Siberian Forester Achieves Life-long Ambition
2009-7-31 7:59
Victor Tkachenko has spent 40 years working in the Siberian taiga. From an early age he dreamt of sailing his own boat on the nearby Baikal Lake. Now he is about to realize his life-long ambition to build his own boat.
[Victor Tkachenko, Forester and Shipbuilder]:
"I have been on the water from the age of six. I am both a hunter and a fisherman. I was already fishing and sailing alone when at 10 years old I dreamt of building my own ship. Now I am old enough, I am doing this."
Tkachenko has no formal education, preferring instead to find knowledge through years spent in the taiga.
Baikal is the world’s deepest freshwater lake and Russian authorities are keen to promote it as a tourist destination.
The biggest challenge for Tkachenko may come when he completes his boat. He faces a 40 kilometer journey to deliver his boat to the open water. But for this Siberian ship builder, no obstacle is too great to stop him from achieving his dream.
