Istok

The Istok kin domain settlement is in the Far East of Russia, 29 km from Birobidzhan in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. The settlement is 1km from the village of Zholtiy Yar. It has a 24-hour store, a club, a school and a kindergarten.

The first settlers came to the land in the spring of 2011, and one year later the settlement began to be developed. We bought 40 hectares of land. The land is registered as agricultural land on which homesteads may be constructed. Plots are located in about 300 meters from the main road. The settlement has a well-made dirt road.
Istok family homestead is surrounded by picturesque countryside. You can see the beautiful Ulduri hills 700m high, there is a gulf on the other side of the track, the Bira River and a stunning oak alley where you can find mushrooms at the end of summer. On the field, unlike the village, the nature is wilder; pheasants and quail live in grass. Swallows settle under the roofs of the buildings. Where there is water, there are wild ducks. Deer and foxes come from the woods, and in general the nature here is very trusting.

The local flora is very rich and varied; there are many medicinal plants, mushrooms and berries. In the forests one finds lime, guelder rose, hawthorn, wild apple, buckthorn, dog rose, hazel, Korean pine, and grapes, among other plants. In the gardens pear, apple, apricot, plum, and other fruit and berry plants grow freely.

As our village is young and small, the infrastructure is not fully developed yet, but we have already allocated land for the common house, a large pond, and marked paths between the family homesteads. Installation of the power lines is not planned onsite. We prefer to use alternative energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels, etc. Each family is responsible for installing their own water pump.

In 2013, the settlement had 2 permanent families. Five further families are in the process of constructing their homesteads, among them two school-age children. In total, there are 13 people in the settlement.

Residents are actively engaged in land restoration using permaculture methods. We plant trees in communal areas. Together we are reviving Slavic festivals and traditions.
We plan to build Artisan City, a space for the revival of folk crafts. The settlers plan to build a nursery garden, apiary and stables for horse breeding in their family homesteads.

Our settlement is very nice, beautiful and cozy.
We are waiting for the new young and enterprising neighbors.

Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Istok Family Homestead Settlement