Post-Soviet Summer Blues

When speaking of the fundamental lifestyle institutions of Russia, one has to admit that very few of them have changed as drastically as the ways people spend their summer vacations. In Soviet days, the recreational activities of the masses, just like health care, may have been of relatively low quality and limited choice, but they were cheap and well-organized. Millions of children went to pioneer holiday camps, ranging from factory-owned barracks near the city to relatively luxurious "children's paradises" such as Artek in the Crimea. Similar camps also served college students, while adults had the choice of going on vacations paid for by their trade unions in "recreational houses" or renting dachas, rooms or beds in the country.


Geographically, there were three major destinations in the summer migration: the Caucasus (Sochi, Anapa, Gagra, Sukhumi, Batumi), the Crimea (Yalta, Alushta, Gurzuf, Yevpatoria) and the Baltic resorts (Palanga in Lithuania, Jurmala in Latvia and Parnu in Estonia). All of these seaside places were crowded, somewhat uncomfortable and often lacking in food, but they were fun and financially accessible. A budget of 300 to 400 rubles (one to two months' wages) would cover round-trip transportation and a tolerable existence by the sea.


Those who could afford larger sums could stay in the Intourist hotels instead of the duller resthouses or sunbathe in neighboring Bulgaria, which would cost about 500 to 800 rubles. The least lazy vacationers could opt for active tourism, taking a riverboat cruise on the Volga, North Dvina or even Siberian rivers. There were also tours to the Central Asian republics and other remote parts of the empire -- again, for very moderate sums.


But now, hardly any of this popular and well-functioning system remains. Since the introduction of visa requirements and currency complications, resort towns in the Baltics are three-quarters empty and used only by locals. Because of fighting in the Caucasus, many of the beaches on the Black Sea are not used at all; even the Crimea is considered by many to be a risky place to vacation. And the Odessa region is so polluted that even the toughest people do not dare to swim.


Price is another factor that has curtailed the summer migration. A round trip to the Crimea, for instance, costs about $150. Children's summer camps -- if they have not been sold for dacha developments or golf courses -- have to be paid for and are not acceptable for the majority of parents.


All of these negative factors, as well as the positive one -- the recently acquired open borders -- have created a new mode of vacationing. First of all, more people, especially children, are simply staying in the cities or spending time swimming in shallow rivers and growing vegetables at the dacha. Many have discovered distant relatives or grandparents living in small towns or villages. Whereas crowded Russian resorts like Sochi or Anapa still attract plenty of visitors, the big new trend is to go further south or southwest -- to Turkey, Cyprus, Greece and Spain.


A few years ago, the fact that somebody had spent holidays on the Mediterranean would have meant that the person belonged to the entrepreneurial, artistic or criminal elite. Now, the Russian middle class has suddenly realized that by adding a few hundred dollars to their holiday budget they can get better service, a cleaner sea and more interesting shopping outside the former Soviet Union. Dozens of my friends who would never rank themselves among the rich -- journalists, musicians, small-time businessmen -- went on vacations to Antalya in Turkey or assorted islands in the eastern Mediterranean. That they were all so pleased probably means that run-down and slightly dangerous ex-Soviet resorts will slip further down on people's priority scales.


Meanwhile, for those who have to stay in Moscow, there is always Serebryany Bor. Located in the west of the city at the far end of Khoroshevskoye Shosse, this place is not as urban, dirty and crowded as one might think. I went there on both Saturday and Sunday last week, and did not regret it. The main beach is pretty busy, but still a far cry from the beaches of Sochi or Yalta. Serebryany Bor has shower cabins and a paid car park nearby. Some parts of the beach, such as those to the right of the main road, have no crowds at all. The water may not have salt in it, but for 540 rubles (25 cents) round trip (150 for the metro and 120 for the trolleybus), it's not a bad deal.