Postwoman's 35 years delivering mail by rowboat in Yaroslavl outback
A postwoman from the Yaroslavl region delivers parcels by rowboat.
Postwoman Alexandra Brykina, or Shurochka, as acquaintances affectionately call her, is truly devoted to her work. For 35 years, she has been delivering parcels to residents of Yurshinsky Island in the Rybinsk district by rowboat. For the locals, Shurochka is a real lifesaver.
Island residents on the Rybinsk Reservoir travel by boat.
In 2019, 76.RU published a story about Alexandra Brykina«s work and daily life. Seven years later, we contacted the unique postwoman again to find out how her life has changed since then.
Rybinsk islanders prefer to get around by boat for errands.
«We keep planning to quit, but it never works out»
Shurochka has become a lifeline for the island«s residents.
Life on Yurshinsky Island is different from life on the mainland. The island formed in 1940 on the former right bank of the Volga when the Rybinsk Reservoir was created. The island is quite large, covering 8 square kilometers. It is home to five small villages: Antonovo, Lipnyagi, Obukhovo, Yurshino, and Bykovo. Alexandra Brykina lives in the last of these.
A bicycle is another helper for the postwoman.
Shurochka used to say, «Once I reach retirement age, I»ll quit my job.« However, she turned 60 last year, and Alexandra still diligently rows her oars to deliver parcels from the »mainland« to her fellow islanders. More precisely, she works at the post office in the Rybinsk settlement of Sudoverf.
Alexandra always stops by the store at the request of her island neighbors.
«We keep planning to leave, but it never works out. I keep going to work, I work out of habit, I guess. With our pension, we»d have to sit on it, [considering] how much we get. Usually, all pensioners work,« Shurochka said with a good-natured chuckle.
In the village, there is much to do beyond work.
Rowing is second nature to Alexandra. She says that over the years it has become a kind of daily exercise. According to the postwoman, this is the only convenient way for locals to reach Sudoverf. A boat ferries summer residents in the morning and evening, but its schedule doesn«t suit the island»s residents.
Alexandra is the only one of her colleagues who lives on the island.
The Perebory — Yurshino boat is supposed to operate until October 31, 2026, and they are currently looking for a contractor to service it from August to October. So far, no one has come forward.
A video featuring Alexandra was shot seven years ago.
«The ferry runs only for summer residents; we don»t even know how to get on it. It«s inconvenient for us, even for going to the store. You buy groceries, and you have to wait and wait for it to come and get you. All the locals use boats. And where else can we go? To the store — by boat, to visit my son — also by boat. And for errands in the city,» Alexandra explained.
Alexandra lovingly tends to her boat, her trusty helper. She cares for it and tries to extend its service life.
«We repair it ourselves, bring it home in the winter, paint it, and patch it up. My husband does everything. We do it all ourselves! Why would we ask anyone else? If I didn»t have my husband, maybe I«d have to. But as it is, we do it ourselves, so we don»t owe anyone anything,« Alexandra said.
«What, should we just abandon him?»
Life on Yurshinsky Island, according to Shurochka, doesn«t change. In the summer, it comes alive as summer residents arrive, with even Muscovites buying houses there. Those who stay year-round are, of course, fewer. Roughly, there are about 20 households across all the villages.
As before, the postwoman helps pensioners on the island. She fills out and pays utility bills for some, brings groceries for others — there are no stores on the island. Some people place orders on marketplaces and ask Alexandra to pick them up from the pickup point on her way.
The work environment at the post office, however, has changed, according to Shurochka. This is due to optimization. Her colleagues are the same as before. There«s no room for newcomers.
«We»re all still together for now. And the boss is with us. There was a new operator, but they cut that position. Now our boss also works as an operator. We«re all holding on for now — what, should we just abandon him alone?» Alexandra said.
The work schedule has also changed. The workload has decreased. So has the salary.
«We postmen now work three days a week. It used to be a five-day week, with Sunday and Monday off,» Shurochka explained.
Of course, this has also affected her salary. Alexandra modestly admits it«s a bit less now. For working three days a week, the postwoman receives about 14,000 rubles (about $170 at current rates) per month. But she says it»s not about the money — her heart is in her work.
«Firewood, a stove, and an outhouse»
Life on the island in the Rybinsk Sea teaches you to work hard. Locals get water from a well, and gas cylinders must be brought in.
«Otherwise, it»s firewood and a stove. And an outhouse,« she explained.
But the postwoman doesn«t complain about the hardships.
Shurochka gets up at 5:30 in the morning. Before work, she has to tend to her household. Although over the past seven years she has fewer animals — only a cow, a calf, and a few chickens remain — caring for them still takes time. Fortunately, Alexandra«s husband helps her.
Then the postwoman gets dressed, makes breakfast, and heads off to work. To make it by nine in the morning, she has to leave around 7:45.
In the summer, she cycles to the reservoir and then switches to her boat. She travels by water to Sudoverf and then walks about a kilometer to the post office. The length of her workday depends on how busy she is.
«On pension days it takes longer, handing everything out. On days without pensions, you can come in an hour earlier,» Alexandra Brykina said.
In winter, the reservoir freezes over, and you can walk or ski across it. Snowmobiles pack down a trail, so there«s no need to fight through snowdrifts. And when the ice is just forming or, conversely, melting, people try to stay home and not go anywhere. They stock up on food and bake their own bread. For the villagers, this is a normal thing.
Leisure: homestead, grandchildren, and crossword puzzles
In 2019, Alexandra Brykina won the all-Russian contest «Heroes — Be!» She won in the «Being Human» category (a feat performed throughout one«s life). In 2026, she became a finalist in the all-Russian »Rural Postman« contest from the Yaroslavl region. Journalists have actively shown interest in Alexandra»s story, but she finds such attention rather tiring. She hasn«t become a social media star.
«Better not to be one,» Shurochka waves off.
When asked what Alexandra does in her free time, she replies in surprise: «The homestead. What else?»
Her grandchildren sometimes come to visit. Her son lives in Rybinsk.
«And if I do have some free time, I might sit and do a crossword puzzle. Otherwise, it»s all about the homestead,« she admits.
Shurochka doesn«t aspire to vacation in other cities, let alone other countries. She says she»s happy where she is. Neither she nor her husband wants to go anywhere. They also don«t plan to leave the island in the future.
«Well, where would we go now? It»s too late to move. We have to stay here,« she sighed.
«If we split up, when will we see each other?»
Shurochka hasn«t even thought about what she»ll do when she retires. She shrugs, saying it«s unclear how much longer she»ll be able to work. But she admits she will miss it.
«After all these years, probably yes. We»ve gotten used to each other. Even when the girls go on vacation, we call each other. We miss each other. And if we part ways, when will we see each other? I«m the only one who lives on the island,» Alexandra explained.
Shurochka and her colleagues don«t know who will replace them after they leave. But the postwoman suspects there won»t be a queue of young employees.
«Young people won»t come to work: the salary is too low. If the salary were higher, I think young people would come. Why not work at the post office? But as it is, I don«t know, they don»t pay enough,« Alexandra admitted.
