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Where in Russia can you conquer the highest peaks of the circumpolar Urals, go on extreme tours and trophy fishing, visit a huge oceanarium and try Siberian delicacies? We answer - in Ugra. Read our special review of what tourists can do in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra.
YUGRA IS NOT ONLY OIL AND BIATHLON
When they talk about Ugra, first of all they remember about oil and gas and, secondly, about biathlon. Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra is one of the most oil-bearing regions in the world, the energy heart of Russia. On May 20, 2021, the 12 billionth ton of “black gold” was received here.
Khanty-Mansiysk has hosted international skiing competitions many times.
But the third reason to remember Ugra is tourism. The northern region is capable of surprising, conquering and making any traveler fall in love with it, because its territory contains historical and cultural monuments, archaeological and museum complexes, the traditions of the indigenous peoples of the North are represented, and a modern infrastructure has been created for lovers of cultural, active and family recreation.
And Yugra is also the mountains of the Subpolar Urals, great rivers, trophy fishing and real Siberian delicacies.
THINGS TO DO
Ugra has everything: high mountains - Mount Narodnaya (1,895 m) in the Subpolar Urals and Mount Pedy (1,010 m) in the Northern Urals, untouched taiga forests, endless expanses of water of the largest Siberian rivers and lake systems - two large ones flow through the region great rivers - Ob and Irtysh.
Event tourism and ethnotours
Of course, the special atmosphere of the territory is felt when visiting events with an ethnographic flavor, which is one of the incentives for traveling here. Since 2021, Ugra has been included in the Golden League of the National Event Tourism Development Rating. Ugra traditionally hosts: International Festival of Cinematic Debuts “Spirit of Fire” (Khanty-Mansiysk), Festival of Historical Modeling and Ethnic Music “Mangazeya Move” (Surgut), Festival of Arts, Labor and Sports “Samotlor Nights” (Nizhnevartovsk), All-Russian Event “Khanty-Mansiysk is the New Year’s capital of Siberia,” All-Russian Congress of Father Frosts and Snow Maidens. A special place among the events is occupied by sports: international competitions in biathlon, cross-country skiing, and chess. For this purpose, a modern and accessible infrastructure has been created in Ugra.
Go skiing and snowboarding, learn freewriting
An amazing combination of coniferous forest, sparkling, perhaps the whitest snow - all this awaits you in Ugra if you choose this destination for a winter holiday. Moreover, you can go snowboarding, alpine or cross-country skiing, or take part in an extreme race in Khanty-Mansiysk, without leaving the city.
Dog sled trip
You can become a musher and go on a dog sled trip through the endless snow to get a lot of positive emotions and get acquainted with a wonderful sledding breed - the Siberian Husky.
Winter triathlon
Every year, the largest winter triathlon in Russia, Winter triathlon ICEMAN, takes place in Khanty-Mansiysk. Participants cover a distance of 20 km, alternating between running, cycling and skiing. Anyone can take part by first leaving a request on the event website.
Plunge into a winter fairy tale
Yugra is a real Siberian winter! In 2021, Khanty-Mansiysk was recognized as the New Year's capital of Russia. Since then, every New Year, the only Elki Residence in the country operates in the capital of the district, Chumovaya Street opens, where instead of houses there are plagues, and instead of roads and sidewalks there are tracks for dog and reindeer sledding. By the way, the local Santa Claus is called Ishki-Iki. Downhill or cross-country skiing, snowboarding, skating, snowmobiling or walking through a snowy forest... - all winter activities are at your service. And after them you can soak in the pool with warm mineral water under the open sky.
Take part in the holidays of the peoples of the North
Ugra is always very spectacular. Crow Day, Regional Day, Reindeer Herder Day are bright events that are held with local flavor. Every year, not far from Nefteyugansk, a tournament is held for the District Governor's Cup in rowing on oblases - dugout boats made from solid pieces of cedar, aspen or poplar 4 m or more in length. Do you want to learn how to sail such a boat or master the art of throwing a tynzian with a trochee? Ugra is waiting.
Just go fishing
Although the rivers and lakes of Ugra are home to many species of fish, including valuable species, many fishermen come here for trophy pike. There are a lot of fishing spots here! If you're lucky, you can catch a specimen weighing 17 kg or more. At the tourist bases, conditions have been created for fishing not only in the traditional way, as the Khanty and Mansi have done since ancient times, but also using modern gear. Note to fishermen: the fishing season in Ugra lasts almost all year round.
“You can catch pike right from under the boat using a simple spoon,” says some fishermen who visited the Quiet Bay fishing base (https://vk.com/club164936513). Perhaps only those who have never picked up a fishing rod will be able to leave without catching a trophy of record size.
In addition to fishing itself, tourists will be able to enjoy the beauty of the almost untouched taiga and the richness of Siberian rivers. By the way, the base is located in a cedar mane, and pine cones can be collected right on the territory of the “Quiet Bay” during the season. There are also a lot of mushrooms here: porcini, boletus, chanterelles, etc.
Extreme tours
For lovers of the unknown and extreme, the tour operator “Wild North - Yugra” (https://www.pripolar.ru/) offers a variety of programs: tours with helicopter transfer to the most unexplored places of the polar and subpolar Urals. All tours are run by a professional team of guides, rangers and chefs. Week-long tours with fishing in mountain rivers and lakes, climbing mountain peaks and rafting along wild mountain rivers will not leave anyone indifferent.
ONLY THREE HOURS FLIGHT FROM MOSCOW
Let’s immediately debunk the myths that Ugra is far away and it’s long and difficult to fly there. Nothing like this. There are 10 airports in Ugra, 4 of which are international.
The airports of the Autonomous Okrug have direct flights to St. Petersburg (4 hours flight), Moscow (3 hours), Yekaterinburg (2 hours), Tyumen (1 hour), Krasnoyarsk (2 hours) and Novosibirsk (2 hours). Travel time is comparable to a flight to Europe.
The region is doing well with its tourism infrastructure. Tourists are offered 230 hotels, 62 recreation centers, 22 ethnic camps that receive tourists, 7 sanatoriums and hydropathic clinics. There are also 120 helipads in the region! No territory in Russia can boast of such a developed helicopter network!
The tourist flow to Ugra is growing every year: in 2021, 618 thousand tourists visited the district. This is 4 times more than the Russian tourist flow to Croatia or Cuba.
Outdoor recreation in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
The tourism infrastructure in Ugra is quite well developed. In addition to more than a hundred hotels in the cities of the region, guests will find a dozen comfortable sanatoriums, tourist centers, hunting and fishing lodges. The quality of roads in Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, picturesque landscapes and recreational resources create conditions for proper recreation and treatment in nature. Tourists can go on a river cruise, pick mushrooms or berries, go on a fishing or hunting tour, walk or ski through the most beautiful places in the region.
The conservation of rare plants is carried out by employees of two federal reserves - Yugansky and Malaya Sosva, four natural parks, three state reserves, and four district ones. The ecological trails laid there allow you to get acquainted with unique landscapes, rare plants, of which there are more than one hundred and fifty, and Kondo-Sosva beavers.
Healthy outdoor recreation in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug is ensured by the availability of balneological resources - healing mud, iodine-bromine and other mineral waters. Deposits of sapropel mud have been discovered in more than 160 lakes in the district.
Taiga clean air and other natural factors are used to treat in the sanatoriums of Ugra: “Yugan”, located in the forests of the “Pim” tract near Nefteyugansk; and “Neftyanik” and “Kedrovy Log” near Surgut; Nizhnevartovsk "Neftyanik Samotlor"; sanatorium-rehabilitation and children's anti-tuberculosis centers in the vicinity of the district capital, departmental resorts of Nyagan and Yugorsk and others.
Tourists will be pleased to take a walk in the natural parks “Numto” or “Kondna Lakes”, visit one of the natural monuments of Ugra: the lake systems Ai-Novyinklor and Un-Novyinklor, the Cheushkinsky or Shapshinsky cedar forests, in the vicinity of Lake Range-Tur. With undoubted interest, tourists will visit the natural archaeological complexes: “Sorovsky Lakes”, “Barsovaya Mountain”, “Saigatino”, “Winter Sovkuniny”.
ETHNICS, RIVERS, WEDDINGS AND SPORTS
There are things to do in Ugra, places to visit and things to see in any of the major cities in the region. For example, in Khanty-Mansiysk, where urban architecture harmoniously combines with Siberian nature, major international sports, cultural and business events are regularly held.
It’s worth coming to the capital of Ugra to see the confluence of two great rivers – the Ob and Irtysh, the first floating chapel in Russia “Mayak”, and stroll through the Archeopark of bronze sculptures of Stone Age inhabitants.
Staying in Khanty-Mansiysk, during one-day excursions you can get acquainted with both the capital of Ugra and the culture of the indigenous peoples of the North - the Khanty and Mansi.
All fans of ethnic music will enjoy master classes, lunch in the tent, tasting of indigenous cuisine, reindeer riding and a photo shoot in national costumes.
There are special excursions with visits to all sports facilities, during which meetings and photo sessions with sports stars take place. The capital of Ugra can also become a venue for a wedding ceremony.
Local tourist centers are located in very picturesque natural locations, which serve as an excellent backdrop for wedding photos. By the way, tour operators are ready to help with on-site registration and conduct a wedding excursion for all guests of the newlyweds.
Rest - Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra
Historical, cultural and natural resources make it possible to develop educational, business, recreational, industrial, event, ethnographic, ecological and active tourism in the region.
The Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug hosts the Russian and world biathlon championships, northern all-around competitions, oblas and reindeer races, the international film festival “Spirit of Fire”, the congress of Finno-Ugric peoples of the world and other events. Holidays with an ethnographic slant are especially popular among visitors: the days of the reindeer herder, fisherman, small northern peoples, and the Bear Festival.
Interest in the traditional applied arts of indigenous peoples - beadwork, sewing national clothes, making products from birch bark and wood - can be satisfied at the crafts festival held in Surgut.
Cultural and educational recreation in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug is associated with studying the exhibitions of 35 museums, 6 of which have state status: art, geology, gas and oil, nature and man, and others. The exhibition of the art museum contains original paintings by Rokotov, Repn, Tropinin, Surikov, Aivazovsky, Serov and Kustodiev.
Within the boundaries of Khanty-Mansiysk, in the Samarovsky Chugas park, there is the Torum Maa Museum of Ethnography. In the forest there are real buildings of the indigenous inhabitants of Ugra, inside of which objects of everyday life and religious cults are completely preserved. The museum hosts traditional rituals of feeding the moon and Crow Day. Ethnic tours are also organized to national settlements of the Surgut, Beloyarsk, Khanty-Mansiysk and Nizhnevartovsk regions.
Fans of ancient history usually get acquainted in the administrative center with the ancient settlement of Samarovo, dating back to the 8th century BC, the Uval settlement of the 7th-12th centuries AD and the medieval Samarovo settlement. Within the boundaries of Khanty-Mansiysk, near the natural monument “Samarovsky Outlier” there is an “Archeopark” with an extensive exhibition of figures of ancient man and animals: mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, bison, cave lions and bears. In the evening illumination the figures look impressive and fabulous.
As part of industrial tourism, “oil tours” are conducted to the oil producing enterprises of Rosneft, Lukoil and Surgutneftegaz.
In Berezovo, where the princes Romodanovsky, Gubaidulla Khan, Dolgorukov and Menshikov, Count Osterman, the Decembrists Cherkasov and Entaltsev, and the revolutionaries Trotsky and Nogin served their exile, there is a small but very interesting local history museum.
THINGS TO DO IN SURGUT
It is worth coming to Surgut, whose history dates back to the times of Ivan the Terrible and Ermak, to get acquainted with the culture and life of the small indigenous peoples of the North.
History buffs will be delighted by the Old Surgut museum complex.
Photographers and bloggers are waiting for new reports: it is in Surgut that one of the longest and most beautiful cable-stayed bridges in Siberia across the Ob River is located.
Another interesting object is the Neftyanik Palace of Arts. This is a unique building, which in its technical capabilities is not inferior to the famous Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters.
In the Surgut region you can visit the active camps of the Khanty and Mansi peoples and taste their national cuisine. Continuing the theme of ethnography, you should definitely visit the Museum of Nature and Man named after. Alexander Pavlovich Yadroshnikov in the village of Russkinskaya. On the territory of the museum landscape park, with an area of more than two hectares, there is a complex of traditional buildings of the Trom-Agan Khanty.
Seven moments of Ugra
Ugra is famous for its cordiality and hospitality. We have places to go and things to see - we tell potential tourists, inviting residents from different parts of the country and the world to our district. Have we visited our own home everywhere? In honor of the region’s birthday, we have collected 7 amazing places that not only tourists, but also the Ugra residents themselves should visit. Moreover, the New Year holidays are ahead, and why not take the opportunity to travel around your native Ugra. It stands under the mountain...
Around the main monument of Nizhnevartovsk - the Conquerors of Samotlor, or in common people “Alyosha” - over the 42 years of its existence, many traditions, legends and urban folklore have formed. Among car owners in the 1980s, for example, “driving for Alyosha” meant going to the mainland. To Surgut by road, and then take a “ramp” across the river and forward. And among the youth of the 1990s, the phrase “leave for Alyosha” took on a completely different meaning, because the fourth city cemetery was already working at full capacity, and times were dangerous. The monument was named so thanks to the popular song about Alyosha 40 years ago... If you are in Nizhnevartovsk, be sure to visit “Alyosha”.
Good old Surgut
The real calling card of the largest city of Ugra is historical and cultural. There are constantly a number of exhibitions there, master classes and educational programs are held. Interesting, educational excursions to exhibitions and expositions are constantly taking place here. You can also get acquainted with the ancient and modern history of Surgut, take part in festive festivities, traditional evenings and gatherings, meet old residents of the city and simply relax in silence.
Freaky guests
Almost 95 years ago, on the site of the Khanty camp of the Russians in the Surgut region, a small settlement was formed, which to this day retains its incredible flavor. Here you can meet real reindeer herders, drink taiga tea, eat elk goulash, listen to ancient songs and tales, ancient musical instruments - for several hours or days, immerse yourself in the culture of the Trom-Agan Khanty. In the same village, an art park in the format of a “museum without walls” was recently created.
Hello shark!
The Kogalym Oceanarium is one of the ten best on the continent. Its visitors have the opportunity to meet aquatic inhabitants from different parts of the planet and learn more about complex and fragile ecosystems. But the main purpose of this huge aquarium is to educate people about the serious problems associated with the conservation of rivers and oceans, and the need to protect them from pollution and aggressive fishing.
Bjoerndalen and the rhinoceros
The capital of Ugra has many attractions. But still, tourists come to the Archeopark with its majestic fauna - mammoths, rhinoceroses, bears... Bronze figures of ancient people and animals adorn the foot of the so-called Samarovsky remnant. This is a unique hill, the origin of which is still debated by scientists. At its top is the town of Samara - according to legend, it was the residence of the Ostyak prince Samar, whose name gave the name to this place. And a 5-minute walk from the mammoths you can go to the legendary biathlon center. It was here that major international competitions took place starting in the late 1990s. The famous Bjoerndalen won here, Guberniev broadcast his broadcasts, and spectators came from all over the world to see the biathlon stars.
The mountains beckon
Yes, it's not easy. Yes, it requires financial costs and physical training. But it's worth it, believe me. Those who have visited the Subpolar Urals at least once have been sharing their emotions for many years. Trips to the north of the district are organized by travel companies, mainly in the summer. But you can start planning to climb Neroika already in winter. A quartz deposit, waterfalls, an old settlement of geologists, a dead lake at an altitude of one kilometer - this is not a complete list of amazing places in the northern Urals.
Deposit of power
For many, the calling card of Ugra is oil. Have you ever been to a real oil field? Where riches are mined from deep within? Today, a pool of enterprises has been formed in Ugra that are ready to receive tourists and reveal to them the secrets of the production process. Through travel companies you can visit the places where black gold is born. This direction of tourism is considered very promising, and as soon as the pandemic subsides, we are sure that there will be no end to those wishing to see “Yugorsky KUST” in person.
Sergei Ryzhikov, cosmonaut:
Ugra has become home to me.
All my friends and teachers are there, I graduated from school No. 12 in Nizhnevartovsk, went in for sports, attended the Wings of Samotlor young aviators club and the Red Star military sports club. The most valuable thing we receive at school is a vivid example of worthy service to people, devotion, patience, lessons of love for the Motherland. I enjoy communicating with young people. I remember my meetings with pilots and military personnel who played an important role in choosing my life path. I remember Nizhnevartovsk as different, but now it is changing for the better, becoming more comfortable and beautiful. When Gagarin exclaimed about the Earth: “How beautiful it is!”, he was flying over Siberia, over Ugra. You should be proud to live here. We know how you can best receive news. Our official accounts on social networks: VKontakte, Facebook, Odnoklassniki, Twitter, Instagram, Yandex.Zen.
ALL ABOUT OIL AND NATURE OF PRIOBIE
A special point on the map of YUGRA is Nizhnevartovsk, near which the Samotlor oil field is located, the largest in Russia and one of the largest in the world.
In Nizhnevartovsk you can get into the very heart of Lake Samotlor, see the first exploration well R-1, learn all about the extraction of “black gold” and receive an unusual souvenir as a gift - a bottle of Siberian oil.
The excursion bus tour “Golden Ring of the East of Ugra” starts from Nizhnevartovsk. (Nizhnevartovsk – Russkinskaya village – Kogalym – Megion – Nizhnevartovsk). The route, designed for two days with an overnight stay in Kogalym, passes through the territory of the Nizhnevartovsk and Surgut regions.
The program includes a visit to the Russian Museum of Nature and Man named after. Alexander Pavlovich Yadroshnikov, who introduces the natural world of the Surgut Ob region.
The museum is unique: de facto, it was assembled by the hands of one person, Alexander Pavlovich Yadroshnikov. This is a huge zoological collection: fur-bearing animals, fish and piscivores, predators, deer and elk, migratory birds, and upland game “coexist” in one museum hall.
New discoveries await in Megion - in the museum, ethnographic and ecological park "Ugra". This includes a tour of the camp, ecological trails, and a master class on making national toys.
SEA WORLD AND SURFING IN THE CENTER OF SIBERIA
We can bet, but many don’t know where the second largest aquarium in Russia is located, where in the heart of Siberia you can conquer a 7-meter cliff, stand on a surfboard, admire tropical flowers or have an underwater wedding.
All this is possible in Kogalym. The Galaktika sports and cultural complex was built in this northern city. It includes the Aquatika aquarium, one of the TOP 10 in the world, an educational one, a tropical greenhouse "7 Gardens", a water park "On the Crest of a Wave", as well as a trampoline park, bowling alley, climbing wall, cinema, food court and family recreation center.
“Galaktika” is the largest entertainment center in Ugra, the “content” of which can be the envy of many megacities. The aquarium has attractions such as a rain forest, a coral reef, a tropical coast, rivers and lakes. Here you can even go diving and get married on the “bottom of the sea” (this service is also available).
In the water park, children and adults can enjoy water slides, a surfing attraction, and a wave pool all year round. Just imagine: outside the window it’s minus 50 degrees below zero, and you’re catching a wave on the surf or taking pictures against the backdrop of the tropical jungle and exotic birds...
EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE CIRPTOLAR URAL
The Subpolar Urals are rightfully considered the place of power of Ugra. According to legend, at the beginning of time, the supreme god Torum dropped his belt, and ridges stretched from the Arctic Ocean to the Bashkir steppes. Local peoples call the Ural - Stone Belt.
The Subpolar Urals is a real mountainous country. Here are the crystal clear waters of rivers, streams, lakes and waterfalls, deer trails, and, of course, the highest mountains, the peaks of which are cut through by clouds: Narodnaya (the highest point of the Ural range), Karpinsky Peak, Saber and the “lord of the mountains” - Ner-Oika .
The ridge of the Subpolar Urals is a location for lovers of active recreation and extreme sports. These include river rafting, expeditions on ATVs, hiking, and snowmobiling in winter.
Those who are ready for new challenges should go on expedition tours to the Subpolar Urals, which usually end with an ascent to one of the peaks.
As the organizers of expedition tours say, the level of physical fitness is not important to participate in the expedition. The main thing is the desire to get out of your comfort zone, the desire to find your inner core, to prove to yourself that you are capable of much.
According to experts, on such hikes people seek and gain energy, discover their hidden capabilities and strengths. Many come back again and again, and become even more interested in extreme sports and mountaineering. For example, snow drifts 3-5 meters high are what extreme snowmobilers go to the mountains of the Subpolar Urals for.
PIKE OF DREAMS
The rivers and reservoirs of the Autonomous Okrug are a paradise for amateur fishermen and athletes. Many types of fish are caught in Ugra: grayling, perch, ide, nelma, muksun, crucian carp, burbot, perch, peled, roach, ruff. Many fishermen come for trophy pike, which weighs up to 20 kg!
One of the recreation options is trophy fishing on the guard guard. This is a real paradise for an avid fisherman: go out on deck, cast a fishing rod, catch a perch under a kilogram or a pike under 10 kilograms. If you want a big catch, you get into a fast boat. There are kilometers of expanses of water around and an unlimited number of attempts to catch the “pike of your dreams.”
Travel agents can find more details about recreation opportunities for tourists in Ugra and specific tourism programs by viewing the recording of the webinar on Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra.
Photos courtesy of the Ugra Development Fund
