Experience the Russian countryside of Tolstoy and Turgenev ! Ride a horse across boundless meadows, hunt for mushrooms in silvery birch forests and swim in the clear blue waters of the Oka River. Steam in a wooden banya, the famous Russian bath house, and sleep on straw mattresses on top of pechka, the traditional stove that fills the corner of Russian village homes. Anya and Roman Suslov, a couple from Moscow, have made their home in a small farming village a four-hour drive south in the Tula region and they welcome guests with true Russian hospitality. Guests stay in one of several single-story houses the Suslovs own in the village of Kozino, where there are no paved roads, no stores and only rolling fields for as far as the eye can see. Anya, a former art historian from the Pushkin Museum, now breeds and trains horses - Trakehners and Trakehner-Thoroughbred crosses - and ponies. She takes experienced equestrians for brisk rides through the countryside and gives lessons to children on the ponies. Although now a hard-working farmer, Roman is best known to Muscovites as the leader of the band Vezhlivy Otkaz, or Polite Refusal. He speaks English, while Anya speaks French. For non-riding guests, the Oka River is lovely for swimming and fishing, and the birch forests offer a treasure trove of mushrooms. The nearby village of Nikolo-Gastun, with a crumbling 16th century church, is a pleasant walk away. The Suslovs also take guests on excursions to the historic town of Belyov and local monasteries. Tolstoy’s estate, Yasnaya Polyana, is a one-and-the-half-hour drive away. Turgenev wrote his Hunter’s Sketches based on his experiences in the region. Don’t count out the winter months for a visit to Kozino. Picture riding in a horse-drawn sleigh through snow-covered woods with a Borzoi running along beside, or gathering around the table for a hearty lamb dinner with wood crackling in the stoves. The Suslovs have their own herd of sheep, and a cow for fresh milk. Their vegetables and fruits all come from their bountiful garden, even in the winter, when Anya creates delicious soups and pulls out colorful jars of plums, pickled tomatoes and mushrooms. For informations contact Anya and Roman Suslov. In Moscow: +7 (495) 201 32 29; in Kozino: +7 (08742) 3 47 28. Postal address: 301543 Russia, Tulskaya obl., Belyevsky r., p/o Nikolo-Gastun, D. Kozino, Suslov.