Curious Tofurious: Dagestan

For this latest episode, American Tofurious Crane’s next stop is Dagestan, a region of Russia in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains.

His first stop is Derbent, Russia’s oldest and southernmost city on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Tofurious climbs to the top of the Naryn-Kala fortress and visits the Juma Mosque, one of the oldest in the world. A key section of the Great Silk Road once passed through this city, which is why, for centuries, various empires vied for control of the region.

From there, he moves on to the Chirkey Reservoir, where a local explains how it became a vital source of drinking water and electricity.

On the Caspian shore, Tofurious encounters the ‘Caspian Sea Monster’, the legendary Lun-class ekranoplan, a massive ship/aircraft hybrid weighing in at more than 380 tonnes.

He learns how people live in Russia’s oldest city and why the Juma Mosque remains at the heart of urban life in Derbent.

Watch “Curious Tofurious: Baikal” on RTD website and on RT’s live feed. The time of the broadcast is available on RT’s schedule page.