

Relaxing in familiar places is always a pleasure. Of course, some might say it’s important to explore new destinations, but when you only have a few days, it’s better to spend them delving deeper into a country you’re already familiar with. This is why I chose to spend my five-day vacation in Armenia. I visited Yerevan, spent a day in Gyumri, and took a tour of the temples of Armenia.

Interestingly, my first visit to Yerevan was also in September, in 2022. I remember it being warm, even hot then, and this time the heat was just as present: during the day, temperatures reached +26 degrees (though it came with some rain), while at night it was around +18. Everything is still green, although in some areas, the grass has started to turn yellow from the heat. Currently, the grape, watermelon, melon, peach, apple, and plum harvests are actively being collected. All of this can be purchased at reasonable prices, both in markets and simply on the street.



I flew direct from Kazan to Yerevan on a Saturday with the airline Red Wings. The ticket turned out to be quite expensive—18,000 rubles, although I had bought it only a month before departure. Prices are like that now… If I had booked well in advance, the ticket would have cost about 14,000 rubles, but the difference isn’t that significant. However, I reached Kazan airport without issues—by bus from Tatarstan in just three hours.



From the airport to the hotel, I booked a hotel in a good area since I know the city well and have a good idea of where things are. It was convenient to get to the center and walk around, plus the neighborhood was quiet. The only downside was the view from the window overlooking an unfinished building that looked like a university dormitory. Otherwise, the hotel was quite decent for what I paid, although the plumbing left something to be desired, and the floors were noticeably bulging. I paid 16,700 rubles (70,000 drams) for five nights.




I have friends in Armenia—a former apartment neighbor in Yerevan and acquaintances from Surgut who now live in Gyumri, so my plans for the trip were laid out in advance. On Sunday, I spent the day and night in Gyumri, and on Monday I met with Kostya in Yerevan. In Gyumri, we just talked—mainly about how “great” things are in Russia and how the future looks now. We also discussed how nice it is in Armenia: it’s warm, with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
With Kostya in Yerevan, discussions also revolved around Russia, Armenia, business, and social networks—the meeting turned out to be informative and productive. Honestly, this is exactly why I went to Armenia—to learn from those who have been living there for two years about how their lives are shaping up, how they have settled in, and how their finances are doing. The example of my friends is telling: two years after leaving Russia, if they haven’t returned, life gradually gets better and starts to feel like home.




When I lived in Armenia, I hardly ventured out of the cities. Therefore, this time I decided to definitely take a tour and finally visit Garni (the temple) as well as several other places. I won’t go into details, as I plan to make a video and post it on my YouTube channel—I even recorded a few videos during the trip. For now, I only have pictures.









Ultimately, I only had one full day in Yerevan. I wandered through familiar places, ate my usual food (of course, shawarma), and enjoyed the summer weather on an autumn day.
The last day, which was also my departure day to Sochi (Sirius), turned out to be a bit rainy. The morning was particularly damp, and I had to take a taxi to the airport. But, as is often the case in Yerevan, the rain that was promised for the whole day lasted only a couple of hours, and then the sun came out again.


The flight from Yerevan went as planned: sunny weather, airplanes, and just 45 minutes later, I was already at Adler Airport. Funny enough, everyone calls it “Sochi Airport,” even though it is actually located in Adler, which is rather far from Sochi.


Five days was just enough for me to immerse myself in another world—a world of freedom, rebooting, and distraction from problems in Russia. There was plenty of time to think, and these reflections yielded results. Thoughts and ideas began stirring within me again, and it is in such a “free” country that all possibilities arise for this.
Will I return there again? Of course! I am confident that my life will become much easier and simpler than during the period of 2022-2023. The key thing is that I will prepare well for it.
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