Doll Festival vs Dendrological Garden: Where to Go?

August 15 (Saturday) is a day of landmark events: the “Soul of Siberia” doll festival will take place in Znamenskoye, while the “Apple Rus” gathering festival kicks off in the village named after Komissarov. That’s where the unique dendrological garden is located, founded by the romantic gardener Pavel Komissarov — a man who tamed the Siberian climate.

So where should I dash off to? I will have to choose! Let me try comparing both locations.

Location:

• Znamenskoye is in the north of Omsk Region, as far as 350 km from the region capital city;
• the village named after Komissarov is ten times closer — no more than half an hour’s drive south from the city center.

Getting there:

• for a comfortable trip north, it makes sense to set off the day before and stay overnight in a town of Tara, because 700 km behind the wheel in a single day plus shooting is too tough;
• a short trip south lets you get a proper night’s sleep and fit the outing into one day with no extra accommodation costs.

The event:

• the doll festival is a unique themed programme: the area, where I’ve never been before, is home to many original doll-making masters;
• the dendrological garden will host a classic celebration with a concert and a fashion show, but on the grounds of a nature monument of regional significance.

In terms of logistics, the village named after Komissarov wins — but landing a new, far-flung point on the map is also very tempting. There’s still time to choose: I would welcome readers’ advice and arguments.