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Hello and welcome to my site! My name is Ivan, I'm 28 now. I've decided to make some changes in my life, and I'll do it a bit differently, a bit larger, and a bit more dramatically!
I've changed almost five jobs, done a diploma, moved to Moscow from St.Petersburg and grown as a specialist from the lower position up to top-professional. As I get older, I feel my social circle has been getting smaller and smaller, and the prospects for my potential career are not as great and abundant as in the past. Now it's time for me to change this! I don't want my life to be limited, nor I don't want to wait for something - this is why I'm reaching out to you and the whole world through the Internet.
I was born in USSR, and in spite of the fact, that I have not much opportunity to travel around the world. Nevertheless, as far as I remember myself from the childhood up to nowadays I could not stay for a long time at one place. Most of my journeys were with my family or between my studies at the University. I have traveled in all Caucasus, Altai, Kola and Russian North, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine.
And it was a wonderful time when I was working as a guide in St.Petersburg. Every weekend I and my friend planned amazing evenings and made walking tours for visitors. It was many different people, a lot of conversations, new impressions and fun. Truly - this is what I'll never get by sitting in the office and making career. Well...let's just say I was around happiness and glory and I've decided it's my turn to get a dose of it again!
My Goal
Like I said, I'm going to be 29 and I'm ready to start my own business. Actually, my goal is to build a hostel-type guesthouse by March 2006, which would work on non-profit basis. Can you help make my goal come true? I know, you may be saying to yourself "Come on, he doesn't need any help! ". Well I assure you - I do!
We have only few hostels in Moscow, most of them are far from the city center and they are just boxes in concrete block buildings. In St.Petersburg the situation is a bit different: there are several places in the city center which may suit most of travelers with rates and conditions.
Although individual tourism and travel to Russia are growing, typical hotel and tourism services have not kept up in supporting this growing demand. A tourism service is just a service, and a typical hotel is just a box. Many travelers are seeking alternatives - cheap and fancy places to stay, personal response and friendly hosts and neighbors. I have understood this because I was a host and have supported homestay accommodation in Moscow for a two seasons. Here you can check the details and feedbacks from my guests check the details and feedbacks from my guests. >>
BTW - in Moscow there are only ten (!) homestays, and five of them are permanently unavailable or you would only go there as a last resort. We have many new hotels (like mini-hotels or apartment hotels) but they are very expensive, and high rates in some of them are groundless. It's easy to understand: companies and private investors often are far from tourism industry and interested only in getting rapidly their money back and making profits. Some of them are very-very greedy…
My idea is to build or just organize budget type accommodation with some travel services for a reasonable price. So here I am, can you help? Let me know if you'd like to know more - I'd be happy to answer any questions. Please sign my guestbook or drop me an email!
The Countdown
Time is running out! This counter show how many days and hours remain to the deadline.
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Whether you are interested or not, I'd love to hear from you. Tell me how YOU change you life: send me your story of success or failure. Did you do any crazy stunts like this? And if you would like to do it - what kind of field and occupation would you choose?
Donate this project or buy something in my virtual store
Note me about spelling mistakes or send me link or related materials
Send link on this site to your friend, journalist, or potential investor
I think that I could guarantee you preferred client status and good discount if the dream comes true!
Project status
Here I am planning to post updates of project status. Please visit frequently as not to miss any of the new information I have to share.
Contact me
Would you join my project? If so, please send me an email including your name, location, a little about yourself and how you think you could help or what you want to do. You must be seriously looking to do it - because I am, and I can't waste any time! Thanks and looking forward to hearing you!
In addition, I appreciate any professional advice about hotel (hostel, guesthouse) management and related activities. I'd love the support - so please write or sign my guestbook! Please keep in mind I may share your letter on the site - your encouragement, your disapproval, your story - without your name of course.
Also I'd like to thank all people who advice and help me to inspiring this project, especially: PV, Aisling Meehan, Keith Conrad, Bob Uhelsky and Mike Hudak, Simona, Julie Hollowell, Renee and Josh, Candice Caine and Kate from Berlin.
Off course, you have heard that he was a bloody tyrant who killed his own son, slaughtered thousands and founded a dynasty that oppressed the Russian people for hundreds of years.
This is the official historical version, and it's very close to truth IMHO, but try to walk in 15-th century Tsar shoes, you probably decide to do the same things… Ivan Vasilevich III was a great politician and his decisions guide his fellows for several hundred years.
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IVAN VASILEVICH CHANGES HIS PROFESSION
A comedy based upon a story by Bulgakov in which a time machine brings Ivan the Terrible back to modern day Moscow. Shurik Timofeev builds a working model of a time machine and accidentally sends Ivan Bunsha, an apartment complex manager, and George Miloslavsky, a petty burglar, to 16th century Moscow, while Tsar Ivan the Terrible goes into the year 1973. Read more
TOURISM IN RUSSIA
Over the last two years, Russia has constantly been in the top ten most popular group tourist destinations.
Demand for trips inside the country is growing by
approximately 30% every year, although prices for hotels and apartments
keep rising and the quality of service does not always correspond to them.
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IVAN SUSANIN: THE BAD GUIDE OR THE LIFE FOR THE TSAR
The year 1612, the time of unrest... The Poles who were claiming the Russian throne had seized the Kremlin in Moscow. Russian volunteers surrounded the fortress and laid siege to it. Plagued by famine, the Poles began to release the captives - wives and children of Russian noblemen. Among them was a nun, Martha Romanova, with her 15-year-old son Mikhail. Freed she and her son departed for Kostroma, where their family estate was.
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IVAN THE FOOL
The story of Ivan The Fool, and of his two brothers, Simon the soldier and Taras the stout and of his dumb sister Martha, and of the old Devil and the three little imps.
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IVAN TSAREVIÑH
The main hero of Russian folklore, owner of magic abilities, who defeated various monsters and enemies. Ivan Tsarevich (Ivan the Prince) is the third son of Tsar Vyslav of Gorokh and Vasilisa Prekrasnaya. The main legends about him show his struggle against Koshchei for the wife (Marya Morevna) and his expedition to catch Zhar-Ptitsa (the Firebird) who used to steal golden apples from the Tsar's garden.
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THE RUSSIAN BEAR VINNI-PUKH
Have you ever heard about bears on the Moscow streets ? It's true! It's hard to finde them, but they are exist. How to find 'em? Click here for instructions.
