4x4 Festival in Kostroma Region, Russia: Abandoned Churches & Off-Roading in UAZ Bukhanka

Hi guys! In this fun video, you will see our adventures during the unique "Total Chukhloma" Festival that takes place in Rural Russia. During 3 days in November 2020, more than 250 fully-equipped vehicles challenged themselves and local roads trying to visit weird and authentic landmarks of the region... abandoned villages, half-ruined churches, and paving roads that are used only by timber tracks nowadays.


Kostroma region was flourishing many years ago... now its beauty slowly fades away year by year. Pine trees grow at the roofs of once-great churches with boarded-up doors and tumble-down domes. Nowadays, young people leave the region, senior people die, so more and more houses stay empty with an old and dusty treasure of the past epoch. The Festival is perfect to experience life in the countryside and feels the vibes of rural Russia even for us...



Driving local roads becomes a challenge when you move out from the main (and single) asphalt road. You understand quickly that timber roads are not the worse choice if you travel to a remote village. It's much better than an impassable forest or deep ford that can stop any 4x4 vehicle!


We had 13 people in our crew and two vehicles: our lovely UAZ 452 (Buhanka), a unique 4x4 minivan, and UAZ Hunter. Both cars were great! Of course, we spent hours trying to drive through local roads using winches and sometimes all four shovels! Nice way to overcome burnout (a typical problem for our teammates).



Do you want to travel the real Russia with us? Wait until the end of the covid-era and visit... travelrealrussia.com!