Thiruvananthapuram: Afanasy Nikitin was the first Russian to travel to India. Reminiscent of this, Honorary Russian Consul and Director of the Russian Cultural Center, Thiruvananthapuram, Ratheesh C. Nair will retrace the same trip that Nikitin took 555 years ago.

The name of the journey is Voyage@555. The 40-day journey will begin on September 2 from Tver, Russia.

In 1466, Nikitin travelled from Tver to India via the Volga River. He reached Khambhat in Gujarat in 1469 via Iran and Oman.

Ratheesh will travel through Russia on the Volga River by boat and ship. By car, he will reach Iran via Azerbaijan and Darbant. By road from Iran to Oman. From there take a flight to Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

He will visit more than 25 universities in Russia and will attend various seminars and film screenings. A painting of Nikitin drawn by painter S.Radhakrishnan will also be displayed at various places.

He will also participate in online meetings with Chamber of Commerce officials at various locations. According to Ratheesh, the travel expenses will be borne by the Russian government, the Russian Atomic Agency Rosatom and Sber Bank.

He will reach Kerala via Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana and Karnataka. Nikitin's journey to Kozhikode will conclude on October 12, commemorating his arrival in Kozhikode.