Putin launches Silk Road adventure

13 May, 2009, 21:29

Distinguished Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov has begun a daring camel trek across Asia with twelve of his comrades. They hope to make new discoveries about the ancient Silk Road trade route on the 6,000km trip.

The ambitious expedition, which unites around 500 rotating travelers and scientists, kicked off in Mongolia’s Ulan Bator on Wednesday. Entitled “The Silk Road”, the undertaking is aimed at collecting historical materials about trade routes of the past.

The travelers will pass through Mongolia, Altai and Kazakhstan before finishing in Kalmykia in late October – the month the republic marks its 400th anniversary of annexation to Russia.

Russian PM Vladimir Putin kicked off the journey in the republic of Mongolia and joked that he may even join in at some point.

Konyukhov's landmark trips

Fyodor Konyukhov in Greenland (Photo from http://konyukhov.ru)