Sirius, Russia

Until recently, the star Sirius shone exclusively in the sky, but in 2015 it also lit up on Earth, when Russia’s first educational center for gifted children was opened in the Sochi Olympic Park. Since 2020, the first and currently the only federal territory in Russia has also been called Sirius.

Sirius is located in the Imereti lowland, next to Sochi. 1420 hectares of picturesque open spaces in the ring of the sea and mountains, the Mzymta and Psou rivers, our own management system and budget, several iconic Olympic facilities – the portrait emerges very impressive.

And given that Sirius is not just a resort, but a science city, where the innovative concept of smart tourism is being implemented, you want to immediately pack your bags and go on vacation with pleasure and benefit. See EDUCATIONVV.COM for education and training in Russia.

How to get there

First you have to get to Sochi. Pobeda, Royal Flight, Smartavia and other airlines fly from Moscow to Adler Airport, travel time is a little more than 2 hours, tickets start from 3900 RUB round-trip. Buses No. 57 run between the airport and Sirius (it takes about half an hour to the Olympic Park stop, the fare is 26 RUB), express No. 135 (150 RUB) and taxis (10-20 minutes, from 400 RUB).

You can also get to Adler by train, although it will be more expensive and longer: a trip from the capital takes from 1.5 days and costs from 3900 RUB one way. Electric trains (15 minutes, from 55 RUB), buses (half an hour, 50 RUB) and taxis (20 minutes, from 200 RUB) run from the railway station to Sirius. And the Moscow-Sukhum trains stop right at the Imeretinsky Kurort station, so you don’t have to change trains.

Where to stay

Sirius offers accommodations for travelers of all budgets. The most affordable option is hostels and guest houses with double rooms from 1000 RUB per night in the low season (the farther from the sea, the cheaper). Accommodation in “kopeck pieces” costs from 2000 RUB per day, in “three rubles” – from 3000 RUB for two. In the high season, the cost varies from 4,000 to 40,000 RUB for double rooms, depending on the class of hotels. Breakfast is often included in the price, many hotels are equipped with swimming pools.

The most comfortable accommodation is offered by one of the largest Sirius Hotels chains in the country, represented by 4 hotels: Omega, Delta, Gamma and Sigma. They are great for family holidays, smart and business tourism due to their diverse infrastructure and close proximity to the iconic objects of the federal territory: the sea, the Olympic Park, the Sirius Park of Science and Art. Guests can also stay at nearby Imeretinsky, Bogatyr, Arfa Park or Radisson Collection hotels.

What to see

The main local attractions are associated with the Sochi Olympics. On the federal territory there is the Olympic Park with the Fisht stadium, ice palaces, training and sports facilities. During the day, it is worth visiting the Museum of Sports and Classic Cars with a collection of supercars from different eras, and in the evening admiring the light and music show of singing fountains located in the Olympic Fire Bowl. The shape of this grand structure resembles the mythological Firebird. Jets of water from 252 cannons soar to a height of up to 70 m and, thanks to LED lighting, turn into real fireworks.

And all this – to the accompaniment of Russian classics and Viennese waltzes, movie soundtracks and popular hits: for every day of the week, for every holiday – its own unique show program.

Reliable information about the history and development prospects of the Olympic Park can be obtained during a golf cart tour developed by Sirius Lyceum. The tour lasts 80 minutes, takes place in the summer months 4 times a day, the cost is 500 RUB.

We also recommend excursions to the exposition of space technology and the experimental demonstration laboratory “Polygons” in the Park of Science and Art “Sirius”.

Interactive exhibits, touchscreens with information and technological design objects allow you to “declassify” the latest scientific technologies and participate in virtual experiments.

And the tour of the Smart City exposition is a fascinating overview of technologies that make modern cities comfortable for life: they are analyzed using the example of Moscow, and then participants are involved in the creative search for new solutions.

“Sochi Park”

The next mandatory point of the program is Sochi Park with attractions, a dolphinarium and a sovarium, a mini-zoo and other entertainment for the whole family. The Museum Center is open nearby, under the roof of which several expositions are located. In the Electric Museum of Nikola Tesla, they introduce the inventions of the legendary scientist and surprise with a performance with lightning. At the Mechanical Museum, Leonardo da Vinci teaches you how to understand intricate mechanisms like perpetual motion machines and trebuchet, and at the Back to the USSR Museum, you are immersed in a retro atmosphere.

Southern Cultures Park

You can take a break from the hustle and bustle in the Southern Cultures Landscape Park, where at nightfall the trees are lit up with multi-colored lasers and LEDs. Another idyllic place is the Ornithological Park with hundreds of species of birds (including those from the Red Book) and a large population of amphibians and mammals.

After exploring the federal territory, you can go to the village of Veseloe with a monkey nursery and a nostalgic amusement park, and then give up on excursions to nearby Abkhazia and Krasnaya Polyana.

Smart tourism

The federal territory is a special scientific, technological and socio-cultural environment designed to inspire the development of science and high technologies and at the same time develop a culture of smart tourism. It is not for nothing that Sirius is called a science city: its heart is the Educational Center, created on the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation. Here every child can get in-depth knowledge, develop their talent and fully realize their personal potential in one of three areas: “Science”, “Art” and “Sport”.

Sirius resembles a city of the future, and thanks to the concept of smart tourism, anyone can get here. It is enough to choose one of 50 special programs, buy a ticket, and gaining knowledge will become a natural continuation of rest and recovery. Smart tourism is a qualitatively new approach to recreation, an opportunity to spend time with maximum benefit for your own intellectual and creative development.

Smart tourism programs have been developed taking into account current pedagogical methods in cooperation with leading subject matter experts from the Sirius Educational Center. Natural sciences, information technology, business etiquette, pottery – there is a suitable topic for everyone. Recreation and education are complemented by a rich cultural program with concerts, creative meetings, excursions and sporting events at the Olympic venues.

In a non-boring, school-like environment, children learn the secrets of mathematics and chemistry, astronomy and robotics, create animation and virtual reality applications, master city farming and martial arts.

There are also classes for adults: foreign languages, photography, dancing, yoga, fencing, sculpture.

In the Smart Parenting course, you can learn how to raise happy children while enjoying the process. “Introduction to modern business etiquette” – trainings for future communication gurus. And the program “Online: instructions for beginners” helps the older generation to conquer the Internet, keeping up with their grandchildren.

Programs are implemented in scientific laboratories, lecture halls and creative workshops of the Sirius Park of Science and Art that meet international standards. Here, on an area of ​​20 thousand square meters. meters, research centers and small production facilities have been created: for example, in the prototyping laboratory you can learn how to work with a 3D printer and laser cutting equipment, and in the ceramic workshop you can get acquainted with tools for working with clay and create something beautiful on a potter’s wheel.

And now it’s time to remember that “Sirius” offers guests, albeit smart, but still tourism. This is not a school, but a full-fledged seaside resort with comfortable hotels and well-thought-out infrastructure. You can just relax today in different ways: a classic relaxed vacation is wonderful, but familiar, while an educational family adventure is a new experience that will be remembered for a long time.