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Georgiy Tikhonov
Burst of Energy - AEGEE Samara summer event - 2012 [0] - 21.05.2024
Morning at the railway stationIn the early morning of July 2012 we met four participants at the railway station. Two German Iranians – Mehrdad and Mahdi, a Sweden Iranian Armin, and a German Pole Roman were these happy guys. This is more wonderful that they came to Samara after two weeks of adventures in Voronezh, Rostov-na-Donu and Taganrog.
At the railway station, 5 AM © AEGEE-Samara
At 6 AM we were at home, in our small but snug flat. Thank you, dear friend Yulia Korobtsova, for your kind neighbors. They have really saved our project as well as your skill to carry on negotiations.
Plans broken due to the rain
After a short rest, at the Midday, we started the “active” part of our ten-days-program. Some ice-breaking games in a city park were planned for the afternoon, and then a welcome party on the Volga beach had to be organized. But the weather “corrected“ our plans. Organizers and participants gathered near the stone Ladya monument, a symbol of Samara, and at this time it began to rain very intensively. So our multinational team had to change place and to communicate in Kin Up, a big game center. Yeah, some plans were broken but the mood remained very good due to sincere meeting old friends.
Volga bank in Samara © AEGEE-Samara
Sincerely speaking, the first event day was just a day of preparation for further heavy and interesting trips and adventures.
Trip to the history and AEGEE-spirit
For the second day visiting the Russian Sloboda historical center was planned. Near the Krasnaya Glinka suburb in a small complex the life of ancient Russians is reconstructed, their home, their activities, they war clothing and weapons. While waiting for the beginning of the excursion our foreigners tried to chop and to saw woods, but of course nobody had such skills, so they had nearly no success. But they got themselves familiar with the village work!
Work creates the man! © AEGEE-Samara
The excursion and the story of the guide were more interesting for us, for Russian people. But our guests took iron weapons and took many photos with very great pleasure. In such a manner they amazed themselves…
Medieval knights! © AEGEE-Samara
While we went home we could not sit in a bus and keep calm. We, Russians, sang! We sang very loudly, we sang songs of almost all the Russian rock musicians! Other people looked at us with a great amazement! ))) This amazing evening had a continuation in our flat. Till the midnight we played and laughed, so this was the right AEGEE-spirit!
Horseman Mahdi :) © AEGEE-Samara
Our weekdays
The sign of summer events is, of course, visiting the river beach, almost every day. Summer, hot weather! :) Playing volleyball, swimming, and sunbathing – it could not be excluded from the program!
Walking tour around the city center © AEGEE-Samara
The other obligatory part of the program is excursions around the city of Samara. This is a city of industry and workers, but many places are worth to look at them! As for me, who lives in a neighbor city northwardly, in Ulyanovsk, I sincerely like this wonderful place near the Volga as well as its AEGEEans! Who thinks that I’m lying should throw a stone towards me right now! :)
No comments © AEGEE-Samara
Visiting the space museum and the Stalin’s bunker had a right great impression on our participants!
This picture is just a tradition! © AEGEE-Samara
«Metafest, camping? No, no, no, in no way!»
I have to say that our dear participants were rather tired already – all the guys (this was strange but no one girl came from the Europe this time…) took part at the Travelling Summer University, a great event organized by AEGEE-Voronezh and AEGEE-Rostov-na-Donu. The AEGEEans had a two-week-long trip to Voronezh, Rostov, Taganrog, forests, fields and shore of the Azovskoye Sea.
In the Russian Sloboda © AEGEE-Samara
We intended to make our program rather hard and exciting as well. At the week-end the trip to the Metafest music festival was planned. This had to be one of main points of our event. We were about to live in tents, to cook foods on the fire, to have an active rest on the beach, and to enjoy different music at stages evenings… we planned, but out participants had no power at all after the TSU before… so alternative variants of the program had to be chosen.
AEGEE-Samara never sleeps!
Our dear European AEGEEans were tired but they had not time to have a rest. Every day they had to spend 150 per cent of their power! Of course, the program included visiting interesting cultural and historical objects of the city, walking through beautiful parks and having fun in night clubs. But certain excursions and activities were especially interesting and unusual!
Magic places!
We excited a wonderful view of Samara from the observation site of the central railway station. The height of this building is about 100 meters. And we took our pictures when we looked at the city from the height of 64 meters. We could go the whole circle around the round building.
Observation site at the railway station © AEGEE-Samara
And then, on July 26 I had my birthday. That evening we passed on board of a small ship celebrating at the wonderful disco party on board the vessel on the night Volga. This was one of the most magic days of the AEGEE-Summer!
We also visited one of the most wonderful places around the city called helicopter place. Just try to imagine a high river bank with forest, a big island down - the Green Island, one of the popular holiday resorts and camping areas of Samara people. Fantastic view of the Zhigulevskiye Mountains on the other side of the river, bayous and river bend. Wonderful weather and romantic evening… this is one of the most marvelous panoramas to make pictures and to remember these summer days Russia… in Samara!
Just amazing view! © AEGEE-Samara
Proudness of Russian weapons!
Of course, I have to describe our trips outside the city! On Sunday, July 29, we went to Tolyatti by bus. This city is well known due to its giant car plant called Avtovaz. But this was not our aim. We had to look at the greatest outdoor museum in the Volga-region, a Museum of weapons and military equipment (vehicles, helicopters, plains, trains, armored fighting vehicles, space vehicles).
War helicopter in Toliatti © AEGEE-Samara
Almost the whole war history of the Soviet Union and Russian Federation is presented here! This museum is truly worth to visit and to be proud of our defense industry. Armored train, mars rover and the first plains manufactured in the 1920-30 years made the greatest impression on me!
After this we organized a small picnic at the Volga bank near the great majestic Vasiliy Tatishchev monument.
Founder of Tolyatti, Vasiliy Tatishchev © AEGEE-Samara
Touristic route
The last but one day of our event was the most rememberable one. We went on a trip to Shiryaevo by river ship! Shiryaevo is a picture-postcard village in the Zhigulevsk Mountains on the opposite bank of the Volga. We passed the well-known Camel mountain, the Mecca of climbers of the Volga-region.
Trip to the well-known Shiryaevo © AEGEE-Samara
We saw adits on a highland near the village. We ate at a cafeteria with home-cooked dishes and stoked a very fat carroty cat there. The bike walk and enjoying this beautiful summer day followed our dinner.
Majestic panorama in Shiryaevo © AEGEE-Samara
But our Iranian and Polish participants dreamed of a night club and Russian girls :) So in a few hours we bought a round-trip ticket.
Next day our guests left Samara and went to the capital of the Islamic part of Russia, to Kazan, towards new adventures!
Sincerely speaking, Mahdi and Armin got urgent matters and left us in the middle of the event. But this didn’t make our mood less cheerful! AEGEE always brings forth new friendship, positive emotions and lively recollections! We thank to everybody who took part in organizing and carrying on this summer event. Thank you, dear Lyuba, wonderful Yulia, cheerful Anya, nice Ira - three Iras :) initiative Anton, organizer and mastermind Boris, Google-Man Anton, and just EVERYBODY! We are really a big family! And we have only one task – to move forward together!
Just We! Join us :) © AEGEE-Samara
Youth |23.10.2012 | Views: 1810
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