Maria Akkaya

A St. Petersburg native, “Masha” earned an M.B.A. from the Stockholm School of Economics. Travel and study of the English language have always been her passions, and since 1999, she’s combined these interests as a tour manager with MIR.

Michel Behar

Michel has worked for MIR since 1998 and has led tours to every corner of MIR's realm from Tibet to Tehran and everywhere in between. A Dutch citizen, Michel speaks a host of languages, including Russian, Italian, Turkish and Hebrew. He specializes in current affairs and the 20th century history of the former Soviet Union, Europe, the Near East and North and West Africa. Michel’s interests include photography and world music.

Read Michel's Blog Articles

Inga Belova

Inga was born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia. She has worked in the travel industry in Georgia for years and has traveled to many of MIR’s destinations, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the Baltics, Turkey, Czech Republic, Iran and Russia. With degrees in Linguistics and Journalism, and her great sense of humor, Inga is a popular guide and tour manager who loves to dance, cook, read, travel and most of all, shop.

Olga Boyarskaya

Olga has been guiding MIR travelers to Russia and beyond for more than 15 years. A native of St. Petersburg with a great sense of humor, she has traveled extensively throughout Russia, China, Central Asia, Iran and along the Trans-Siberian. Olga enjoys working with travelers because it gives her the opportunity to share her love and knowledge of her city with others. Her other interests include aerobics, dancing and spending time with her sons.

Tamara Dubko

A St. Petersburg native, Tamara's extensive training in languages and fine arts serves her well in her tour manager role with MIR. In addition to her work as a tour manager with MIR, Tamara has a lifelong interest in art history, hiking and nature. She began traveling by train when she was five, and has led many of MIR’s Trans-Siberian journeys. Tamara loves meeting people of all different nationalities and lifestyles and showing them her country.

Jamshid Fayzullaev

Born and raised in the ancient city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, Jamshid is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable person who is familiar with every corner of Uzbekistan. Fluent in English, Russian, Uzbek and Farsi, Jamshid spent several months in the U.S. as an intern with the Mississippi Consortium for International Development. He has been a tour manager for MIR for more than seven years now, and is well-versed in the history and traditions of the Silk Road. Clients enjoy his buoyant personality and his wholehearted engagement with each tour he leads.

Natalia Ivanova

Natalia Ivanova, originally from Ekaterinburg, has been living in St. Petersburg since 2005 and has worked as a guide and tour manager since 2007. She received a Masters degree in English and German in Ekaterinburg, and studied for four years at the Adelante Center for Spanish Language and Culture. She has worked with English, Portuguese and Spanish-speaking groups and is fluent in these languages, as well as in German.

Yuriy Kim

With a background in the hospitality industry, “Yura” guides MIR travelers throughout Central Asia, Iran, Turkey and China. A resident of Bukhara, he is fluent in English, Russian, Tajik and communicates easily in Uzbek as well. He has great enthusiasm for his country, which his clients appreciate.

Martin Klimenta

A Czech national and former teacher, Martin has been leading MIR tours since 2000. He speaks four languages, including Russian, German, English and his native Czech. He is extremely well-traveled in this corner of the globe having led countless MIR groups on journeys to Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, China, the Baltics, Central Asia and Iran and all over Central/East Europe and the Balkans. Martin’s flexible, active style and inquisitive nature make him a perfect travel companion who can be called upon to assist with virtually any special request.

Anvar Nasimov

Anvar has worked in the tourism industry in Uzbekistan for more than a decade, interpreting, guiding, leading tour groups and working in a tour office. He studied languages at Samarkand State University, and speaks fluent English, Russian and Tajik. Anvar spent a year as the interpreter for a UN consultant in Samarkand, and regularly escorts MIR groups around Central Asia along the Silk Route and along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Furkat Pulatov

Furkat was born in a village near Samarkand and studied at Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. He has worked in the travel industry since 1996, and speaks Uzbek, English, Russian and Tajik. Furkat’s interests include the history and traditions of Central Asia and sports (especially soccer).

Katya Puzyreva

Katya was born in Moscow and spent several early years in Minsk, Belarus. She earned a Master’s in Journalism and received an English Language Interpreter Certificate from St. Petersburg University. Katya enjoys meeting new people and never grows tired of learning more about different personalities. Working with Russian delegations in the U.S. has given her great communication and problem-solving skills. She has been guiding and managing tours for more than 20 years, and has been all across Russia, to Eastern and Western Europe, and to 14 U.S. states, including Hawaii. She is especially interested in music and ballet.

Abdu Samadov

Born and raised in Samarkand, Abdu Samadov is full of inside information about his hometown. He has studied in England and the U.S. and is fluent in English, Farsi and Russian. Abdu guides MIR’s travelers throughout Uzbekistan and enjoys sharing his knowledge with other travelers..

Read Abdu's Blog Articles

Paul Schwartz

Paul led his first MIR tour in 1999, but his connection with Russia began long before. Paul first traveled to Russia and the former Soviet Union on a semester language program while studying Russian at Grinnell College. A few years later, he returned to live and work aboard Soviet factory fishing ships as an interpreter and troubleshooter. It was here that he refined his Russian language skills and enhanced his cultural understanding of the different ethnic groups within the Soviet Union.

Paul has since led over 100 tours covering all the former Soviet republics, diverse parts of China, Mongolia, Iran and most of Eastern Europe. Besides travel, his interests include hiking and camping, reading (especially travel books) and Russian literature.

Batir Shamakhsudov

Hailing from the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, Batir has been working as a guide in Central Asia since 1997. He studied English at Tashkent's World Languages University and is also fluent in Uzbek and Russian.

Max Sjoeblom

Alla Shishkina

Born and raised in Irkutsk, Alla received her Master's degree in English and German and has been working as a guide and tour manager in the Baikal region for 14 years. A friendly and sociable mother of two, Alla loves to travel, read, garden and cook.

Jurate Terleckaite

A native of Vilnius, Lithuania, Jurate has worked as an interpreter at the Lithuanian Parliament; a free-lance journalist for Lithuanian, French and English magazines and Lithuanian radio and TV; a translator of four English and French books; and an organizer of international conferences. She is a long-time tour manager and guide in the Baltics.

Irena Trushkevych

Irena hails from Lviv, Ukraine and has over 20 years experience working with foreign tour groups, including work with businesses, NGOs and charities. She is a certified interpreter and speaks fluent Russian, English and Polish in addition to her native Ukrainian. Travelers appreciate her company as well as her vast knowledge and language skills.

Tatiana Timoshuk

Tatiana was raised in St. Petersburg, and has been guiding and managing tours for more than 20 years. A “child of perestroika,” Tatiana has traveled and led tours in most of MIR’s destinations. She is energizing to be around, because she loves her job and knows how to enjoy life. Fluent in Russian and English, Tatiana likes to teach Russian folk songs and dances to her clients.