Week's best reads: Zanzibar, grave notes, Klepikov house

In the latest roundup of stories, we explore travel for every taste — from those dreaming of tropical heat to those who prefer staying close to home and cherish Siberian culture. We also delve into the story of a famous estate in Surgut and take a walk through a cemetery to show the messages and images people in Ugra leave on their loved ones« gravestones.

In summer, cemeteries are bustling. Residents of Ugra come to tend to graves, bring flowers, or simply visit the resting place of a dear one.

People strive to decorate their final resting places. On the back of several headstones, we spotted images of the deceased«s favorite hobbies — a passionate fisherman emerges from the granite, while another grave features a hunter in a determined pose with a rifle. More often, tombstones carry touching and sorrowful inscriptions. Residents give thanks for the years shared, ask for forgiveness, and promise to remember forever. But some inscriptions are deeply ambiguous, hinting at complex family histories. See our photo report.

Air Tanzania has launched direct flights from Moscow to Zanzibar — an island in the Indian Ocean nicknamed «the African Maldives» for its equally snow-white sandy beaches. Beyond the beaches, tourists can expect a true African safari: lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and the rare colobus monkeys of Jozani Forest. Once on the island, visitors should swim with dolphins in the ocean at least once, see giant tortoises, and dine at a restaurant perched on a rock.

How much does this adventure cost? A tour for two for ten nights in July starts at 250,000 rubles (around $2,750 at current rates). Travel guide Inna Shut from Ugra has broken down all the details of a Zanzibar vacation: visa requirements, suggested itinerary, which currency to bring, and the best time of year to go. Read more in our article.

The merchant Klepikov«s house is the sole surviving witness of old Surgut. Now, the estate, built in the traditions of Siberian architecture, hosts tours where visitors encounter authentic attributes of merchant life and Russian culture. But over 120 years ago, the house bustled with the life of a prosperous family.

After the abolition of the Cossacks, Surgut Cossack Galaktion Klepikov turned to commerce — and so successfully that he soon became one of the wealthiest merchants. Having amassed a fortune, the father of four sons decided to build them a lavish estate.

Galaktion Stepanovich died in 1915 without knowing that the house would be taken from his family and that the Klepikovs would face a harsh fate. To learn the secrets this unique ancient estate holds, read our article.

Kogalym is called the pearl of Western Siberia. Lukoil spares no investment in its key city, filling it with unique cultural and entertainment venues. So why not skip the sea and head to Kogalym for your next vacation?

That«s exactly what our journalist did — and she didn»t regret it. The Ugra resident saw the underwater world from every corner of the Earth at the famous aquarium and exotic fauna in the greenhouse. She dined at the new restaurant «Four Cheeses» by renowned restaurateur Anton Pinsky. She strolled by the branch of the State Academic Maly Theatre of Russia, whose building rivals its Moscow counterparts, and along Ryabinovy Boulevard. She visited the Orthodox Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana, painted in the Serbian-Byzantine style. And, of course, she added picturesque shots to her gallery. Take a look at the beauty hidden in this small town deep in Siberia.