oh wow, this brings back memories 🤗

i was born well after the soviet union, but these train routes and the accompanying sleeper trains are very much alive and active to this day, and i’ve traveled to countless destinations by sleeper trains, and had such a great time

when you get to the railway station and move all your stuff into the train, with ppl coming aboard together with you to see you off, until the train conductor finally walks through the carriage to ask all ppl seeing ppl off to get off the train, then you wave to them through the window, until a train very very very slowly departs, so slowly that it’s very easy to miss it, until you suddenly look out of the window, and realise that the train is already moving, very slowly, but accelerating…

and then you’re off to whatever destination, everything from an overnight trip to st petersburg to visit relatives, to a 2 day trip to crimea as a child in a platzkart carriage to visit some wild beaches with no ppl, to traveling for a rafting trip to murmansk through beautiful northern wilderness of karelia

half the train carriage is occupied by your friends and family also going on that same rafting trip, you go visiting each other in train compartments, playing card games, queuing at the end of the carriage to get boiling water for your doshirak instant noodles, reading in peace, laughing, discussing shit, and, as the night slowly approaches, just getting onto the top bunk, and looking out of the window…

the endless electricity polls, forests and towns passing by, and when you’re finally ready to fall asleep, you’ll most likely have a pretty good sleep, because you will be lulled into sleep by the monotone periodic sounds of train carriages’ wheels hitting that spot where rails connect, making that “tatum tatum, tatum tatum” sound…

and you may end collecting and experiencing some crazy stories along the way

i have to say, the night trains (or sleeper trains as they’re called in english) have some of the strongest atmosphere/vibes i’ve ever experienced, idk if other ppl feel it, likely not (just like many ppl don’t feel anything from liminal pics, because they largely showcase us locations, which only revive memories in ppl who experienced it in childhood or whatever)

but regardless, it’s such a great experience, and i really hope to one day travel the “final boss” of sleeper trains, the famous vladivostok - mosvka route, which goes along the entirety of russia, a week-long journey of 9000 kilometres 😋