Bolshoy Kichmay: Tea and Shapsug Culture

• The tour of the AdamChay tea plantation includes a one-hour walk and a visit to the tea-processing factory. Visitors are asked to book in advance.
• At the Shapsugskiy bereg ethnographic complex, you can watch artisans at work; the museum explores the traditions, code of conduct, and oral heritage of the Adyghe Shapsugs.

The one-hour tour of the AdamChay tea plantation covers the history and production of tea: you’ll learn about tea’s introduction to Russia, as well as the proper way to pick leaves and make tea. The tour also includes a visit to the tea-processing factory. It brings together a historical perspective on tea in Russia and insights into practical stages of production. The one-hour duration gives you a clear time frame for this part of your itinerary.

The tour also includes a tasting of five kinds of tea and jam, as well as a master class on picking tea leaves and making tea. Before your visit, it’s a good idea to check with the provider for the current arrangements for the tasting and master class. Tours run year-round; book in advance. This lets you take both your preferred date and the listed tour components into account when planning.

The Shapsugskiy bereg ethnographic complex is located in the aul of Bolshoy Kichmay. In its workshop, visitors can watch pottery and embroidery being made, as well as glass fusing. The focus is on observing different crafts: you can see what is being made and how various techniques are practiced alongside one another, without mistaking the workshop for a hands-on class.

The complex’s museum presents family and community traditions of the Adyghe Shapsugs, their national code of conduct, and their hospitality. Ancient legends and oral traditions are also covered. The complex’s two offerings are therefore distinct: the workshop focuses on crafts you can observe, while the museum focuses on cultural knowledge and storytelling traditions. Together, they offer a broader insight into traditional ways of life than looking at just one craft could provide.

Those who include other themes from Krasnodar Krai in their travel plans will find both coastal landscapes and cultural attractions. These regional examples broaden the perspective on Bolshoy Kichmay with other interests in nature and travel.

In Azovskie kosy Nature Park, sea waves and currents shape sand and shells into spits and islands with ever-changing outlines. Colonies of different gull, tern, and cormorant species can be found on shallow waters near the coast, at the ends of the spits, and on sandy islands. They are present year-round, although their numbers vary seasonally. At Anapskaya peresyp Nature Park, visitors can walk along the coast’s wide golden beaches; farther from the sea, the sand forms a series of high dunes. The two examples show different coastal landforms: spits and islands in one park, beaches and dunes in the other.

Another regional attraction is the Vinnye dorogi Krasnodarskogo kraya route. It presents the more than 2,500-year history of viticulture and winemaking in Krasnodar Krai, from antiquity to the present day, including through interactive exhibits and installations. The route passes through Anapa, Taman, Golubitskaya, Sennoy, Moldavanskoye, Novorossiysk, Abrau-Dyurso, Fedotovka, and Gelendzhik. The route lists 20 wineries; this number may change. Check the current route and operating status before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Olkhovskiy, Praskoveevka, Shepsi, Pavlovskaya, Saratovskaya, Labinsk, Yuzhnyy, Ubinskaya.

How long does the tea plantation tour last?

The walk through the AdamChay tea plantation lasts one hour and includes a visit to the tea-processing factory. Tours are offered year-round, and visitors are asked to book in advance.

What does the tea plantation tour include?

The tour includes a tasting of five kinds of tea and jam, as well as a master class on picking tea leaves and making tea. Check with the provider in advance for the current arrangements.

What can you see at the Shapsugskiy bereg ethnographic complex?

In the workshop, you can watch pottery and embroidery being made, as well as glass fusing. The museum presents the traditions of the Adyghe Shapsugs, their code of conduct and hospitality, and ancient oral traditions.

For the broader travel overview: Krasnodar Krai.