Tatar Straits
Ajay’s Russia is the gigantic Trans-Siberian landmass known as the Russian Far East, which stretches to North Korea and China in the southeast and the Bering Straits near Alaska in the northeast.
During his time in the Russian Far East, Ajay often treaded the path that few foreigners take, including camping in the frozen wilderness, visiting towns with absolutely no tourist sites, hitch-hiking in the most distant outposts of the country, and occasionally getting lost in a dangerous or sensitive place. Amazing hospitality, great friends and stunning sights more than made up for the occasional misadventures that Ajay faced.
While in Sakhalin, Ajay made guest appearances on the several radio news programmes on BBC's Channel 4 and wrote Sakhalin Unplugged, the first English-language guidebook to the Sakhalin Region.
You can follow Ajay on Twitter.
More by Ajay Kamalakaran
From Sakhalin to Mumbai: One size fits all
There is one common piece of footwear that will prove to be useful, whether fishing for salmon in Sakhalin’s rivers or dealing with the fury of the monsoons in India’s largest city
Travelling to Moscow? Beware of Air India
In what seems like a regular occurrence, a code-share Air India confirmed ticket was not accepted by Aeroflot at the Sheremetyevo airport
Salaam to the quintessential Indian at heart
Russia’s ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin completes 25 years of diplomatic service in his “karma-bhoomi.” His contribution to bilateral relations is invaluable
It’s all about Soft Power
To take Indo-Russian relations to the next level, both countries need to harness their soft power and reach out to the masses
Reflections on Victory Day
In Russia, May 9 is a day to reflect on the great sacrifices committed by the brave men and women of the Soviet Union, who fought till death to defeat Nazi Germany
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Here comes another round of holidays
A spring break is in store for Russia, which will have two shortened work weeks in a row starting from May 1
Comrade Lenin: Forgotten in Russia, admired in Kerala
Although Vladimir Lenin’s birthday is more or less forgotten in Russia, pictures of the leader dot the landscape of the idyllic southern Indian state, which is known for its large number of communists
The truth about Russian bears
As warmer weather approaches, those heading out into the wild would be well served to have some knowledge about basic bear habits in order to avoid or escape from a potentially fatal situation
The Iron Lady and the Iron Curtain
Margaret Thatcher left behind a mixed legacy and Russia had a complex relationship with the strong-minded British prime minister
Of fools and bad roads
The Russian sense of humour is legendary but complex and it’s better to tread the path of caution when reacting to a certain genre of jokes
Reflections on the print media in Russia and India
Russians and Indians have a completely different outlook when it comes to newspapers and print journalism, although there are some similarities among the journalistic fraternity in the two countries
To make BRICS work, encourage greater people-to-people contact
Easier travel between member countries would help dispel stereotypes and suspicions held by many common people in the BRICS
Violent crimes and media attention
Are the members of the press guilty of putting too much focus on violent crimes in Russia and India?
Moscow must play a proactive role to end the latest Korean crisis
Russia, one of the few countries that has any kind of clout with the regime in Pyongyang, needs to work through diplomatic channels to defuse this ticking nuclear time bomb
Fear rife among Russian middle class when it comes to immigration
Relying on rumours and the blogosphere, a fear psychosis has developed among a large section of society
Spring is in the air
Muscovites looking to see off a winter of discontent will just have to be a little more patient
Fear of the Dragon
Far too many strategic thinkers and members of the elite in Russia and India have irrational beliefs when it comes to China
Reintroduction of capital punishment in Russia would be retrograde
India, the land of Mahatma Gandhi, should follow Russia’s example and introduce a moratorium on the death penalty
Beyond Oil and Gas: India and the Russian Far East
The vast expanse of Russia’s Asian regions offers tremendous opportunities for India and needs to figure prominently in New Delhi’s Look East’ policy
Conversations with Russian conservatives
In this two-part series, Ajay Kamalakaran engages with Russians on both sides of the great political divide