Watching the Fall of the Soviet Union from Space
One Soviet citizen watched the fall of the Soviet Union from space. The geopolitics on earth left him trapped in the cosmos for 311 days.
Communist Bulgaria – The Cold War Arms Dealer
In the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin called for the international revolution to be carried out in all corners of the world. In the Cold War years long after Lenin had died, the countries of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies committed themselves to implement this call by providing arms, training, and other assistance …
Spomenik – Monuments of the Former Yugoslavia
Throughout the year, Soviet Wastelands run two epic tours through the Balkan countries that make up the former Yugoslavia. Whether it’s our Balkan Badlands tour in the winter or our Ultimate Yugoslavia tour in the summer, each is guaranteed to bring you an insight into the crazy world of the Communist Yugoslavia and the horrific …
Ekranoplan – The Caspian Sea Monster
The Russian’s never fail to impress with their wacky inventions designed to wreak havoc on the modern battlefield. From automatic, 50. caliber, handheld machine guns like the 6P62 and the ASh-12.7 to the SS-18 Satan Missile, Russian weapons are pretty intense. However, it was back in the Soviet Union that one of Russia’s scariest and …
What is a Soviet?
On our range of Soviet tours, we are proud to educate people about the history of an empire that was for so long under the Iron Curtain. Our clients always have various great questions to ask us and we decided to start writing some articles about our most commonly asked questions, kicking off with what …
Soviet Military Parade | Transnistria 2019
Footage of one of the world’s only surviving Soviet-style military parades. Shot in the breakaway, rebel republic of Transnistria. An unrecognized country that has been called ”Europe’s North Korea”, it tore away from neighboring Moldova during the collapse of the USSR. After a shorty but brutal civil war, the country remains unrecognized but with its …
Cosmos Hotel, Moldova
As part of our bestselling Transnistria tours, the Soviet Wastelands team spend a huge amount of time in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova which is Europe’s least visited country. Chisinau has a few hotels on offer, but you’d be foolish not to choose one of our favorite Soviet hotels in Europe: The Hotel Cosmos! …
What is a Young Pioneer?
Today, many people associate the term Young Pioneers with the travel company who led the way in North Korean tourism. However, the Young Pioneer was originally a youth movement founded in 1922. The movement’s full name was the Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organization. It was a mass youth organization of the USSR for kids aged …
The Language and Culture of Chechnya
After surviving two grueling civil wars that decimated its population and infrastructure, Chechnya has been reborn into a popular destination amongst Russian and some hardcore Western tourists, a concept that would have been unthinkable only ten years ago. I’ve spent a lot of time in Chechnya and the wider North Caucasus leading group and private …
The Bucharest to Chisinau Night Train
This is not strictly a hotel, but for me as a guide and the hardcore travelers on our tours, the Bucharest to Chisinau (or vice versa) train is home for a night and this Soviet adventure is a night nobody forgets. Belonging to Moldova rail, the train was built in East Germany during the 1970s …