Доброе утро!

If you weren't awake already, you are now!

Time to dig some snow! 💪

t.me/OffGridInRussia

I have to say, I am LOVING the white wall tyre look on the Buhanka 😍! What do you think?

t.me/OffGridInRussia

Quick check-in from Narnia.

We’ve got a second snow cyclone forecast for Moscow and Tver oblast, and everything is properly buried again. The Buhanka has disappeared under a thick white layer, so most of my time has been spent clearing paths just to move around properly.

The well is freezing over about every two days now, so it’s become part of the routine — drop the bucket in, smash through the ice, keep the water flowing.
Nights have been cold enough that I’ve had to run both fires at times, and since I last updated you I’ve burned through roughly 2 to 2.5 tons of wood out of the original 4 to 4.5.

For now, it’s the same steady rhythm until spring properly arrives. It’s getting closer, and I’m definitely ready for it.

If you value these honest updates from off-grid life in Russia and want to help keep the project going through the winter, your support genuinely makes a difference — especially with firewood, maintenance, and keeping everything running.

💳 revolut.me/mikejonesru
🏦 T-Bank card: 2200700885021005
🌐 offgridinrussia.com

t.me/OffGridInRussia

In Belarus, the village of Veselukha has been put up for sale. The price is just 760 thousand rubles (~$10k). There are three large courtyards with houses, and around them are stunning views surrounded by forest and a river. The village itself is located on the border with Lithuania

t.me/OffGridInRussia

I don't think this needs translation 😁

t.me/OffGridInRussia

First person to correctly name what I'm building gets a cookie 🍪

t.me/OffGridInRussia

Spring has finally arrived, but winter hasn’t fully let go yet. Snow still lingers on the ground and everything is saturated after the thaw, turning the land into heavy, wet soil that isn’t ready for planting just yet.

The main focus right now has been clearing and resetting the space for the season ahead. A delivery of roughly eight tonnes of firewood ended up stranded in the driveway after getting stuck in the snow, forcing a full rethink of how to store it.

Instead of leaving it in a messy pile, the decision was to build a traditional Holzhausen — an igloo-like wood stack designed to encourage airflow and speed up seasoning. The idea is simple but effective: allow air to circulate through the structure so the wood can dry out in around six months rather than sitting damp and unusable for over a year.

What followed was a full-day physical push to shift and stack the timber, shaping it into a circular structure that now sits as a feature in the yard. It also created a side-by-side comparison between different storage methods, showing just how much airflow and exposure matters when it comes to drying wood properly.

Alongside that, preparations are beginning for the growing season. A small greenhouse has been set up for seedlings, and the land itself is already waking up — with all the chaos that comes with spring, from burrowing activity across the ground to the return of insects and ticks.

By the end of the day, the driveway was finally clear again, and the space has been reset for the next phase of work: building, planting, and getting the homestead fully operational for the warmer months ahead.

Full story and High Rez Video on SubStack.

Support the project:
💳 revolut.me/mikejonesru
🏦 T-Bank card: 2200700885021005
🌐 offgridinrussia.com

t.me/OffGridInRussia