We didn’t have any excursions planned today so we were able
to go about our day at our own pace.
Mandrogi, Russia is a traditional Russian village on the
banks of the Sivir River. It was rebuilt by Sergi Gutzeit after being destroyed
in WWII. The whole town of Mandrogi is an open-air museum filled with
colorfully painted houses, a windmill, recreational areas and a small zoo. Artist
and craftsman also create wares and sell them at their shops. Even though many
tourists travel through Mandrogi it’s still a functioning town with permanent residents. It must be odd living in a town where strange tourists wonder through your town. This also must have caused issues because some people have "Private Property" signs in their yards.
This town caters very heavily toward tourists. There was
vodka tasting and a build your own babushka workshop. The town was rebuilt like
it was meant to be secluded and untouched by modern civilization but it feels a
lot like a theme park. We were able to make our way through the whole town in
the 3 hours that we were docked there. I was able to get some pictures of the
unique buildings in the area but the shops didn’t allow pictures of their merchandise.
The shops here didn’t have your traditional mass-produced souvenirs. A lot of
the merchandise in the shops were hand made by the shop keepers. I can only recall one shop with mass produced goods.
It’s time to get to bed. We have an early excursion booked
tomorrow!
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