Academy of Freedom Travels (AFT)

    GENERAL INFO:


    Hitch-hiking (travelling by using free lifts) is popular in Western
countries since the beginning of 20th century. Millions of young people
in America and Europe use free lifts at least once. But only few western
people know about hitch-hiking in Asia, Africa, Russia and former U.S.S.R.
countries.

    Our country is Russia -- the biggest country in the world. Hitch-hiking
here is not only a method to spend holidays. Getting free lifts by cars,
trains, ships and ever planes -- it is our science, it is our sport, it is
our style of life. There are special hitch-hiking clubs in Moscow,
St.Petersburg and other cites, and hundreds of people are members of this
clubs. The most famous club in Moscow is our club, called "Academy of
Freedom travels".

    The members of our Academy have passed hundreds of thousands kilometres of
roads in Russia, CIS, Asia, Africa and Europe. The president of the
Academy, Anton Krotov, spend 12 years on the road; he wrote and published
17 books about travelling. More than 100,000 copies of Krotov's books are
selled already -- but only in Russian!

    We invite everybody: if you are interested in travelling in Russia; if you
want free consultation or free night accomodation in Moscow, if you
want to drink tea with us and to see our fotographs, call us:
(+7-095) 457-8949 (Anton) or 905-9798 (Egor).

    DETAILS:

    The Academy of Freedom Travels was founded on September 2, 1995. Our main
tasks are:

    1) organization of long expeditions and large group travels;

    2) collection, accumulation and distribution of information, useful for
travellers;

    3) propaganda of freedom travels.

    During our expeditions we usually do not use hotels, campings, travel
agencies, and we never search for the transport which would go just for
us. We usually travel by hitch-hiking, using any transport, which goes in
the direction of our goal having an opportunity to take us; we spend the
nights at the houses of people who wants to shelter us or just outside
using the tents or other equipment. Of course, we need less funds for our
expeditions than other travellers do, with all those hotels, planes,
agencies, guides, translators, pre-ordered transport etc. However, saving
money is not our principle or the purpose. The freedom traveler easily
wastes the money if he likes to, and he will never worry about excessive
waste: we know that the world is rich and we shall always have everything
that is necessary for us to travel.

    While abroad, we try not to use the facilities and services created for
comforting the foreign tourists. On the contrary, spending the night in
dwellings of local people, eating their food, using the same cars and
lorries and trains, communicating without the translator or commentator,
we learn life like it is, not like it is presented to us by the authors of
mainstream guidebooks or TV programs.

    During expeditions each of can prove himself that the world is kind,
and people are kind and hospitable in all parts of our country and
abroad, the world is open and belongs to everyone who seriously considered
it at least once. Life is trully beautiful, and coming back from
our journeys we see people around us in another way, and we try to treat them
better and to be rightful members of the world family of humans.


    EXPEDITIONS:

    Almost everyone who is connected with historical traditions of AFT
constantly perform their own trips -- alone, or with their mates.
We have visited most of the regions of Russia and CIS, many
countries of Asia, Europe and Africa. But the greatest public attention
the great (open for everyone) expeditions of AFT achieved. Here are some
of them.

    On August 1996 three representatives of AFT (A. Krotov, O. Morenkov, V.
Razzhivin) have performed a so-called "the Caspian ring" trip. After
visiting Georgia, Armenia and Nagorny Kharabah, the sages have received
the Iranian visas in Yerevan and have opened for freedom travels the new
remarkable country - Iran. Having traveled in Iran and having gone to
Persian Gulf, participants of trip have returned to Moscow using another
route - through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan.

    Using info received during the previous trip, was prepared and carried out
(February - May 1998) an expedition to India (through Georgia, Armenia,
Iran, Pakistan) during which 9 hitch-hikers had reached the coast of
Indian Ocean, and then have come back home, having overcome up to 25.000
kms everyone. Thus for all mankind was laid a main way to India. The
technology of getting visas is obtained, inexhaustible opportunities of
freedom expedition in the southern countries are open. These data are
accessible to everyone, in the new book - by A.Krotov "To India, by
hitch-hiking". This book is supplied with photos and sketches of author
and tells about hitch-hiking, a course of travel as well as technological
basis.

    In summer 1998 seven people reached Nadym town (North Russia), from where
the expedition "Constructions of the century" started. Stalin period
Transpolar railway was built by prisoners in 1949-53, and then was left
and ruined. We walked for 400 kilometres through the north tundras and
rivers. There are only 5 inhabitans in this huge area!

    Almost 20.000 kilometres of Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Sudan roads
were overcame in February - May 1999 by participants of the next
expedition of AFT. We have studied hitch-hiking itself in Egypt and Sudan
and have passed almost all main highways of these countries. And we have
not been in Yemen and Oman as it was planned earlier. But the methods of
finding a lodging for the nights applied during the trip as well as food
and money and other goods will be useful further for all mankind. In Sudan
traveled 5 persons (A.Krotov, A.Petrov, V.Sharlaev, K.Shulov,
P.Marutenkov), two more followed us to Egypt, one - to Syria, one - to
Turkey. About visiting these surprisingly friendly Muslim countries you
can read the details of the story in the book (A.Krotov "This is you,
Africa!")

    To open for freedom travelers one more remarkable country Tadjikistan -
representatives of AFT have gone in summer 1999. Till now this country
remained for many people a white stain on the map with its terrible
hearings about civil war, modjaheads and drug Mafia, kidnappings, famine...
During expedition the countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kirgizia,
Tadjikistan, Uzbekistan) we were convinced that kind and sympathetic
people live in each country and hearings about dangers didn't come true.
It is not necessary to be afraid and look at the world through a keyhole.
It is possible to leave for the world and be open to the world, and the
world will accept you, and you will be successful in any country.

    During unique winter trip (the beginning of 2000) for the first time in
history of scientific hitch-hiking we achieved the polar city Naryan-Mar
and there were 18 persons of us. During expedition original records of AFT
including mass long travel in open car at -25њC and group hitch-hiking air
flight (10 persons) by the cargo plane from Naryan-Mar to Rybinsk. Many
participants of expedition on some parts of way applied non-standard ways
of movement, having overcome the big distances by ski, by deer slays, by
snowmobiles, by passing helicopters and also by foot. (Details in the
book).

    Conquest of Africa. In July - August 2000 participants of greatest
expedition of AFT have left Moscow. Ten sages, during more than
half-year have overcome a hitch-hiking route (more than 30.000 kilometers)
along the roads of Russia, Eurasia, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia. Some of us also went to Angola,
Mozambique, Malawi, Yemen, Oman, Djibouti, the republic of South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Congo, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal,
Marocco and other countries. For example, A.Mamonov and K.Stepanov spend
more than 20 months in Africa and passed about 60,000 km.

    Most of this newly discovered countries were investigated by us
throughly, on the result of trip the special site was made http://
www.africa.travel.ru (in Russian only) from several thousands unique 
photos, also there will be some useful books published at once.

    In the last big expedition (February, 2002) we decided to reach the
geographical center of Russia -- Tura town in Siberia (1200 km north from
Krasnoyarsk). This point is accesible only in winter, because there is no
permanent roads in Evenkia, just the winter tracks. We've spend many days
in winter tayga, and travelled in arctic cold (-45...-52њC). 8 peoples
have reached Tura and came back home safely.

    The route of each expedition of AFT is laid in those places, where no
hitch-hiker has gone before. Each new expedition opens the new
countries, regions and the roads, new horizons for freedom travels.
In many cases noone earlier was bold enough to reach by hitch-hiking
such places; but now many people follow our routes to distant lands
and also learn beauty, kindness and richness of the world we live in.

    OUR SCIENCE:

    The methods of freedom travels used by sages of AFT are not our exclusive
secret. On the contrary, the information about hitch-hiking, getting visas
of the distant countries, finding a lodging for the night, food and money,
is widely distributed by us to people. You can find all information
interesting for you on your information site in internet or learn from A.
Krotov's books (in Russian) as well as from personal contact with
representatives of AFT and participants of trips.

    During trips of AFT and after them, using the info received by us, many
people have discovered for themselves the surprising world in which we live.
Lots of people have followed us in travels in Russia, CIS and to the
distant countries and have independently got that valuable experience
which only the road can give.

    More than 100 persons took part in the creation of super-project
"Encyclopedia of Freedom travelling" - the enormous volume of info about
most of the regions in Russia and the CIS. There you will find
descriptions of regions, cities and roads from the point of view of the
freedom traveler, methods of achievement, places for spending the night,
for parties, stations of changing of locomotives, peculiarities of
stations, authorities, monasteries and many other data for all regions of
the former USSR. Most full and fresh version of Big Encyclopedia of AFT is
always acceptable on AFT site -- www.avp.travel.ru (in Russian only).

    The useful guidebooks in Russian were published "Hitch-hiking in
Asia" and "Hitch-hiking in Africa". Only from these books you can learn
how to organize expedition to different countries yourself, whether it is
Iran or Egypt, India or Botswana, how to receive visas without any
invitation, how to travel without the help of travel agencies, how to
spend no money on transportation and lodging. With the help
of these books grounded personal experience of sages of AFT, your
travel to the southern countries can become more interesting, more safe,
longer and more cheap than sitting at home. New, updated editions of these
books will be published.

    While expeditions, wise men of AFT always take photoes. Hundreds of
pictures were made by us in the far away lands. You can see many of them
personally at the AFT parties or see some of them on our site in the
Internet and other places. Many of our pictures are unique.

    Besides, some of members of AFT collect and study the local printed
literature which they get during trips. Geographical maps, books, brochures,
booklets, albums and souvenirs make a rich library useful to
travelers. All interested persons, can get acquainted
with these materials by contacting us.

    Sages of AFT distribute the knowledge not only through books and the
Internet, but also personally. Quite often we visit various cities and
give free lectures in educational institutions, at hitch-hikers' parties
in local newspapers and TV. We'll be glad to visit your city with stories
and answers to all questions regarding AFT, to sell books and be your
guests for 1-2 nights. Call us, and we'll visit you, though if your city
is far from Moscow, it can take place not so soon.

    If you, in your turn, have visited a distant region or a country, have
made interesting original travel - not necessarily by hitch-hiking - we'll
be glad to listen and ask you. Call beforehand, fix the date and time and
we'll treat you with tea and besides collect an audience of people,
interested in your route and your experience, and may be you'll meet
persons who also were there and you'll discuss it with pleasure. In Moscow
in A. Krotov's apartment, regularly, for eight years, parties of
travelers take place. You can join us to see our photos, listen to stories
of outstanding sages about their expeditions by hitch-hiking to Tibet,
China, Asia, Africa, Russia and other countries.

    OUR BOOKS:

    In present time, -- our literature is published on Russian language.
A.Krotov, president of AFT, has written 17 articles of books. During the
period 1995-2002 more than 100,000 copyes of books was selled. Now in
Russia available :

- "Technology of Freedom travels", 1995-2002

- "Encyclopedy of Freedom travels", 1998-2002

- "All local trains of Russia", 1996-2001

- "Ahead, to Magadan!", 1996, 1997

- "Routes of Russia", 1997, 1999

- "Hitch-hiking in Russia", 2000

- "Hitch-hiking in Asia", 1999 (guidebook)

- "Through 7 borders", 1998

- "Visiting India -- it is easy!", 1998

- "To India, using science", 1998

- "To India by Hitch-hiking", 2000

- "This is You, Africa!", 2000

- "Hitch-hiking in Africa", 2001 (guidebook)

- "Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan by Hitch-hiking", 2002

- "200 days going South", 2002 (transcontinental expedition)

- "Races of Sages and Transpolar Railway Road", 1998

- A.Krotov. "Polar shining", E.Pagirev. "Two Northern weeks", 2000

    Some of books is guidebooks, another is literature description of our
adventures. We are looking for translator to translate some of books to
English language!

    COORDINATES FOR CONTACT:

*** Anton, President of AFT :

    The address for letters: Anton Krotow, Leningradskoe shosse h. 112-2 apt.
547, Moscow 125445, Russia.
E-mail: krotov_avp@mail.ru , or: antonkrotov@yahoo.com 
Phone: (+7-095) 457-89-49, 458-37-71.

*** Egor, Coordinator of AFT:

Phone: (+7-095) 905-97-98
E-mail: egor_kostroma44@mail.ru 

*** Grigory, Web-Master of AFT (in Dubna city, Moscow region)

(+7-09621) 2-04-41; from Moscow and Area (221) 2-04-41.
E-mail: gril@avp.travel.ru (in Russian only)

    We invite everybody: if your interested in travelling in Russia; if you
want free consultation or free accomodation to night in Moscow, if you
want drink tea with us, and see our fotographs... We want to see other
hitch-hikers from other countries... and if you also want to invite us to
you country, we are glad to visit you one day !

    Moscow, 10.05.2002.