Vyborg and Rich Datcha
Vyborg is located on the Karelian isthmus only 38 km. from the border with Finland. It has belonged to the Leningrad oblast since the Soviet army took over and beat the Finns in the Winter War of 1939. Well, that's not totally true. Vyborg was reconquered by the Finns between August 29, 1941 and the Red Army's Fourth Strategic Offensive in early June, 1944. My grandpa fought here during the Winter War and in his book he writes that the Finns fought so hard because the Karelian isthmus was their most prized land. He also suggests that Russia should give back the isthmus to Finland now, but it seems to me that most people, including most Finns, have accepted it as part of Russia. Vyborg castle in the background. From left to right: Genya, Ira, Ira's father Shura, and Ira's brother Edik.
Below is the souvenir market in front of the central Vyborg food market. I heard lots of Finnish here. Apparently Finns cross the border often just to take a fun little day trip with the family or to go food shopping at the market (according to Ira the bread is significantly better here, and most of the produce is cheapter than in Finland). When it was realtively difficult and very expensive to get alcohol in Finland they'd come over to Vyborg and buy it cheaply from Russians selling it illegally here.
View from Vyborg castle. The body of water is the Saimensky Canal, part of a system of canals that continues north to Helsinki. I took this photo because I could tell that old yellow building used to be really beautiful even though it now looks like an abandoned drug den.
Another view from the castle: the canal and the nice walkway along the water.
After our little walk around Vyborg Edik had to stop by a construction site he was working on (he builds houses all around St. Petersburg). Edik builds lots of wooden-cabin type complexes outside the city which people use as summer datchas as well as winter getaways. This (photos below) was one such complex on a beautiful foresty peice of land on the shore of a secluded lake. The family who owns this place consists of a man in his mid-thirties who hit it big in real estate in the 90s, his former model wife, and their 16 year old son. There is one big house for the family complete with indoor pool and huge jacuzzi but that's not all. There's a steam and sauna house on the shore of the lake, a bunch of guest cabins, a few cabins for the on-site staff (which includes a housekeeper/dog walked, a manager, and some lanscapers), and more yet to be built. I was surprised to here that the couple cook for themselves on an all-American barbeque grill. The family has 4 Yorkshire terriers and two German sheepherds. I met one of the German Sheepherds, a really sweet massive old animal called Woland (Master and Margarita) who won my heart right away. We had tea at the housekeeper's cabin and sat gossiping about the family on the veranda as we watched the family from afar. The son was kicking around a soccer ball and the wife talked on her cell phone in the garden in a bright blue robe.
Below is the souvenir market in front of the central Vyborg food market. I heard lots of Finnish here. Apparently Finns cross the border often just to take a fun little day trip with the family or to go food shopping at the market (according to Ira the bread is significantly better here, and most of the produce is cheapter than in Finland). When it was realtively difficult and very expensive to get alcohol in Finland they'd come over to Vyborg and buy it cheaply from Russians selling it illegally here.
View from Vyborg castle. The body of water is the Saimensky Canal, part of a system of canals that continues north to Helsinki. I took this photo because I could tell that old yellow building used to be really beautiful even though it now looks like an abandoned drug den.
Another view from the castle: the canal and the nice walkway along the water.
After our little walk around Vyborg Edik had to stop by a construction site he was working on (he builds houses all around St. Petersburg). Edik builds lots of wooden-cabin type complexes outside the city which people use as summer datchas as well as winter getaways. This (photos below) was one such complex on a beautiful foresty peice of land on the shore of a secluded lake. The family who owns this place consists of a man in his mid-thirties who hit it big in real estate in the 90s, his former model wife, and their 16 year old son. There is one big house for the family complete with indoor pool and huge jacuzzi but that's not all. There's a steam and sauna house on the shore of the lake, a bunch of guest cabins, a few cabins for the on-site staff (which includes a housekeeper/dog walked, a manager, and some lanscapers), and more yet to be built. I was surprised to here that the couple cook for themselves on an all-American barbeque grill. The family has 4 Yorkshire terriers and two German sheepherds. I met one of the German Sheepherds, a really sweet massive old animal called Woland (Master and Margarita) who won my heart right away. We had tea at the housekeeper's cabin and sat gossiping about the family on the veranda as we watched the family from afar. The son was kicking around a soccer ball and the wife talked on her cell phone in the garden in a bright blue robe.
posted by duckie at 5:58 PM
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