“A tremendous experience,” says Ratheesh C. Nair, who retraced Afanasy Nikitin’s journey 555 years later

Ratheesh C. Nair successfully re-enacted Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin’s 15th century journey from Russia to India, known as ‘Voyage@555’. He traveled through Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Oman, and India, visiting cities Nikitin had explored. The journey, completed in a month, aimed to strengthen Russia-India relations and promote regional cooperation in education, culture, and commerce. Nair’s project received support from various organizations and resulted in agreements for future cooperation between universities and cultural exchanges. The experience was described as fulfilling, with encounters with people, cuisines, and places reminiscent of the 15th century.