For just under a month in the summer of 2002 we visited Natasha's family in Russia, which included a trip up north to the villages along the Pechora river.   The photo essay is easy to follow -- just click picture one below, and each page will allow you to click to the next one until you're finished.  Or, if you'd rather only look at a few pages, click on the page below you wish to see.  Please let me know if you have any comments: scotterb@maine.edu.    If you're interested, the trip also inspired me to write some poems about the people and places I visited: click poems.

Page 1:  Setting off on the Pechora River

Page 2:  On board!

Page 3:  Late night feast

Page 4:  Muddy roads in Mutni Materik

Page 5:  The village of Mutni Materik

Page 6:  A new school, and city hall in Mutni Materik

Page 7:  Mutni Materik from the boat

Page 8:  Ust Cil'ma, a larger village

Page 9:  Ust Cil'ma celebrates its 460th anniversary

Page 10:  More from the Ust Cil'ma celebration

Page 11:  The celebration included a parachute exhibition and small kids in costumes

Page 12:  Natasha tries on a costume

Page 13:  The Gorka!

Page 14:   Beautiful costumes at the Gorka

Page 15:   More scenes from the Gorka

Page 16:   Fun in Syktyvkar

Page 17:  A dinner party in Syktyvkar

Page 18:  Dacha fields

Page 19:  Strawberries and the dacha

Page 20:   The bagna

Page 21:  Church and apartment

Page 22:  A "rest area" between Syktyvkar and Kirov

Page 23:  Cars and gas stations

Page 24: The village of Orlof

Page 25:  A wedding and a cemetary

Page 26:  Moscow!

See also: The 1997 trip to Russia - read a little about our trip to Russia in the summer of 1997, and see

photos from that trip.