This is the epic history of Russia's eastward expansion comes alive in this feature-length special. Even in the 21st century, vast stretches of its epic expanse remain undiscovered and unexplored. Yet it has played a pivotal role in Russian history for generations. SIBERIA: HOW THE EAST WAS WON ventures into the northern forests and rides the trans-Siberian railway across an enigmatic land of majestic beauty and abundant natural resources. See how Russia's eastward expansion mirrored America's drive to the west, and relive the landmark events in Siberian history. From the Cossack invasions of the 16th century to the fall of communism and the social ills plaguing the region today, this authoritative, feature-length special is filled with breathtaking footage and interviews with scholars, historians, and the residents of this unique land.
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Siberia. Video hosted on Google. From the Ural Mountains to the great Lena River, the sheer size of Siberia is hard to comprehend. Fearfully cold in winter, swelteringly hot in summer and with a history of banishment and cruelty - for Westerners Siberia's image doesn't readily suggest a tourist destination. But Russians disagree. Southern Siberia's beautiful peak-tickled underbelly offers world-class rafting, hiking and mountaineering. Amid endless forests are ramshackle wooden-cottage villages, and certain Siberian cities hide evocative historic cores behind their harsh Soviet exteriors. Of these, Tomsk and Tobolsk are the most memorable. Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude also have a certain charm and offer launching points to visit Siberia's greatest attraction, Lake Baikal. Visiting all four cities, plus Omsk and Krasnoyarsk, makes sense by breaking a continental crossing into painless overnight hops using the Trans-Siberian Railway. Away from the railway tracks in Tuva, Altai, Buryatiya and Khakassia, local Buddhist and shamanistic beliefs remain closer to those of Mongolia or Tibet. Here local cultures retain their own sports, passions and languages while their fascinating ancient histories are faintly visible in mysterious kurgany (burial mounds), standing stones, petroglyphs and kameny baba (moustachioed stone idols). Siberia has friendly inhabitants, rapidly improving restaurants and many new or renovated hotels. Prices are rising but remain much lower than in European Russia. The region remains one of the least touristed areas in all of Asia; you'll really need rudimentary Russian to travel independently as neither museums nor most hotels or restaurants usually have a word of English. However, several cities do have English-speaking tour agencies who can help you out. This is especially helpful for preparing trekking adventures (facilities are minimal in situ) and for arranging peak summer-season bookings around Altai and Lake Baikal.
Siberia. Impossibly cold, right? Well not necessarily. In some years February can dip to -50°C, which is too cold to do anything. However, March is arguably the best time to visit Siberia, with temperatures oscillating between -5°C and -25°C. On windless, sunny days the latter can even feel pleasant; the snow is crisp underfoot and you'll feel comfy if you're properly wrapped up in good ski wear and gloves. March is great for driving across frozen rivers and even Lake Baikal. There's not really any spring. One day it's suddenly 10°C and the compacted blackened snow on the city pavements melts into slush. All those ski clothes soon feel far too warm and by midsummer temperatures can top a sweaty 35°C. Air is obviously cooler and fresh in the Altai or Sayan Mountains though rain there is always possible. In the brief autumn, colours can be beautiful but the seasonal transition is similarly abrupt, albeit with some false starts.
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