In 2018 I started traveling actively across Russia, mostly visiting cities near Kazan with my girlfriend. It was a very exciting and interesting time. Being in new places brought not only curiosity but also some adrenaline. Being in an unknown location gave me strange but thrilling feelings. Every trip was a new discovery, with unique experiences and atmosphere.
But in September 2022, everything changed. The mobilization was announced, and I decided to leave Russia temporarily. I packed my things—clothes, my PC with monitors, snowboards—and loaded everything into my car. I set off on a long journey to explore the world. My trip lasted about a week, as I traveled through almost all of Russia, Georgia, and Turkey. The journey took longer because of a huge traffic jam at the border, where many people were trying to leave, just like me. In total, I drove 3,500 kilometers and finally reached Mersin.
On the way to the border, my first stop was Samara. I left Kazan at 6:00 PM and reached Samara by around 2:00 AM, passing through Buinsk, Ulyanovsk, Syzran, and some small villages. I had planned to stop in Samara for the night but didn’t want to spend money on a hotel. Instead, I found a parking spot near a shopping mall and slept in my car. The next morning, I continued my journey toward Volgograd.
Volgograd greeted me with 8-point traffic jams. For some reason, Google Maps led me through the city center. After a few hours stuck in traffic, I finally left Volgograd and headed towards Elista and Vladikavkaz. The drive to Vladikavkaz was smooth without any issues. But once I reached Vladikavkaz, I encountered a Russian FSB checkpoint where they inspected all the cars, documents, and belongings.
The biggest challenge, though, was the 5-day-long traffic jam at the “Verkhny Lars” (Upper Lars) border crossing.
