection may be suspended.

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Day 9 - Arrival on the island Iturup. The Museum of Local Lore. Jeep tour to Kasatka Bay. A mirrored beach. The Devil's Rock. Thermal springs "Baths"
09:00 Arrival at the island. Iturup. Disembarkation. Transfer to the cafe for breakfast.
10:00 Breakfast in the cafe.
10:45 Transfer to the Museum of Local Lore.
11:00 By tradition, we begin our acquaintance with the island at the Museum of local lore, where you are met by professionals who love their region and know the history of the island. Iturup people.
12:00 Departure towards the Pacific Ocean, to Kasatka Bay.
The first stop is at the observation deck near the Kuibyshevka River: inspection of the quarry, military equipment.
Next, let's stop at the "mirror" beach, which looks like an endless sea mirror. A stranded fishing vessel, the most popular photo object among the guests of the island.
14:00 We will definitely drive to the Devil's rock.
At one time, the Japanese punched tunnels in it for through passage for military purposes, which have survived to the present day.
You will walk (somewhere you will crawl) through the places of hostilities, you will see the site of the former "hospital", the so-called laboratory where the Japanese worked on the development of bacteriological weapons.
In good weather, those who wish to swim in the Pacific Ocean.
15:30 Lunch on the shore of the Pacific Ocean (Iturup fish soup, tea, sliced fish, vegetables, cheese).
16:30 Rest on the shore.
17:30 Transfer to the thermal springs.
19:00 Visit to the thermal springs "Baths" (Rybaki village).
20:30 Transfer to the hotel.
Dinner at a cafe in the city.
Recommendations: To visit the thermal springs, take bathing accessories, rubber slippers, sheets (you can take them at the hotel reception). In case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat and rubber boots.

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Day 10 - A boat trip along the coast. Sailing Bay. Sopochnoe Lake. White rocks. Hot Water thermal springs
09:00 Breakfast in the cafe of the Iturup hotel.
10:00 Transfer to Olya Bay (village of Reidovo).
Boarding boats for a boat trip.
11:00 Boat trip along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk to the beach with White cliffs.
The length of the rocks is about 28 km. They consist of porous volcanic glass and pumice, frozen as a result of a colossal eruption of a red-hot gas cloud.
The sand of the beach consists of white quartz and black titanium magnetite sand. Due to the mixture of these two sands, an extremely beautiful gray-graphite sandy beach is formed.
13:00 The first bay of our excursion is Sailing. We are disembarking.
In the depths of the bay, in a picturesque canyon, there is a waterfall "Maiden braids" with a height of 10 m.
Disembarkation in the area of a beautiful lake on Iturup — Sopochnoe Lake.
Landing is not possible with a high wave. In this case, a boat trip along the coast.
The individuality of the lake is in its horseshoe shape and incredibly beautiful landscapes, stunning in any weather.
14:00 Disembarkation on the beach with White cliffs. A walk through the canyon.
Departure by boat to the Black Stones.
15:00 Lunch on the seashore near the Black stones (Iturup fish soup, tea, sliced fish, vegetables).
16:30 Boarding the ground transport. Departure to the thermal springs.
17:00 After a boat trip, you will enjoy a rest in the thermal springs "Hot Waters" (1 hour).
18:30 Return to the hotel.
Dinner (on your own).
Recommendations: on this route, on the way by boat by sea, there is a chance to get wet, do not forget to take a raincoat, you can wear ordinary shoes, high rubber boots (they will be given before going on a boat trip), a hat, gloves, bathing accessories, sheets (you can take them at the hotel reception).
Attention! In case of bad weather conditions and inability to go to sea, the boat trip will be replaced by an auto tour.

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Day 11 - Jeep tour to the foot of the Baransky volcano. Rest in the thermal springs
09:00 Breakfast in the restaurant of the Iturup hotel.
10:00 Departure to the Baransky volcano by car (duration 5 hours).
Baransky Volcano (height 1132 meters) is one of the most accessible active volcanoes on Iturup Island with hot lakes of unusual turquoise color, fumaroles, mineral streams and healing springs.
We will enjoy the beauty and relaxation in the thermal baths, taste eggs with caviar boiled directly in volcanic water.
10:30 Visit to the observation deck.
10:45 Visit to the mud kettle field.
We cook eggs in a thermal stream and taste them with caviar.
12:45 Departure to the complex with thermal springs.
13:00 Arrival at the thermal complex.
A walk along the ecological trail to the turquoise lakes. PHOTOSESSION.
14:00 Return to the thermal complex.
Camping snack (tea, coffee, sliced fish, cheese).
15:00 Swimming in thermal springs. Rest.
17:00 Transfer to Kurilsk.
18:00 Arrival in Kurilsk.
Dinner (on your own).
Attention! In the area of fumarole fields, precautions must be taken — you can fall into hot mud, in the area of mineral springs — get chemical burns. You can swim only in springs with a certain water temperature.
Recommendations: On this route, it is advisable to have bathing accessories, rubber slippers, sheets (you can take them at the hotel reception). The tour takes place by car.

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Day 12 - Jeep tour to the Yankito lava plateau. Flight from Kurilsk to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
09:00 Breakfast in the cafe of the Iturup hotel. Delivery of rooms.
11:00 Departure for an excursion to the foot of the Bogdan Khmelnitsky volcano in Yankito, which is a plateau of frozen lava flows of bizarre shape.
Beautiful landscapes opening from any point of view. Bright, spectacular photos, unique impressions!
Dear ladies, feel like a fashion model, take your favorite dress with you and have an amazing photo shoot among the frozen lava flows!
13:30 Stop at the observation deck in the village. Whale.
Transfer to the airport.
Check-in for the flight.
Departure from Kurilsk.
Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Recommendations: In case of adverse weather conditions, do not forget to take a raincoat, raincoats for shoes or rubber boots.

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Difficulty

Involves moderate physical activity

Accommodation

Hotel

6 nights
Guest House

3 nights
Cabin on the boat

2 nights

Comfort

Upscale

The tour provides accommodation in hotels along the route.

The cost of the tour for 1 person, RUB.:

For double occupancy	Additional payment for single accommodation on the island Iturup, Shikotan Island, Kunashir Island	Child under 12 years old in double or triple occupancy
212 408	19 000	209 408

Additional payment for a guaranteed room with amenities in the guest house "Kasatka" on O. Iturup — 4,500 rubles/room.

The Iceberg-1 Hotel is a two–storey hotel. The shower and toilet go to a block of two rooms (2-bed and single).

On the ground floor: one block of 2-bed and single rooms, as well as a small cafe, gym. On the second floor there is a suite and three blocks of their 2-bed and single rooms.

All rooms have a view of the seaport.

Number of rooms:

four single rooms (facilities per block);
four 2-bed rooms (amenities per block);
one suite (one large bed and a pull-out sofa).

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Tour conditions

Group

up to 16 tourists

Minimum age

8 years old

Duration

12 days 11 nights

Group meets at

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

guided tours according to the program;
transfers according to the program;
accommodation on the island Iturup standard rooms at the Kasatka Guest House;
accommodation on Shikotan Island in the Ostrovnoy motel, standard rooms with amenities;
accommodation on Kunashir Island in the Iceberg Hotel, building 1, standard rooms with amenities per block;
meals specified in the program;
transportation services on the routes;
escort by guides to Kunashir Island, Shikotan Island, Iturup Island;
entrance tickets to the springs;
passage by flatboat Kunashir Island — Shikotan Island;
registration of permits for staying in the border zone on the island Iturup, Shikotan Island, Kunashir Island;
accident insurance, insurance coverage up to 100,000 rubles.;
a raincoat for clothes.

Paid extra

flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back;
additional payment for single accommodation on the island Iturup, Shikotan Island, Kunashir Island — 19,000 rubles.;
additional payment for a guaranteed room with amenities in the Kasatka guest house on Iturup island — 4,500 rubles per room;
air ticket on the Kurilsk — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk route:
- adult — 7,900 rubles.;
- child 2-12 years old — 4,450 rubles.;
ticket for the ship "Pavel Leonov" or "Admiral Nevelskoy" on the route O. Sakhalin (Korsakov port) — Kunashir Island (Yuzhno-Kurilsk port), travel time ~22 hours (place in a cabin class III, 4-bed with amenities):
- adult — 5,080 rubles.;
- child 2-12 years old — 3,690 rubles.;
ticket for the motor ship "Igor Farkhutdinov" on the route Shikotan Island (Malokurilskoye port) — O. Iturup (Kurilsk), travel time ~20 hours:
- a place in a cabin of 3 categories, 4-bed, facilities on deck:
  - adult — 2,650 rubles.;
  - child 2-12 years old — 1,930 rubles.;
- a place in the cabin of the 2nd category, 4-bed, cabin facilities:
  - adult — 3,350 rubles.;
  - a child 2-12 years old — 2,230 rubles.;
- a place in the cabin of the 1st category, 2-bed, cabin facilities:
  - adult — 4,050 rubles.;
  - a child 2-12 years old — 2,630 rubles.;
- a place in a luxury cabin, 2-bed, cabin amenities (2 rooms: living room + bedroom):
  - adult — 4,750 rubles.;
  - a child 2-12 years old — 2,975 rubles.;
meals on the ship, drinking water;
dinners on the island Iturup, indicated in the program marked "independently".

It's important to know

clothes:
- a warm sweater;
- warm wool socks;
- windbreaker;
- windproof and waterproof jacket;
- thermal underwear;
- t-shirts;
- shorts;
- bathing suit;
- raincoats for shoes.
headdress, accessories:
- a panama hat or a cap;
- knitted hat;
- sunglasses;
- cotton gloves.
shoes:
- comfortable sneakers, worn, with a tenacious sole or trekking boots, waterproof sneakers;
- sandals for walking on water, slates.

A raincoat and raincoat will be issued before the start of the tour.

On each route, you must have a change of clothes and shoes with you.

Documents:

passport, voucher;
medical insurance policy;
insurance policy;
birth certificate (if a child is flying with you).

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification

$2,076

12 – 23 Jun, 2025 12 days 11 nights

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No need to pay now
$2,076

10 – 21 Jul, 2025 12 days 11 nights

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$2,076

14 – 25 Aug, 2025 12 days 11 nights

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$2,076

11 – 22 Sep, 2025 12 days 11 nights

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No need to pay now

Reviews

AA
Alexey Alexandrovich Tolmachev

13 Nov, 2024

about provider

The experience was incredible: the vast Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk, rolling hills, volcanoes, mountain roads by jeep, miles of sea journeys, and new friends along the way. In Kurilsk, we were warmly welcomed and surrounded by kind, helpful people. A special thanks to Guram and Svetlana, Igor and Nikita. And many thanks to the 'Big Country' team, especially Dmitry. Explore the wonders of Russia...

13 Nov, 2024

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