Ice Sculptures on Petrozavodsk Embankment

Two weeks ago I've visited the embankment of Onego lake, here in Petrozavodsk and made some pictures.

That's what the storm waves crashing far over the parapet together with strong frost have done.

An Embankment Street Light

Another One

Closer View

That "was" a Cannon

Cannons Standing on the Embankment

Parapet View on the Very Border of Onego Lake



Again the Parapet Wall with Its Ice Decoration



Just a Street Trash Can


Also some views of the lake and the embankment:


Sunset View on the Embankment





Cargo Ships in the Harbor Waiting for Summer



Again the Cargo Ships



Winter View on Lake Onego from the Embankment



Skiing in Karelia

Ok, as I've noted in the previous post it's time to say something about skiing in Karelia.
As it is considered by scientists, for hundreds and almost thousands of years that was the only and rather not bad way to move for people who lived here. Maybe dog sleds or sleds with reindeers were used also but I do not know any facts from literature or other sources about that.
But let's see what we've got today.

Skiing in Karelia is actually cross country skiing. There are few places for downhill skiing equipped with lifts in our region.
When I was a child I skied across Petrozavodsk bay of Onego lake. The most remembered things are the cold wind and the track with blocks of ice made by an ice breaker ship.
There are some tourist routes for ski trips to the famous island of Kizhi, the central part of the well-known Kizhi museum of wooden architecture. Of course, that's not a trip from Petrozavodsk to this island - that would be almost 80 km across the ice of Onego lake. Such "ski walks" usually begin somewhere from the shores or even from an island of Onego situated not far from Kizhi.
If you haven't heard about Kizhi yet, you can visit the official website of Kizhi museum or view a description of Kizhi museum on our company website.

In spite of the fact that one third of the territory of our region, Karelia, is covered by thousands of large, smaller and very small lakes the best areas for skiing are local forests, taiga. Taiga protects you from cold winds and offers splendid views in winter. These forests consist mainly of pines and fir trees here. Though some leafy trees, for instance, birches are also usual.

If you come to Karelia from January to March and stay here for some time you can try a ski walk. Good ski trails should be prepared by snowmobiles, otherwise it is rather hard to ski along them after snowfalls. The tracks of popular ski routes near Petrozavodsk are periodically renewed by snowmobiles during all the snow season. Ski routes near large tourist lodges are usually prepared as well, to give all the guests the opportunity to enjoy skiing.

More Facts about Winter in Karelia

It is often said that winter lasts 5 months in Karelia. From November till March. Or even 6 months - that is half a year - from the middle of October till the middle of April or so.
I would say it's true, but only for northern parts of Karelia, at least if to associate winter with snow constantly lying on the ground without melting and some quantity of ice on lakes and rivers.

Here, where I live, in Petrozavodsk city which is located in southern part of Karelia, we sometimes wait for snow even in December. I say "wait" because most of the population living here really thinks and even feels that snow puts the end to that dullness of the deep fall.
Snow makes the land white, reflects the lights of the streets, lights of the houses' windows and makes the city brighter. Besides that, snow means winter funs such as skiing, skating and lots of others.

Heavy snowfalls are not a rare thing for us. Last year, I mean the passed winter of 2009-2010, was a very good example.
During that winter the largest snowfall as I remember happened in December. After the few next ones we almost forgot how ground and asphalt look like until spring.

Maybe it would be interesting for you to know about the usual quantity and deepness of snow here in Karelia during our cold season.
I should say it varies from year to year though not too much. Again the previous winter. Though December and the beginning of January were very snowy in the end of February the snow in the forest was only knee deep. Nevertheless, I remember years when I "walked" in the forest waist deep in snow.

Ok, the thread of the "story" is leading to the topic of skiing and other possibilities given by snow, but I think I'll leave it now for the next time.

Some Facts about Winter in Karelia

Russia is considered to be a northern country and so is associated with long and cold winters. From this point of view, Karelia situated on the territory that is usually called "Russian North" must be the land of extreme cold. I won't say that all isn't true, but there are some specific features of the usual weather here.

First of all, I'd like to note that there is no usual weather here, in Karelia. Even we, those people who live here are often surprised by local climate. Being located not far away from the Arctic Ocean we still do not feel enough its ice breath. The great "river" of Gulf Stream running along the Atlantic Ocean and turning round the Scandinavian peninsula is giving (or, at least is considered to be giving) our region large enough portions of extra warmth.
Temperatures lower than minus 10-15 degrees by Celsius (5-14 by Fahrenheit) in winter are not usual for our land. Minus 30 degrees by Celsius do happen here but not every winter. Minus 40 degrees happened only once or twice from the moment I was born, happened when I was small and I do not remember the details. My father says people made fire on the bus stops of our city to get warm. Well, that's enough about extremely low temperatures or I am feeling already it's going to happen this winter.

I should only add few in fact scientific words concerning this item, or otherwise I may be a little misunderstood. If you experience  -30 or -40 - any temperature lower the freezing point of water - somewhere far enough from the oceans and seas, e.g. if to speak about Russia somewhere in the middle of Syberia, you'll feel better. I mean you'll feel not so cold as here. Here in Karelia, almost surrounded by two seas and as it has been already said located not far from an ocean, the Arctic one, the air is usually rather damp. This circumstance makes everyone feel the temperature of -40 here like -50 or even -60 would feel there, in Syberia.
Notwithstanding this fact, the climate is rather mild here. I am not used to extreme temperatures, I am not a Syberian.