stary oskol: the town that time forgot (and i kinda loved it)
the train pulled in at dawn and i thought i'd dreamed the whole place. stary oskol-population 220k, according to someone's drunk cousin at the station-looked like a soviet film set that got left out in the rain. but that's exactly why i came. no filters. no influencers. just raw, unfiltered russia.
i just checked and it's 2.21°c there right now, feels like 0.12°c, and the humidity is 100%. hope you like that kind of thing. i didn't bring gloves. rookie move.
first stop: the central market. someone told me that the pickled cucumbers here could cure a hangover in 10 minutes flat. i didn't test that theory (yet), but i did buy a jar and now my backpack smells like my grandma's cellar. worth it.
"if you want real borscht, go to the place with the blue awning. the one with the cat sleeping on the scales."
that's what a babushka whispered to me while weighing potatoes. i found it. the cat was indeed there. the borscht? life-changing. no TripAdvisor link because they don't have wifi in 1985, apparently, but you'll find it if you wander long enough.
stary oskol isn't pretty. the buildings are peeling, the roads are cratered, and the fountains don't work. but the people? *gold*. i met a guy who collects vintage radios and another who claims his great-grandfather invented a type of pickle. both were completely serious. both made my day.
if you get bored, voronezh and belgorod are just a short drive away, but honestly? don't rush. sit in the park. watch the old men play chess. drink bad coffee from a kiosk and feel alive.
one last thing: someone warned me not to trust the taxi drivers. "they'll take you in circles," he said. i didn't listen. i got taken in circles. twice. but i also got a free history lesson and a shot of moonshine. so maybe listen, maybe don't. your call.
this place doesn't care about your itinerary. it doesn't have an instagram filter named after it. and that's exactly why it's unforgettable.
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