This is an unfinished/outdated page. Active related pages:
Small towns and villages between Moscow & St. Petersburg: www.staritsa.info In particular notice the page of the City of Tver.
Horse riding at my dacha near Staritsa, Tver region: www.russian-horse-rides.com
The structure of this document was primarily developed by our in-house sociologist Olesya and thus smacks of a grant application, which is not necessarily bad. The original Russian version probably conveys a more realistic and accurate sense of what we do. For a view from a different angle proceed to www.unclepasha.com/horses_e.htm
Send comments or questions to paul_voytinsky@yahoo.com. Our aim is to attract help, support, and most importantly, like-minded yet reasonably sane neighbours. I have the questionable honour to serve as the bottom plank.
If you write to us with questions or proposals, these should be clear and specific, which is not to say they should have nothing but facts. Requests of the sort "send more information" will be ignored on good days, and responded in a snappy and ruddish manner on bad ones. There is another type of writer who expresses the agonies of his soul and his/her craving for things enlightened and spiritual. Build me a shed, or train a horse, or write a decent grant application, or make a financial contribution, and only after that will allocate some time and energy to the profoundly meaningless discussion of the meaning of things. I got a few of these "philosophical" inquiries recently and am presently (Dec. 1, 2002 update) in a state of mild agitation directed at intelligentia and intellectuals.
Let's start with some pathos, which may be forgivable given my normally cynical style of speech and thought.
...Revival of country estates will bring about the cultural renaissance. Specifically Russian culture was born and can persist and develop only within country estates... The location chosen by Pavel Vladimirovich is both unique and highly symbolic. The high bank of the turbulent and rocky upper Volga, with its many tributaries, can be taken as a symbol of our times. And as the waters of the Volga gather their strength, the initiative by Pavel and his friends is the beginning of our country's and our culture's resurgence. ... Painting here was easy and pleasant and good because inspiration comes to me only in good places with good people....
Valery Ivanovich Podkuiko
Artist, Member of the Russian Association of Artists
To establish a farm (greenhouses, fruit trees, horses) and to develop, using the farm as a structural/economic base, a country estate, with an emphasis on its social and cultural potential and possibilities.
"Problem situation"
Olesya tells me grant applications should have a statement of "Problem situation" close to the beginning. Here.
Community development
The Russian rural scene is presently characterized by a lack of leading and consolidating social, cultural, and economic institutions, and thus an extremely week sense of community. The population is unable to pool resources to, for example, build a bridge or bring a telephone line into a remote village. Obvioulsy, collective farms have outlived whatever positive role they may have played. The alternative, privately owned farms, which represent the "capitalistic" form of production, will probably require a lengthy, perhaps generations-long, trial before gaining social support.
Historic compromise
Presently Russia is developing in what appears to be diametrally opposed directions - the return to historic roots and the adoption of liberal policies. We must look, therefore, for social and economic institutes that can be both traditional and modern at the same time. This is especially so in the conservative and communal (communal in the psychological sense, with very little of community of the sort that consolidates resources to solve problems) rural context.
Country estates (Russian "usadba", pl. "usadby") have traditionally been the hub of economic and cultural life in rural Russia. A country estate can be traditional without being backward and productive without being more "capitalistic" than the value system of the majority of Russian population allows.
Our aim is to develop a modern country estate that embodies the vital role these cultural and economic centers played prior to the unfortunate sequence of events that started in the early years of the 20th century. .
Some of the factors why we chose Staritsa, Tver region:
Under-developed area that typifies Russian countryside
Easy access to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the Baltic states, which makes it ideal for rural tourism
Excellent places for hiking, water tourism, horse riding, and cycling
Good environmental situation, no major industry
The City of Staritsa managed to preserve its historic character
Positive reaction to our plans by the city officials
History of the project
[Re-write this fragment, add the conceptual part of the story.]
In the summer of 1998 we bought a house in the village of Dubrovki, 7-8 kilometers from Staritsa. It took us two years of creat minimal comfort, find reliable workers, and generally learn to live in the Russian countryside.
Presently we've reached a stage when comfortable existence is possible. Before moving on the the next stage we'll have to solve several problems. Among these is a reliable supply of electric power, construction of satination facilities, aquisition of land, further integration into positive and constructive processes in the district and so on.
Development of project documentation, including a business plan, is among our priority objectives for the near future.
[Also list contributions to community (site, help to the hospital, school, promotion of the region)]
[Plans and time frame to be taking from the Letter of intent]
[City Russians????]
[The locals: people and authorities - mild unfriendliness]
[Foreigners - Americans are least skeptical and most helpful]
[What other resources can be activated should this project succeed... IMPORTANT]
[List experience relevant to the project, with links to full resumes. Me, Olesya, Cyril, Katia..]
Our mugs can be viewed in About Us
Financing and support
[Several words on the sources of financing. Emphasize that the initial input was from my personal savings and the proceeds of our little consulting operation, and now the burden is gradually shifting to guests and well-wishers.
Also, mention sources of financing in the future: tourism and agricultural production, although the latter can't be counted on.
Financial security: note that an estate is expensive to develop, but once established, it can maintain itself very inexpensively.
A link to the list of project supporters, needs, and benefits to supporters.
Assistance and participation
Here are those who contributed to the project.
Here are some of our project-related needs
There are several organizations in Staritsa we are trying to help. Any assistance you give them counts, in our eyes, as given to us.
Here are some of the benefits of helping us
Assets and achievement
- A livable house
- A team of 2-4 workers
- A steady trickle of contributing guest
- Integration in local community and strategic networking
- The concept have been field-tested
- Infrastructure and procedures for distance work (including sending and receiving e-mail by radion channel)
- Publicity (exposure in central newspapers and TV)
Support and finances
In its initial states the project was supported by Paul's savings, proceeds from his consulting work, and his personal line of credit.
The role of guests and voluntary contributions is presently increasing.
After we announced our readiness to recieve contributing guests, the was better then we expected. At the moment we receive enough support from guests to feed the beasts.It seems that the rural them is fashionable both among city Russians and foreign travellers, and our projects fits well with the trend.
Please see what we can offer to tourists at www.unclepasha.com/horses_e.htm
The goal is to make the project self-sufficient even though we recognize that it will take years. A combination of farming and tourism appears like the most promising direction. By farming we mean not so much agricultural production as the maintenance of rural lifestyle in order to attract tourists.
Tourists have already proven to be an income generator, and we believe the potential there is practically unlimited. We sense the growing interest in rural travel on the part of both foreigners and Russians from big cities, and believe that orientation towards tourism better matches the existing market situation and trends.
Many of Paul's English and communications clients like coming to Dubrovki for marathon study sessions.
Agricultural production as an end in itself is not excluded provided we can locate an unfilled and promising niche. Greenhouses and orchard are presently under consideration.
We recognize that the farm will require outside resources for several years.
Presently Paul is actively promoting the Moscow and St. Petersburg route through Staritsa. Proceed to www.unclepasha.com/travel/moscow_to_stp.htm
Problems and need
Material
Autonomous power supply, good radio telephone, powerful computer, tractor, 4 wheel drive vehicle....
Security
Local population suffers from poverty and lack of ethical constraints, which results in petty theft being a way of life.
The locals who can be hired as labourers are basically degenerates, in a factual rather than judgemental way. Drinking and steeling is their way of life. Anybody chosing to settle in the Russian countryside should abandon idealistic notions based on Tolsloy and his ilk, and be prepared to act as a colonist and a slave driver. [But Russians don't make good slaves. One of they just quit and walked into a blizzard, no home, all his possessions in two small bags, rather than submitting.. ] One of the real dangers of living in that context is that some ideas expressed in Mein Kampf start looking not quite as totally absurd and unequivocally evil and they normally should.
Business and administration
Development of a detailed business plan, acting on this plan. Registration as either a farm or a citizens group. Applying for interest-free loans and grants. See some business ideas in the Russian version.
Social
Attracting like-minded individuals who have an interest in the re-establishment of estate culture n Russia. These people need to possess skills, abilities and resources, among the most important of which is perhaps the ability to solve problems in a positive and dynamic manner.
Creating social environment for the upbringing and education of our children.
Solutions
This piece of text is concerned with problems and how we see solutions: homestead/questions.htm (Russian)
Project documentation and press articles
Statement of intent and land application to district administration (in Russian)
You'll find other "conceptual" documents on the full (Russian) part of this site index.html
We and the community
Within our capabilities we participate in community life and try to help the needy. Links to our good works below:
- Hospital
- Orphanage
- School
- Cleaning up the banks of the Volga river
[List of accomplishments, with links to press articles]
Russian countryside links
Settlements partly inspired by ideas similar to ours: http://www.apress.ru/pages/chernykh
Do you want to help us?
If you plan to travel to Russia, need support services (guides, translators, drivers and so on) in Moscow or anywhere else, please patronize Uncle Pasha's CONSULTANTS & FACILITATORS.
You may be in a position to help us applying for a rural development grant or interst-free loan.
Very soon we expect to have an "official" status of either a non-profit organization or a farm, which may help in connecting to sources of support.
Helping the community (eg. sending things to the hospital or the orphanage) also indirectly helps us by letting us earn "political capital" which is indispensable in the Bizantinesque environment we live in.
How we can help you
Knowledge, technical base (transportation/workshop), source of income for people with our or complimentary qualifications...
The best way to get in touch with us is by e-mail. Inquiries in Russian, English, French, or German are welcomed at paul_voytinsky@yahoo.com?subject=virtual office.
Our numbers in Moscow are 243-9090, 959-3865, and 8-902-117-1527 (cellular)
If calling from Russia but outside of Moscow, dial 8-095-243-9090, 8-959-3865, and 8-902-117-1527 remains unchanged.
If calling from abroad, the numbers become (+7-095) 243-9090, (+7-095) 959-38865, and (+7-902) 117-1527.
Please avoid calling on the cellular from abroad.
In Staritsa a message can be left at (08263) 23036. If you call between 9am and 12noon, and between 11pm and midnight, you stand a good chance of reaching us direct.
Please use e-mail as the main communication method.
Our official postal address in Moscow:
Moscow 115035
Ovchinnikovskaya Nab. 8, kv. 508
Voytinsky, Pavel V.(it can be written in Latin characters or in Cyrillic)
We welcome inquiries, visitors, and offers of help. We especially look forward to hearing from those with an interest in keeping us company in "colonizing" the Russian countryside.
Posted February 15, 2002 - Last update December 1, 2002
