Russia's small towns
Travel journalist Masha Belokovylskaya's Russian-language channel about trips around Russia told through people: small towns, museums, festivals and walking routes.
What it is
"Ponaekhavshaya", a jokey Russian word for a newcomer who moved in from elsewhere, is a personal Telegram channel by travel journalist Masha Belokovylskaya, written in Russian. Her bio says she writes for Vokrug Sveta and Russian Traveler magazines and promises travel told "through human stories: about meaning, not cheap tickets". The channel lives up to that.
Why we picked it
There are no "10 places to eat" lists or last-minute deals here. Instead you get unhurried stories about places few people bother to visit. In September 2026 it was Borovsk, a small town south-west of Moscow: how it differs from polished Tarusa nearby, what a museum inside a former prison is like, and lunch at the prison-themed café "Taste of Freedom", where tables sit behind bars. Another post covers artist Vladimir Ovchinnikov, nicknamed "Borovsk's Banksy", who painted the town's façades: on the walls you meet Tsiolkovsky in galoshes launching a wooden rocket, or a newspaper seller by a drainpipe.
There is a practical side too: a walking route around Borovsk, from the old prison through the Tekizhensky ravine with its new landscaped park. Next to it is a post about a clown festival in Staritsa, where she took part, and a sharp observation about how provincial fêtes like Suzdal's Cucumber Day are suddenly fashionable. They read like good magazine features, only shorter.
Where to start
- Read the Borovsk series in order, from the first post to the walking route.
- Save the route through the Tekizhensky ravine if you are heading to the Kaluga region.
- Find the post on the Staritsa clown festival.
- Scroll further back for other towns and trips.
Who it's for
People looking for a weekend trip beyond the usual circuit. Fans of small towns, local museums and odd festivals. Travellers who care more about people than sights. It is written in Russian, so it suits Russian readers or those happy to use a translator.
Quick answers
Is it about tours or deals? No, it is personal travel writing and routes. There are occasional ads; the bio lists a contact for them.
Only Russia? Judging by the name and the feed, the focus is travel within Russia.
Who writes it? Travel journalist Masha Belokovylskaya.
