Incredible places in Russia through the lens of Slava Stepanov (PHOTOS)
Photographer Slava Stepanov (Gelio) has visited some of the most remote corners of Russia. We got our hands on a select few of his unique shots from different latitudes. Enjoy!
1. Tofalaria
There are only about 800 members of the Tofa, a Siberian ethnic group. And most live in Nizhneudinsky District, Irkutsk Region.
This isolated mountain region is called ‘Tofalaria’. It’s practically only reachable by air.
2. Batagay Sinkhole
This giant thermokarst basin in Yakutia reaches a kilometer long and about 100 meters deep. The sinkhole appeared in the 1960s, when a section of taiga was cleared near the settlement of Batagay. Subsequently, the ground subsided, exposing a layer of permafrost. The crater grows by approximately 15 meters per year.
3. Uelen
This is the easternmost inhabited locality in Russia and Eurasia. The small settlement, home to about 600 people, is located in Chukotka.
4. Manpupuner – Ancient weathering pillars in Komi
This is a plateau with huge rock formations, located in the Northern Urals of the Komi Republic. There are no populated areas within 100 km of each other. "We reached the pillars by helicopter from Ukhta," says the photographer.
5. Iceberg in the Arctic Ocean
The iceberg was photographed in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, during a cruise to the North Pole on the '50 Let Pobedy' (‘50 Years of Victory’) nuclear icebreaker.
6. Taymyr Peninsula
This is the largest peninsula in Russia, located in the far north of Krasnoyarsk Krai. The nearest cities are Norilsk and Dudinka.
7. Musk oxen on the Taymyr Peninsula
Some of the most ancient animals of our planet inhabit the Taymyr Peninsula.
8. Cape Fligely
This is the northernmost point of Russia and Eurasia on an island. The cape is located on Rudolf Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago. From there, it's only 900 km to the North Pole.
9. Ship graveyard
Brusneva Island is located in the Laptev Sea, about 5 km from the Yakut settlement of Tiksi. The ship graveyard is all that remains after a significant part of the settlement's population left following the collapse of the USSR.