Vishera River
The Vishera is one of the right tributaries of the Vychegda and is popular with tourist' who enjoy water sports. A 7-day trip from the mouth to the source is classified as 1 c.c. It starts from the community of Lemyu (Knyazhpogost area). It is convenient get to this community from the Trakt railway station. Then one should go by narrow
gauge railway to the bridge located not far above the confluence of the Lemyu and Enyu Rivers. Rafting from the community itself is not too easy, since the bed of the Lemyu River is clogged up with tree trunks.
Then follows a 3-day rafting trip along uninhabited places with excellent fishing (pike, roach and bass). There are no villages, but there are hunters' houses along the entire river within a day's trip of each other. They can provide a place to rest and get dry in case of bad weather. One of the most famous is Miron-Kerka. Then follows a stop in one of the oldest villages of the Kortkeros area - Bogorodsk. The first data on Bogorodsk dates back to the early 17th century. The former name is the village of Viser (Vishersky). According to one of the legends about the village it was founded by Stefan of Perm, who had come to the Vishera pagans from the mouth of the Vishera on a stone instead of a boat. The pagans were so amazed by this that they became the most zealous Christians in the area.
The Nivshera flows into the Vishers below Bogorodsk. From there the river expands rapidly, and the banks are more inhabited. The route ends in the village of Storozhevsk. This village is located on the right bank of the Vychegda, 48 km from Kortkeros. This is one of the most ancient Komi settlements. There are several archaeological monuments in the vicinity of Storozhevsk which date back to different centuries. The first dates back to the 1st millennium BC. Storozhevsk was the center of the area from 1923 to 1963. With the consolidation of various areas in the 1960s, Starozhevsk lost its status as an area center. Nowadays, Storozhevsk is one of the large villages which have retained the Komi language and national culture, as well as national crafts: elm, root and willow wicker-work, embroidery (of Komi ethnic ornaments) and Komi ethnic weaving.
Route 1. After the construction of a bridge over the Vychegda and the road to Ust-Kulom was completed, tourists developed a route starting in the upper reaches of the Nivshera and rafting down the Nivshera with a stop in the village of Nivshera. The residents of the village of Nivshera have retained the everyday culture of Komi peasants, fishermen and hunters and have preserved their ethnic crafts. Goods made of elm and root, and goods carved of burl are popular with tourists.
Route 2. One can continue the trip along the Vychgeda without going all the way to the mouth of the Vishera. This is an enjoyable trip along a large river with endless sandy beaches.
Lokchim river
Lokchim is the left inflow of the Vychegda river, length of 272 km. It is formed by merge of the rivers Sedju and Badju. Sports fishing on the rivers it is not forbidden. Lokchim is the river most visited by tourists. There is convenient motor transportation. The route is accessible to tourist groups on any classes from June till September.
The route is interesting to regional specialists because the route passes through the settlements connected with theLokchimlag camp. Regional specialists of the Kortkeros area under the direction of A.Smilingis for many years actively work on installation of crosses on places of the former camp settlements and anonymous cemeteries.
Dodz Village
The village of Dodz is located 14 km from Kortkeros. The first mention is made in books from 1707. This is a traditional Komi village on the left bank of the Vychegda. It is interesting due to its Komi culture, and for its traditional kind of fishing. The village is providing a new type of educational trip - agricultural tourism, i.e. living in a traditional Komi house for one or two weeks and learning about Komi culture. One of the most interesting tours is "Visiting the Legendary Chud". The Chud are a people who lived on the Vychegda lands in the Middle Ages, and who did not accept Christianization. There are many of legends about the Chud connected with tribal self-immolation in earthen houses.
Leaving Dodz and going down to Lake Dodzskoye, you will pass vozhapa - a forked tree called "Grandmother Dodz". This old memorable pine has a huge girth and was obviously planted on the grave of a distinguished person, probably a woman from the Chud tribe, several centuries ago. According to local legends, this is the only pine which has survived from the legendary grove. Not far from the pine there are two stones which probably mark the graves of monks killed by the Chud.
The Madzha Complex Wildlife Preserve is located in lower reaches of the rivers Njanjael and Lopju in 90 km from the village of Madzha.
Travel about the wildlife preserve is the most interesting by skis. The most convenient period for travel - February - March. The route ‘the village of Madzha – the Red village’ takes 7-12 days depending on weather terms.
Going by foot this variant is convenient in the period of late autumn (October — November) on the route «the village of Ozel – the village of Sejty - the village of Rasju - the village of Madzha - the village of Kortkeros».
In summertime fishing places on Vychegda are most interesting in zones not including into the wildlife preserve zone.
Where to apply:
Tourist Information Center “Shuda Olom”
Tel.: 8-904-270-28-89 (552-889)
website: vk.com/shuda_olom
Resting Camp «Shishkin Lesс»
Tel.(8212) 44-74-95.
Sporting Center in the village of Kortkeros
Tel.(82136) 99612
Resources:
www.agiks.ru
www.tourism-komi.ru
Республика Коми: путеводитель / [cост. С. Журавлев]. - Изд. первое. - М. : Авангард, 2004.
