It’s a well known fact that during the Cold War Soviet Union did everything possible and impossible to enforce the military industry. Not only
Soviet law required all able-bodied males of age to serve a minimum of three years until 1967, when the Ground Forces draft obligation was reduced to two years, but
even at average village school kids (both boys and girls) were taught how to use the weapons. And even though that Cold War is almost forgotten and Soviet Union is a part of history already, the results of all those efforts couldn’t just disappear in nowhere.
To save words lets just have a look at some numbers: Ukraine inherited about 30% of the Soviet military industry, which included between 50 and 60 percent of all Ukrainian enterprises, which employed 40% of its working population. That’s a huge amount of armor for a very small country compared to Russia.
And that was not the only thing that was left in Ukraine after the governing of the Soviet Union. After almost a century of domination of military ideology in Ukrainian society army imbued all aspects of life here. The influence was so powerful that even though it goes against the national mentality what was an obligation before turned into hobby now – extreme spicy and very unusual.
In the year 2000 this little hobby turned into a whole new type of tourism –military tourism. Desna military base, located 70 km (43 miles) northeast from Kiev and covers an area of 2,100 square kilometers (810 square miles) was the first one to welcome foreign travelers. Of course as all new and unknown things it could cost a fortune to spend 24 hours on the active duty: get up at 6.30, do exercises, have breakfast and do other ordinary for the army stuff together with ordinary Ukrainian soldiers. For each shoot from sniper rifle adventurer was charged 20$, a tank ride cost from 250$ to 400$ for 6 kilometers and a flight on MIG-29 or SU-27 would cost up to 10 000$.
Each year demand for military tourism growths and as a result leads to the increase of suppliers and reduction of prices. Nowadays you don’t need to go far away, spend the whole day on the military base. Even if you have a bit more then one hour you can still visit one the “mini military bases” – sport clubs. The only difference from the real military base is the size. All the rest is real: weapon, soldiers, cartridges, tanks.
“We are very glad to be able to offer this kind of tourism not only to our VIP clients but almost everybody from students to top managers. Flexible individual approach allows us to fit everybody’s interests, wishes and possibilities,” – says Marina Dovgal, director of MJ-Tour, incoming tour operator for Ukraine.
The information given on the MJ-TOUR’s web site says that already with 100 USD adventure (local or foreigner) can make a little journey to the times of Soviet Union. That’s the price of the smallest package of shooting activity that includes apart from transfer, English-speaking guide and funny stories of “old soldiers” also make 20-30 shots (depending on the kind of weapon). That makes it only 4-5 $ per shot. And as always the more you shoot the less you pay per shot.
Tank driving
has also fallen in price to 75$ for 30min ride. Even for spending the whole day on the territory of mini-military base, shooting from different types of weapon, driving tank, tasting soviet soldier meal will cost only 1000$. But of course if you are not a professional, you won’t be able to last that long.
Such prices are considered reasonable even for locals – to proof that all it takes to visit one of such clubs on the weekend when the weather is good.
In other words, military tourism is a new tradition that has already become part of Ukrainian culture. Extreme nature of shooting, tank driving, helicopter rides has made it attractive and popular regardless sex or nationality. And there is one thing that proofs me right and that is gold on last Olympic Games in Pekin for shooting.
For more information about these activities please visit http://www.mj-tour.kiev.ua/index.php?page2=10001