Advice for those who plan to visit Chechnya

Ancient Vainakh towers, dried meat and dumplings with wild garlic, hostels of Grozny and Chechen dodgy taxi drivers - like here to say, "is Chechnya, baby!". How not to be trapped, says Victoria Khan, who has been living for two years in the country.

What can and can not do

By following some of the rules, you do not do a favor to the Chechens, but show respect for the people and its traditions, for which you will thank sincerely and generous hospitality.

Shawl: to wear or not to wear? Headgear - part of the traditional female attire, which should wear a Chechen. However, this rule does not apply to guests. No you will not keep hiding her hair under a scarf, or hijab, is not condemned for his absence and did not expel from the country. But if you wear a scarf or stole, it's sure to be celebrated.

Outdoor Clothing. Highly undesirable neither man nor woman to walk in shorts, especially above the knees, as well as to carry much tight shirts, excessively open tops and mini-skirts. There are so taken.

Greeting. Verbal greeting between men accompanied by the traditional handshake, but any physical contact between a man and a woman possible - only verbal communication (this restraint man shows respect for women).

Smoking and alcohol. In Chechnya extremely welcome smoking in front of their elders, and women can not smoke at all. Keep it fared with alcohol: drinking alcoholic beverages, and the appearance of drunk in public places is not possible. Behavior in the transport of. In public transport, it is desirable to give way to seniors, women and girls. Do not be surprised if some of the locals to find out that you are a guest of the republic, you will pay for travel - here it is practiced.

Shooting. Before you take pictures, it is necessary to ask for permission, as women and young girls are often opposed.

Where to live and how to move

A few years ago the Terrible had to offer tourists only hotels, among them -, but now the choice of location for an overnight hotel more "Grozny City" (one of the most expensive hotels in the city). Just two years ago, the first hostel opened in Grozny, there are about ten today. And, most likely, their number will only increase.

Basically, all the hostels and hotels are located in the center of Grozny, since the entire life of the city is concentrated there: business, culture and leisure, as well as its main attractions. Here it is located and the main ways of sending in regions of the republic - the bus station.

As for prices, then each of the hotel and the hostel has a price list (as it should). But if the clarified politely and unobtrusively on the availability of rooms, "cheaper" (in which there is nothing wrong) or discounts for large companies (if you are traveling in a group), the administrator likely will throw you a few hundred. A trifle, but nice.

The main form of transport in Chechnya - taxis. In Grozny, there are two bus station "South", better known as the "Minute" and "Berkat", located in the central market area. With these two stations you can go to any part of the country.

Schedule and general departure time - the concept, let's say, a very flimsy. It should leave a bit earlier when ridership is high, otherwise wait for the minibus is full (a prerequisite for the administration) will have half an hour to a couple of hours.

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the direction in which you want to go. If, say, you need to Shelkovskaya or Naur district, then leave to be quite simple - transport departs every 15-20 minutes. Another thing - the mountain areas. In the most distant of these bus runs every day. For example, in the region of Itum-Kali transport leaves at 9am. Back returns the next day.

Exit - taxi. For the money it will cost as public transport, but faster and more comfortable. However, be careful. Like all taxi drivers in the world, the Chechen taxi drivers eager to cash in on tourists who do not know where to go, and take the first available assistance. Do not hurry. Even if you are traveling alone, look for the taxi drivers, who are gaining passengers group of four (the number of seats in the car) and the sum is divided at all. In general tour of the city will cost you from 100 to 500 rubles. A trip to the regions - from 150 to 1500 rubles, depending on the remoteness of the area.

With regard to urban transport, taxis and buses operate in the summer and 20: 00-20: 30 (in rare cases), in the winter - to 19: 00-20: 00. Once - only a taxi, which, however, is available in the financial plan.

What to try

Zhizhig-galnysh - the first dish, which writes all travelers. It dumplings with meat, broth and garlic sauce. Really worth a try, but be aware that meat and dough are different. Classic dumplings - boiled beef or lamb with dumplings made from wheat flour. In other embodiments, dumplings can be made from corn flour. As to the meat, then it can be chicken, can use tripe stuffed with giblets, dried meat and homemade dried sausages. If you're traveling in a group, in which there is no vegetarian, the best option - to order one serving zhizhig-galnysha in different variants.

Chepalgsh and hingalsh (tortillas with cheese and tortillas with pumpkin) - not less popular Chechen dishes, which are almost always present on the table. Of course, the most delicious are the homemade cakes, but in restaurants they are doing good.

Holtmash - dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese, garlic and nettle. Serve them with sour cream or melted butter. Ramson - a seasonal product that is harvested in the mountains and forests in the period from February to April. One of the dishes with this plant is worth to try, because not all regions of our country wild garlic is eaten, and she has a special spicy flavor and lots of vitamins. With wild garlic make cakes, pies and pasties, even. More its fried in oil, sometimes supplemented with tomato or eggs. In general, "cheremshovy" boom, or as they say here, "cheremshovaya" spring. During this period, worth a characteristic garlic smell in Chechnya, which has a plant, and therefore a good idea to stock up on chewing gum with mint flavor. Dried meat in Chechnya like nothing less than fresh. You can simply Serve sliced ​​dried meat of beef, lamb or horsemeat. However, most love bean soup with dried meat.

And, of course, kebab. Caucasian table in principle inconceivable without this dish. Roasted on coals Juicy slices of meat with the scent of smoke from the Caucasian cake, fresh vegetables and herbs. Despite the fact that the restaurant offers a ready-made barbecue, many prefer to cook it yourself - at home or outdoors. And it's the only dish to cook is trusted only to men. Remember, barbecue does not tolerate women's hands!

Speaking of barbecue. Taste it will be at the grand festival "Kebab-mashlyk", which will be held in Grozny on April 22-23. The uniqueness of the event lies in the fact that there will gather chefs not only from different regions of Russia, but also from other countries. As you know, every nation has its own, a national recipe barbecue and a chance to sample each of the options appears infrequently.