Sochi to Rostov via Krasnodar and Onward to Moscow

A short wait after my swim and Koba clears customs with his chacha, wine and painting intact. We hop in and start driving to Krasnodar, where Koba has a meeting with his lawyers.

His wife has recently filed for divorce, they’ve been living apart for the past four years and he’s been spending the time restructuring his finances and assets so that his wife could not get them in the divorce.

It’s a shame to that people, after spending fifteen years married and raising children together could want to split and fight a war with their former partners.

We spend the night in Krasnodar before heading onwards to Rostov and his place in Shakhty (Шахты, Russian for mines, coal mines not land mines). The evening holds a qualifier match between Russia and Germany for the World Cup and as such we must prepare.

Vodka, chacha and some of the best shashlyk , along with the company of some Georgians, Azeri, Armenians and an Australian Russian make for some good times. Russia loses :(

In the morning, I have a decision to make, it’s 1000km to Kiev and 1000km to Moscow, I have family in both. I flip a coin and am on a train to Moscow several hours later.

I start chatting to my coupe friends, a couple of half Russians, half Ukrainians and a Dagestani and his kid. The boy is incredibly well behaved, in great spirits and always smiling, so we ask his father how he raised him so well. Easy he says, and lightly smacks his kid across the face, the kid perks up almost playfully. Dad explains that in Dagestani culture, sons are raised by their fathers, all of them were hit as children and raise theirs in the same way, the son won’t cry because he knows that’ll just get him hit again. Unconventional sure, but it works.

I tell them about my dream to visit Dagestan one day (along with the rest of the Russian caucuses territories: Krasnodar Krai, Chechneya, Ingushetia and North Ossetia) and we start talking about the current situation there; recently Ingushetia was voted most dangerous region in Russia, taking away the title from neighbouring Chechneya (Ichkeria) which has held it for at least a decade.

Just be careful when you’re driving dad warns us, a lot of people are shot while driving (car pulls alongside, passengers are shot, car drives off), also be careful of police (most police in Dagestan are Russians, treat the Dagestanis like shit and have been known to shoot them in “self defence”, in turn many police are shot by Dagestanis who consider themselves more capable of serving justice in their republic), also be ware of strangers, foreigners and all outsiders are treated poorly since they’ve done nothing but exploit the caucuses.

That said, if you ever make friends with a Dagestani (or for that matter a Chechen, Ossette or Ingush) consider them a life long friend who will never abandon you if times get tough, who will stick by you even if you’re attacked by a large group of people. Loyalty is a big part of the Caucusus culture and so your best bet for travelling in the region is to have a friend introduce you, after you befriend a few people, their extended families will take care of you across the rest of the region.

The following morning, the train arrives in Moscow, I pick up a Russian sim card, call my uncle Yura (mother’s side) and cousins that I’ve never met (father’s side), tell them I’m coming by.

I show up to my Aunty Natasha’s place, see her and my cousin Nadia for the first time in almost twenty years, give them a hug and ask where I can crash. Having family is good.