Posts from CIS 2021 or lessons learned.

November... the 11th month, which means there are less than six months left until the May holidays, and despite all the problems with the coronavirus, we need to figure something out. I reviewed several options, plus there were a couple more that met our requirements, but May is already booked (we're not the only smart ones). In general, here it is... Peter suggests gathering at our place again and holding the CIS 2021 tournament at the Severny Bereg base in Toksovo, which is 15 km from St. Petersburg, on Lake Khepojärvi https://sevbereg.com/. After the CIS 2020 tournament, the main complaints were about the poor internet and the distance from St. Petersburg. Well, here you go. The base is a 20-25 minute drive from the Parnas metro station, or 3.5 km from the train station, from where trains will take you to the Finland Station in St. Petersburg in 42 minutes. The internet is also good - the base has fiber optics and good 4G. Dates: I plan to set a record this time and hold the CIS tournament for 8 days, from July 17-25, which will allow us to relax and play the tournament without rushing. Entertainment (what would it be without it?) - the base has separate saunas + small saunas in each house for 3-4 people (in 2 houses, the "Bear Estate" and "Hunter's Estate", where 11-12 people will live, they are much larger and visually designed for about 8 people). These houses also have 2 billiard tables. Most of the base is located on the water, so there are many water activities - boats, catamarans, wakeboarding, SUP boards, trampolines, and there is also the possibility of organizing ATVs and paintball (get revenge on the player who beat you in the tournament, shoot a whole clip at him ). And of course, fishing, what would it be without it. Accommodation: all the houses, except for the 2 largest, are located on the water, and those who wish can jump straight from the doorstep to cool off in the river. The houses are very beautiful; I will post photos from my phone later. 2 houses for 11-12 people (one, probably, I will leave for short-term rentals), 6 houses for 4 people, and 3 houses for 6 people. Of course, a welcome banquet will be organized, and three meals a day will be provided. The cost: 23,300 rubles per person. This amount includes accommodation, meals + a festive banquet (alcohol, as always, is brought by ourselves). Due to the fact that July was chosen instead of May, which is the most popular month, the price, unfortunately, has undergone a slight change. Also, as always, to guarantee accommodation, it is necessary to make a deposit, the minimum amount of which is 7,000 rubles (I need to pay a deposit for the base). If a person does not make a deposit, then I cannot guarantee him a comfortable sleeping place - folding beds, mattresses, tents, a van... I probably wrote it a bit chaotically, it's hard to express my thoughts clearly right after the offline event, I will edit and add more information in the process. In general, we write/discuss, ask questions, and, of course, sign up. On the one hand, there seems to be time, but on the other hand, it has a tendency to fly by very quickly. Severny Bereg is waiting

reservation 1

reservation 2

reservation 3

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Here's the situation.

On the one hand, COVID is unpredictable, and committing to dates for May now carries certain risks (but this can be resolved through agreements about the possibility of rescheduling).

On the other hand, work is being done on options for Moscow (Moscow Oblast) and Moldova.

And regarding St. Petersburg, if I understood Roma correctly, they are holding the reservation until November 14th, and they expect a prepayment on November 14th.

Yes, I managed to convince the base owners to hold the dates for us in May, without a down payment, for 2 weeks, which ends around November 14-15. Then, either I need to go and sign the contract and make a down payment, or we hope for the best, but in 90 percent of cases, this will be equivalent to missing out on the base, as this base is in high demand, and even in October, when I went, it was occupied.
Regarding postponement due to COVID, our contract will include a clause about postponing to other dates if the situation gets out of control and cities and/or flights are closed.
Moscow is an interesting option if someone takes it up, and it would be very desirable to present this option before the 14th, otherwise we risk being left without Moscow and without St. Petersburg.
Moldova is probably unlikely due to the virus, borders, and flights.
In general, if 15-20 people are aware of the situation within 10 days and support the Toksovo option, I will continue working on it; otherwise, there's nothing more to be done.

This year has shown that it might not be worth focusing specifically on the May dates. For those who work, it's the same – they need to take a week off (May 4-7, 2021, are working days, with only Monday, May 3rd, being a day off). In fact, in previous years, many families planned their May holidays in advance for spending time with their families. Therefore, I suggest planning a trip to Moscow (taking into account the COVID situation) and Moldova for early to mid-August (I'm working on this myself). I recommend the same for St. Petersburg.

The range of daytime temperatures in St. Petersburg for the specified May dates over the past three years has been from 3 to 16 degrees Celsius (3 degrees was on May 3rd last year), and nighttime temperatures have ranged from 0 to 9 degrees Celsius.

No, sorry, but I doubt I have enough masochism (enthusiasm) to do this again... traveling to different locations, checking things out, making arrangements. I'm already doing this because there was no alternative, but now I see that Merlin has options in Moscow and Moldova... if you don't want this option, no one is forcing you; I would be happy to come as a simple spectator and just relax without any organizational problems or obligations.

No, sorry, but I doubt I have enough masochism (enthusiasm) to do this again... traveling to different venues, checking them out, making arrangements. I'm only doing this now because there was no alternative, but now I see that Moscow and Moldova have venues available from Merlin... if you don't want to consider this option, no one is forcing you. I would be happy to just come as a regular attendee and simply relax without any organizational problems or obligations.

What's the problem? You're saying that we're not interested in the May dates anymore, but we are interested in July 31st - August 7th. Two more cities are being considered as potential venues. The decision will be made, tentatively, by January-February. Why rush things? I highly doubt that they will have August booked by December - the Moscow venues only recently opened sales for the New Year holidays, and no one has even posted information about prices for the rest of 2021 yet.

You've just set your sights on the May dates, but no one is particularly interested in them anymore. Those who work for a company or abroad don't even have May holidays. Only those who work in the public sector are affected - but even they can take the same week off as vacation.

Well, I talked to about 20 people just a couple of days ago, and almost all of them agreed on the May dates. Kirill, we seem to be having some kind of discussion, let's keep it down a bit, or chat somewhere in private and listen to what people have to say, what suits them better – May in St. Petersburg or August, possibly in Moscow or Moldova. IMHO, that would be the right approach. Guys, please express your opinions more actively, instead of just reading the thread, as a lot depends on it, especially for those who are almost certain to come to the CIS event.

I think we should start a poll! It's been a while since we had a good argument!
Let's wait for two more big Vs to join in.

Wake up, Kostya, what argument are you talking about? It was just a friendly exchange of opinions. Now, to avoid pointless chatter, we've moved the discussion to VK.

I think we should start a poll!!! It's been a while since we had a good argument!
Let's wait for the two big V's to join in.

Something strange is happening with the fonts...
Actually, if Roma has firm dates and isn't ready for St. Petersburg in August, then a quorum decision is indeed needed urgently.
I've started looking into Moscow, but I'm still feeling a bit under the weather (don't want to get sick), and the guys from Moldova got in touch today. I've outlined the requirements for the venues – the specifics of the event – and they need to decide among themselves whether they can handle it.
So, if it's St. Petersburg in May, then I'll stop searching for a venue in Moscow and let the guys from Moldova know not to bother.

What personally worries me about this venue.
1. 70 percent of the rooms have double beds.
2. According to Roma, the hall is no bigger than the Plotvichka hall. And there might be more people if the borders open. And there probably won't be a commentator's booth.
3. I wouldn't recommend eating outside in temperatures of 3-7 degrees Celsius.

The advantages.
1. An experienced, skilled organizer.
2. Logistics.

As far as the price is concerned, I understand it's higher due to its proximity to St. Petersburg and the fact that it's one night longer compared to this year (it was August 8-14), if I haven't forgotten how to count.

Okay, I'll answer again, just because I didn't write anything about the commentary – it will be there. There's a marker on the map – a headquarters; I plan to place it there, especially since the fiber optic cable is already running to that location. Now I just need to find commentators and get them there. Yes, the price is a bit higher, but the base is also a bit better in my opinion, and we'll be there for more days. Plus, rental and food prices, unfortunately, tend to increase, and the amount that was in Plotvichka simply won't work there anymore. In August, we were just able to persuade them to keep the previously agreed-upon price, which, to be honest, took a lot of effort. Dima, the owner of the Plotvichka base, was not happy at all to accommodate us at those prices, as thanks to the closed borders and the lack of alternatives for the population, he had raised prices by 1.5-2 times by August. In addition, the organizers and he were paying for the internet connection to Plotvichka, which he also wasn't particularly happy about. Here, the internet is already connected, so I would add another plus – good, high-speed fiber optic internet. Damn, Kirill, you made me write a whole essay again. I'm shutting up for now