This Antique Steam Train Offers An Impressive Journey During The Soviet Union

Layana to tell the Brown Area Express. (Wikimedia Commons / Kindastanley)

JAKARTA - Train is one of the main and most popular modes of transportation in Europe. In addition to daily activities, trains in Europe are also a destination for tourists who come to the Blue Continent.

If the Eurostar, TGV or sleeper train are familiar to your ears, it never hurts to try the Ruskeala Express service in Russia. In addition to the typical Russian landscape, this train service offers the sensation of traveling in the past.

The Ruskeala Express uses traditional steam-powered locomotives, paired with retro carriages featuring classic 20th-century train interiors, providing travelers with a nostalgic experience as they traverse the jungles of northern Karelia.

The train runs from Sortavala Town to Ruskeala Mountain Park, passing through beautiful Karelia landscapes, with snowy cypress trees in winter and calm lakes in summer.

Standard compartment. (Source: naparovoze.ru)

Inside, the German-made carriages have been furnished with interiors inspired by the early 20th century, including old lampshades, curtains and carpeting.

"The curtains on the windows, with the beautiful tassels, create the first impression that this is a retro car. And the carpeted hallways, it's really beautiful," said train passenger Gavrilova, as reported by Euronews.

Passengers can sit and relax in the train restaurant carriage, while enjoying coffee and pastries. But this serene vision was a very different story to what was happening at the front of the train.

The train is pulled by a Soviet-era 1953 coal-fired locomotive. The system required a railroad engineer and two assistants, who were in charge of the firebox to keep the furnace roaring.

VIP compartment. (Source: naparovoze.ru)

"It's all about physical labor. If you forget something somewhere, it's over, you have to shovel (coal) for the rest of the journey until you're half dead," said Sergei, the train's assistant driver.

Meanwhile, launching Naparovoze, this train operates every day with an estimated journey of one hour in two sorties. The first sorti departs from Sortavala at 10:40 and arrives at Ruskeala Mountain Park at 11:50 local time. Sort two, depart from Ruskeala Mountain Park at 17:30 and arrive at Sortavala at 18:30.

There are two types of compartment options on this five-carriage train. Standard compartment with first-class compartment appearance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Fares start from 299 to 499 rubles or around IDR 59,116 to IDR 98,659 per passenger.

Next there is the VIP compartment. This is one of the attractions of this train service. Designed like the compartment occupied by the last Russian emperor Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov on the way from St. Petersburg to Helsinki.

Royal style restaurant. (Source: naparovoze.ru)

Occupying the fourth carriage, the fare for 1 compartment for 4 passengers is around 5,000 rubles or around Rp. 988,568, including welcome drink (champagne), fresh fruit and a voucher of 1,000 rubles to buy food in the restaurant carriage. Interestingly, the VIP compartment is equipped with a personal butler.

Want to feel a different sensation? Try coming to this train royal style restaurant. Designed in late 19th and early 20th century styles, try the Karelian specialties on offer here. When the train stops at Ruskeala Mountain Park from 12:30 to 16:30 local time, you can also come to this carriage for a snack.

There is also a restaurant with an old Russian style. Unlike the royal style which is not sold with tickets, this restaurant carriage charges a fee that is included in the food and beverage package. For the first sortie trip, there was Vitushka with lingonberries, trout and potatoes. Or broth with sea buckthorn or raspberries.

Photo compartment. (Source: naparovoze.ru)

As for the second sorti, there was a sandwich with ham and cheese. Also, a choice of drinks consisting of 5 types of alcohol, black tea or green tea and orange or apple juice and Ruskeala Express ice cream.

Lastly, there is the photo compartment. Here you can capture the memories of your trip by taking pictures in the retro-styled compartment that has been decorated in such a way. The rate for taking photos for 5 minutes and 1 sheet of photo prints is only 250 rubles or around IDR 49,428. Interested in trying?

For information, the construction of the railroad in Sorvatala began with the reconstruction project of the St. Cathedral. Isaac was ordered by Russian Emperor Alexander I in 1818. For the purposes of this project, the emperor appointed the French architect Auguste de Montferrand.

One of the materials needed in this project is marble. And, de Montferrand fell in love with marble in Ruskeala. He also came twice in 1820 and 1821. The obstacle to transporting the precious marble was that the road to and from Ruskeala was so bad that a train line was built.