Stand-Up Paddleboarder Sets Out on 4,000-Kilometer Russian River Expedition

A Russian tourism official has launched an ambitious solo journey across the Far East—standing on a paddleboard. Yuri Skorobogatov, director of the Center for Tourism Development, began his expedition from a small settlement 50 kilometers outside Chita, aiming to reach the Sea of Okhotsk.

His plan: paddle 4,000 kilometers along the region's rivers in roughly 100 days, ending in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. But Skorobogatov hasn't ruled out extending the trip all the way to Vladivostok—a 6,000-kilometer journey that could keep him on the water until November. “Those are very rough estimates,” he told TASS. “There are countless factors that affect speed.”

The paddleboarder is also chasing a record. The current mark for the longest stand-up paddleboard voyage belongs to Stanislav Vulkanov, who covered 3,500 kilometers on the Volga River. Skorobogatov has already contacted International Record Book Interrecord to have his expedition officially documented. Beyond breaking records, he says he wants to experience the wild, remote landscapes of Transbaikalia, the Amur region, and Khabarovsk Krai.

This journey follows news of another remarkable Russian traveler: an 85-year-old woman who set off by bicycle from Tver, aiming to reach the Kuril Islands.