![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/1.jpg\")
\nGoogle maps indicate 8.5 hours without taking the quality of the roads into the consideration!<\/p>\n
July 21 was the day for us to join the Nakipelo-Expedition again. It was organized by our team, Anton Bondarev and \u201cNakipelo\u201d media-project.
\nDuring the preparation process we chose the route that could be named \u201cnow, that really is the place with no roads whatsoever\u201d))). The challenge was great but we accepted it with honor)
\nAnd now – let\u2019s give more details on it.
\nI hadn\u2019t known if my Hedgehog would be ready up until the last moment – and she still is in the \u201cdrive to a shop and back\u201d mode, waiting for the new cardan. It did arrive on the day of our trip, so now she has to wait for me to have the time to install it)
\nMy dear friend, GillmanR was nice to agree and to give us his precious Nissan Patrol Y61 with the 4.2 diesel engine. The fun started from the very beginning of the trip – there were two green Patrics, everyone kept getting confused, and the guy said that his car – was a girl. So that\u2019s how it happened) We started calling it Patricia.
\nSo here comes the ode:
\nI have heard lots of praise towards this engine, but it was the first time when I tried it out. My impression is difficult to express with words! To say that it rocks is to say nothing! Of course, the Hedgehog is the best car in the world, but I must give Patricia her credit, too.
\nOf course it doesn\u2019t speed up in a sporty way (just as the Hedgehog doesn\u2019t), but it looks so confident that one can\u2019t avoid being amazed! At some point I realized that this engine also has the bottom-mounted camshaft and it is identical to the Hedgehog\u2019s one. This means that pushing the pedal into the floor was an unwise choice, same as some other moments were. In fact, having caught myself at typical manipulations, I remembered some facts about its structure as well. As a result – going from 60 to 100 in \u201chalf the truck\u201d time became a piece of cake! Something like \u201ckick-downing\u201d the automatic gear-box, and the car started flying) And boy, weren\u2019t we some cool flyers! The car picked up a very prompt pace after 3000 revs, as if it wanted us leave her alone))). The controllability was at a good level. I was a bit worried about the tyres, – the old bald highway rubber, but, to my joy, those worries had been vain.
\nSo, – it\u2019s 6 in the morning, the cars are warmed up, everything\u2019s packed, the coffee is finished, the matches are placed in our eyes to keep them open)))
\nWe arrived to the meeting place, picked up the passengers and started off towards the big adventure. \u201cTo those who are brave may we sing a song!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nGoogle maps indicate 8.5 hours without taking the quality of the roads into the consideration!<\/p>\n
I have to tell you that I was lucky with the passengers again (I can\u2019t say the second team wasn\u2019t, since I have no idea about it – I was simply very happy with my company).
\nThe first spot we visited was Chervonoye – or, as it had been previously called, Staroye Selo (the Old Village). There is the Kondratyev\u2019s XVIII century house, the Zboromyrskys\u2019 manor nearby (second half of the XIX century). All I\u2019ve mentioned above is located behind Bohodykhov, on the way from Akhtyrka to Sumy and, unfortunately, the roads did not magically appear overthere during the last month\u2026 The narrow road that used to be assphalted long time ago, half a lane each way. The wonderful Patricia has a nice suspension, so it\u2019s hard to feel anything smaller or equal to the size of a wheel while driving about 80-90 km\/h.
\nWe arrived to the place, sniffed around, filmed everything, found the basement:
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/2.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/4.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/3.jpg\")
\nThe pack leader))))<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/5.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/6.jpg\")
\nFilming with a quadcopter
\nThe building that was formerly beautiful is now nothing but the remnants of the walls hidden in thickets…
\nThen we walked to the second spot, which was in a way better condition – there have recently been a school in it. While we were crawling around, some more people arrived – a family of three generations (a grandfather, a mother and a son) and the man walked around and told his stories – \u201cthat\u2019s where I\u2019d studied in the first grade, and here\u2019d been the physics room\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/7.jpg\")
\nThe second object – Zboromyrsky manor
\nWe had some lunch there and moved along. The road was still partially missing, and in some places it was literally hard to guess where it had been before((.
\nThe next part of our route was Lifino.
\nIt is an astonishing manor ensemble of the XIX century (the Khrushevs\u2019 manor), which is in private property now. The forlorn beauty\u2026
\nThe paintings on the ceiling can still be found in some places – the green lions and a heron foregrounding the sun; some parts of wood carving are still present, too.
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/8.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/9.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/10.jpg\")
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/11.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
We wondered there with great joy and for a lot of time, then we went off to the keepers and started the conversation about highly spiritual matters, historical values and other wise things which I happily meditated through with a blade of grass and in the shadow. I like listening to the stories about the places I go to. But the politics, the pathos, the memories about the grandness of the times long gone along with the dramatic sigh and other attributes of pitying over the past is not something I enjoy. And the nature was so beautiful, live and voiceful over there!
\nLater it got more interesting – the next place we went to was an ancient Shelekhov lake. It is literally ancient – going as far back as to the ice period according to some of the theories. They say, it is one of the top list positions in terms of beauty and archaicness\u2026 And I was really impressed with the gray heron family). Powerful, seemingly lazy – they took turns in circling around the lake to take a look at us.
\nThe process of getting there was quite amusing as well. The grand fields as long as one could see were everywhere around. The beauty it was, indeed))). The road was almost straight, some minor sidelines were not worth being taken into a consideration. But the road coating\u2026. In the beginning I was the first to drive, due to the gallantry of the second team. The feeling I experienced while flying over the fields with the speed of 90-100 km\/h was non-expressable! But later the common sense did overcome the adventurousness and I switched places with the second car. The thing was that the second Patric\u2019s air filter had been going through its last days anyways, and the road\u2026. Well, it was all about the road. It was a very fine clay-sand dust which kept up in the air for more than 5 minutes after the car had gone by! That was why my love to driving with open windows had played a bad trick with me – everything was covered with a 1-2mm layer of the dust; everything including me, the car, the passengers\u2026 You might want to ask shy in the world did I not close the window? a) I got too excited; b) I just can\u2019t drive with the windows closed – everyone makes fun of me and call me a lizard\u2026 but I really can\u2019t do it without the sounds from the outside, I get lost in the space instead\u2026 Well, that\u2019s the strange me )))
\nSome of the moments brought some special joy – so you drive in a thick and non-transparent cloud of dust, without touching anyone\u2026 and – here it comes, 3 meteres away from you! The pit of the same size as our space flyer appears! It is almost a meter deep and full of thick or watery (depending on the situation) mud! There is a nice 90-degree sideway, about 6 meters long. Naturally, my adventurous side decided to ignore the sideway; and of course, the dust layer was joined by the layer of mud, or, to be more particular – many layers originating from every similar surprise that had happened to be on our way. Something tells me that the interjections from the behind must have been rather joyful))) and I was not the only one who\u2019d had a bunch of positive emotions!
\nAnd what about the tyres? So, what about ithem? The 4.2 does not even notice the mud with the speed of 80-90 km\/h!
\nSome parts of the way consisted of fine pebbles. It was rather peculiar) The car keept stable and straight, rustled happily and so did I)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/12.jpg\")
\nA little smoke break)
\nThen we drove into the forest. There were some hills with a noticable slope, some light clay and track lines from 10cm to the footstep height. I even doubted going down one of the slopes – it did look too steep. But it was not so scary after we\u2019d checked it by foot, so we had no problems going down. Yes, it was the attentiveness and the carefulness, but nothing more.
\nSometimes the slopes were covered with the same fine pebble. And – yet again – we went down easily and with no extra effort.
\nThere was a wooden alcove near the lake, a wooden ledge, some birds, gadflies, hornets, flies, mites\u2026 the grand ferons! – and the flies, gadflies\u2026 all over again)))<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/13.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
We had a very nice time in the alcove and ate some snacks. And there came the sudden rain! And guess what we were worried for in the first place? The tyres! The second Patric would have had no problem up-sloping the back route due to his Goodreach, but our Patricia had all chances to get stuck. And we still had to finish our route and to come back\u2026 the same day, preferrably. Many thanks to all of the team members – the picnic was packed within mere minutes!
\nIt was a miracle that we managed to outride the rain. And I was all into the experimenting! It apperared that the third gear enables the car to get up by itself)))) I only took care of the steering wheel and the car did all the rest)))) the clay, the pebbles\u2026. Nope, haven\u2019t noticed anything like that!
\nMezhyrich was next. The Uspensky Sobor (the Assumption Cathedral) was founded in 1759. The cathedral and the mulberry tree of 300 years gave a great impression!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/14.jpg\")
\nThe Cathedral itself<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/15.jpg\")
\nThe bell-tower<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/16.jpg\")
\nWhile everyone was listening, I took my time to lay down near the mulberry)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/17.jpg\")
\nI was not able to take a full-size picture of it. The trunk width was bigger than the size of my wings spread)
\nThere we were advised to take a shortcut to Mykhailivka. An yes – \u201cthe shortcut\u201d it was)))
\nI wouldn\u2019t tell ya how many times we have turned the wrong way\u2026 It was not a single dozen for sure. Interestingly, no navigator was able to detect our location. So the short way slowly turned into a long one, and we turned our thoughts to those who drew, managed the maps, gave us the advices, made the roads and to other optimistic things. But the salvatory sign about \u201csome forestry\u201d in the bushes was found at last and we did come back to the right way.
\nThere the Count Kapnist\u2019s manor was waiting for us. We looked around it at the sunset, took a walk to the monument dedicated to the executed Mazepa\u2019s cossacs, listened to some stork songs (there were quite a lot of them there), ate the remaining provision and took the Lebedyn route back.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/18.jpg\")
\nThe Count\u2019s dwelling in Mykhailovka<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/19.jpg\")
\nThere\u2019s no room left for food – so I\u2019m taking some rest while everyone\u2019s eating<\/p>\n
July 21 was the day for us to join the Nakipelo-Expedition again. It was organized by our team, Anton Bondarev and \u201cNakipelo\u201d media-project. During the preparation process we chose the route that could be named \u201cnow, that really is the place with no roads whatsoever\u201d))). The challenge was great but we accepted it with honor) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,275],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hghstories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/20.jpg\")
\nTelling you that everyone was tired would not give you a slightest idea of just how tired we were. The back way was just the same – bumps and potholes were everywhere\u2026
\n We stopped to have some coffee after making half of the way\u2026 it was midnight. And we stopped for a smoke every half an hour. The body was operating via some automatic reactions. I opened the windows which made it quite chilly, but it did help to stay awake. I think that the trip wouldn\u2019t be so hard on the more experienced people\u2026 At the end of the trip we agreed to be more modest the next time))))
\nThen we drove everyone to their homes\u2026 It was after 2am when I parked near my house.
\nAnd the next day I got up at 8 despite all of my dreams and wishes, but then I took half of the day off to get some sleep and didn\u2019t even go to pick up the cardan.
\nIt was great and fun, but it was very difficult.
\nI am sorry for the quality of some of the pictures – I did not take my camera, and the phone does not allow to take all the pictures I would like to. The rest of the photos were made by Inna Romenskaya<\/a>, Mikhail Viktorovych Nikipelov<\/a> and Dmitryi Kryvulya<\/a> with quadcopter<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"