The creators of a popular domestic online tourist aggregator have died

A helicopter carrying tourists crashed in Kamchatka, killing all 22 people on board. Among them were the founders of the popular online tourist aggregator “Bolshaya Strana” Yulia and Mikhail Repkin.

Tourist helicopter crash in Kamchatka

The founders of a major online tourism aggregator, Bolshaya Strana, and a married couple died in a helicopter crash in Kamchatka. Michael And Julia Repkina.

Information about this was published on the page of the “Big Country” on the social network Instagram (owned by the Meta corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia).

The Mi-8 helicopter of the Vityaz-Aero airline disappeared from radar on August 31, 2024. On September 1, rescuers were able to find the crash site.

All people on board – 22 people, including three crew members and 19 tourists – died. By the evening of September 1, rescuers had found the bodies of 17 people, and the search for the rest continued.

The founders of the online travel aggregator “Bolshaya Strana” Yulia and Mikhail Repkin died in a plane crash in Kamchatka

The helicopter was picking up tourists from the Vachkazhets volcano and was supposed to deliver them to a parking lot in the village of Nikolaevka in the Yelizovsky district. The founder of the Kamchatka Freeride Community travel company was also among the dead Kirill Sereginfinancial director of the Russian Football Union (RFU) Arseniy Zamyatin and his wife Pauline.

According to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a pilot error in adverse weather conditions is being considered as a preliminary version of the accident. “In the fog, the pilot could have missed the hill and hit its slope,” the newspaper’s source said. The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on the fact of violation of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport.

What is the “Big Country” known for?

“Bolshaya Strana” is an online aggregator that resells tours around Russia from local tour operators without markups. The company’s catalog contains more than 7 thousand offers from more than 470 tour operators, as well as 22 different types of recreation (from simple excursions to hiking, rafting, climbing, etc.).

The company actively offers its services through social networks, “Bolshaya Strana” is included in the Register of Tour Operators and the Register of Accredited IT Companies.

Yulia Repkina was a member of the Russian Geographical Society.

Who owns the “Big Country”

OOO Bolshaya Strana was founded in Perm in 2018 by the Repkin spouses. Until the spring of 2024, Yulia Repkina held the position of the company’s CEO, then became its executive director.

The company’s current CEO is Daria Repkina (possibly Mikhail Repkin’s sister). According to the Kontur.Fokus database, Mikhail Repkin owned 69.1% of the company, Yulia Repkina owned 20%, and Daria Repkina owned 10.9%.

The revenue of Bolshaya Strana LLC in 2023 amounted to RUB 224.2 million, net profit was RUB 118.2 million. The Repkin family also created an online tour aggregator, Club of Guides (legal entity – Vautri LLC) and a software developer, Balalaika LLC.