The second part of the russian adventure took place in the north region of Kargopolsky, Arkhangelsk Oblast; at Kenozersky National Park. 

As part of the collaboration between WCU and Taibola, Irene was invited by Taibola Assemble and the organization of the national park to follow and document Taibola´s new creations and arrange new “Letters to the World” workshops with summer camp children.

We spent three hours by car from the train station to the administration office in Kargopol sector, where Taibola Assemble built their “Path of ants”, a 3 kilometers tour full of animal sculptures and informative spots about the species and nature of the area.

This amazing national park has a very interesting history that travels back in time to the 19th century. Since 2004, Kenozersky became a Unesco Biosphere reserve. They invest in sustainability and eco friendly solutions to continue preserving nature while helping inhabitants to develop their communities and lifestyle.

During our stay in Kargopol sector, we visited Morshihinskaya village and stayed in Maselga village, where the russian artists and builders worked on the construction of wooden sculptures that are now placed in the forest and as floating art objects in the nearby lakes. They are now part of the living landscape and greet the tourists on their trips around.

Nature, culture and traditions are three of the keywords to explain the experience during the 10 days of stay in this amazing location. Here there is no stress, no traffic, no phone signal, no internet and no electricity where we lived. Back to basics and to simplicity.

Old traditions are still alive alive thanks to the dedicated labour Kenozersky inhabitants. They live in communities and villages where they continue sharing traditional dances, songs and craft production with local resources. They are kind and happy to present their history and heritage with all visitors and tourists.

WCU wishes to help Kenozersky National park bringing new visitors and collaborators in the future, helping to continue supporting their culture and heritage for many generations to come. Please contact us if you are interested.