Moscvich-polar explorer reaches Char sands in epic Russia journey

Auto travelers Alexei Zhirukhin and Alexander Yelikov in the «Moscvich-polar explorer» drove through the north of Zabaikalsky Krai (Transbaikalia region) and the «scariest bridge in the world», which they don«t consider as such. Zhirukhin reported this to a Chita.Ru correspondent on January 30.

The green 1981 Moscvich reminds Yelikov of the car he stole from his father as a child. Growing up, he decided to take a trip in the same car, visiting all regions of Russia. The crew consists of Alexander Yelikov from Tver, Alexei Zhirukhin from Samara, Dmitry Gostinshchikov from Cherepovets, and Muscovite Natalya Shipovskaya.

«We are traveling in a Moscvich to show that you can travel across Russia without a super-prepared off-roader and huge budgets. We plan for the journey to be the largest in Russia, as no one has visited all regions by car before. We started the journey three years ago with the most difficult regions. We have been to Yamal, Kamchatka, and Yakutia,» said Zhirukhin.

The journey proceeds in stages of 2–3 weeks. This stage began in Khabarovsk two weeks ago. The Moscvich crew drove from Khabarovsk to Birobidzhan, visited Amur Oblast at the Vostochny Cosmodrome. From Tynda, the travelers went along the western BAM (Baikal-Amur Mainline).

«In Kalarsky District of Zabaikalsky Krai, we drove onto the Char sands, right in the Moscvich. We visited the Luktur hot spring and drove across that »scariest bridge«, which is not very scary. This is the second journey along the BAM with this exact crew.»

Alexander Yelikov added that he has been to the BAM five times and made friends; in Tak-simo, they had to arrange a meeting with acquaintances.

«The BAM can be explored on absolutely any car, to study its history and the history of the country. We are fighting the myth that for such journeys you need some prepared, very expensive cars and a lot of money,» he said.

Yelikov also clarified that the Moscvich works rather poorly in the cold, although it has been in harsher conditions.

«In Yakutia, the temperature stayed around -53 degrees Celsius (-63°F) for several days. In the village of Yuktali in Amur Oblast, we stayed for several days, waiting for parts. In Severomuysk, repairs were also needed. But we always say that any 20-year-old car, whether domestic or Japanese, survives only due to the owner»s persistence. Naturally, any car needs maintenance, needs repair,« he said.

The Kuanda Bridge was built in the early 80s of the last century as temporary, during the construction of the railway bridge on the BAM. The bridge was not put into operation, so only local residents maintained it. A French magazine in 2016 included the Kuanda Bridge in the top-10 most dangerous roads in the world, and that same year, a court officially banned traffic on it. However, residents used the crossing for trips between the villages of Kuanda in Zabaikalsky Krai and Vitim in the Republic of Buryatia.

Zhirukhin during the «BAM Tourist» expedition in 2024 drove across the Kuanda Bridge and stated that its danger is overestimated.

Together with Yelikov, they told about their travels in «Redkollegia» (editorial board).