Russian couple Tamara Pogosyan, 31, and Pavel Shabalin, 33, are over halfway through a unique honeymoon. They set out on foot from Moscow on January 19 toward Vladivostok, and have already walked more than 6,600km.
The pair had no previous expedition experience. Pogosyan says the idea came to them on January 7 after watching a YouTube video. Within 12 days, they had researched long-distance walking journeys, bought gear, and set off from their home in Moscow.
“We had no special physical training, just casual fitness, nothing more,” Pogosyan told Russian news site RBC Life. “The only thing we did before the start was walk a trial route around Moscow in one day. It was about 20km, and we walked with backpacks already filled with the things we planned to take on the trip. That was probably all our training.”
Pogosyan and Shabalin typically cover between 30 and 40km each day. They carry large backpacks but do not use any form of motorized transport.
The pair have gained a following on Russian social media and are often greeted by welcome parties in rural communities. Recently, in the village of Ablatuysky Bor, the village mayor turned out to welcome them and show them the local sights.
Tamara Pogosyan and Pavel Shabalin with the mayor of Ablatuysky Bor. Photo: Ablatuyskoye Provincial Government
A direct route
Their route has been quite direct. Sticking to southern Russia, they moved from Moscow into the Volga/Ural regions, then on to Omsk. In June, after around 3,700km, they arrived in Novosibirsk, the capital of Siberia. By late August, they were in Irkutsk, breaking 5,500km. They have recently passed Lake Baikal and crossed into the Republic of Buryatia on September 2. Next up will be the province of Zabaykalsky Krai.
The couple estimates that their journey will cover 10,000km and had aimed to finish in late 2026, though at their current pace, it looks like they’ll reach Vladivostok early in the New Year.
A traditional bread-and-salt greeting in central Siberia. Photo: Pogosyan/Shabalin
