Prior to 1989, a large swath of Planet Earth was virtually inaccessible to Western visitors. Thanks to the Russian Revolution launched by Vladimir Lenin in 1917, communism spread with alarming malignancy, imprisoning entire countries and cutting them off from the outside world. Although persistent (and perhaps sadistic) adventurers could muddle through suffocating mounds of red tape to organize limited travel beyond the Iron Curtain, they faced state-sponsored tours, bugged hotel rooms, and “city visas” that made it illegal to travel outside predetermined locations.
Most people, myself included at the time, simply had no desire to visit the godless, Red Menace of bread lines and Siberian Gulag camps. Indeed, this part of the world was viewed in much the same manner as Afghanistan and Iraq are unfortunately viewed today. Very few western publishing houses even printed travel guides to this region of the world. The first USSR Lonely Planet guide wasn’t printed until December 1991-at which point it immediately became outdated as the Soviet Union collapsed that very month.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent domino of revolutions which followed, eradicated communism from most of this planet. It also opened up a fascinatingly diverse region of extraordinary travel opportunities untainted by tourist traps, McDonalds and western awareness. Ever heard of Lake Baikal, Samarkand or Kazbegi? Probably not. But, believe me, this is your loss.
Red Corner is a new feature here on Gadling. The term refers to the small shrine present in every Soviet factory that paid homage to Lenin and the glories of communism. Here on Gadling, the aim of Red Corner is to pay homage to the numerous travel gems hidden for so long behind the Iron Curtain. Travel to this region is still fraught with its share of challenges, but that is what makes it all the more rewarding.