"Baikal - Amikan", individual tours and nature at Baikal Lake

When you go out into the woods, and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You are too this, or I’m too this.’ That judgment mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are. -Ram Dass

Cold, frost and silence of Siberian nature in a winter trip on skis. Zangisan river, January 2018.  It was the coldest time of the month, but we survived! Incredible views, feeling myself in a fairy-tale, with sparkling snow under the feet (and yet-unfrozen river, as we found out once started the route). Great winter memories of our beautiful home-land.

"I take a step and with the cracking sound I fall down with two feet under the ice. For some seconds I become numb and shocked. Pictures rush through my head like ice water is now pouring into boots and the river flow starts carrying me away under the ice. "Get out"  - a signal bumps into my head but heavy backpack is pulling me down. I get my feet out to the edge of ice and look down — it’s empty and the dry ice has broken off, and only at the bottom there is rushing water :-) Uh, thanks God! - I breathe out with relief. From this ice-hole we took drinking water for dinner, and the next morning the river got frozen again. " - notes from the diary of the weekend hike on the river. M.Zangisan, January 2019. Along the canyon of Zangisan river Frozen shores of the river Trekking in the frozen forest in Siberia At this place I fell down under the ice Camping in the forest in winter, Tunkinskaya valley

Welcome to join our tour to wintry Baikal lake in Feb-March 2019! There are two persons at the moment. Special cost of the tour is 62 500 rub p/person for 8 days tour! Dates: 28 February - 07 March 2019. This is a new route which we decided to implement this wintry season on Baikal. It is a nice combination of sightseeing of places near Olkhon island - the biggest island on lake Baikal, with ice grottoes and beautiful icy shores and ice - trekking on Baikal.  Splendid sunrises, severe nature of Baikal lake, vast expances of ice around you during the trekking and overnight in tent on ice (heated by the stove) is a truly unique experience! Ice-formations of Baikal lake can be explored in wintry tour to Baikal The short itinerary is as follows: Day 1.  (February 28th) 10.00am - Transfer Irkutsk - Olkhon (Khuzhir) by public mini-bus, accommodation in guest house. Day 2. (March 1st) UAZ excursion to northernmost of Olkhon - Khoboy (join a group) Day 3.(March 2nd)  Free day

Dear friends and visitors, I am happy and honoured to present you an updated version of our web-site on www.baikal-amikan.com. On Yarki islands of Northern Baikal  A new face and new breath for the site as me on this picture:-) A huge work has been done by @savorli who is a talented artist and a good friend! I am going to keep you posted on best tours and news and interesting places on Baikal. So far the web-site is not completerly full with tours descriptions, but I hope to finish it soon. Therefore if you haven't found what you are looking for - feel free to contact me! Also if you have notice smth that could be modified or improved - I would be very thankful for your comment and advise! Thank you for travelling with "Baikal-Amikan"! Live and discover!!!

Krupenichka is a Slavic baby doll that attracts wealth and wealth to the house. Its main symbol is grain ("croupa" in Russian), which means a good harvest and profit. Krupenichka traditionally had no face, as well as other ritual dolls in Russia.  Below you may find hand-crafted Russian Krupenichka-dolls made by me. Krupenichka is a doll with a special meaning. It was usually given for Christmas, Kolyada and holidays associated with the harvest. Such a doll was made of cloth, grain was stuffed into it, as a rule, wheat, buckwheat or several kinds of grain at once, so that the crop would be rich simultaneously for all kinds of grain. While making a doll, women read a prayer or sing songs. In Russia, porridge was very important, as it was mainly eaten, because porridge (any) has a lot of energy and is easily assimilated. Zernushka (or Krupenichka) is the main amulet in the family, she lures the house well-being and prosperity, and promises a good harvest a