Russian delegation arrives in Pyongyang - Photo: AFP
The group traveled from Vladivostok to Pyongyang on February 9 by North Korean-owned Air Koryo.
Tourism in North Korea is tightly controlled. Tourists are not allowed to travel independently. Each tour group is accompanied by a supervisor.
Despite her hesitation, Bychova decided to go to North Korea because she did not want to miss the opportunity to explore one of the most mysterious countries in the world .
Blogger Ilya Voskresensky, one of the tour participants, listed his occupation on his visa application as “selling food” and “working part-time” in order to get the opportunity to set foot in North Korea.
He wanted to see the place with his own eyes to see if North Korea was like Soviet-era Russia as his grandparents and parents had told him.
The male blogger shared: “Looking at North Korea, I realized that my grandparents lived exactly like the people here.
The trip took me back in time. There was absolutely no advertising in the city. The only thing displayed was the state slogan or the national flag.”
Each tourist pays $750 for the four-day tour. The group is always accompanied by a tour guide and interpreter.
Lena Bychcova looks out the window at Masikryong ski resort - Photo: CNN
Tourists visited the statues of late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong II on Mansu Hill and the Mangyongdae Children's Palace on the first day. They then spent the remaining three days at the Masikryong Ski Resort.
Visitors must adhere to extremely strict regulations, especially when taking photos or videos.
They are not allowed to take pictures of the military, people in uniform, construction sites and buildings under construction. There are also clear rules on how to take pictures, especially not allowing newspapers or magazines with pictures of the leader to be wrinkled.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, China was North Korea's largest source of tourists.
Both Bychcova and Voskresensky said they went to North Korea for non-political purposes: they wanted to get to know and establish relationships with the local people.
“About 200 kids – we counted them on stage! – prepared a special one-hour concert for us. There were only 97 of us,” Ms. Bychcova recalled.
The next Russian delegation is scheduled to visit North Korea in March.
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