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12 Incredible Tourist Attractions & Things to do in Russia

Looking for the best places to visit in Russia? Our ultimate guide shows you the best things to see and do in Russia

Russia. The name alone is intriguing enough for most of us to plan a trip to this fascinating country. As to be expected from the largest country on earth, there is a ton of places to visit, tourist attractions and things to do in Russia. The staggering variety of landscapes, people and cultures make Russia an incredibly exciting country to visit.

Stretching from Eastern Europe all the way across Asia until it reaches the Pacific Ocean in the Far East, Russia is many different things to many different people. Whether you’re looking for world-class museums , history, art, culture, adventure, solitude, vibrant cities or bleak arctic landscapes, Russia has it all. Deciding which places to visit in Russia will probably be the hardest part of your trip.

To visit the tourist attractions in Russia, especially Moscow and St Petersburg, independently is surprisingly easy and you could do most things by yourself. However, some places to visit in Russia require you to take a tour. Also if you don’t speak or at least read Russian, having someone show you around will be much more enjoyable.

If you’re looking for the best places to visit and the best things to do in Russia , you are in the right place. So pour yourself a cup of tea (or vodka if you prefer), and start planning a dream trip to Mother Russia- she is patiently waiting for you.

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BEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO IN RUSSIA (OUTSIDE MOSCOW & ST PETERSBURG)

Of course, no trip to Russia would be complete without seeing the splendours of Moscow and St Petersburg. Those looking for fun in Russia will find it here without a doubt. Whether your idea of fun is exploring funky neighbourhoods, hitting the bars or cafes, or watching a world-famous ballet, Moscow and St Pete’s have it all – and more!

St Petersburg is the cultural heart of Russia and it is a stunningly beautiful city. You definitely need to see the incredible collection of art in the Hermitage while in St Petersburg. You will also enjoy a canal cruise through the Venice of the North.

The cathedrals, architecture, food, palaces and gardens are on par with that of the rest of Europe, yet it won’t cost you nearly as much as it does in Western Europe.

Moscow is grand, and as the political and religious heart of the country, it’s easy to see why it’s the most popular place to visit in Russia.

The Kremlin, Red Square, and relics from the Soviet era are sure to be on top of the list of most visitors. One of the best things to do in Moscow is taking a metro tour from one over-the-top station to the next.

But don’t stop there. If you’re planning to see Russia beyond the Red Square, here is a list of the best things to do and the best places to visit.

Ride a T-34 Tank Just Outside Moscow

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to ride in a real Soviet tank? You can find out when you visit Moscow! A couple of different tour operators in Moscow will take you just outside the city to experience riding on/in a T-34 tank! The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank that was introduced in 1940 and famously deployed during World War II against Operation Barbarossa.

In addition to the  tank ride , these tours also allow you to fire 10 blank shots from the Russian weapon of your choice, such as an AK-47. You can also learn how to disassemble and reassemble an AK-47. Where else in the world can you do that?

Be aware, you are not allowed to bring your camera with you on the ride, though, as both hands are needed to hang on! You will also be dressed in helmets and protective clothing provided by the tour company. This protects you against scrapes from tree branches.

For this tour, the tank ride is approximately 1 km…so, not very long at all. You go through the woods and then back. You get the option of sitting on the outside of the tank or inside (not claustrophobia friendly!). This tour is by no means cheap either, but it is a unique experience to have in Russia! How many people can say they have ridden a real Soviet tank while in Russia?

By Lindsey Puls of Have Clothes, Will Travel

See the Northern Lights in Murmansk

If you’re travelling to Russia in the winter, Murmansk in the Kola Peninsula should not be missed. During the winter you can see one of nature’s best shows, the Northern Lights, and Murmansk is the cheapest place on earth to do so.

Murmansk sits on the shores of the Arctic Ocean and is the biggest city in the world located above the Polar Circle. Being so far north makes Murmansk suitable for seeing the midnight sun in summer and the aurora borealis in winter.

During the short winter days, you can go and see the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic During the Great Patriotic War Monument (locally known as the Alyosha Monument). At 35m tall, this colossal Soviet statue is the second biggest in Russia after the Motherland Statue in Volgograd. Another interesting activity is to go check out the is Lenin , a decommissioned Soviet nuclear-powered ice breaker that has been turned into a museum ship.

It’s possible to see the Northern Lights in Murmansk anytime between mid-September and mid-March. Murmansk experiences the polar night (the period of continuous darkness from 2 December to 10 January), and this is the ideal time to see the northern lights in this part of Russia.

The city itself is not the ideal place to see the aurora because of light pollution. The best place in Russia to see the northern lights is in the village of Teriberka north of Murmansk.

This small village on the tundra is where you want to be to see the colours of the aurora dancing in the sky. Stay in a glass igloo at the Aurora Village for a few days, and if you’re in luck, mother nature might just give you a show that you’ll never forget.

Visit Vladimir in the Golden Ring

Vladimir is one of Russia’s golden ring cities but is often overlooked by visitors as they head directly to nearby Suzdal. A pity, because Vladimir has just as much to offer. While Suzdal is stuck in time and offers a glimpse of rural religious life, Vladimir is a modern city that has preserved its important historical sights very well.

Vladimir is one of the oldest golden ring cities and it was established by Prince Vladimir in the 12th century. Like most golden ring towns it played an important role in the development of the Russian state and orthodox church. For a short time, it was even the capital of Russia and Vladimir built churches, monasteries, fortified walls, defence towers and medieval gates.

In 1238 tragedy struck when the Mongols conquered Vladimir and left it in ruins. After that, the capital moved to Moscow, but the princes of Moscow did not forget Vladimir. It was rebuilt and renovated and new churches were built in the 16th century.

Nowadays Vladimir is the administrative centre of the Vladimir province. When you walk in its modern shopping streets it could be any city in Russia with great restaurants, cosy cafes and pub bars. However, its picturesque historic centre is a journey back in time. The Golden Gate, the Assumption Cathedral and the Demetrius Cathedral are the oldest structures in Vladimir and still date from the 12th century. 

By high-speed train, Vladimir is less than 2 hours away from Moscow. There are also frequent commuter trains that take slightly longer. It is possible to see Vladimir on a day trip, but it’s better to add another day and include Suzdal as well. Combined it makes for a great weekend away from Moscow.

By Ellis from Backpack Adventures

Climb Mount Elbrus

Prielbrusye National Park is located in the Central Caucasus, in southwestern Russia near the border with Georgia . The park occupies 100 000 hectares and it’s one of the largest national parks in Russia. Mount Elbrus is the most famous landmark in the park and one of the main reasons thousands of people come here every year.

The highest of the two peaks of Elbrus reaches 5642 m above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Europe and one of the seven summits, the seven highest mountains on each continent. Conquering Elbrus is on the bucket list of many professional climbers and adventure seekers. In summer climbing to the top of Elbrus or hiking in the surrounding mountains is a popular summer activity in the park. In winter many tourists come here for skiing and snowboarding, there are several ski lifts on the slopes of Elbrus and some other mountains. 

The scenery in Prielbrusye is truly spectacular; turquoise colour lakes, crystal clear rivers, snowy peaks, alpine meadows, mineral springs, and beautiful waterfalls. It’s a real paradise for outdoor lovers. There are several multi-day hiking trails and long-distance treks inside the park. The entrance fee to the national park is about US$10, and a ticket is valid for several days for different routes including climbing. 

The easiest way of getting to Prielbrusye is to fly from Moscow or St.Petersburg to Nalchik and from there take a local bus or a shared taxi to Terskol, the closest town to the national park. 

By Alya & Campbell from Stingy Nomads

Take an Epic Train Ride on the Trans Siberian

The Trans Siberian spans the length of Russia, travelling from Moscow to Vladivostok in the country’s far east. It travels more than 9200 kilometres, and takes seven whole days to do the entire stretch! There are a few variations to the train – if you want to go through Mongolia, you’ll take the Trans Mongolian, and if you want to end up in China , you’ll be on the Trans Manchurian.

These are routes rather than trains, lots of different trains actually span the route. They vary in quality and modernity; if you book with tourist agencies you’ll generally be put on the tourist trains, which are kitted out for people hunkering down for seven days. However, if you book with local websites or at the station you will be on local trains, where few people are doing the whole journey.

Some people stay on the train for the entire journey, whereas others disembark at various stops along the way and enjoy some of the highlights of Russia! Places to stop include Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, and Irkutsk for Lake Baikal. The Trans Mongolian can be used to get from Mongolia to Kazakhstan by train via Russia; from Novosibirsk or Omsk, it’s relatively easy to travel southwards to the border.

While there’s plenty to see en route, the uniqueness of the Trans Siberian Railway is the journey itself. Sitting at the window with a hot mug of tea, watching Siberia speed by, encountering locals and tourists in the cabin, and trying out some local delicacies at each stop is what makes this epic train journey so special!

By Claire from Claire’s Footsteps

Take a Cruise on Lake Baikal

A visit to Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, should be on every traveller’s Russia bucket list. Lake Baikal is not only the world’s deepest lake, but it also holds the largest volume of fresh water in the world – a staggering one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater. 

The lake lies just a one-hour drive from the transport hub and city of Irkutsk in Eastern Siberia and is an ideal stop if you are travelling across Russia on the  Trans-Siberian Railway.  Tourists can hire a car in Irkutsk or take one of the many tours on offer.

Visitors to Lake Baikal can walk along the lakeshore, take a trip to remote Olkhon Island and explore charming villages such as Listvyanka with its ornate, wooden Church of St Nicholas.

But to truly experience this enormous lake, visitors need to take a boat trip on the lake itself. There are a variety of cruises offering trips of varying lengths on an array of different sized crafts but to experience the tranquillity and wildlife of the lake, opt for a smaller craft without piped commentary. Alternatively, travel like the locals and use the car pontoons that transport locals to different locations around the lake. 

On a sunny day in Spring or Summer, the lake is ethereal and otherworldly. The rich-toned, blue hue of the water is in contrast to the green, densely wooded hills and mountains surrounding the lake. The water is crystal clear offering exceptional visibility for visitors and on a calm day appears more like a waveless ocean than a lake. 

By Sinead from Map Made Memories

Ride the Circum Baikal Railway

The glorious Lake Baikal is considered to be the deepest lake in the world and is home to fabulous views, wonderful wildlife and some truly Russian experiences.  Until the mid 20 th  century, the rail tracks that run from Slyudyanka to Port Baikal for 74 kilometres were part of the Trans Siberian.

These days it offers a service that allows you to see some of the stunning Lake Baikal in just a few days.  The track runs through 4 stations and 38 tunnels, ending in Port Baikal where you can take a ferry across to the village of Listvyanka – popular in summer for wildlife tours and a great spot for dog sledding in winter.

The train route is known as the  Circum Baikal Railway  – although it’s certainly not circular and doesn’t go all the way around the lake, just a small part of it.  You can, however, make your route circular by taking the train to Port Baikal, then a ferry to Listyvanka and then a bus back to Irkutsk.  The route can be undertaken independently or as a tour from Irkutsk.  Tours tend to take the specific tourist train which only runs on certain days and which will make photo stops.  They also allow for hiking part of the rail tracks.

Popular overnight stops are Port Baikal or Listyvanka, where you’ll find local spots to eat and where locally caught smoked omul – a fish from the lake – is a great and tasty delicacy.  This Russian street food is cooked by ladies on grills at the end of their gardens and is worth the trip on its own.  Taking the Circum Baikal in Russia off the beaten track and a great way to explore this part of Siberia.

By Sarah from ASocialNomad

Visit Kazan, the Third Capital of Russia

Visiting Kazan is one of the best things to do in Russia. The capital of Tatarstan, located some 700 km east of Moscow, is a fascinating place, full of history, different cultures, and beautiful places including a UNESCO site.

Kazan is also often called “the third capital” due to its significance in Russia. The city was founded in the 11th century and was an important centre of the Golden Horde in medieval times.

The most important place you can’t miss in Kazan is the UNESCO-listed Kremlin – the historic citadel from the 16th century. On its premises, you will find plenty of famous Russian tourist attractions: the Annunciation Cathedral, Söyembikä Tower (the leaning tower, one of the symbols of the city), the impressive Kul Sharif Mosque, and more.

The heart of the city is the pedestrian Bauman street, always busy with street musicians and strolling people. That’s where you will also find numerous cafes and restaurants. Be sure to try local Tatar cuisine, unique in this part of Russia. Since Kazan is a Russian centre of the Tatar people this is a great place to learn more about their culture and history. On the contrary, you can also visit the cool and quirky Museum of Soviet Lifestyle to see how everyday life in Soviet times used to look like.

If you have extra time go to the Temple of All Religions, located outside of the city. It serves as the universal temple with elements of all the main religions in the world and is such a unique place. With all these great  things to do in Kazan , you won’t be bored there for sure! 

By Kami from My Wanderlust

Eat Like a Russian

Moscow is the heart of Russia, so it is a wonderful place to experience the food and culture from many regions around the country.  A great way to discover new foods and sample the best is to take a food tour.

A top choice is the Danilovsky Market, which actually includes foods from other former Soviet republics such as Georgia as well as more remote Russian regions like Dagestan.  There has been a market on this site for hundreds of years, though the current building, shaped like a domed tent, is recent.  There are stalls of fresh produce and prepared food from around the world, with a heavy emphasis on Russian and former Soviet dishes. 

A classic food tour of the market includes pork dumplings in soup, raw lard (pork belly fat), and blinis and caviar.  Even if these are not foods you usually eat, this is an opportunity to be adventurous and try new things.  You can also try horse jerky and a Dagestan pie made with flatbread.  

You will also have the chance to sample Russian cheeses, Georgian walnut and grape juice candy and different flavoured cordials to drink.  Russian food is heavy on pickles, and you can sample pickled leeks, pickled garlic, pickled cucumbers and much more. 

Taking a food tour at the beginning of your trip is not only a great introduction to the local cuisine, but it can also give you ideas about dishes that you could try more of in restaurants throughout your trip.  The overall awareness of Russian food that you gain can in turn help make you even more adventurous in your food explorations throughout your trip.

By James Ian from Travel Collecting

Learn About the Romanovs in Pushkin

Visiting  the Alexander Palace in Pushkin  is the highlight of a trip to Russia. It offers you a great insight into Russian history, as this was one of the Romanov summer residences.

Perhaps many Romanov palaces in Russia are more beautiful than the Alexander Palace, including the more famous Catherine Palace just around the corner. But none of them tells history as the Alexander Palace does.

It was constructed by Tsarina Catherine the Great, but its most famous resident might be the last tsar. Nicholas II choose the palace as his favourite summer residence to escape Saint Petersburg and court live with his beloved family.

Hiding for the public and court life was one of his many mistakes and his reign eventually ended with a bloody revolution. The Alexander Palace switched from home to prison for Nicholas, his wife, four daughters, son and loyal staff. The family was executed later on in another location.

The palace displays the home of the last tsar and his family, including the children’s room, some of their personal items and the tsar’s study. It gives you a glimpse of the private family life of one of history’s most tragic rules.

Visiting the palace makes a great day trip from nearby Saint Petersburg. Combine it with the Catherine Palace next door for a Romanov-themed day out. You could join one of the many tours to Catherine Palace, but most of them don’t visit Alexander Palace too. It’s much more fun as well to visit Pushkin on your own by taking public transport. You’ll never forget your ride in the public minivans (marshrutkas).

By Maartje & Sebastiaan from The Orange Backpack

Visit a Buddhist monastery in Siberia

A 6-hour flight away from Moscow is a beautiful town called Chita. Chita is well known for several historical monuments and events and is also a stop along the Trans Siberian railway. One of the many  things to do in Chita  is a visit to Datsan Monastery.  

Datsan is a term used for Tibetan Buddhist university monasteries in Mongolia, Siberia and Tibet. The Aginsky Datsan Monastery is located in Amitkhasha village, around 2 hours drive from Chita town.

Aginsky Datsan is a place of significant cultural heritage. The Datsan used to be an Orthodox church, but it was rebuilt and adapted in the 19th century to a small temple. The design was influenced by Tibetan, Chinese and Russian styles. Today the monastery is painted in the traditional Buddhist style with bright colours, which gives it a definite oriental flavour.

Over time the Datsan became the largest Buddhist monastery in the Transbaikalia region. It’s well known throughout Siberia and farther afield for its medical, philosophical and astrological schools. Monks and students from as far away as Tibet and Mongolia visit the Datsan. The Datsan is not as big and grand as those in Tibet but it has a more homely, approachable feel to them.

Aginsky Datsun seems to stand in the middle of nowhere but there’s a steady flow of locals. Russian visitors and tourists from all religions visit the monastery for its architecture and grandeur. 

You may pray, offer a few coins at different idols and there is also a souvenir shop. If you are interested, you may be interested in meeting the healers and astrologers.

By Nisha & Vasu from Lemonicks

Best places to visit in Russia

This list is by no means a complete list of things to do in Russia. But at least it’s a start. Yes, we know we should go all the way east to see the incredible volcanoes, bears and hot springs of Kamchatka. We know that the crab in Vladivostok is supposed to be damn good (and cheap). How could we have skipped Volgograd and its Patriotic War monuments or the Russian Riviera on the Black Sea ?

Well, this just gives an excuse to come back to Russia and see more of this incredibly interesting and beautiful country.

Let us know in the comments below if we missed one of your favourite tourist attractions in Russia. We are always looking for more things to do in Russia. Who knows, perhaps we can amend the list for you.

Thank you for the beautiful photos and inspiring information.

I’m glad that you liked it, Linda. You should really go and see Russia. Such a beautiful country with a lot of culture and history.

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Top Things to Do in Russia

Places to visit in russia, explore popular experiences, popular cities in russia.

Top Attractions in Russia

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15 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in St. Petersburg, Russia

Written by Diana Bocco Updated Dec 23, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Moscow might be Russia's most modern, cosmopolitan city, but St. Petersburg is the cultural and historical heart of the country . Home to the Hermitage, one of the largest and most stunning art museums in the world, surrounded by canals, and home to beautiful white nights (when the sun never sets in summer), St. Petersburg is regal and inspiring.

First-time visitors should start at the Hermitage Museum -a museum so large, it is literally impossible to see it all in one day -and the beautiful Nevsky Avenue, flanked by opulent restaurants, churches, and palaces, and a great place for people watching. The Peterhof Palace Complex requires a day trip out of town, but it's a must-see and one of the highlights of a trip to St. Petersburg.

Whether you already know what to do when visiting or are looking for more ideas on how to spend your time, take a look at our list of top tourist attractions in St. Petersburg.

1. State Hermitage Museum

2. peter and paul fortress, 3. palace square, 4. peterhof palace, 5. eliseyev emporium, 6. vasilyevsky island, 7. nevsky avenue, 8. church of the savior on spilled blood, 9. mariinsky theater, 10. rivers and canals, 11. cruiser aurora, 12. saint isaac's cathedral, where to stay in st. petersburg, russia for sightseeing, map of tourist attractions in st. petersburg, russia.

Founded when Empress Catherine the Great started acquiring works of art in the late 1700s, the museum didn't officially open to the public until 1852. Today, the Hermitage is the second-largest art museum in the world after the Louvre, and it's home to a collection of over three million items.

The Hermitage technically occupies six buildings, although the main part of the museum (and the building most people associate with the museum) is housed in the Winter Palace, which served as the home of the Russian emperors until 1917, and it's a massive structure with 1,500 rooms.

In addition to French Neoclassical and Impressionist art, Flemish Baroque and Italian Renaissance exhibits, the museum also holds an impressive collection of Russian art from the 11th to 19th centuries, a sizable 19th-century Egyptian antiquity collection, and a hall showcasing prehistoric art. The Hermitage has the largest collection of paintings in the world, spanning many countries and centuries.

The Peter and Paul Fortress was originally a fortified area meant to protect the state from foreign attacks. It was constructed in 1703 and then extended and modified for the following four decades. While the fortress never saw any actual combat, it still has a dark story behind it, as it served as a prison and execution quarters during the Bolshevik revolution in the early 20 th century. Today, it's part of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.

Within the walls of the fortress and surrounded by beautiful gardens and stone paths, there are several buildings. Perhaps the best known is the 18 th -century Peter and Paul Cathedral , the final resting place of Russian czars. Prison cells, a city museum, and the Saint Petersburg Mint building (founded in 1724 to manufacture coins and still in operation) are also located within the walls of the fortress.

St. Petersburg's main city square is a massive open public space right in front of the Winter Palace. The Alexander Column , built in the 1830s of a single piece of red granite, stands 47 meters tall at the center of the square. It was commissioned by Alexander I to commemorate the victory against Napoleon.

Many major events in Soviet/Russian history have taken place right on the square-Tsar Alexander II was shot here in 1879, and Bolshevik troops started the Revolution here in 1917 by storming the Winter Palace, where the royalty lived. Since then, the square has also been used for marches and demonstrations, from military parades to celebrate Victory Day (which marks the end of WWII) to New Year's Eve celebrations.

Located less than 30 kilometers from central St. Petersburg, the 18 th -century Peterhof Palace complex consists of a series of buildings, several formal gardens, and a total of 173 fountains fed by underground springs. Designed in the style of the Palace of Versailles , Peterhof is best known for its "Grand Cascade," which consists of 64 fountains located on a series of terraces outside the main entrance of the palace.

The opulence of the palace itself can be discovered through a guided tour. It features 30 rooms decorated with truly imposing gold colors, lots of marble, and items brought back from Asia mixing in with Baroque-style fireplaces and giant mirrors. Although it's possible to take a bus to get here, you can also catch a boat from St. Petersburg. The ride takes 45 minutes on the Neva River and offers great views of the shoreline along the way.

When the Eliseyev Emporium building was inaugurated in 1903, it was one of the most luxurious structures of its time. This might not be the case anymore, but the Art Nouveau details, stained-glass windows, crystal and metal candelabra, and hand-painted wall patterns are still quite impressive. The main attraction here, however, is the window displays, which feature moving puppets representing characters from The Nutcracker .

Today, this retail complex focuses mainly on food, with the most famous stop inside being the Eliseevy Merchants' Shop , Russia's oldest confectionery shop, which also sells high-end meats, spices, and dressings. The Eliseyev Emporium is also home to a unique homemade ice-cream shop selling flavors such as spicy basic and strawberry, green tea with jasmine, and "tender violet." Beautiful, hand-carved wooden souvenirs of traditional figures from Russian folktales are also available here.

Located just across the river from the city center and the Winter Palace and connected to the mainland by two bridges and a metro line, this small island is home to a number of landmarks and beautiful parks-including a Museum of Electrical Transport; the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography; the Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange; and the Baroque Menshikov Palace, which serves as a branch of the Heritage Museum and holds mainly 17 th -century Russian art.

The Russian Academy of Sciences has several branches on the island, as well-and visitors might particularly appreciate visiting the Institute of Russian Literature , which holds original manuscripts of some of Russian's most famous writers, including beloved poet Alexander Pushkin.

Named after the Alexander Nevsky Lavra monastery that sits on this same street, the 4.5-kilometer-long Nevsky Prospect (or Avenue) is the heart of St. Petersburg. Home to the 18 th -century Great Gostiny Dvor, one of the oldest shopping arcades in the world, Nevsky Avenue also hosts lots of high-end shops, fancy restaurants, and luxury hotels.

Nevsky Prospect is all about opulent architecture -here, palaces and churches stand side by side, including the Late Baroque Stroganov Palace; the early 19 th -century Kazan Cathedral; and the Russian National Library, housed in a building dating back to the 1700s.

Even if you don't plan on doing any shopping here, the lights and atmosphere of this avenue are still worth a visit. Along the way, you'll find street artists; an original movie theater dating back to 1913; and the Anichkov Bridge, which was seriously damaged during WWII and restored without removing traces of shell damage from Nazi guns as a reminder of what happened here.

One of the most beautiful sights in St. Petersburg is this multicolored church designed in traditional medieval Russian style. Alexander III ordered its construction in 1883 on the site where his father had been assassinated two years prior.

It took over 20 years for the church to be finally completed, partly because of budget and partly because the materials needed for its interior décor (which included 7,500 square meters of mosaics to cover the walls and ceilings) weren't that easy to come by.

The church was seriously damaged during the Russian Revolution in 1917, then used as a morgue during WWII and as a potato warehouse right after. It took almost 30 years of restoration to get the building to its original splendor-but rather than reopening as a church, the structure is now a museum of mosaics .

Catherine the Great ordered the formation of the imperial opera and ballet troupe in the late 18 th century, but it wasn't until 1860, almost 80 years later, that the company got its own theater. Once it opened, Mariinsky Theater was the most preeminent music hall in Russia-the place where major masterpieces from Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky were first premiered.

A masterpiece of Neoclassical architecture with Neo-Byzantine design elements, the Mariinsky Theater looks opulent from every angle-from the U-shaped auditorium to the ceiling mural to the massive crystal chandelier.

Today, the theater is one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in St. Petersburg. If you plan on attending a premiere or a popular performance (such as The Nutcracker in December or January), you will need to get tickets well in advance.

St. Petersburg's canals once played an important role in preventing floods-and while they still do keep waters at bay, they are now mainly used for transportation and to enjoy beautiful cruises down the Neva.

The canal system stretches for over 300 kilometers, with hundreds of bridges (both pedestrian and for traffic) crossing over them. The two most popular waterways are the Griboyedov Canal and the Winter Canal. The Griboyedov Canal flows under 21 bridges and alongside some of the city's most famous landmarks, including the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood. The city's shortest canal, the Winter Canal , runs by the Winter Palace and the Hermitage Theater.

Both small and large boats are available to travel through the canals-some offering food, live music, or special English-language tours-including special rides to watch the bascule bridges opening at midnight.

The protected cruiser Aurora is a retired Russian naval ship with an armored deck. Built in the earlier 1900s, it served during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905 and survived the Battle of Tsushima, where Russia suffered massive losses both in human lives and in the number of ships sunk or destroyed. It was also a shot from an Aurora cannon that marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution in 1917.

The Aurora is now anchored on the river Neva and is the most visited branch of the Central Naval Museum . Visitors can tour six different rooms onboard the ship, where they can see recreated snippets of everyday life (including how people ate and slept), photographs and paintings, and model ships.

While access to the Aurora is free, the engine room is only accessible for an extra fee. The view from the deck of the Aurora is stunning, with imperial buildings and rocking waters all around.

Technically speaking, St. Isaac is the world's largest Orthodox basilica , though the building has been converted into a museum, and religious service is rarely held here anymore. The cathedral was named after Saint Isaac the Confessor, a Christian monk who founded an important monastery in Constantinople.

The cathedral was finished in 1858, after 40 years of construction work plagued by criticism about the Neoclassical building being "plain and not too impressive."

The museum's collection features many ancient icon paintings, mosaic images, and colored stonework and marble. Perhaps the best reason to visit St. Isaac's Cathedral, however, is the 360-degree view you'll get from the platform at the 43-meter-tall colonnade - a magical mix of colorful rooflines, golden spires, and a number of city landmarks.

Luxury Hotels:

• Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St. Petersburg has an excellent location just two blocks from the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace. The hotel itself is inside a former palace belonging to a Russian princess in the 1820s. The interior is stunning, with a granite grand staircase. Rooms and suites are spacious and posh, with 5-star amenities. Also on-site are a number of different dining options, including a glass-roofed winter garden where you'll find the Tea Lounge. A spa, heated swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna are other perks of staying here.
• Hotel Helvetia is a 5-star property that is often priced lower than others in its category making it excellent value. Located within walking distance of Nevsky Prospect, it is a historic hotel dating back to the early 1800s. The design is elegant, and the rooms and suites have charming style and butler service. There is a restaurant and concierge on-site.
• Another luxury option is the Hotel Astoria next to St. Isaac's Cathedral in the center of St. Petersburg. The rooms and suites are classy, and there are options for families. Butler service is offered, and there is also valet parking. Other amenities include a restaurant and a spa with a sauna.

Mid-Range Hotels :

• Galunov Hotel is an excellent mid-range choice. The 4-star property is still quite luxurious and features cozy rooms and suites with exposed brick walls and fresh flowers in vases by the bed. The hotel is less than a 10-minute walk to Vosstaniya Square and just a few hundred meters to the Moskovskiy train station. Amenities include free parking, free breakfast, and 24-hour check-in.
• For an intimate mid-range stay check out the Alexander House . Located on the Kryukov Canal Embankment in the historic center of St. Petersburg, it has just 20 rooms and suites. These have a warm ambiance, with upholstered furniture, exposed brick walls, large windows, and area rugs. A complimentary breakfast is served in the morning.
• Old meets new at the Pushka Inn Hotel . The property boasts antique lanterns on walls, dark wood floors, and high ceilings. It also has a scenic location right on the Moyka River. Amenities include a restaurant, 24-hour front desk, and airport transportation.

Budget Hotels:

• For a solid budget hotel check out Allegro Hotel on Ligovskiy Ave . Just a few minutes' walk from the railway station with trains to Moscow and to Nevsky prospect, it features bright and spacious rooms with wood floors and furnishings and exposed brick walls painted white. A free breakfast is offered.
• Admiralteyskaya Hotel is another good budget choice. It is located on Matisov Island, which is surrounded by three rivers and connected with the rest of the city by five different bridges, offering guests a different view of St. Petersburg. The hotel is family friendly and offers guests a free breakfast.

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Exploring Russia : When planning a trip to Russia, it pays to look outside the main cities for some unique and awe-inspiring destinations. For stunning mountains, lakes, and never-ending tundra, check out our list of Best Places to Visit in Russia . If you are heading to Moscow next and want ideas on what to see while there, we have some great suggestions in our article, Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Moscow .

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20 attractions that every Russian knows

1. The Moscow Kremlin

This is the very heart of Moscow with a rich history, housing the tsars’ residences for centuries (before Peter the Great moved it to St. Petersburg). The most remarkable things to see inside the Kremlin are the Tsar Cannon, Tsar Bell, beautiful cathedrals where the tsars were crowned and later buried - and the Soviet era Kremlin Palace (former Palace of Congresses).

2. Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

Red Square, which is next to the Kremlin, is probably the most recognisable place in Russia for people around the world, especially St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin's Mausoleum. ‘Red’ meant ‘beautiful’ in the old Russian language, so this name says more than words. 

3. Christ the Savior Cathedral

This church has a very tragic fate and symbolises all of Russian history in the 20th century. Built in the mid 19th century in the Byzantine style, it was demolished by the Soviet authorities in 1931. A swimming pool was built on this location, but in the 1990s the cathedral was rebuilt, and today it’s the main house of worship of the Russian Orthodox Church. 

4. Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

This was the main venue of the legendary Summer Olympic Games in 1980, and many remember how the Olympic mascot, Mishka the bear, flew away into the sky above the stadium. Russians are nostalgic for The Games, as it was marked by unforgettable festivities, and because for the first time they saw foreigners. 

6. Peterhof, near St. Petersburg

This is the most beautiful tsarist residence and a true symbol of the Imperial era. The splendid palace and the garden with its famous fountains were built by Peter the Great who planned to outdo Versaille. Well, even without visiting the French palace, Russians can tell you that Peter got his way!

7. The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg

This place is famous for two reasons - for housing the Hermitage Museum, which is Russia’s biggest museum with its huge collection of art that tsars and tsarinas started to gather in the 18th century. The second reason is the palace’s revolutionary significance - here was the Provisional Government that was arrested by the Bolsheviks in November 1917 (October according to the old calendar).

8. The Aurora cruiser, St. Petersburg

Probably the most famous ship in Russian history, it saw action in World War I. But its most historic role came during the Bolshevik Revolution, when it fired a volley to signal the beginning of the storm of the Winter Palace. 

9. The Bronze Horseman monument, St. Petersburg

Erected in 1782, the equestrian statue of Peter the Great stands on a huge stone that dates to prehistoric times. The monument is situated on Senate Square and is for sure one of the city’s main symbols. The statue got its ‘Bronze Horseman’ nickname thanks to Alexander Pushkin and his 1833 poem with the same title.

10. Rising drawbridges, St. Petersburg

For sure this is the most instagrammable site in St. Petersburg, and the most romantic spectacle to watch as it happens late at night. While many bridges on the Neva River are raised, probably the most recognisable is the Palace Bridge.

11. Kant Island, Kaliningrad

The most western part of Russia, Kaliningrad, used to be a German city called Königsberg, but it became part of the Soviet Union after World War II. So the city has lots of relics of its German past. One of the most recognisable is the Königsberg Cathedral situated on the picturesque island that used to be called Kneiphof. Now the island is commonly known as Kant Island in honor of philosopher Immanuel Kant, whose grave is situated there.

12. The ‘Motherland is Calling’ monument, Volgograd

This impressive World War II memorial is dedicated  to the Battle of Stalingrad (as the city was known before it was changed to Volgograd in 1961). This was one of the most brutal battles in history, with street by street fighting in fierce cold weather. Soviet troops defeated the Nazis, and it was the turning point in the war. 

13. The Kul Sharif Mosque, Kazan

This is a relatively new muslim mosque built in 2005, and it is now one of the largest mosques in Russia and Europe. Near to some Orthodox churches, the mosque is situated inside a kremlin in Kazan, the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan. Its construction highlights the links between Tatar and Russian cultures. 

14. Olympic Park in Sochi, Krasnodar Territory

The second Olympic Games in Russian history took place in Sochi in 2014. Beforehand people around the world poked fun about the fact that the Winter Olympics would be hosted in a subtropical area next to a Black Sea resort. However,  the perfectly arranged Games impressed people, and the Olympic Park with a sea view is now something that Russians take pride in.

15. Lake Baikal, Siberia 

‘To see Baikal and die’ - this could be a Russian version of the famous phrase regarding Paris. Literally every Russian dreams of traveling to the world’s most unique lake. This is for sure one of the greatest natural wonders that we are incredibly proud of. 

16. Tokarev Lighthouse, Vladivostok

One of the most instagrammable places in Russia’s Far East, this picturesque lighthouse is separated from the mainland by a tiny path that is sometimes submerged by the water. By the way, it's one of the oldest lighthouses in Vladivostok, and was built in 1876 and still operates.

17. Kamchatka volcanoes

Scientists (not to mention ordinary Russians) can't say for sure how many volcanoes this Far East peninsula holds. However, for sure, there are more than a hundred. Of course, we don't know all their names, except probably the biggest one - Klyuchevskaya Sopka. But we know how beautiful (and a little) dangerous these volcanoes are... and we are proud that they are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. 

18. Rzhev memorial, Tver Region

The Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier is Russia’s newest monument devoted to World War II. It was erected in 2020 and commemorates those who fell in the little known Rzhev Battle. The impressive monument has a statue of a soldier whose coat symbolically turns into flying cranes. 

Read more about the Rzhev Battle here .

19. The Swallow Nest, Crimea

This small castle in Crimea is a legend! Almost hanging off a cliff near Yalta, it is perfectly viewed from both water and land, and is the most popular postcard view of southern Crimea. Before the Revolution this house was owned by a Russian millionaire but then it was abandoned for many years. 

20. Crimea Bridge

This most anticipated bridge was constructed in 2018 and connected Krasnodar Territory and the Crimea peninsula. The bridge has both automobile and railway links, and it measures about 19 km in length, making it Russia’s longest bridge.

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9 Things to See in Moscow's Red Square

 Sir Francis Canker/Getty Images

In most cases, you'll be entering Red Square from the north, passing landmarks such as the Bolshoi Theatre and Duma parliament building as you make your way southward. Although you don't necessarily have to pass through the Voskresensky (or Resurrection in English) Gates in order to gain access to the square these days, they definitely provide a sense of arrival, to say nothing of the way their left arch frame's St. Basil's Cathedral if you look from just the right angle.

An interesting fact is that while a gate of some kind has stood here since the mid-16th century, the one you currently see wasn't built until 1994, having been destroyed in 1931 so that tanks could enter and exit Red Square during military parades.

St. Basil's Cathedral

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson 

Few sights are as iconic not only of Moscow and Red Square but indeed of Russia than St. Basil's Cathedral, whose colorful, onion-shaped domes are a symbol of the country around the world. Officially known as the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, this church has stood since 1561, which is quite miraculous when you consider all the turbulent history that has transpired since then.

Among other things, religion was severely prohibited during the Soviet period , which led some to believe that this emblem of the Russian Orthodox church might not withstand the tenure of the USSR. 

An interesting fact is that St. Basil's is the so-called "Kilometer Zero" of Russia; all of Moscow's main roads (which can take you anywhere in Russia) begin at the exits to Red Square. In this way, St. Basil's iconic status also has an extremely tangible element.

The Kremlin

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

When you think of The Kremlin, it's unlikely that positive images enter your mind. The fact that simply saying the word "Kremlin" is too vague a descriptor (most Russian cities have their own Kremlin complexes; you should say "Moscow Kremlin") notwithstanding, this misunderstood place is incredibly beautiful, even if you don't like the policy that comes out of it.

Senate Square

In spite of its name, which refers to the role the building that rises above the square played during Imperial Russia, Senate Square is actually home to Russia's presidential administration, currently helmed by Vladimir Putin. In order to see where Russia's legislature operates from, walk just outside Red Square to the Duma parliament building.

Dormition Cathedral

Dating back to the year 1479, the gold-domed Dormition Cathedral pays homage to an Orthodox religious feast that commemorates the death of the Virgin Mary . As is the case with St. Basil's, it is curious that such a conspicuously religious structure was able to survive through the Soviet period.

Armoury Chamber

Though it takes its name from the fact that it housed Russia's royal arsenal when it was built in the 16th century, the most notable resident of the Kremlin's Armoury Chamber today is the Russian Diamond Fund.

Notable Kremlin Towers

Robert Schrader

The interior of the Moscow Kremlin is more beautiful and inviting than you'd expect, but the walls and towers that rise around it better live up to the intimidation with which the complex is associated. 

Borovitskaya Tower

Named to commemorate the dense forest that once stood atop the mount where it's built, this tower is extremely picturesque. Built in the late 15th century, it's visible from most places in the square, and also as you walk along the Moskva River.

Nikolskaya Tower

Also built in the year 1491, this tower currently suffered destruction at the hands of Napoleon's army in the 19th century. What you see now is the result of an 1816 re-design and renovation, though artillery fire during the Russian Revolution also caused superficial damage to the tower, named to honor St. Nikolas of Mozhaysk , so it's difficult to know which elements of it are original.

Spasskaya Tower

Known in English as the "Savior's Tower," this iconic, star-topped tower is perhaps the best-known of all the Kremlin's towers. Built in 1491 like the other two towers on this list, it's certainly the most photographed. As a result of its proximity to St. Basil's, it often makes its way into tourists' pictures.

Mausoleum of Lenin

Just as it's strange to learn how many religious monuments survived through the Soviet period, it's a bit odd to think that Lenin's preserved body still sits in a mausoleum just beneath the walls of the Kremlin on Red Square, given the lack of consensus about the ultimate impact of his Revolution, even in Russia.

It's not guaranteed that you'll be able to see the body (which, believe it or not, seems to be improving with age ) when you go, and if you do you will likely have to wait in line, but even strolling past the outside of the Lenin Mausoleum, flanked by stone-faced guards that almost look like statues, illuminates the gravity of his body still being here.

GUM Shopping Center

You might cringe, at least initially, when you realize that one of the most iconic stops on a tour of Red Square is a department store—until you see said department store, that is. Built in 1893 and known during Soviet times as the State Department Store, GUM  ( Glávnyj Universáľnyj Magazín​ or Main Universal Store in English) hearkens back to the grandeur of the late 19th century, both seen from the outside (especially, when lit up at night) and the interior, which might have you feeling like you're further west in Europe.

A trip inside GUM is a particularly good idea during winter, when frigid temperatures outside will have you savoring the heat, the quality of souvenirs, confections and other goods sold inside notwithstanding. Also, make sure not to confuse GUM with CDM, which sits near the Bolshoi Theatre, even though both are stunning and iconic in their own right.

State Historical Museum

The Russian State Historical Museum is located near Voskresensky Gates, though you should wait until after you've seen the first few attractions of Red Square and the Kremlin to head back there and go inside. To be sure, as you pass by its facade (whose late-19th century grandeur somewhat obscures that fact that it's currently a museum accessible to the public) you might not even think to try and gain entry.

Once inside the museum, you can plan to spend at least a couple of hours, given that artifacts here date back to the very beginning of the Russian state in the ninth century. As is the case with GUM, this will be a particularly alluring prospect if you visit in winter, when Moscow is arguably at its most beautiful, but certainly at its least tolerable. 

Minin-Pozharsky Monument

It's somewhat easy to disregard this monument, which pays homage to the two Russian princes who ended the so-called "Time of Troubles" in the mid-16th century, during which Polish-Lithuanian forces occupied Russia, among other awful things including a famine. That's because the statue currently sits just at the base of St. Basil's Cathedral, which makes it very difficult to photograph or even see without being overwhelmed by that much more famous edifice.

Though the statue originally sat at the very center of Red Square, it came to be an obstacle to the movement of tanks during the Soviet period, much like the Voskresensky Gates. As a result, authorities moved it during that time, and it's stayed where you currently find it ever since.

Kazan Cathedral

Taken by itself, the smokey-pink Kazan Cathedral is an architectural marvel; originally built in the 17th century, the church you find here today, located just north of the GUM department store, dates back only to 1993.

Unfortunately, since it sits not only in the shadow of GUM, but also in the shadow St. Basil's and the Towers of the Kremlin, it's easy to miss entirely if you aren't looking. As a result, you might wait until you've seen just about everything else in Red Square before coming here to take photos, and to appreciate the understated beauty of this oft-overlooked cathedral.

Moskva River

As you head south from St. Basil's Cathedral to exit Red Square, make sure to walk onto Bolshoy Moskvoretskiy Bridge, which crosses the Moskva River. If you look due north, you can get an excellent shot of the church framed, on the left, by the towers of the Kremlin. Directing your gaze a bit to the west allows you to see the skyscrapers of Moscow City as they rise above the Kremlin's walls.

Walking westward along the riverbank is also a worthwhile excursion, for the views it provides of Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as the fact that doing so takes you to other iconic Moscow attractions, including Gorky Park and the Pushkin Museum. The views you enjoy from the river and the bridge are particularly stunning at night, though you should make sure you bring a tripod if you want to get a clear picture, given how strong winds over and near the river can be.

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Moscow’s Top 13 – The Main Attractions of the Russian capital

13 Moscow Attractions

One of the most fascinating metropolis, breathtaking city, and a vibrant European capital, Moscow is a powerful mix of history and edginess, full of world famous sites and attractions that are worth exploring. However, it would take weeks to really explore all facets of the Russian capital – unfortunately hardly any traveler has that much time, which is why you should concentrate on the absolute Moscow top attractions and highlights. Here is the list of top 13 Moscow attractions you can choose on your next Russian travel journey.

What Times Square means to New York, Pariser Platz with the Brandenburg Gate to Berlin, or Trafalgar Square to London – Red Square means to Moscow. The heart of Russia’s capital it is the central meeting point and the most famous photo opportunity. No place stands for Russia and Moscow more than “krasnaja ploshchad”, as Red Square is called in Russian.

It is arguably one of the Moscow main attractions and most visited. With the gigantic military parade on Victory Day in World War II, which takes place every year on May 9, the pictures of the square go around the world year after year. But for the rest of the year you will mainly meet local and foreign tourists here, who take peaceful pictures and soak up the unique spirit. The square looks spectacular illuminated at night, but you should visit the square at least once in daylight as well.

If you stand in the middle of the huge cobblestone square, in the clockwise direction you can see the Kremlin and the Kremlin Wall with a total of 20 individually designed towers, Lenin’s Mausoleum, Historical Museum built with red bricks, the little Kazan Cathedral, the impressive luxury department store GUM, the imposing St. Basil’s Cathedral and, the bridge over the Moskva River. This unique ensemble offers more sightseeing highlights at one stroke than any other tourist attractions in Moscow or the world.

So it’s no wonder that Red Square is UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers the most popular photo opportunities worldwide. When visiting Moscow, there is no reason not to visit to Red Square and a selfie is practically also a must – getting there is easy even for Russia newcomers. Although Red Square does not have its own metro station, it is still child’s play to find the way there – especially since the Square is the absolute geographical center of the city.

There are four metro stations in the vicinity, from which it is only a short walk to Red Square, Okhotny Ryad and Teatralnaya directly at the northwest entrance of the Square at the Historical Museum; further to the west is the Lenin Library station, from which one arrives at the same entrance through the Alexander Garden. As well as the station Revolution-square behind the GUM department store, which leads past to the northeast side of the Square.

The Kremlin

This is the biggest active fortress in Europe offering a week’s worth of attractions. For more than 70 years, the Kremlin was the power center of the Soviet Union, which the US President Ronald Reagan called the Empire of Evil exactly 35 years ago, one of the symbols of the East-West conflict in the Cold War. People in the West feared the «dark» plans that were built behind the thick walls of the Kremlin.

The Kremlin is built in a triangular shape on the natural elevation above the Moscow River, known today as the Kremlin Hill. Today’s metropolis Moscow has expanded in a circle around it and the road around the Kremlin is considered the first of several ring roads in Moscow counting.

Now Kremlin has lost its terrifying image, although it is still the seat of the Russian President and thus one of the most important places in World political events. It is an inviting, historical sight for tourists, and one of the famous Moscow tourist attractions which can be visited for just a few dollars.

The large parts of the 28 hectare site can be visited by tourists – with the exception of the Kremlin towers, the presidential Grand Kremlin Palace and the Senate Palace. The first port of call on the site is the so-called Cathedral Square, which is the geographical center of the Kremlin and at the same time the highest point on the Kremlin Hill and contains the three oldest structures in the complex. The three 15 th -century cathedrals of the Kremlin (the Dormition, Archangel Michael and the Annunciation Cathedrals), which together with the Ivan the Great Bell Tower and the Cathedral of the Deposition of Mary, make the most famous ensemble of the Kremlin. Also to be visited here are primarily the Armoury and the Patriarch’s palace.

To get to the Kremlin, you have to pass a security gate at one of the two publicly accessible entrances – these are located at the Kutafja and Borovitsky towers. Tickets cost from 700 rubles upwards, the admission to the Armoury, the Ivan the Great bell tower and the Patriarch’s Palace being paid for separately.

More about the Kremlin

Lenin’s Mausoleum

This is the ultimate love it or hate it tourist attractions in Moscow It may be mistaken for a gloomy performance, but Lenin remains an absolute attraction almost a hundred years after Vladimir Lenin death. The founding father of the Soviet Union is not only a fascinating historical figure of world renown for supporters of communism. Despite ongoing discussions about a final burial of the leader of the communist October Revolution in 1918, hundreds of thousands come year after year to the dark marble building on Red Square, right next to the Kremlin wall, to see the embalmed body of the legendary Russian revolutionary.

First opened to the public in 1924, the Mausoleum attracts 2.5 million visitors every year, so, visitors have to wait a long time to get into the illustrious building. Also, photos from inside the Mausoleum are prohibited. But a visit is still a must for Moscow visitors, especially since the visit is free. Please note that the Mausoleum is only open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The queue starts behind the Historical Museum and before you get into the actual mausoleum, you have to pass an airport-like security gate – cameras and cell phones are not allowed into the Mausoleum, but can be safely placed in a cloakroom for a small fee. On the way out of the Mausoleum, after the visit, you pass the graves of the other Soviet heads of state. Including the grave of Josef Stalin, who was briefly kept next to Lenin in the Mausoleum after his death. But in the course of de-Stalinization, the cruel dictator was moved to the less prominent place behind the Mausoleum.

More about the Lenin Mausoleum

The Alexander Garden (Alexandrovsky Sad)

If you visit Moscow in summer, the hustle and bustle in the metropolis of millions can get over your head. The city, best known for its icy winters, can turn into an absolute burning furnace in summer. It sometimes takes over an hour to get to the edge of the metropolis. The perfect retreat, located in the center of Moscow, is therefore the Alexander Garden and one of the Moscow top attractions.

Located directly on the western wall of the Kremlin, the Alexander Garden is just a small, but all the more well-kept park that extends to the nearby Manege Square (Manezhnaya Ploschad). The garden undergoes a lot of changes, with old trees cut down in 2012 and over 200 planted, the authorities also claim that there will be a rosary of 3000 roses. As soon as the first rays of sun warm up the Muscovites, tormented by the long winter, they set off into the countryside. If you are right in the center, you can choose the small park right by the Kremlin.

With a café in hand, which you can get yourself on Manege Square, you can linger here between the carefully tended flower beds. With the Grave of the Unknown Soldier and the regular changing of the guard, there is even a real tourist attraction on top. Entry is free.

The Moscow Metro

In no other metropolis in the world would the subway be declared a sight. Yes, that is truly right as riding this one of the top Moscow tourist attractions is an experience in itself or just a walk through the station is amazing in itself. Whether in New York, Berlin, London or Paris – the big city inhabitants of the world metropolises have a love-hate relationship with their metro. It’s different in Moscow – the residents of the Russian metropolis love their metro and there is a reason for that: in the early days of metro construction, dictator Stalin had built the stations into “palaces for the workers”.

All the splendor of the tsars, which the ordinary Russian never saw, is now open to everyone, regardless of their origin. Indeed, a number of stations on the Moscow Metro, each built shortly before or after the war, are unmatched architectural masterpieces. Mayakovskaya station is often compared to a ballroom for its chandeliers and ornaments. The Teatralnaya stop, located directly below the world-famous Bolshoi Theater, shines with decorations reminiscent of the country’s theater and ballet tradition. Colorful glass windows, almost like in a sacred building, adorn the Novoslobodskaya station.

But the uncalled queen among Moscow’s metro beauties is Komsomolskaya station, named after the youth organization of the Soviet Union. With its huge chandeliers and detailed ceiling decorations, it is the crown jewel among the 331 metro stations. It is not uncommon for tourists to stand in the middle of the platform and take photos under the glances of passengers who just want to walk past the annoying tourists to and from work as quickly as possible.

A ride on the metro currently costs 57 rubles, which is less than one dollar. You should plan a few hours for a tour of the most beautiful stations, but the good news is, once behind the turnstile, a single ticket is enough to stay in the metro system as long as you want.

The Bolshoi Theater

To see Tchaikovsky Swan Lake or the Nutcracker by the same legendary Russian composer on the famous Bolshoi stage – that is the dream of every ballet fan. Home to the largest and one of the oldest ballet and opera companies in the world, nowhere else is the fine art of musical dance lived as much as in Russia – and has been since the times of the tsars.

The Bolshoi itself has been shining back to its former glory since it was built in 1776 since its extensive renovation that cost almost a billion dollars a few years ago. The large historical hall of the building impresses with its opulent golden decorations and creates a very special atmosphere – this was also used by the communist leaders of the Soviet Union, who held their congresses in the building directly at the Kremlin. The Theater is so famous that it currently adorns the 100 ruble banknote and is among the Moscow main attractions.

If you’d like to go to what is probably the most famous ballet theater in the world today, it’s easier than ever. The program can be found months in advance on the official website bolshoi.ru  and can be ordered at very reasonable prices. The cheapest seats in the hall can be booked for as little as 100 rubles, i.e. less than $ 2. However, you should reserve tickets early, as the performances are usually booked weeks in advance. Even for good seats, you pay very moderate prices compared to Western Europe.

There are a few things to watch out for, however, proper, appropriate clothing is welcome, but apart from the obligation to wear trousers, it is not an exclusion criterion for men. If you arrive late, you have to wait outside until the next break so as not to disturb the other guests during the performance. The best way to get to the Bolshoi is by taking the Moscow Metro via the Teatralnaya station, which was built especially for the theater and which stairs are right in front of the main entrance.

More about the Bolshoi Theater

The GUM department store

The Russian abbreviation GUM means main all-purpose shopping center and sounds quite formal for such a shopping temple. Located in front of the Kremlin on Red Square, GUM has existed as a department store since 1920 and was previously a market. It is the most iconic and largest department store in Russia and among the Moscow tourist attractions .   The facade of the building, built in 1890, fits perfectly into the overall picture of Red Square and is illuminated photogenically at night.

In contrast to the scarcity economy of the Soviet era, the GUM today really has everything to offer that one can imagine. It has become the flagship of the shopping and fashion metropolis Moscow. But today you will mainly find smaller luxury shops here. From western high-couture boutiques such as Prada or Gucci to fur for the icy Russian winter, a well-to-do Muscovite or a tourist will find everything their heart desires here.

People can walk through the wide and beautifully decorated arcades of the GUM, free of charge. Cafes invite you to linger. A delicatessen shop on the ground floor sells Russian specialties at affordable prices. Chocolate, honey and caviar, as well as the all-round vodka in Russia, can be bought here as souvenirs for friends and family at home. In addition, the Soviet-style cafeteria on the upper floor is very cheap for lunch.

The GUM offers a special highlight every winter when the department store administration built an ice rink in front of the building directly on Red Square. For only 200 to 300 rubles per hour, depending on the time of day, you can lace up your skates and glide over the ice with the unique panorama of Red Square.

More about the GUM department store 

The Historical Museum

The Historical Museum is a museum of Russian history wedged between Red Square, Lenin Mausoleum, small Kazan Cathedral, and Manege Square. The red brick building of the Museum is a real eye-catcher and Moscow top attractions located on the opposite side of St. Basil’s Cathedral. It is dedicated to Russian history and is built in the Old Russian style, the building did not open until 1883.

The Museum houses everything from an exhibition on the archeology of Russia, through the technological achievements, to the art of the gigantic empire in 16 sections and has a total of 5 million exhibits. So if you are interested in the history of Russia, you cannot avoid visiting this Museum and should plan enough time for it.

A visit costs 150 to 500 rubles, depending on which exhibition you want to visit. The Museum is open in winter, autumn and spring from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed on Tuesdays. In the summer months, the extended Saturday times apply daily.

It is probably the most famous park in the Russian capital and the top Moscow tourist attractions – a novel and its film adaptation and a Russian rock band have its name and numerous songs by Russian and international bands and TV series, such as House of Cards, mention it or act here. Gorky Park is a premier green space offering entertainment for every taste. Located southwest of the center of Moscow on the Moskva River, it is designed more for family attractions and rest and the classic park on the other side – has become one of the meeting places for Muscovites of all kinds in recent years.

Whether for a yoga class, a family picnic or beach volleyball match, skateboarding, and cycling – people meet here often. Because even in the Gorky there is an ice surface in winter, the largest in Moscow, which attracts many Moscow residents as well as tourists.

A large-scale renovation in 2011 breathed new life into the park – the roller kiosks were removed and more emphasis was placed on the maintenance of the green spaces. The park remained free of charge and developed into one of the most popular places in the capital. Whether with the rental bike through the green lungs, the pedal boat across the numerous ponds or simply watching the goings-on on the park bench – a visit to Gorki is also absolutely worthwhile for tourists.

Day trip to the Golden Ring

As much as the metropolis Moscow is fascinating, the side effects of a cosmopolitan city like Moscow – the noise, the traffic and the crowds – can overwhelm any tourist. What could be better than a day trip to escape the organized chaos of the cosmopolitan city?

The places on the Golden Ring near Moscow are an ideal destination for this and among the Moscow main attractions – located north-east of the metropolis, these old Russian cities, some of which have existed for much longer than Moscow itself, offer a welcome change from the hectic hustle and bustle of the capital.

Developed in the late 1960s uniting several mediaeval Russian cities located to the north-east of Moscow it is the most popular route around provincial cities of central Russia. More than a thousand year old city of Yaroslavl on the Volga is the largest, but at 260 km from Moscow also the most distant city of the Golden Ring. For only 650 rubles, however, you can take the three-hour train ride there.

Yaroslavl has been part of the world cultural heritage since 2005 and is best known for its two monasteries – the Monastery of our Savior and Transfiguration and the Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Tolga are located directly on the Europe’s longest river Volga and its inflow Kotorosl. Both testify to the long history of the Russian Orthodox Church. The cityscape of Yaroslavl is also really worth seeing with its classicist buildings – walking through the streets of the city with 500,000 inhabitants is a welcome contrast to Moscow. Things are even more slow in the small towns of Suzdal and Vladimir, both of which can still be reached with the Moscow suburban train network (known as Elektrichka) for a good 500 rubles. In both cities time seems to have stood a little – large sacred buildings dominate the cityscape.

Especially the Assumption Cathedral, located in the center of Vladimir, and the Golden Medieval Gate are the main attractions for tourists. The church, built in the early 12th century, is best known for its almost 700 year old wall paintings and frescoes and is a World Heritage Site. The Suzdal Kremlin is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage List and was first mentioned in writing in 1024.

Suzdal with its only 10,000 inhabitants has still retained the character of a small Russian town and in the town, which will celebrate its millennium in 2024, you can still find numerous wooden buildings typical of rural Russia – whether churches or houses, the colorful buildings are ideal as Photo motif and give an impression of the simple Russian provinces life away from the metropolises.

The exhibition of the achievements of the national economies is not in every travel guide as a classic Moscow main attractions and a must see of the Russian capital. But no other place in the modern mega-metropolis exudes the spirit of the Soviet Union as much as the enormous VDNKh (All Russian Exhibition Centre) in the north of Moscow. It was built as an agricultural exhibition before World War II, but was then renamed world exhibition for the 15 individual Soviet states and their achievements.

From the Armenian, Estonian and Kyrgyz culture, to the Soviet achievements in space travel and nuclear power, to statues about the heroes of the Soviet history, the VNDKh (Vystavka Dostizheniy Narodnogo Khozyastva) was an absolute attraction until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. After that, the old charm fell into disrepair and the large central pavilion, which was built in the splendidly pompous Stalinist style, was filled with small traders selling souvenirs and matryoshkas.

Since its renovation in 2014, the exhibition in the park-like area is absolutely worth a trip again and with the metro station of the same name you can get from the center to the VDNKh quickly and without problems. There are still strange souvenirs, plus huge Soviet monuments worth seeing, as well as numerous rides for children. The Kosmos exhibition still exists and is now part of the Cosmonaut Museum, which is located at the front end of the park when coming from the metro station.

Here you can experience the various achievements of Soviet and Russian space travel vividly. From the very first Sputnik satellite, the spacesuit of Yuri Gargarin, the very first human in space, to the Buran space shuttle, you can learn an incredible amount about the conquest of the cosmos here. However, you should plan several hours just for a visit to the Cosmonaut Museum.

More about the cosmonaut museum

The Pushkin Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery

To complete the cultural program in Moscow, you should definitely make a tour to the Pushkin Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery when visiting the Russian capital. It is the largest museum of European art and among the Moscow top attractions. The former Museum of Fine Arts was named after Alexander Pushkin’s death in 1837 – it is still one of the most important art collections in the world today.

It boasts one of the richest collections of foreign art in Russia, showcasing global artistic developments from early times to the present day in expositions numbering 700,000 works of art.  Not far south of the Kremlin, exactly opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Museum is housed in a classic building specially built for this purpose in 1898. From early Byzantine art to the famous Madonna by Lukas Cranach, the Italian masters, Peter Paul Rubens and masterpieces of Expressionism, for example by Paul Cézanne, you can admire a huge selection of important art here.

The regular entry ticket costs 800 rubles and the Ьuseum is open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., during the week until 8 p.m. – only Monday is closed.

The second important art collection in the capital is the State Tretyakov Gallery. It is the national treasury of Russian fine art and one of the greatest museums in the world. Started by the textile entrepreneur and philanthropist Pavel Tretyakov as a collection of local contemporary art in 1851, the gallery has now developed into one of the cultural highlights of Russia. In contrast to the Pushkin Museum, you will primarily find Russian art from the 19th century and older icons.

Entry cost is 400 rubles and the Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Monday is also the day off.

Take a stroll across Red Square, meet Lenin and see the world-famous Kremlin?

Then first of all you need a visa! !

Alexander Popov

Welcome to Russia! My name is Alexander, I was born in Moscow and I'm a passionate tour guide. I want to share my passion for Russia and my hometown with you. On my website you will find useful information to make your individual trip to Russia as interesting as possible.

The Museum of Cosmonautics and the Planetarium in Moscow

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17 Top Tourist Attractions in Moscow

The capital of Russia is an incredible place to explore. Visitors to Moscow come away spellbound at all the amazing sights, impressed at the sheer size and grandeur of the city. Lying at the heart of Moscow, the Red Square and the Kremlin are just two of the must-see tourist attractions; they are the historical, political and spiritual heart of the city – and indeed Russia itself.

A fascinating city to wander around, stunning cathedrals, churches, and palaces lie side-by-side with bleak grey monuments and remains from the Soviet state. In addition to its plethora of historical and cultural tourist attractions, Moscow is home to world-class museums, theaters and art galleries.

Renowned for its performing arts, fantastic ballets and amazing circus acts, catching a show while in Moscow is a must. The wealth of brilliant restaurants, trendy bars, and lively nightlife means there is something for everyone to enjoy.

See also: Where to Stay in Moscow

17. Tsaritsyno Palace

Once the summer residence of Catherine the Great, the stunning Tsaritsyno Palace is now a museum-reserve. The architecture is magnificent and there is a lovely park surrounding it for visitors to explore.

Located in the south of Moscow, the palace was commissioned in 1775 and recent renovations mean its lavish interior looks better than ever before with its elegant halls and beautiful staircases.

The exhibits on display look at the life of the empress as well as the history of Tsaritsyno itself. The huge palace grounds are also home to some other delightful buildings with the elegant opera house and wonderful brickwork of the Small Palace being particularly impressive to gaze upon.

Starting out in 1935 as the ‘All-Union Agricultural Exhibition’, VDNKh has slowly morphed over the years into the fascinating open-air museum of today. Remarkably, over 400 buildings can now be found within its confines.

The huge park complex has numerous pavilions representing former Soviet republics on show, such as those of Armenia and Turkmenistan and the distinctive architecture of each of the buildings is always interesting to gaze upon. In addition to this there is the fascinating Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics which is dedicated to space exploration and the fun Moskvarium aquarium even offers you the chance to swim with dolphins.

With lots of eateries scattered about and numerous entertainment options such as horse-riding and zip-lining, there is something for everyone to enjoy; the Friendship of Nations fountain truly is wonderful.

15. Kremlin Armoury

One of the oldest museums in the city, the Kremlin Armoury has a wealth of treasures; highlights include the ornate Grand Siberian Railway egg, the historic Cap of Monomakh and the stunning Imperial Crown of Russia which often has a crowd of tourists around it, jostling to take a photo.

Once the royal armory, there are loads of fascinating objects on display. Perusing the many sabers, jewelry, armor and more is as interesting as it is educational and entertaining and the swords are so finely crafted that you’ll almost wish you could pick up one and wield if yourself.

Established in 1851, the museum is situated in the Moscow Kremlin.

14. GUM Department Store

Standing for ‘Main Universal Store’ in Russian, GUM is stunning. Its wonderful skylights and beautiful facades mean it doesn’t look out of place alongside its illustrious neighbors on Red Square.

With over 200 shops, boutiques and upmarket eateries inside, it is a shopaholic’s heaven and concerned partners will be glad to find more affordable options alongside luxury brands such as Dior and Prada.

The main department store in the city, GUM was opened in 1893. The stunning architecture makes it well worth a visit even if shopping isn’t your thing.

13. Moscow Metro

It’s not often that public transport looks like a work of art. So many stops on the Moscow Metro will astound visitors with their beauty and elegance.

Decked in marble and with frescoes covering the walls, the stations are amazing to gaze upon and are part of one of the longest metro systems in the world, with the first stations opened in 1935.

Using the metro is the quickest and easiest way to get around Moscow and braving the crowds of commuters is well worth it for the beauty all around you.

12. Arbat Street

An elegant yet lively street, Arbat is full of impressive architecture and was once a popular place to live for aristocrats, artists, and academics.

A historic place, it is down Arbat Street that Napoleon’s troops are said to have headed on their way to capture the Kremlin.

Nowadays, there are many cafes, restaurants, and shops, as well as various monuments and statues to former residents such as Alexander Pushkin who was reputed to be a lover of the Russian Empress due to his massive influence in court.

11. Novodevichy Convent

Drenched in history, the Novodevichy Convent is located in a striking building that was once a fortress. This captivating place is well worth visiting when in Moscow.

Founded in 1524, the convent houses four cathedrals; Smolensk Cathedral is the undoubted highlight due to its delightful 16th-century frescoes.

Wandering around the grounds is like stepping back in time. The Novodevichy Cemetery is where many famous leaders of the Soviet Union are buried, such as Yeltsin and Khrushchev.

10. Pushkin Museum

Despite its name, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts actually has no connection at all to the famous poet other than that it was named in his honor after his death. A delight to visit, its extensive collection focuses on European art with masterpieces by Botticelli, Rembrandt, and van Gogh all featuring.

Sculptures, graphic art, paintings and more can be found in its beautiful galleries; various sections look at themes and epochs such as the Renaissance, the Dutch Golden Age, and Byzantine art.

Among the many highlights are the clownish characters which can be found in Cezanne’s Fastnacht (Mardi Gras) and the twirling ballerinas who look so elegant in Degas’ Blue Dancers. Picasso’s Young acrobat on a Ball is also well worth checking out for its interesting use of shapes and colors.

9. Christ The Savior Cathedral

This gorgeous Russian Orthodox cathedral is located on the banks of the Moskva River, just a stone’s throw away from the Kremlin.

The church as it stands today was consecrated in 2000, as the original church that stood here was destroyed on the command of Josef Stalin in 1931 due to the anti-religious campaign.

With its delightful golden dome, spires and dazzling white facades, the Christ the Savior Cathedral is stunning. The interior is just as captivating to wander around, with its beautifully tiled floors and impressive altar.

8. Lenin Mausoleum

Opened to the public in 1924, Lenin’s Mausoleum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Moscow. The red granite structure is located at the heart of the city in Red Square.

Lenin’s embalmed body lies in a glass sarcophagus; it is a somewhat eerie experience walking past the former leader of the Soviet Union but is well worth doing as you understandably can’t do it anywhere else in the world.

After visiting the mausoleum, head to the Kremlin wall right next to it for more graves of important communist figures such as Stalin and Brezhnev.

7. Tretyakov Gallery

Home to the most extensive and impressive collection of Russian fine art in the world, the State Tretyakov Gallery is definitely worth visiting when in Moscow for the wealth of amazing art pieces that it has on display.

Having started out as the private art collection of the Tretyakov brothers, there are now over 130,000 exhibits. Highlights include the iconic Theotokos of Vladimir which you will almost certainly recognise despite probably not knowing the name and Rublev’s Trinity which is considered to be one of highest achievements in Russian art.

An absolute must for art lovers, the State Tretyakov Gallery will delight visitors with all that is has to offer.

6. Kolomenskoye

Once a royal estate, Kolomenskoye is now a museum-reserve and lies a few kilometers outside of the city center. A captivating place to visit, there is a plethora of history on show and the site overlooks the Moskva River.

Consisting of four historical sites, there are extensive gardens for visitors to explore, as well as loads of interesting old buildings, the former village of Kolomenskoye itself and the impressive Palace of the Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich – once considered the Eighth Wonder of the World by contemporaries.

Among the many stunning sights, it is the brilliantly white Ascension Church that is the undoubted highlight – dating back to 1532.

5. Gorky Park

Lying alongside the Moskva River, the huge Gorky Park is a lovely place to visit. Its extensive gardens are home to numerous cultural institutions and visitors should definitely check out the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art and while the eclectic exhibits may not always feature such incredible sights as a balloon-covered rider on a zebra; they certainly always succeed in pushing back the boundaries of art.

Pop-up exhibitions and festivals can be found from time to time in the park itself and there is an open-air theatre and numerous eateries alongside a plethora of leisure activities.

Whether it’s cycling, table tennis or yoga that you are after or beach volleyball and rowing, Gorky Park certainly has it. In winter, there is a huge ice rink for visitors to enjoy.

4. Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theatre is the main theater in the country. The amazing opera and ballet performances it has put on over the centuries go a long way in explaining Russia’s rich history of performing arts.

While the Bolshoi Ballet Company was established in 1776, the theater itself was opened in 1825. The glittering, six-tier auditorium is lavishly and decadently decorated; it is a fitting setting for the world-class performances that take place on its stage.

Spending a night watching a performance of such classics as The Nutcracker or Swan Lake at the Bolshoi Theatre is sure to be a memorable experience and the beauty all around you only adds to the sense of occasion.

3. Moscow Kremlin

This famously fortified complex is remarkably home to five palaces and four cathedrals and is the historic, political and spiritual center of the city. The Kremlin serves as the residence for the country’s president. It has been used as a fort, and this fact is made clear by its sheer size. The Kremlin’s outer walls were built in the late 1400s.

Under Ivan III, better known as Ivan the Great, the Kremlin became the center of a unified Russian state, and was extensively remodeled. Three of the Kremlin’s cathedrals date to his reign that lasted from 1462-1505. The Deposition Church and the Palace of Facets were also constructed during this time. The Ivan the Great Bell Tower was built in 1508. It is the tallest tower at the Kremlin with a height of 266 feet (81 meters).

Joseph Stalin removed many of the relics from the tsarist regimes. However, the Tsar Bell, the world’s largest bell, and the Tsar Cannon, the largest bombard by caliber in the world, are among the remaining items from that era. The Kremlin Armory is one of Moscow’s oldest museums as it was established more than 200 years ago. Its diamond collection is impressive.

The Kremlin’s gardens – Taynitsky, Grand Kremlin Public and Alexander – are beautiful. The Kremlin has also served as the religious center of the country, and there is a tremendous number of preserved churches and cathedrals here. The collections contained within the museums include more than 60,000 historical, cultural and artistic monuments. Those who enjoy the performing arts will want to consider attending a ballet or concert at the State Kremlin Palace. Completed in 1961, it is the only modern building in the Kremlin.

2. Red Square

Lying at the heart of Moscow, Red Square is the most important and impressive square in the city. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions due to its wealth of historical sights and cultural landmarks.

Drenched in history, the huge square is home to incredible sights such as the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral and Lenin’s Mausoleum, among others. Consequently, it is not to be missed when in Moscow as it really is home to the city’s most stunning monuments.

It is here that many important moments in Russian history took place; the former marketplace has hosted everything from Tsar’s coronations and public ceremonies to rock concerts and Soviet military parades. Wandering around the massive square is a humbling experience and undoubtedly one of the highlights the city has to offer.

1. Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Located in the impressive Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral is gorgeous; its delightful spires appear as if out of a fairytale. The most recognizable building in the country, the cathedral is very much a symbol of Russia. No visit to Moscow is complete without having taken in its unique and distinctive features.

Ivan the Terrible ordered the cathedral’s construction in the mid-16th century, and legend holds that Ivan put out the architect’s eyes so that he would be unable to build another cathedral more glorious than St. Basil’s. Designed to resemble the shape of a bonfire in full flame, the architecture is not only unique to the period in which it was built but to any subsequent period. For various reasons, both Napoleon and Stalin wanted to destroy the cathedral but fortunately did not succeed.

Known for its various colors, shapes and geometric patterns, St. Basil’s Cathedral houses nine different chapels that are all connected by a winding labyrinth of corridors and stairways. On the lower floor, St. Basil’s Chapel contains a silver casket bearing the body of St. Basil the Blessed.

Throughout the cathedral are many beautiful murals, frescoes, wooden icons and other art works and artifacts. Outside the cathedral is a lovely garden with the bronze Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, who rallied an all-volunteer Russian army against Polish invaders during a period of the late 16th century known as the Times of Troubles.

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TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

19 Unique And Fabulous Experiences In Moscow

• Destinations

Thinking of visiting Russia? When visiting such a famous city, one must, of course, visit the iconic landmarks first. Moscow has plenty of those, most of them in the center of the city, which is very well-planned for tourists. Once you’ve seen the sights that are on most travelers’ lists, it’s time to branch out and visit some of the lesser-known sites, and there are some fascinating places to see and things to do.

I know this list is long, but I just couldn’t help myself. You probably won’t have the time to see them all. But that’s okay. Just scroll through the list and choose what sounds the most interesting to you. Where possible, make sure to book in advance, as things can get crowded, especially during high season.

1. The Red Square, Kremlin, And Surroundings

Red Square (Krasnya Ploshad) is the heart and soul of Russia, and where much of the country’s history has unfolded. This is the most famous landmark in Moscow and indeed the whole country, it’s an absolute must-do! The square is always full of people and has a rather festive atmosphere!

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

This is the famous church with the rainbow-colored, onion-domed roof. The cathedral was commissioned in the 1500s by Ivan the Terrible and according to legend, the Tsar thought it was so beautiful, that he ordered that the architect’s eyes be cut out afterward, so he could never build anything more beautiful! He wasn’t called Ivan the Terrible for no reason!

Lenin’s Mausoleum

The “love-it-or-hate-it” of tourist attractions in Russia. A glass sarcophagus containing the embalmed body of Russian revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin. It may seem a bit bizarre to display the mummy of a person, but it has been there for almost half a century and the 2.5 million visitors who come each year, clearly feel the queuing and thorough body search are worth it, to be in Lenin’s presence.

Pro Tip: no photos and no loud talking are allowed inside the Mausoleum.

Eternal Flame

There is an Eternal Flame in honor of an unknown soldier on the left side of Red Square. The hourly changing of the guards is worth seeing.

The Kremlin is the official residence of the Russian president. You can see it from the outside, or you can take an excursion to one of the museums located inside. This is the biggest active fortress in Europe, and holds a week’s worth of attractions! Once behind the 7,332-feet of walls, there are five squares, four cathedrals, 20 towers, various museums, and the world’s largest bell and cannon to see. Worth a special mention is the Armory Chamber that houses a collection of the famous Faberge Eggs.

Pro Tip: You can only go inside the Kremlin if you are part of a tourist group.

2. Bolshoi Theatre

Bolshoi Theatre translates to “The Big Theatre” in Russian, and the building is home to both the Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera — among the oldest and most famous ballet and opera companies in the world.

Pro Tip: It’s hard to get an inexpensive ticket, so if you’re reading well in advance of going to Moscow then try buying tickets on the official website . Last-minute tickets cost around $250 per person. If this is out of your budget, about an hour before a performance, you can try buying a ticket at the entrance from a reseller. Most can speak enough English to negotiate the price.

Tour the Bolshoi Theatre: You can take a group guided tour of the Bolshoi Theatre which focuses on the history and architecture of the theatre and behind the scenes. There’s an English language tour that lasts 2 hours and costs around $300 for a group of up to six.

3. Luxury Shopping At GUM And TSUM

Russia’s main department store, GUM, has a stunning interior that is home to over 100 high-end boutiques, selling a variety of brands: from luxurious Dior to the more affordable Zara. Even if shopping is not on your Moscow to-do list GUM is still worth a visit; the glass-roofed arcade faces Red Square and offers a variety of classy eateries. TSUM, one of the biggest luxury malls in town, is right behind the Bolshoi and GUM. It’s an imposing building with lots of history, and worth a visit just for its design and its glass roof.

4. Christ The Savior Cathedral

This is one of Russia’s most visited cathedrals and is a newer addition to the gorgeous array of Muscovite cathedrals, but don’t let its young age fool you. After perestroika, in the early 90s, the revived Russian Orthodox Church was given permission to build a cathedral on this site. It did the location honors and built the largest temple of the Christian Orthodox Church. The façade is as grand as you’d expect, but it’s the inside that will mesmerize you, with its domes, gold, gorgeous paintings, and decor!

The cathedral is located just a few hundred feet away from the Kremlin and was the site of the infamous Pussy Riot protest against Putin back in 2012.

Pro Tip: Bring a shawl to cover your hair as is the local custom.

5. Gorky Park

Moscow’s premier green space, Gorky Park (Park Gor’kogo) is the city’s biggest and most famous park. There is entertainment on offer here for every taste, from outdoor dancing sessions to yoga classes, volleyball, ping-pong, rollerblading, and bike and boat rental in summer. In winter, half the park turns into a huge ice skating rink. Gorky Park is also home to an open-air movie theater and the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art. There is also Muzeon Art Park, a dynamic contemporary space with a unique collection of 700 sculptures. It is located right in front of Gorky Park.

6. Sparrow Hills Park

If you take a walk from Gorky Park, along the Moscow River embankment, you’ll end up in the city’s other legendary park, Sparrow Hills. Although the park doesn’t offer as many activities as its hip neighbor, it has a great panoramic view of the city

Pro Tip: You can take a free walking tour to all of the above attractions with an English-speaking guide.

7. River Cruising

One of the best ways to experience Moscow, and see all the famous landmarks, but from a different angle, is from the Moscow River. Take a river cruise. Avoid the tourist crowds. There are little nameless old boats that do the cruise, but if you are looking for a more luxurious experience take the Radisson Blu cruise and enjoy the sights with some good food and a glass of wine.

8. Metro Hopping

Inaugurated in the 1930s, the Moscow Metro system is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the world. Started in Stalinist times, each station is a work of art in its own right. I’d recommend touring the stations between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. This way, you’ll be able to properly see it without the crowds. Ideally, I’d recommend taking a tour with a knowledgeable guide with GuruWalk, who will tell you stories of forgotten stations and how the history of the country is interconnected with the metro development. If going by yourself, then I definitely recommend checking out: Mayakovskaya, Ploschad Revolutsii, Kievskaya, Kropotkinskaya, Kurskaya, and Novoslobodskaya stations.

Visit the free Moscow Metro Museum: For real train enthusiasts, located in the southern vestibule of Sportivnaya station is a small free museum. Here you can take a peek into the driver’s cabin, see a collection of metro tokens from different cities, and see different models of a turnstile, traffic lights, escalator, and more.

9. Moscow State University View

In his effort to create a grander Moscow, Stalin had seven skyscrapers built in different parts of town; they’re called the Seven Sisters. The largest of these buildings and the one with the best view is the main building of the Moscow State University. Although this is a little outside the city center, the view is more than worth it.

10. Izmailovsky Market

Mostly known for the city’s largest flea market, the district of Izmaylovo is home to a maze of shops where you can get just about anything, from artisan crafts to traditional fur hats, handcrafted jewelry, fascinating Soviet memorabilia, and antiquities. It’s also one of Moscow’s largest green spaces. There are often no price tags, so be prepared to haggle a bit. Head to one of the market cafes for a warming mulled wine before continuing your shopping spree.

The History of Vodka Museum is found here, and the museum’s restaurant is the perfect place to sample various brands of the national drink.

Once you’ve covered the more touristy spots, Moscow still has plenty to offer, and the places below will also be full of locals! So for some local vibes, I would strongly recommend the spots below!

11. Moscow City

With a completely different vibe, Moscow City (also referred to as Moscow International Business Center) is like a mini Dubai, with lots of impressive tall glass buildings. Here is where you’ll find the best rooftops in towns, like Ruski Restaurant, the highest restaurant both in Moscow City and in Europe. Moscow City is great for crowd-free shopping and the best panoramic views of the city.

12. Tretyakov Gallery

Tretyakov Gallery started as the private collection of the Tretyakov brothers, who were 19th-century philanthropists. They gave their private collection to the government after their deaths. If there is just one museum you visit in Moscow, I recommend this one!

13. Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve

Tsaritsyno was a residence of Catherine the Great more than two centuries ago. It became derelict during the Soviet era but has now been fully renovated. With its opulently decorated buildings, gardens, meadows, and forests, Tsaritsyno Park is the perfect place for a green respite in Moscow.

14. Kolomenskoye

A 10-minute metro ride from the city center is Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve, where you can get an idea of what Russia looked like 200 years ago. You’ll find ancient churches (one dating back to the 16th century), the oldest garden in Moscow, and the wonderful fairytale wooden palace of Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great.

15. Ostankino TV Tower

Built in 1967, Ostankino TV Tower was the tallest free-standing construction in the world at the time, it’s still the 8th tallest building in the world and the highest in Europe. It’s also the best observation deck, with a glass floor and 360-degree views. The speedy elevators take you 1,105 feet in next to no time.

Pro Tip: You need to book in advance; entrance is based on specific ticket times and the capacity is limited and only a certain number of tourists are allowed per day. Don’t forget your passport, you’ll need it to get through security.

16. Zaryadye Park

Zaryadye is a newly opened, landscaped urban park so new you won’t find it in a lot of tour guides. The park is near Red Square and is divided into four climatic zones: forest, steppe, tundra, and floodplains, depicting the variety of climatic zones in Russia.

These last three suggestions are a little quirky, but all are really worth checking out.

17. Museum Of Soviet Arcade Games

Release your inner child playing on 66 arcade machines from the Soviet era! What a great way to spend a couple of hours when tired of visiting museums and palaces. The staff speaks excellent English and are happy to explain how the games work.

18. Moscow Rooftop Tour

Take a 1-hour private Moscow rooftop tour with an experienced roofer. I can just about guarantee none of your friends will be able to say they’ve done it! For your comfort, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Take your camera, there are some amazing photo opportunities out there!

19. Sanduny Banya

This classical Russian bathhouse opened its doors in 1808 and is famous for combining traditional Russian banya services with luxurious interiors and service. If you enjoy spas and saunas, then you should experience a Russian bathhouse at least once in your life! Go with an open mind and hire a specialist to steam you as it’s meant to be done — by being beaten repeatedly with a besom (a leafy branch)! This is said to improve circulation, but is best done by a professional!

So there you have my list of things to do in Moscow. I could have gone on and on and on, but I didn’t want to try your patience! There are so many things to do in this vibrant city that you’ll definitely need to allocate several days for exploring.

Here are some other reasons to visit Moscow and Russia:

• 7 Reasons To Put Moscow On Your Travel Bucket List
• Russia 30 Years (And 30 Pounds) Ago
• Massive Mysterious Craters Appearing Again In Siberia

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Africa at the age of 21, Sarah Kingdom is a mountain climber and guide, traveler, yoga teacher, trail runner, and mother of two. When she is not climbing or traveling she lives on a cattle ranch in central Zambia. She guides and runs trips regularly in India, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, and Ethiopia, taking climbers up Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro numerous times a year.

Must-see attractions in Moscow

The Armoury dates to 1511, when it was founded under Vasily III to manufacture and store weapons, imperial arms and regalia for the royal court. Later it…

Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

Arbat & Khamovniki

This is Moscow’s premier foreign-art museum, split over three branches and showing off a broad selection of European works, including masterpieces from…

St Basil's Cathedral

At the southern end of Red Square stands the icon of Russia: St Basil’s Cathedral. This crazy confusion of colours, patterns and shapes is the culmination…

Moscow Kremlin

The apex of Russian political power and once the centre of the Orthodox Church, the Kremlin is the kernel of not only Moscow, but of the whole country…

Lenin's Mausoleum

Although Vladimir Ilych requested that he be buried beside his mum in St Petersburg, he still lies in state at the foot of the Kremlin wall, receiving…

Zamoskvorechie

Moscow's main city escape isn't your conventional expanse of nature preserved inside an urban jungle. It's not a fun fair either, though it used to be one…

Immediately outside the Kremlin’s northeastern wall is the celebrated Red Square, the 400m-by-150m area of cobblestones that is at the very heart of…

State Tretyakov Gallery Main Branch

The exotic boyar (high-ranking noble) castle on a little lane in Zamoskvorechie contains the main branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery, housing the world…

Hermitage Gardens

All the things that have improved Moscow parks no end in recent years fill this small, charming garden to the brim. Today, it is possibly the most…

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art

The brainchild of Moscow art fairy Darya Zhukova, Garage is one of the capital's hottest modern-art venues. In 2015, the museum moved to spectacular new…

19th & 20th Century Art Gallery

This branch of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts contains a famed assemblage of French Impressionist works, based on the collections of two well-known…

Novodevichy Convent

The Novodevichy Convent was founded in 1524 to celebrate the taking of Smolensk from Lithuania, an important step in Moscow’s conquest of the old Kyivan…

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

This opulent and grandiose cathedral was completed in 1997 – just in time to celebrate Moscow's 850th birthday. The cathedral’s sheer size and splendour…

Mikhail Bulgakov Museum

Author of The Master and Margarita and Heart of a Dog, Mikhail Bulgakov was a Soviet-era novelist who was labelled a counter-revolutionary and censored…

Moscow Planetarium

The planetarium has become one of the biggest and brightest stars on the Moscow museum circuit, now incorporating all kinds of high-tech gadgetry,…

Park Pobedy

The Great Patriotic War – as WWII is known in Russia – was a momentous event that is still vivid in the hearts, minds and memories of many Russian…

Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art

Meshchansky & Basmanny

Formerly a wine-bottling factory, this facility was converted into exhibit and studio space for Moscow artists in 2007. The post-industrial complex is now…

Assumption Cathedral

On the northern side of Sobornaya pl, with five golden helmet domes and four semicircular gables, the Assumption Cathedral is the focal church of pre…

Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve

Set amidst 4 sq km of picturesque parkland, on a bluff above a bend in the Moscow River, Kolomenskoe is an ancient royal country seat and a Unesco World…

Art Muzeon & Krymskaya Naberezhnaya

Moscow's answer to London's South Bank, Krymskaya Nab (Crimea Embankment) features wave-shaped street architecture with Scandinavian-style wooden elements…

Tsaritsyno Palace

On a wooded hill in far southeast Moscow, Tsaritsyno Palace is a modern-day manifestation of the exotic summer home that Catherine the Great began in 1775…

Jewish Museum & Centre of Tolerance

Occupying a heritage garage, purpose-built to house a fleet of Leyland double-deckers that plied Moscow's streets in the 1920s, this vast museum, filled…

Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines

Growing up in 1980s USSR was a peculiar, but not necessarily entirely bleak experience. Here is an example – a collection containing dozens of mostly…

Ascension Church

Overlooking the river, the Ascension Church, sometimes called the ‘white column’, is Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve's loveliest structure. Built between 1530…

New Tretyakov Gallery

Moscow's premier venue for 20th-century Russian art, this branch of the Tretyakov Gallery has much more than the typical socialist-realist images of…

Central Museum of the Armed Forces

Covering the history of the Soviet and Russian military since 1917, this massive museum occupies 24 halls plus open-air exhibits. Over 800,000 military…

Palaces for workers! There is no better place to see this Soviet slogan put into practice than at VDNKh, which stands for Exhibition of Achievements of…

Archangel Cathedral

The Archangel Cathedral at the southeastern corner of Sobornaya pl was for centuries the coronation, wedding and burial church of tsars. It was built by…

Easily the most feared edifice in Russia, looming on the northeastern side of Lubyanskaya pl is the brain centre behind Stalin's genocidal purges and the…

Annunciation Cathedral

The Annunciation Cathedral, at the southwest corner of Sobornaya pl, contains impressive murals in the gallery and an archaeology exhibit in the basement…

Borodino Field

The entire battlefield – more than 100 sq km – is now part of the Borodino Field Museum-Preserve, its vast fields dotted with dozens of memorials to…

Changed beyond recognition in recent years, Sokolniki park is criss-crossed by cycling paths, and blends into a proper forest bordering on Losiny Ostrov…

Donskoy Monastery

Moscow's youngest monastery, Donskoy was founded in 1591 as the home of the Virgin of the Don icon, now in the Tretyakov Gallery. This icon is credited…

Park Zaryadye

Moscow's first new park in 50 years, Zaryadye was inaugurated in 2017 and occupies a prominent site along the Moscow River, wedged into historic Kitay…

The model for Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation design principle, this architectural landmark was an early experiment in semicommunal living. Designed…

Moscow State University (MGU)

Head to the hills south of the city for one of the best views of Moscow. From the square in front of Moscow State University, most of the city spreads out…

Park Zaryadye Pavilion

This glass-dome pavilion was the first element of Park Zaryadye to open to the public. A creation of Sergei Kuznetsov, the pavilion was designed as an …

Novodevichy Cemetery

Adjacent to the Novodevichy Convent, the Novodevichy Cemetery is one of Moscow’s most prestigious resting places – a veritable who’s who of Russian…

Moscow Museum of Modern Art

A pet project of the ubiquitous artist Zurab Tsereteli, this museum is housed in a classical 18th-century merchant’s home, originally designed by Matvei…

Museum of Decorative & Folk Art

Just beyond the Garden Ring, this museum showcases centuries-old arts-and-crafts traditions from around Russia and the former Soviet republics. Of the 40…

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Russia Travel Destination Guide - Best Places to visit in Russia

Home / Russia Travel Experiences / Russia Travel Destination Guide – Best Places to visit in Russia

Thinking of travelling to or within Russia but undecided on which destination to go? This Russia Travel Destination guide shares tips and highlights of the best locations to vacation in Russia.

The world’s largest nation has it all – fast-paced, cosmopolitan cities with eye-popping architecture, quaint historic rural villages, mountain ranges, ancient volcanic landscapes, lakes, rivers and forests. From magnificent stretches of coastline to snow-swept tundra to semi-arid desert, no other country can challenge, surprise, inspire and delight visitors with incredible diversity quite like Russia. If you’re planning for the perfect holiday get-a-way to Russia whether it be independent, a guided trip, as part of a group tour or a Russia travel package , this Russia Destination Guide is for you.

Best way to use this Russia Travel Destination Guide: use the Table of Contents below to click on a topic most relevant to you.

Table of Contents

The Russia travel destination guide is your travel companion

1. Top 9 must-visit Russia travel destinations: This Guide will arm you with invaluable traveller’s insights into the most amazing  regions of Russia and what each of them has to offer every traveller.

2. Practical tips for each region: This guide summarises everything from practical travel advice on sightseeing highlights, what to see and experience, to practical information for your ideal trip like the best time to go and how to go, whether you’re coming from overseas by air or travelling overland within Russia.

3. Personalised travel destinations for all: Whether you’re a hardcore historian, architecture admirer, nature and wildlife lover, off-the-beaten-track adventurer or a traveller seeking authentic connections with local people, this is your go-to Russia Destination Guide to a one-of-a-kind experience.

Wherever your interests lie, the Russia travel advice and tips within this guide will reveal in vivid detail which regions in Russia will best fulfil your travel aspirations. Read on and start planning the Russian vacation of your dreams!

Destination #1: Moscow

A modern mega-city of some 13 million souls and bursting at the seams with possibilities, Moscow is a city like no other. It’s exciting, chaotic and constantly on the move. Ugly, beautiful, glamorous, cool and confident, with surprising warmth and hospitality beneath a stern, business-like façade.

A visit to Moscow is an endlessly surprising journey to sights unseen and tastes unsampled. Whims and indulgences are catered to wholeheartedly, whether your desires lie in the steamy pleasures of a traditional Russian sauna, evenings sipping vodka and champagne in an exclusive nightclub, gourmet feasting in a high-class restaurant or simply taking in the atmosphere of the city’s famous public parks and squares and watching the world go by. Moscow’s architectural splendour is legendary but seeing it for yourself will fill you with a sense of awe and wonder that no picture can recreate.

Born from an imperial past, yet an enduring symbol of Soviet Russia, Moscow is a city between two worlds. Unique to any other city you’d find in this Russia Destination Guide, Moscow’s art and architecture reflect a crossroad position astride the Eastern and Western worlds and revels in the centuries of comings and goings of great minds that have called this captivating and engrossing metropolis home.

Moscow is full of history and intrigue – a spiritual and political hub and billionaire playground with a youthful, cosmopolitan culture stirring just beneath the surface. Visit Moscow and decide for yourself what this dynamic city means to you.

Why visit Moscow?

To understand Russia, first, you need to visit Moscow. The city dates back at least 900 years, and there’s a real sense of being transported through time as you stroll the ever-changing streets and districts, showcasing mind-bogglingly intricate 18th-century neo-classicalism and Soviet-era concrete monoliths, through to constructivism’s quirky Russian avant-garde and gleaming contemporary glass skyscrapers. Moscow is all about culture – architecture, history, food , arts, music and nightlife. In a city this size, there’s something to cater to every taste, no matter how eclectic. Dive into the rabbit hole of Moscow’s endlessly engrossing history with visits to the Imperial palaces where mighty rulers rose and fell from power and revolutions were born. Visit magnificent cathedrals, state-of-the-art museums and world-class art galleries.

Moscow shines in the evening, with nightly music, ballet and opera performances in its majestic theatres and concert halls. In recent years, Moscow has become a hub of gastronomy thanks to a new breed of local and international chefs. Yes, Moscow has its fair share of fancy fine dining restaurants and hipster cafes, but you’ll still find street snacks in abundance and homely, traditional Russian fare served in well-loved, hole-in-the-wall eateries.

If you’ve come to Moscow keen to party, you’re in luck. Moscow’s nightlife scene rivals almost any major international city. The label “city that never sleeps” isn’t always warranted, but in Moscow, it’s the truth. There’s after-dark fun to be had every day of the week, with various nightlife districts home to mega dance warehouses, atmospheric underground clubs, friendly local pubs, jazz lounges, rock venues, performance art spaces and the best bar-crawling action this side of London.

Weather in Moscow and when to go

The peak season to travel to Moscow is in Summer between June and August, where temperatures usually hover around a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius. While summers are slightly rainier than other seasons in Moscow, downfalls tend to be fairly heavy but short-lived.

However, for Russia Destination Guide readers keen to avoid higher prices that come with booking accommodation in the summer, you might try the shoulder seasons of spring and early autumn. Late spring (April and May) provide more sunshine and less rainfall, while in autumn, the city’s parks are filled with flowering trees and colourful leaves.

The depths of mid-winter are undoubtedly cold, but a winter visit is an adventure that will give you a true insight into Moscow life – both its hardships and its great beauty. Furs and vodka keep the locals warm and the snow-filled streets are postcard picturesque. With layers of shimmering show blanketing the roofs of Moscow’s grand palaces, parts of the city are transformed into a fairy-tale wonderland. The Christmas lights, traditional winter markets and News Years celebrations offer sights and sounds and an atmosphere to be savoured.

Highlights of Moscow

The Kremlin

No place better represents the triumphs and turmoil of Russia’s past than the Kremlin . Built between the 14 th and 17 th centuries, it served first as the Imperial Residence of the Tsars and later as the headquarters of the Russian presidents. Within the imposing walls of the Kremlin are a plethora of classic buildings, each as stunning as the next. Wander past the Kremlin Palace, the neoclassical Senate Building, the 40-tonne Tsar Cannon and the 200-tonne Tsar Bell, the Armoury Museum, Cathedral Square and others.

The Red Square

Along the eastern side of the Kremlin Wall is the vast cobblestoned expanse of the Red Square . Although it’s been the scene of countless displays of military might, parades and protests since the 15 th century, it’s traditionally been a place of trade and social gatherings/ Today thousands flock to the square to celebrate official state events, be photographed in front of famous monuments or simply soak up its historic splendour.

St Basil’s Cathedral

Located in Red Square is one of Russia’s most iconic buildings, with its vibrant rainbow-painted, onion-shaped domes. The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in 1552 to mark the capture of Kazan from the Mongol forces. According to legend, Ivan was so enamoured by architect Postnik Yakovlev’s design that he had him blinded so that he would never be able to design anything as fantastical again! If the cathedral is open, it’s possible to visit the interior, richly decorated and well worth an explore.

Arbat Street

In the heart of downtown Moscow, Arbat is Moscow’s oldest pedestrian street. The cobblestone roads and classical statues are reminders of its elegant past, but today the area caters mostly for the tourist crowd, with rows of souvenir shops and restaurants and cafes of varying quality. Still, it’s a must-visit attraction with a lively atmosphere. Street performers and musicians ply the street day and night, and you can often watch traditional Russian craft-makers at work.

The Moscow Metro

Apart from being one of the largest and oldest underground railway systems in the world, and a fantastic, cheap way to get around Moscow, the metro is a tourist attraction in its own right, thanks to its spectacularly decorated underground stations. The stations have been described as underground art museums, home to fantastic sculptures, murals and striking architectural elements from stained glass panels to mosaic marble floors.

Bolshoi Theatre

A historic theatre in the centre of Moscow, renowned for its world-class ballet and opera performances. An evening at the Bolshoi Theatre is one of Moscow’s most romantic after-hours options and the theatre offers a range of Russian and foreign works throughout the week. Equally as spectacular as the theatre’s performances is the rich, lavish interior of the six-level auditorium. No matter what performance you take in on this historic stage, the experience is sure to make you feel like royalty, at least for a couple of hours.

How to Get to Moscow

Travel by plane:.

The are four major airports in Moscow – Domodedovo , Sheremetyevo , Vnukovo and Zhukovsky. The majority of international flights go in and out of Sheremetyevo (most of the major international airlines and Russian airline Aeroflot ). Domodedovo Airport is the main hub for Swiss Airlines, Air Malta, British Airways, Emirates, China Eastern, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and most of the Central Asian airlines. Most domestic flights also operate out of Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo, with a few departing from Vnukovo (UtAir, Vladivostok Avia, flights to North Caucasus), as well as German Wings flights to and from Germany.

To get to the centre of Moscow from the airports, the Aeroexpress train is the fast and easy way, especially during Moscow’s notorious morning and afternoon rush hours. The trip to the city clocks in at around 35 to 40 minutes. Outside of peak times, taxis take an average of 1 hour to reach the city centre, while a private transfer or shuttle is the most comfortable option to arrive directly to your hotel.

Travel by train:

Russia overland travellers from Europe can also reach Moscow by train. Train travel is often less cost-effective compared with flying (at least within Europe) and provides a totally unique experience with the ability to stopover in various European cities along the way.

Direct trains to Moscow depart from Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Amsterdam and Kiev. The Paris-Moscow Express runs once a week all year and is the most glamorous and comfortable option. The train traverses through four countries (France, Germany, Poland and Belarus) before pulling in at Moscow’s long-distance Belrussky train station after a journey of just under 40 hours. Another classy option popular among tourists is the Berlin-Moscow Swift train. Departing twice a week (Sundays and Mondays) from East Berlin station, it takes a little over 20 hours to cover the 1,896km between the German capital and Moscow.

Destination #2: Saint Petersburg

The former capital of the Russian Empire, the city that Peter the Great founded in 1703 is today a decidedly more laidback city compared with the frenetic pace of Moscow. Explore the highlights of this living museum, where the city centre of Saint Petersburg (also known simply as ‘Peter’) consists of one colossal architectural masterpiece after another.

Peter the Great transformed a tract of swampland on the Neva River delta into what would be regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, reflecting the cultural and artistic prowess of Imperial Russia and a sophisticated European influence inspired by the likes of London, Paris and Vienna.

At the same time, St Petersburg is a thriving, modern metropolis with a population of over five million. Just as it originally attracted architects, poets, painters, composers and revolutionaries, today young creatives flock to St Petersburg’s lively streets, artistic hubs, galleries and performance venues, many of them housed in the shells of crumbling old-world mansions and derelict palaces, providing a youthful, edgy and energetic counterpoint to the city’s stately ornamental façade.

Why visit St Petersburg?

Moscow may be the seat of Russia’s political power, but St Petersburg is the country’s cultural capital. There are many reasons the Russia Destination Guide has to make visiting St. Petersburg a must. Not just for its numerous palaces, churches and museums , but also its theatres and concert halls, its contemporary art hubs and its flourishing live music and bar scene.

St Petersburg is renowned for its illustrious architecture, home to the magnificent Palace Square and Peterhof Palace, the Russian equivalent of Versailles. It also boasts one of the world’s greatest museums in the imposing State Hermitage complex. The entire historic city centre is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

Known as the “Venice of the North” for its numerous rivers and canals, Russia’s most romantic city is famous for its beautiful drawbridges. The Palace Bridge is drawn every night in front of crowds of tourists and has become one of the most recognisable symbols of the city. History fans will be enraptured by St Petersburg’s perfectly preserved monuments to Tsarist extravagance, and the many sites and landmarks which played an integral role in the Russian Revolutions and both World Wars.

The city’s epic White Nights are the intoxicating summer weeks between late May and early June when night never falls and the streets and parks are alive with all-night revellers, open-air concerts and dusky evenings that transform almost unnoticeably into the morning.

Weather in St Petersburg and when to go

Despite being the northernmost metropolis in the world, St Petersburg’s proximity to the Gulf of Finland blesses the city with a maritime climate, making it far less chilly than much of Russia over winter, with temperatures rarely dipping below -7°C even in the coldest month of January.

Summers are usually pleasantly warm, with the occasional spell of hot, humid weather. Mid-summer (between late May and mid-June) is also the time of the legendary St Petersburg White Nights when the sun never completely sets and the evenings are alive with a festive atmosphere and concerts and performances take place nightly around the city.

A good amount of snow over winter in St Petersburg is always a given. During winter, the city is arguably at its most beautiful. The streets are relaxed and uncrowded, the Neva River becomes a wilderness of ice and shiny white snowflakes cover buildings and monuments set against a backdrop of bare trees covered in crystalline frost. In winter many parks are converted into ice skating rinks and skiing is possible outside of the city. Theatre life is very much alive over the winter months, with performances of the Nutcracker being a special Christmas favourite.

Here’s a Russia Destination Guide tip: If you find yourself in St Petersburg over New Years, the best way to celebrate in this destination with the locals is to head down to Palace Square. You can join in the countdown for the fireworks display before warming up at one of the many bars, clubs and hotels holding parties.

Highlights of St Petersburg

The State Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage is undoubtedly the jewel in St Petersburg’s cultural crown. One of the world’s greatest collections of ancient and modern art, only the Louvre in Paris and Prado in Madrid rival the Hermitage in terms of worldwide cultural importance. The museum houses some three million individual artworks and artefacts, from Egyptian antiquities to 19 th and 20th-century modern art. The Hermitage comprises six individual buildings including Winter Palace, with its stunning white-columned facade and gallery rooms.

Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood

One of St Petersburg’s most iconic sights is this extraordinarily decorated church marking the site where Tsar Alexander met his untimely death at the hands of bomb-wielding revolutionaries. Although it bears a resemblance to Moscow’s 16 th St Basil’s Cathedral, with its intricate mosaics and multi-coloured onion domes, the church is just over a hundred years old.

St Issacs Cathedral

St Petersburg is home to countless cathedrals, most conceived in the baroque and neoclassical styles. St Issacs Cathedral is the largest cathedral in St Petersburg, identifiable by its gold-illuminated dome and twelve statues of angels. The cathedral’s history tells an intriguing story of conflict and dissent. The anti-religious Soviet government denounced the Cathedral and converted it into a museum of atheism. In 1937 it was converted into a museum of art, and religious activities resumed in 1990.

Tsarkoye Selo

This grand Imperial estate is located in the handsome town of Pushkin, 25km south of St Petersburg. Amid exquisite parks and gardens, you’ll find the baroque Catherine Palace, a luxurious summer sanctuary surrounded by acres of gardens where remarkable structures like the Marble Bridge, the Dutch Admiralty and the Creaking Pagoda were constructed for her amusement. The estate is also home to Alexander Palace. A fine example of neoclassic architecture, its tumultuous history paints a fascinating portrait of the Romanov family.

Peterhof Palace

With its exquisitely manicured gardens, magnificent fountains and gold sculptures, Peter the Great modelled his sumptuous summer palace on the Baltic Sea on Versailles. It’s living rooms, bedrooms, ballrooms and ceremonial rooms are all extraordinarily beautiful. Peter’s daughter, Empress Elizabeth later extended the park and ordered the construction of the 22km Grand Cascade, featuring a total of three waterfalls, 64 fountains and 37 gilt statues.

Nevsky Prospect

St Petersburg’s high street is a 4.5km long royal avenue lined with stately mansions and palaces as well as countless shops, luxury hotels and Gostiny Dyor , the city’s largest department store. Walking the length of the avenue during the day and again at night is highly recommended by the Russia destination guide to take in the atmosphere of this living piece of history and its captivating mixture of old and new.

Bridges and canals of St Petersburg

A relaxing canal tour is a must-do activity, allowing you to see the sites of St Petersburg and its surrounding suburbs from an entirely different perceptive. A city made up of 42 islands across the Lena River delta, St Petersburg is crisscrossed by 300km of artificial canals, flowing beneath a network of over 800 bridges.

How to get to St Petersburg

The distance between Moscow and St Petersburg is approximately 700km, making either flying or train travel excellent for travelling between the cities. There are numerous flights per day and the flight time is around 1.5 hours. However, you’ll have to factor in the time need to get to and from the airports, which are located on the city outskirts.

Most overseas visitors first touchdown in Moscow and then connect to St Petersburg. There are also direct flights to St Petersburg’s Pulvoko Airport from many international destinations, mostly in Europe, including Paris, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zurich, Frankfurt, Prague, Helsinki and Stockholm. Direct flights also operate from Shanghai, Beijing, Doha, Dubai and Istanbul and many other international hubs.

From Moscow, overland options include daytime high-speed trains such as the Sapsan , which whisks you from Moscow to St Petersburg in about four hours. Ticket prices vary but at the time of writing this Russia destination guide, expect to pay around US $70 for an economy seat. Business-class costs around twice as much and first-class around twice again.

There are also several overnight train services travelling between the two cities. The journey takes around 8 to 9 hours and offers the benefit of saving you a night’s accommodation. A bunk in a third-class sleeper carriage is around 2,000 rubles (US $30), while a first-class cabin on the luxury Red Arrow train will set you back around 8,800 rubles (US $134)

Train tickets can be purchased at the station, but to be safe, you can purchase them online up to 90 days in advance from RZD , the official website of Russian Railways.

Destination #3: The Golden Ring

The Golden Ring is renowned as the most popular overland tourist trail through the charming provincial cities of central Russia, and thus certainly deserves a spot in the Russia destination guide’s list. The 740km circular route passes through a collection of small cities northeast of Moscow that counts among Russia’s oldest medieval townships. Despite their modest size, many of the Golden Ring’s cities played a vital role in shaping the country’s history. Its oldest settlements can be traced back to at least the 10 th century.

Scattered across a postcard-perfect landscape of rolling hills, flower blanketed meadows, rivers and streams, the cities of the Golden Ring were considered political backwaters by the time Soviet industrialisation took hold, escaping much of the urban progress that rapidly engulfed Moscow and its surroundings. Consequently, many locals still lead a largely traditional existence, living in tight-knit communities where the ancestral izba (wooden farmhouse) is the centre of daily life.

Today, the region remains remarkably untouched by urbanisation. Surrounded by rolling hills and verdant meadows, these lands are a throwback a rural Russia that has changed little for generations. Many of the towns were instrumental in the rise of the Orthodox church, as evidenced by the abundance of magnificent cathedral spires and domes. Apart from their religious significance, these proud towns have staunchly preserved their time-honoured traditions, folk art and cuisine.

Why visit the Golden Ring of Russia?

Wandering the tranquil, cobblestone streets of the ancient Golden Ring towns feels like genuinely stepping back in time. Virtually every city on the circuit is a living museum, made up of ancient forts, towering monasteries, imposing palaces and magnificent cathedrals. Several of the Golden Ring towns are home to UNESCO World Heritage-listed treasures, including the medieval White Monuments of Suzdal and Vladimir and the historic centre of Yaroslavl.

Readers of the Russia Destination Guide who are admirers of classic architecture  or perhaps history buffs will adore these destinations. Those hoping for an intimate insight into the places, people and events that shaped the complex, deep-rooted history that shaped Imperial and Soviet Russia will find the sights and stories of the Golden Ring region a fascinating and enthralling experience. You can feel the history in the air, among the perfectly preserved medieval wooden houses and the grand fortress and kremlins built in times where these cities wielded substantial political and religious power. Instrumental in the rise of the Russian Orthodox Church, across the centuries, many of these strategic settlements found themselves battling ruthless Mongol invasions, rebellious Tatar sieges and a string of Tsarist scandals.

Due to its proximity to Moscow, the Golden Ring is a popular side-trip for visitors to the Russian capital. The gorgeous countryside and laidback pace of the towns provide a welcome respite from the frenetic atmosphere of Moscow, well worth a diversion of at least a couple of days (hardcore history fans will ideally need a week or more to see most of the region’s highlights).

Weather in the Golden Ring and when to go

With this Russia Destination Guide, you can plan the perfect date of arrival with these tips. The Golden Ring is truly a year-round destination, with each season bringing a new and beautiful palette of colour to the rural countryside. Visitor numbers peak with the warm summer months (June to August) when the skies are a vivid blue, making for a particularly great backdrop against the domes and cupolas of the region’s many churches and cathedrals. In spring (April through to May) the meadows come alive with flowers while in the short autumn months (September to October) the scenery takes on the rich hues of red, orange and yellow. The freezing temperatures of the winter months (November to March) often bring a thick blanket of snow that creates a dreamy wonderland with lakes and rivers frozen over, perfect for ice skating.

Highlights of the Golden Ring of Russia

The most picturesque stop on the Golden Ring circuit, 1,000-year-old Suzdal appears like a scene from a Russian storybook. It’s quiet laneways, cobblestone plazas and medieval churches have inspired artists and poets for centuries. With many of residents living in colourful wooden houses, and classic horse-drawn buggies still a fixture of its quiet streets, Suzdal has managed to retain a tranquil, rural atmosphere, giving you an impression of how much of Russia might have looked centuries ago.

Explore  Yaroslavl,  the first Christian city on the Volga River and the subject of epic poems and heroic prose for centuries. Many of Russia’s greatest craftsmen, stonemasons, painters and sculptors came together to create this city of magnificent churches and monuments, dating back to the 1100s. The Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour is one of the richest and most fortified monasteries. Here’s a Russa destination guide tip for you: A bird’s-eye view of Yaroslavl and its rivers can be had by climbing up to the top of the cathedral’s bell town.

The oldest town in the Golden Ring and is also one of its most architecturally impressive, rich in elegantly restored monuments dating from the 12 th to the 17 th century. Today, a sleepy, village-like atmosphere hovers over the town, bringing a quiet stillness to the evenings that only breaks with the crowing of the cockerels at first like. The supremely photogenic Rostov Kremlin features walls of delicate pink, enclosing a number of extraordinary 17th-century buildings including the domed Assumption Cathedral and the St John the Divine Gateway Church.

Sergiev Posad

The Russia destination guide presents to you Sergiev Posad – one of the most important spiritual centres of the Orthodox Church sometimes referred to as the ‘Russian Vatican’. This is because of its city-wide scattering of magnificent white-walled churches with contrasting blue and gold cupolas – the colour scheme most strongly associated with the perception of Russian divinity. Founded in 1340 by the country’s most revered saint, St Sergius of Radonezh, Sergiev Posad is one of Russia’s holiest destinations, attracting devoted pilgrims since the 14 th century.

How to get to the Golden Ring 

Moscow is the logical starting point for excursions into the Golden Ring region. This small group or private tour is popular among foreign visitors as it allows you to cover the most ground in the shortest amount of time. On a customised tour, you can choose your pitstops and overnight stays depending on which cities most strike your interests. This Russia Destination Guide will assist you in picking the right experience for you.

Day tours that operate out of Moscow and will hit up one or two of the closest towns from the capital (typically Sergiev Posad, or Suzdal, sometimes combined with Vladimir) but to truly appreciate the variety of the Golden Ring cities the languid beauty of its, a multi-day day tour is highly recommended. If you only have a limited amount of time, a tour encompassing an overnight stay and two-day detour from Moscow in the region’s most beguiling town of Suzdal is highly recommended.

It’s also possible to visit some of the major cities on the Golden Ring route via train, although not every popular destination on the route is serviced by a train station. A popular rail loop from Moscow allows for direct stops in Rostov, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo and Vladimir.

Destination #4: Lake Baikal

An ancient lake so vast in size it’s referred to as Siberia’s “inland sea”, the deepest point of Lake Baikal is an abyssal 1,637m, making this 30 million-year-old body of water the deepest lake in the world. Incredibly, 20% of the world’s entire freshwater supply is contained within Lake Baikal. The crescent-shaped lake extends for 636km from north to south and contains 27, mostly uninhabited islands. The vast Baikal region is home to several indigenous cultures, including the ethnic Buryat people who practice a unique form of Buddhism blended with ancient shamanistic rites and religious beliefs. Traditional villages are dotted along the lake’s shore, interspersed with taiga forest and rocky steppe terrain. The national park surrounding Baikal harbour diverse array of wildlife, and the lake’s waters are home to the N erpa , the beloved freshwater Baikal seal.

With its mirror-clear blue water and enthralling natural beauty, Lake Baikal is considered Siberia’s premier attraction and is recognised by UNESCO as one of Russia’s 28 World Heritage Sites. It will certainly enchant any Russia destination guide reader planning a trip to Russia.

Why visit Lake Baikal?

Lake Baikal offers something for every traveller. Readers of the Russia destination guide attracted to laidback summer cruise vacationers, who are adventure sports enthusiasts and culture buffs keen to discover will love this destination. The blend of European, Turkic and Mongol influences are found in the region’s languages, customs, cuisine and traditional ways of living.

With a surface that freezes solid between early January and late May, the ice covering Lake Baikal can be up to a metre thick, giving winter visitors the chance to experience unique activities such as ice driving, snowmobiling, ice fishing and ice rafting (river rafting on an actual chunk of Baikal ice). Lovers of landscape photography are drawn to Lake Baikal’s mystical frozen caves and shimmering ice floes. Summer is the season for Russia destination guide readers interested in multi-day cruises and epic kayaking expeditions to hidden coves and pristine beaches.

Weather in Lake Baikal and when to go

Lake Baikal has a maritime climate which is typically much milder than the rest of Siberia. The vast majority of visitors to Baikal arrive in the summer months, with peak season hitting between June and mid-August. Summer days in Baikal are typically warm and pleasant. Sunbathing and swimming are possible, although water temperatures of 15 degrees or below usually keep swim sessions bracingly short! Boating season starts with the break-up of pack ice in late June and can last until September, although cruise tours are generally offered in July and August.

Autumn falls between the end of August and October and is usually the rainiest time of year. Still, this Russia Destination Guide recommends this season’s exquisite autumn scenery for photographers looking to capture the red and gold flora of the forests and the moody, sometimes dramatically windy and stormy weather.

The lake freezes over between January and May. Baikal is arguably at its most enchantingly beautiful over the winter period. The extreme transparency of the lake’s solid surface allows you to peer beneath the ice and into the inky, unfrozen depths below. The ice caves and glittering hummocks are at their most impressive in March, when the ice is at its thickest and winter sports enthusiasts take to the lake for skating, biking, 4WDing and ice-hole fishing.

Highlights of Lake Baikal

For most tourists reading the Russia destination guide, the unofficial regional capital of Irkutsk is the gateway to Lake Baikal, which lies 70km to the east. With a population of about 600,000, Irkutsk is a compact and friendly city, well worth a visit for its charming traditional wooden architecture, 18th-century churches and local history and art museums.

Olkhon Island

Beautiful, rugged Olkhon is the most populated of Baikal’s islands, consisting of a scattering of tiny villages, occupied mainly by indigenous Buryat communities. The middle of the island, one of the highlights of this Russia destination guide journey, is a green sanctuary of Siberian taiga forest. Its majestic coast is made up of the rocky steppe, white sand beaches and soaring cliffs providing perfect vantage points for witnessing spectacular sunsets across the shimmering surface of the lake.

Circum-Baikal Railway

The Circum-Baikal railway is a short, picturesque stretch of railway running between Slyuduanka and Port Baikal, along with the southern tip of Lake Baikal. A steam train trip along the Circum-Baikal make a great day trip, passing through tunnels and bridges that serve to highlight the sheer feat of engineering that first made the journey possible in the early 1900s.

Baikal Nature Reserve

On a wild, southeastern stretch of Baikal’s coastline, the desolate mountains of the Khmer Daban Range descend steeply to the rocky shores of the lake. The park preserves subalpine meadows and tundra, and deep within the taiga forests, Siberian brown bear, lynx, otter, wolverine and golden eagle.

How to get to Lake Baikal 

The city of Irkutsk is considered the main tourist gateway to Lake Baikal for Russia destination guide travellers. Although it’s about 65km from the lake itself, it hosts an airport with several flights a day arriving from Moscow (around 7 hours). There are also regular flights from the major Russian cities, including St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk. Regular international flights are operated from Beijing and occasional flights from Bangkok, Hong Kong and seasonally, twice a week from Seoul. For the western shore of Lake Baikal, the closest airport is Ulan-Ude. It’s a smaller airport, serviced by flights from Moscow and the larger Siberian airports, as well as flights from Beijing.

Travel by train via the Trans-Siberian Railway:

If time isn’t a limiting factor for you, the Russia Destination Guide will go through a far more interesting way to reach Lake Baikal. This is via the Trans-Siberian Railway . If you’re taking the east-west route from Moscow, the train journey from Moscow to Irkutsk takes about three to four days. To reach Lake Baikal from the Irkutsk railway station, you’ll need to make your way by public transport to the main bus station in town, where buses regularly depart for Listvyanka.

Destination #5: Kamchatka

Once considered an inaccessible “edge of the world” location, only visited by the hardiest of adventure travellers, today Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula is gaining a reputation as one of Russia’s most remarkable tourist destinations. Make no mistake, Kamchatka is remote – with no road or railways connecting it to the outside world, the only practical access into this pristine wilderness is by air, and the only way to travel long distances inside this refreshingly undeveloped region is by 4WD or helicopter.

For this Russia Destination Guide readers keen to get closer to nature, this is a trip worth making. Located at the northernmost edge of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, the Kamchatka Peninsula juts out dramatically from the northeastern tip of Russia. Thirty active volcanoes are scattered across the peninsula, including Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the largest in the Northern Hemisphere. Equally as stunning are, the 90 geysers and numerous hot springs that make up the 6km Geyser Valley. The second largest concentration of geysers on earth, this natural gem remains a virtually untouched region of raw geothermal power. Getting to Kamchatka is half the journey, but once you arrive, the raw beauty of this far-flung region will floor you.

Why visit Kamchatka?

For lovers of wildlife, challenging hiking and rugged natural scenery, Kamchatka is paradise on earth. If your idea of the ultimate adventure is scaling an active volcano, coming within metres of wild brown bears, or exploring some of the most remote and wildlife-rich coasts on earth, Kamchatka should be at the very top of your bucket list. Active travellers seeking unique physical challenges where few tourists have gone before should visit in winter for action-packed tours , or in summer for incredible backcountry sea kayaking and camping expeditions, tracing Kamchatka’s dramatic coastline, paddling beneath the shadows of volcanoes and riding the swirling Pacific surf.

Weather in Kamchatka and when to visit

Kamchatka stretches across several climatic zones. Central Kamchatka’s climate is mild and continental. The alpine valleys are characterised by frosty winters and hot, humid summers, while the coast experiences a temperate, marine climate. The summer and autumn months (June through to October) are by far the most popular when max temperatures range from 15°C to 30°C but a growing trend in winter sports means Kamchatka receives visitors year-round.

Kamchatka’s famous brown bears hibernate during the long, snowy winter, so you’ll need to visit between late July and mid-September to be able to spot them. Swimming and kayaking in Avacha Bay is possible during the summer months, and the fly fishing season is between May and October. Kamchatka’s ski resorts and off-piste mountain slopes attract hardcore snow junkies from January through to May.

Highlights of Kamchatka 

Volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire

Kamchatka earns a deserving place as one of the most outstanding volcanic regions of the world, with a high density of active volcanoes. Rugged volcanic peaks interspersed with lush valleys, desolate lava-spewing plains and ancient glaciers form a dynamic landscaped with a strange, almost otherworldly sense of beauty. Nineteen active volcanoes are included in the within the six groups of UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites of Kamchatka. Travellers who fancy themselves as mountain trekkers can easily walk to the bases of some impressive mountains.

Valley of Geysers

Seething, steaming and periodically expelling huge volumes of hot water in a spectacular jet, geysers are a remarkable natural phenomenon. Kamchatka’s Geyser Valley is home to the second largest concentration of geysers on earth, scattered across a 6km basin with the Martian-like volcanic scenery. Due to their remote location, the geysers can only be accessed by helicopter. Once inside the valley, local guides and wooden walkways provide a safe passageway past some of the largest and most spectacular geysers.

The Brown Bears of Kamchatka

The Kamchatka brown bear , one of the largest subspecies of brown bear in the world. The region’s well-preserved wilderness has created a safe sanctuary for one of the most concentrated brown bear populations in the world, meaning summer sightings of these impressive animals are virtually guaranteed. During late July to mid-September, Kuril Lake hosts Kamchatka’s largest salmon spawning event, attracting about 2 million fish each season. Tourists, escorted by rangers can observe the bears as they swim, play and fish for salmon.

Kamchatka’s Pacific Coast

Vast, rugged and largely uninhabited, Kamchatka boasts one of the most isolated stretches of coastline in the world. The region’s capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is situated beside the calm waters of Avacha Bay, under the shadow of the three Petropavlovsk volcanoes. Beyond Avacha are thousands of kilometres of rocky coastline. The most conspicuous residents here are seals, giant Stellar sea lions, orcas, whales and sea eagles.

Heli-Skiing in Kamchatka

For experienced skiers and snowboarders with a taste for the extreme, heli-skiing the untouched volcanic slopes of Kamchatka will be a wild winter adventure that’s virtually unrivalled. The experience starts with an incredible flight over the untamed peaks of the peninsula in a Russian chopper – the ultimate chairlift! Then, touchdown in the middle of nowhere and prepare for the free ride of a lifetime. Kamchatka is the only place on earth where it’s possible to ski down active volcanoes, and even to ski into the crater, with active steam vents smoking around you!

How to get to Kamchatka

Sandwiched between sub-Arctic Russia and the Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka has no overland routes leading into the region. There are no regular passenger ferries to anywhere in Kamchatka, so the only practical way for travellers to arrive is by air. You can find the airport located 20km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the village of Yelizovo. There are daily flights from Moscow (nine hours), and several flights a week from St Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok and Beijing. In the peak summer season, there are occasional flights from Anchorage, Alaska and Tokyo, Japan.

Destination #6: Karelia

Karelia exudes an air of magic unlike anywhere else in Russia. Encompassing vast tracts of untouched wilderness, the far northwestern republic is covered in dense forests, idyllic lakes and waterfalls, fertile hills and barren steppe country. Iconic animal species now extremely rare in much of Europe – bears, wolves, wolverine, lynx, reindeer, moose and otter roam freely along the Russian frontier.

Bordered by Finland and the White Sea, Karelia is not just a far-flung no-mans land but a living museum of human history. Inhabited by Scandinavian peoples for 6,000 years and intermittently contested by Finnish, Swedish, and Russian forces over centuries, Karelia, despite having much of its territory ceded to the Soviet Union in 1939, the region still retains a strong cultural connection with eastern Finland. Distinctly Karelian culture lives on in the peasant traditions of poetry, music and folk ceremonies that reinforce the people’s bond with the land and sea.  

Why visit Karelia?

This Russia Destination Guide will present to you some of the highlights and high points of this magnificent destination. Easily accessible from Moscow and St Petersburg, and blessed with extraordinary natural beauty, a unique culture unlike anywhere else in Russia and some of the best-preserved traditional wooden architecture in the country, Karelia slowly starting to appear on the radar of international travellers.

The region offers a fantastic mix of nature, outdoor adventure and cultural discovery, from the prehistoric petroglyphs near the White Sea Coast to the republic’s most famous attraction, the World Heritage-listed Kizhi Pogost, an open-air museum in the middle of a lake, dedicated to fine 17 th ad 18th-century wooden architecture.

Karelia is an equally enchanting eco-tourism destination for Russia destination guide readers, home to the primordial forests of  Kivach Nature Reserve , and  Ruskeala Mountain Park , a former marble quarry that has been naturally transformed over time into a magnificent flooded canyon, carved from a unique and harmonious fusion of the natural and the man-made.

Karelia’s rivers, lakes and streams allow off-the-grid kayaking, fishing and camping for weeks. In winter, the woods become an enchanting playground for dog sledding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

Weather in Karelia and when to visit

Generally speaking, Karelia has a continental climate zone, with typically much milder winters in contrast to other northern regions near the Arctic. However, Karelia’s climate has a reputation for being unpredictable, so no matter which season Russia Destination Guide traveller’s trips coincides with, be prepared for practically any weather.

The short summer period from June to mid-August is modestly warm, but this time of the year welcomes the most visitors to Karelia since it enjoys the sunniest days by far. By the peak of July, the famous ‘midnight sun’ visits northern Karelia, and shines almost around the clock. Expect maximum daytime temperatures of between 16 and 21°C. Karelia’s relatively mild temperatures make it one of the most comfortable destinations for experiencing winter in the Arctic zone. The Russia Destination Guide implores you to explore the ethereal taiga forests and fairytale wooden houses which look especially magical against a snowy winter backdrop. The snowy landscapes are perfect for enjoying favourite local sports such as snowmobiling, skiing and dog-sledding. Its proximity to the Arctic Circle means that the skies above Northern Karelia are sometimes graced with an appearance from the Northern Lights.

Highlights of Karelia

One of the largest open-air museums in Russia has been built on the island of Kizhi in the middle of Lake Onega. Kizhi is immediately recognisable thanks to the iconic Transfiguration Church. This masterpiece of timber architecture features five tiers of 22 wooden domes, built in 1714 without the use of a single nail. The pine walls and domes of the church change colour as the day progresses. The Kizhi State Museum is home to dozens of 18 th and 19th-century log buildings, some furnished in period style, moved here from Karelian villages during the Soviet era.

Ruskeala mountain park

Ruskeala was formerly a marble quarry, mined by the Swedes, Finns and Russians for around three centuries. The 109-metre wide canyon now stretches for 456 metres and its sides are riddled with caves and grottoes. Tall pines sprout from the tops of the canyon walls and the groundwater has become a river of deep emerald green, creating a truly beautiful union of the natural and the man-made. The canyon can be traversed by boat, and some of the caves and mine shafts can be explored with a professional guide.

Solovetsky Islands

The Solovetsky Islands, is a place that many travellers fantasise about visiting when in Russia but few actually ever end up doing so. Located in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, the archipelago is made up of 6 main islands and many smaller ones. The largest island is the Bolshoy Solovetsky and it is home to the main monastery, which dominates the rural idyll of Solovetsky Village, the islands’ main settlement.

Valaam Island

As one of the most popular Orthodox tourist destinations, the main attraction that draws visitors to its shores is the 14th century Transfiguration Monastery. It is a monumental structure that sits on top of the high hill, making it visible from many locations on the island. In the past, the monastery had been subjected to numerous accounts of destruction and devastation from fires and invasions. Now, the gardens, a bakery, vegetable patches and a farm, rolling prairies and granite cliffs with around 200 Orthodox monks living within its walls permanently.

How to get to Karelia

For Russia Destination Readers travelling within Russia itself, S7 Airlines fly between four and five times a week from Moscow (Domodedovo) to the Karelian capital of Petrozavodsk (approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes). The timetable changes regularly so keep an eye out on S7’s flight schedule. Petrozavodsk is a small airport about 12km out of town. Taxis or private transfers are the preferred means of getting into the city. Once you arrive at the Petrozavodsk airport, it is about a 12km drive to the city centre. Pre-arranged private transfers are typically the preferred methods of transportation to get to town.

There are several trains per week, both daytime and overnight departing from St Petersburg to Petrozavodsk (7 hours) or day trains (4 hours). Trains from Moscow to Petrozavodsk run daily, an overnight journey of around 16 hours. The twice-weekly train to Murmansk (capital of Kola Peninsula) also makes a stop in Petrozavodsk.

Travel by bus:

A bus service connects Petrozavodsk to Joensuu in Finland (Thursdays to Sundays) and takes around 4 hours and 40 minutes. There are also bus services to Petrozavodsk from St Petersburg, which takes between 5 and 6 hours and is an extremely cheap way to travel between the two cities.

Destination #7: Kola Peninsula

Pierced by the snow-dusted pines of the taiga forest in the south and blanketed by an endless expanse of tundra in the north, the Kola Peninsula is the quintessential Russian Arctic destination. Inhabited by reindeer-herding nomads and bound by the White and Barents Seas (plied by only the strongest of nuclear ice-breaker ships), this remote region is the stuff of romance and legend. Situated almost entirely above the Arctic Circle, between mid-May and July, daylight lasts a full 24 hours, bathing the peninsula in the dazzling light of the unsetting midnight sun. Conversely, for two months over winter, the Kola Peninsula is blanketed by the polar night, when the sky is only lit by the appearance of the mesmerising Aurora Borealis.

A land of jewel-like lakes and crystal clear rivers, unexplored mountain ranges and wildlife-rich Arctic coastline, Kola’s vast grasslands are subject to visiting grazing reindeer in their thousands over the summer months. Many of the indigenous Sami, who also inhabit northern Scandinavia, still live on to a semi-nomadic way of life, depending on reindeer herding for their livelihood, traversing the tundra on husky-drawn sleds and holding on to their own ancient customs, language and traditions.

Not all of Kola is untouched by modern development. The capital Murmansk, with a population of over 300,000, is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle, and despite its industrial port town feel, is a remarkably lively town, with bars and restaurants and interesting Naval history.

Why visit the Kola Peninsula?

Still very much a frontier tourist destination, Kola is a place for travellers seeking unusual and extreme environments and boundless Arctic wilderness. For those Russian Destination Guide readers keen on winter sports, Kola offers some of the Arctic region’s best cross-country skiing, and the opportunity to go snowmobiling in the taiga. For hardcore history buffs, the peninsula is also a hunting ground for Soviet-era ruins including a haunting submarine graveyard near the Russian naval base at Olenya Bay.

Between the months of September and April, the city of Murmansk receives an influx of visitors hoping to catch the cosmic dance of the Northern Lights above the city rooftops and the hills, forests and snowfields surrounding the town.

Weather in the Kola Peninsula and when to go

Despite its extreme northern location, Kola enjoys one of the mildest climates of any region above the Arctic Circle, thanks to the influence of the warm Atlantic currents. This has helped make Kola an attractive destination for Northern Lights tourism between the autumn and late winter months of September and April.

The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of about -10°C in the Murmansk region. July is the warmest month, with temperatures between 12 and 20°C. From early December till late January, the sun is hidden beneath the horizon day and night, with artificial light the only means of illuminating the infamous polar night. The season of the polar day is from late May to late July when bright sunshine persists regardless of the time of day.

Highlights of the Kola Peninsula 

The Northern Lights in the Kola Peninsula

Known as the best place in the Russian Arctic for a chance to witness the breathtaking spectacle of the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights , Murmansk and its surrounds have become one of the world’s premier destinations for observing and photographing this bewitching natural phenomenon. Although their appearance is unpredictable, the lights can be sighted between late August and April, with September to April considered the best months for maximising your chances.

Nomadic Saami culture

The Sami (or Saami) are also the most prominent indigenous group in Lapland, Scandinavia. So distant is their language and way of life from the rest of Russia the Sami-dominated parts of Kola are usually referred to as Lapland. With a local guide, it’s possible to visit a traditional Sami settlement where many traditional dwellings are still in use. You may be invited to test your reindeer lassoing skills, commandeer your own troupe of sled-pulling huskies and taste authentic Lappish cuisines such as Arctic fish soup and berry pie.

Snow Village

The Snow Village is an ambitious tourism project featuring ornately decorated buildings, sculptures, labyrinthine tunnels and intricately patterned rooms, painstakingly constructed almost entirely out of ice and snow. Drop in at the ice bar, watch a film at the snow cinema, check out the ice sculpture gallery or stroll through the enchanting “village” where you’ll encounter fairy tale characters, mythical snow maidens and perhaps even Santa Klaus himself.

Teriberka Village

Teriberka is an old village, located on the Barents Sea coast. The way to the village takes travellers through the tundra with splendid sceneries on their way. Teriberka village is an authentic place and you will be impressed by arctic nature, village life and almost destroyed households Soviet Union period, cemetery old wooden ships and the famous breathtaking view of the Arctic ocean.

Destination #8: Yamal

Once considered a virtually inaccessible “edge of the world” location, only visited by the hardiest of adventure travellers, Yamal is one of the last refuges of Siberia’s nomadic reindeer herders, custodians of a land of vast plains that stretch from the Polar Ural Mountains to the Kara Sea in the Arctic Ocean. While large-scale reindeer herding is slowly disappearing throughout Russia and the Arctic, Yamal’s remoteness has been key to the preservation of this ancient way of life practised by the indigenous Nenets. Even so, the discovery of immense oil and gas resources in the peninsula will mean the Nenets culture is becoming increasingly under pressure from modern industrial development.

With much of its territory above the Arctic Circle, Yamal means ‘edge of the world’ in the language of its indigenous people. Its administrative centre, the historic town of Salekhard (population 43,000) straddles the Arctic Circle. The Yamal Peninsula was considered so inhospitable that Stalin built his prison camps here. And yet a rich, colourful and resilient culture and ancient shamanistic religion have managed to survive here.

To survive Yamal’s extreme climate, the Nenets migrate with herds of up to 10,000 strong from their winter pastures in the southern taiga, north to their summer grazing lands near the Arctic Ocean. Crossing the frozen Ob, the world’s fifth-largest river is just part of a journey which can span over 1,000km, one way, making it one of the longest annual human migration routes in the world.

Why visit Yamal?

Very few foreigners have set foot on the Yamal Peninsula. There are no roads from outside into the area, and outsiders (both Russians and foreigners) must apply for a visitors permit at least two months ahead. Due to the challenging logistics of visiting Yamal, a guided tour is highly recommended.

The Russia Destination Guide presents to you the single most compelling reason to make this difficult journey to Yamal. Here, you can submerge yourself in a culturally immersive experience like no other. During the reindeer migration season, you will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live amongst the indigenous Nenets of Yamal, sleeping in their summer tented camps, working with reindeer and following them on part of their migration on wooden sleds through the snowy taiga forest. The highlight of the year for visitors to Yamal is the annual Reindeer Herder’s Festival , the most important event on the Nenets calendar which showcases all manner of reindeer-related physical challenges.

Weather in Yamal and when to go

Most of the Yamal territory is located within the northern part of the West Siberian Plain, and a small part of the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains. The climate of this region is characterised by long, harsh and winters of up to eight months, and short summers with strong winds and relatively light snow cover.

Summer temperatures hover around 5 to 25°C but the wind chill factor still makes warm clothing outside a must. In deepest winter, out on the tundra, temperatures of a staggering -50°C are common. Clothing and exposure protection suitable for extreme cold is an absolute must for surviving Yamal in the winter time. The Nenets wear heavy coats, hats and boots fashioned from reindeer skin, and while living with them in their tents, guests are highly advised to do the same.

Highlights of Yamal

Reindeer Migration with Nenets

Travel with the Nenets on one leg of their annual migration – it’s one of the most unforgettable and incomparable cultural experiences on earth! Each spring, the Nenets migrate from winter pastures on the Russian mainland to the summer pastures in the Arctic Circle, a one-way journey of up to 1,000km. This is a remarkable extraordinary opportunity to get to know one of the world’s last true nomadic reindeer herders through their eyes.

Reindeer Herder’s Festival in Yamal

The Reindeer Herder’s Festival is a one-day holiday, celebrated in late March or early April in Yamal. For the nomadic Nenets people, a festival day is a major event, which offers a chance to meet with friends and compete in contests of physical skill and a variety of other competitions. It has also become an event in which the Nenets are able to share with the world a rarely-glimpsed slice of their culture, which has remained relatively unchanged for centuries. Visits to the festival combined with a stay in a traditional nomad camp can be arranged by a specialist tour company.

How to get to Yamal

The Arctic city of Salekhard is the gateway to the rest of Yamal. There are direct flights from Moscow and St Petersburg (both around 3 hours) and also from Ekaterinburg (1.5 hours) on Yamal Airlines. Salekhard Airport is about 7km from the city centre.

Fancy a ride on the real, modern-day Polar Express? The train named the “Polar Arrow” was launched in 2013 and makes the 3,550km journey from Moscow, cutting through the Ural Mountains, hauling through Asia and Siberia and crossing the Arctic Circle to reach Labytnangi (the closest station to Salekhard) some 43 to 46 hours later. Taxis from Labytanangi will take you to Salekhard’s town centre in less than half an hour.

Destination #9: Altai Republic

The Altai Republic is, in a word, “diverse.” A mountainous region whose borders touch the semi-deserts of Mongolia and the vast Kazakh plains, Altai has one the most varied climates in Siberia. Still largely undiscovered, Altai now supports a growing, community-based eco-tourism industry. As well as being an incredible hike and ski destination, Altai offers the unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the traditions of the mountain-worshipping Altay people, whose ancient culture reflects Altai’s location at the crossroads of both Europe and East and Central Asia.

Altai is impossibly scenic – watch the scenery slide by as it rolls from rocky steppes to the high desert to impenetrable taiga forest. Colours shift, fields lay in hushed snowfall or blossom in spring. Everything changes here, with only one exception – Altai’s majestic mountain peaks. Home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site “The Golden Mountains of Altai”, the Altai Mountain Range is a refuge for some of the world’s rarest animal species. In the raw, rugged beauty of this long-forgotten wilderness, you can hike for miles in complete solitude. Go fishing in the pristine tributaries of the Katun and Chemal Rivers, search for snow leopard prints in the hills, explore vast underground cave complexes or get your fix of winter sports action in one of the region’s burgeoning boutique ski resorts.  

Why travel to Altai?

Blessed with unforgettable mountain scenery – eternally snow-capped alpine peaks, broad green valleys, rocky canyons and mighty glaciers – Altai cements its place in the Russia destination guide as the ultimate hiking destination. Altai has an enormous amount to offer lovers of landscape, nature and wildlife photography. Despite being a relatively unknown ‘adventure’ destination, Altai’s trekking routes offer something for hikers of all levels of experience, from easy jaunts in the foothills and meadowlands to hardcore, high-altitude multi-day and multi-week treks straddling the mountain ranges that straddle the Mongolian, Chinese and Kazaz borders. Altai’s hiking trails are endless and reaching the summit of one of the high peaks is of the most rewarding things to do in the Altai region.

Weather in Altai and when to go  

The Altai Republic has three main climatic zones – warm and humid continental, subarctic and cold semi-arid, making it essentially a year-round destination. Being located far from the oceans, the lands of the Altai Ranges heat up considerably in summer and cool rapidly in winter, making late spring and summer the ideal season for mountain trekking and camping.

Summer is peak whitewater rafting season in Altai. The Russia destination guide recommendation is to visit around the end of August where you may witness or participate in the White Water Siberia Forum, a sensational event that attracts professional rafters from around the world attempting to conquer the incredibly wild rapids and of the majestic Chuya River.

Highlights of Altai

The Golden Mountains of Altai

The Golden Mountains of Altai is a UNESCO World Heritage site forming the major mountain range in Western Siberia and the source of its greatest rivers – the Ob and the Irtysh. The region harbours the most diverse vegetation and microclimatic zones in central Siberia, from steppe to dense mix forest and high alpine vegetation. The dramatic Altai ranges are home to nearly 700 animal species, including the mountain ram, reindeer and the endangered snow leopard. Stunning Mount Belukha is the highest peak in Siberia at a cloud-piercing 4,506m.

Lake Teletskoye – The Golden Lake

Lake Teletskoye or Altyn-Köl, which means “Golden Lake” is the world’s second deepest freshwater body after Lake Baikal (up to 325m at its deepest point). A dazzlingly transparent aquamarine sometimes referred to as “Baikal’s Little Brother”, the lake spans 233 square kilometres and is surrounded by the alpine meadows, forests and the jagged, rocky peaks of the Altai mountain ranges.

The Indigenous Cultures of Altai

Altai is home to 5 million people speaking 40 languages. The indigenous population includes the various ethnic groups of the Alati people, descendants of the Turkic tribes with ancient cultural links to the Mongols. Among the most famous Altai ancestral traditions is throat singing. The style of throat singing or ‘overtone singing’, (as it sounds as though the vocalist is singing two notes in separate frequencies at the same time) performed in Altai is unique to certain cultures in Siberia and Mongolia.

How to get to Altai   

For Russia Destination Guide readers travelling within Russia, there are two main options for reaching the Altai Mountains by air. From Moscow, you can take a direct flight to Gorno-Altaysk, the capital of the Altai Republic. S7 Airlines runs about two flights a week (check the schedule for seasonal changes to the timetable) with a flight time of about 4 hours and 4 minutes.

Flights also operate several times a week from Moscow to Barnaul (just over 4 hours flight time), capital of the neighbouring Altai Territory and a larger and more developed city than Gorno-Altaysk, from where you can take public transport or rent a car for the three-hour drive to Gorno-Altaysk

Although it is not part of the Altai Republic, lying 447km from the Altai capital of Gorno-Altaysk, Novosibirsk is one the most popular jumping-off points for trips into rural Altai. As the largest city in Siberia, Novosibirsk is well serviced by air, with daily flights to and from all the major Russian cities and some international flights from Frankfurts, Hannover, Beijing, Seoul and Tel Aviv. The largest local airport it Tolmachovo Airport, located 20km west of the city centre by taxi, hotel shuttle bus or private transfer.

The Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow passes through Novosibirsk, and travellers can disembark the train here before continuing their 5 and a half to 6-hour journey to Gorno-Altaksy by road.

From Novosibirsk or Baurnal, the cheapest way to get into Gorno-Altaysk is by bus. There are around 4 to 5 trips per day from Novosibirsk, while buses depart from Baurnal roughly every 2 hours.

We hope this Russia destination guide was informative and useful to you. Feel free to get in touch with our team for more information on options to travel to Russia.

[email protected] Ph: +61 93889816

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Tourism in Russia 

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Tourism in Russia is big business, but why? Why is this industry so important and how should it best be managed? Read on to find out…

Tourism in Russia

Spanning two continents and enveloping a myriad of cultures, landscapes, and histories, Russia stands as a colossal testament to human civilisation’s diverse tapestry. From the historic domes of Moscow to the vast Siberian wilderness, the country beckons with tales as expansive as its geography . This article delves into the multifaceted allure of Russian tourism, offering a glimpse into a nation where age-old traditions intersect with contemporary vibrancy.

Geographical overview of Russia 

Russia is the world’s largest country in terms of land area, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth’s land surface. It is located in northern Eurasia and spans two continents – Europe and Asia. The geography of Russia is diverse and includes a wide range of landscapes, from arctic tundras and deserts to mountains and forests.

In the west, Russia borders Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine. In the south, it borders Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, North Korea, and Mongolia. The country has a coastline of more than 37,000 kilometres, which includes the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas.

The landscape of Russia is characterised by several major physical features. The Ural Mountains, which run from north to south, separate Europe and Asia. The vast Siberian plains cover most of Russia’s territory east of the Ural Mountains, and they are some of the most extensive and least populated regions in the world. To the east of Siberia lies the mountainous region of the Russian Far East, which includes the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Sikhote-Alin Mountains.

Russia has several major rivers, including the Volga, the longest river in Europe, which flows into the Caspian Sea, and the Ob and Yenisei Rivers, which are among the longest rivers in Asia and flow into the Arctic Ocean.

In terms of climate, Russia experiences a wide range of conditions due to its vast size and diverse landscapes. The Arctic regions of Russia have an extreme polar climate, while the southern regions have a humid subtropical climate. The majority of Russia’s population lives in the western part of the country, where the climate is temperate continental.

Overall, the geography of Russia is vast and varied, with a range of landscapes, climates, and physical features that make it one of the most unique and fascinating countries in the world.

Tourism industry in Russia 

Russia is a country with a rich history, culture, and natural beauty, and its tourism industry is gradually growing in popularity. The country’s diverse geography and climate, along with its numerous historical and cultural attractions, make it an exciting destination for tourists from around the world.

Some of Russia’s most popular tourist destinations include Moscow, the capital city, and St. Petersburg, known for its impressive architecture and art collections. Other popular cities include Kazan, Sochi, and Yekaterinburg, each with its unique attractions and cultural offerings.

Russia is also known for its scenic natural beauty, with vast forests, lakes, and mountain ranges that offer opportunities for hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities. Some of the country’s most popular natural attractions include Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake, and the Kamchatka Peninsula, home to several active volcanoes and hot springs.

In addition to its cultural and natural attractions, Russia also offers a unique experience for tourists interested in history and politics. The country has a complex and fascinating history, with several historical sites and museums that offer insights into the country’s past, including the Kremlin in Moscow, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the WWII Museum in Moscow.

Overall, the tourism industry in Russia is still developing, but it has great potential due to the country’s numerous attractions and unique offerings. However, visitors should be aware that the country has its own unique customs and culture, and it is important to research and plan accordingly to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.

Statistics about tourism in Russia 

Here are some of the most current statistics available and the time of publication about tourism in Russia:

• In 2019, Russia welcomed approximately 24 million international tourists, generating $11.4 billion in tourism revenue. (Source: World Tourism Organization)
• The top five source countries for international tourists to Russia in 2019 were China, Germany, South Korea, the United States, and Finland. (Source: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation)
• Domestic tourism is also significant in Russia, with over 70 million trips taken by Russians within their own country in 2019. (Source: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation)
• Moscow and St. Petersburg are the two most popular destinations for both international and domestic tourists in Russia. (Source: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation)
• In 2019, tourism accounted for approximately 3.5% of Russia’s GDP. (Source: World Travel and Tourism Council)
• The tourism industry in Russia provides employment for approximately 4 million people. (Source: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation)
• Russia has over 57,000 hotels and other accommodation options, with a total of over 1.6 million rooms. (Source: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation)
• The majority of international tourists to Russia visit for leisure purposes, with business travel and visiting friends and relatives also common reasons for travel. (Source: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation)
• The most popular time to visit Russia is during the summer months of June to August, although winter tourism is also growing in popularity due to the country’s winter sports offerings. (Source: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation)

Most popular tourist attractions in Russia

Russia has many popular tourist attractions that offer visitors a glimpse into the country’s rich history, culture, and natural beauty. Here are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Russia:

Red Square and the Kremlin – Located in the heart of Moscow, Red Square and the Kremlin are two of Russia’s most iconic landmarks. The square is home to the colourful St. Basil’s Cathedral and the GUM department store, while the Kremlin is a fortified complex that includes several palaces, churches, and museums.

The Hermitage Museum – Situated in St. Petersburg, the Hermitage Museum is one of the world’s largest and most impressive art museums. It houses a vast collection of over three million artworks and artefacts, including works by Rembrandt, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo.

Lake Baikal – Known as the “Pearl of Siberia,” Lake Baikal is the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume and is home to a unique ecosystem of flora and fauna. Visitors can take a cruise on the lake or explore the surrounding wilderness on foot.

The Golden Ring – The Golden Ring is a collection of historic towns and cities northeast of Moscow that date back to the 12th century. It includes cities such as Vladimir, Suzdal, and Sergiev Posad, each with its unique architecture and cultural attractions.

Catherine Palace – Located just outside St. Petersburg, Catherine Palace is a stunning baroque palace that was once the summer residence of the Russian Tsars. Visitors can explore the palace’s opulent interiors and stroll through the expansive gardens.

Kazan – Located in the republic of Tatarstan, Kazan is a vibrant city that blends Russian and Tatar cultures. Visitors can explore the city’s UNESCO-listed Kremlin, visit the Kul-Sharif Mosque, or enjoy the vibrant nightlife.

Trans-Siberian Railway – The Trans-Siberian Railway is the world’s longest railway, spanning over 9,000 kilometres across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok. The journey offers stunning views of the country’s diverse landscapes and is a unique way to experience the country.

Peterhof Palace – Also known as the “Russian Versailles,” Peterhof Palace is a grand palace complex located on the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg. Visitors can explore the palace’s opulent interiors and enjoy the beautiful gardens and fountains.

Sochi – Located on the Black Sea coast, Sochi is a popular resort town that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics. Visitors can enjoy the city’s beaches, ski resorts, and subtropical climate.

Baikal-Amur Mainline – The Baikal-Amur Mainline is a railway that spans over 4,000 kilometres through some of Russia’s most remote and beautiful landscapes. The journey is a unique way to experience the country’s natural beauty and is a popular option for adventure travellers.

These are just a few of the many popular tourist attractions in Russia, and there are many more to discover in this fascinating and diverse country.

Most popular types of tourism in Russia 

Russia offers a wide variety of tourism experiences, from historic cities and cultural attractions to stunning natural landscapes and adventure sports. Here are some of the most popular types of tourism in Russia:

• Cultural tourism – Russia’s rich cultural heritage and fascinating history make it a popular destination for cultural tourism. Visitors can explore historic cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, visit museums and art galleries, and attend cultural events such as ballets and operas.
• Heritage tourism – With its long and complex history, Russia is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, the historic city of St. Petersburg, and the Golden Ring of ancient towns.
• Adventure tourism – Russia’s vast and diverse landscape offers many opportunities for adventure tourism, including hiking, skiing, and mountain climbing. Popular destinations include the Altai Mountains, Lake Baikal, and the Caucasus Mountains.
• Ecotourism – Russia is home to some of the world’s most unique and unspoiled natural landscapes, making it an excellent destination for ecotourism. Visitors can explore national parks and nature reserves, observe wildlife, and engage in sustainable tourism practices.
• Cruise tourism – Russia’s major cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Volgograd, are all located on major rivers or coastal waterways, making it a popular destination for river and ocean cruises. Visitors can enjoy scenic views of the countryside while stopping at historic ports and cultural attractions along the way.
• Medical tourism – Russia has a reputation for its world-class medical facilities and expertise in specialised medical treatments. Visitors can take advantage of medical tourism to access high-quality healthcare and wellness services.
• Sports tourism – Russia has hosted many international sporting events, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 Winter Olympics. Visitors can participate in sports activities or attend sporting events, such as soccer matches, ice hockey games, and skiing competitions.

These are just a few of the many types of tourism available in Russia, and the country’s diverse attractions and activities make it an ideal destination for all types of travellers.

Economic Impacts of tourism in Russia

Tourism has become an increasingly important contributor to Russia’s economy, generating significant economic impacts at both national and regional levels. Here are some of the key economic impacts of tourism in Russia:

• Job creation – Tourism is a major employer in Russia, with the industry providing direct and indirect employment opportunities for millions of people. This includes jobs in hotels, restaurants, transportation, retail, and other tourism-related sectors.
• Economic growth – Tourism generates significant economic growth in Russia, contributing to the country’s GDP and generating tax revenues for the government. In 2019, tourism contributed 3.7% to Russia’s GDP and supported 5.5 million jobs.
• Foreign exchange earnings – Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange earnings for Russia, as international visitors spend money on accommodation, food, transportation, and other tourism-related activities. In 2019, tourism generated over $11 billion in foreign exchange earnings for Russia.
• Regional development – Tourism can have a significant impact on regional development, particularly in less developed areas of the country. By attracting tourists to these areas, tourism can stimulate investment in infrastructure and support local businesses, creating new opportunities for economic growth and job creation.
• Stimulating other sectors – The tourism industry also stimulates other sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, handicrafts, and cultural industries. This can help to diversify the economy and create new opportunities for local communities.
• Improved quality of life – Tourism in Russia can also improve the quality of life for local residents by creating new job opportunities, generating tax revenues for public services, and supporting the development of new infrastructure and facilities.

Overall, tourism plays an important role in Russia’s economy, generating significant economic impacts at both national and regional levels. As the tourism industry continues to grow, it is expected to become an even more important contributor to Russia’s economic development.

Social impacts of tourism in Russia

Tourism can have both positive and negative social impacts on a destination, including impacts on local communities, cultural heritage, and social structures. Here are some of the key social impacts of tourism in Russia:

• Cultural exchange – Tourism can promote cultural exchange and understanding between visitors and local communities, helping to preserve and promote cultural heritage. This can include cultural events, traditional music, dance, and crafts.
• Employment opportunities – Tourism in Russia can create new job opportunities for local residents, particularly in rural areas where other employment opportunities may be limited. This can help to improve the standard of living and reduce poverty.
• Community development – Tourism can contribute to community development by supporting the development of local infrastructure and services, such as roads, healthcare facilities, and schools. This can improve the quality of life for local residents.
• Preservation of cultural heritage – Tourism can support the preservation of cultural heritage sites, traditions, and customs. This can include the restoration of historic buildings, preservation of traditional crafts, and promotion of local cultural events.
• Environmental impact – Tourism can have negative environmental impacts, including pollution and degradation of natural habitats. This can harm local communities and wildlife.
• Social disruption – Tourism can also cause social disruption in local communities, particularly in areas with high levels of tourism activity. This can include overcrowding, noise pollution, and loss of privacy.
• Pressure on resources – Tourism in Russia can place pressure on local resources, such as water and energy, which can create conflict with local residents and affect the sustainability of the destination.

Overall, tourism can have both positive and negative social impacts on a destination. To maximise the positive impacts and minimise the negative impacts, it is important to develop sustainable tourism practices that prioritise the well-being of local communities and the preservation of cultural and natural heritage.

Environmental impacts of tourism in Russia

Tourism can have significant environmental impacts on a destination, both positive and negative. Here are some of the key environmental impacts of tourism in Russia:

• Carbon emissions – Tourism in Russia can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly through air travel and transportation. This can contribute to climate change and impact local ecosystems.
• Water usage – Tourism can increase demand for water, particularly in areas where water resources are already limited. This can lead to water scarcity and impact local ecosystems.
• Waste generation – Tourism can generate significant amounts of waste, particularly in areas with high levels of tourism activity. This can lead to pollution of local waterways and harm local wildlife.
• Land use – Tourism in Russia can lead to increased development and land use, particularly in areas with high levels of tourism activity. This can lead to habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity.
• Natural resource depletion – Tourism can increase demand for natural resources, such as timber, food, and water. This can lead to depletion of these resources and harm local ecosystems.
• Wildlife disturbance – Tourism in Russia can cause disturbance to local wildlife, particularly in areas where wildlife is a key attraction for tourists. This can lead to habitat destruction and impact the ecological balance of the area.

Overall, tourism in Russia can have significant environmental impacts on a destination, particularly in areas with high levels of tourism activity. To minimise the negative impacts and promote sustainable tourism practices, it is important to prioritise environmental protection and conservation in tourism planning and management. This can include promoting eco-friendly accommodation, encouraging responsible behaviour among tourists, and implementing policies to reduce carbon emissions and waste generation.

FAQ’s about tourism in Russia 

Now that we know a bit more about tourism in Russia, lets answer some of the most frequently asked questions on this topic:

Do I need a visa to visit Russia?

Most foreign visitors to Russia require a visa. However, some countries have visa-free agreements with Russia, and citizens of those countries can visit without a visa for a limited period.

What is the best time of year to visit Russia?

The best time to visit Russia depends on your preferences and the activities you plan to do. The summer months of June to August are the most popular for tourism, but the winter months can also be a magical time to visit.

What is the currency used in Russia?

The official currency of Russia is the Russian ruble (RUB).

Is it safe to travel to Russia?

Overall, Russia is a safe country for tourists, but like any other country, it is not completely immune to crime. Tourists should take common-sense precautions and stay aware of their surroundings.

What language do people speak in Russia?

The official language of Russia is Russian. English is also widely spoken in major tourist destinations, but it is still a good idea to learn some basic Russian phrases before visiting.

What are the most popular tourist destinations in Russia?

Some of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia include Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Golden Ring, Lake Baikal, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the Caucasus Mountains.

What is the cost of living in Russia?

The cost of living in Russia can vary depending on the city and the type of lifestyle you lead. In general, major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg can be quite expensive, while smaller cities and rural areas are more affordable.

Can I use my credit card in Russia?

Credit cards are widely accepted in major tourist destinations in Russia, but it is still a good idea to carry cash as a backup.

What is the public transportation system like in Russia?

Russia has an extensive public transportation system, including metros, buses, trams, and trains. The metro systems in Moscow and St. Petersburg are particularly efficient and affordable.

What are some unique cultural experiences to have in Russia?

Some unique cultural experiences to have in Russia include attending a ballet or opera performance, visiting a traditional Russian bathhouse (banya), sampling local cuisine, and learning about Russian art and history at museums and galleries.

To conclude- Tourism in Russia

So, that sums up this article about tourism in Russia. In the vast expanse of Russia, every corner narrates tales of history, culture, and natural splendour. From imperial cities to sprawling tundras, the country’s diverse tapestry invites travellers to explore and rediscover. As the curtain falls on our exploration of Russian tourism, one truth remains evident: Russia’s allure, both timeless and ever-evolving, ensures it remains an unforgettable destination on the world’s travel map.

If you enjoyed this article about tourism in Russia, I am sure you will like these too:

• 35 Famous Landmarks Of Russia (with photos)
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Best Cities to Visit in Russia

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Are you dreaming about a vacation in Russia? That's a great idea! You just need to decide where you would like to travel and which cities you wish to visit. We always suggest starting in the two gorgeous capitals - Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Where next? We have a list for that!

St. Petersburg

Another city that will welcome sports enthusiasts from all around the globe is the world-famous “Venice of the North” and cultural capital of Russia - St. Petersburg .

The sightseeing opportunities here are endless: from the romantic canals, the Nevsky Prospect, the  Peter and Paul Cathedral ,  Church of Spilled Blood ,  St. Isaac’s Cathedral  and the iconic  Hermitage Museum  to the treasures located in its outskirts including Peterhof and Catherine’s Palace in Tsarskoye Selo in Pushkin. Moreover, St. Petersburg houses top-notch theaters and operas, as such make sure to visit theaters such as the Mariinsky while in Russia.

Quick St. Petersburg Facts

• Founded: in 1703
• Population: 4.9 million (2012)
• Must-visit sights: State Hermitage Museum, Savior on the Spilled Blood, Catherine's Palace

Without a doubt, the capital of Russia is place that will provide travelers top-notch sightseeing just about around any corner. By all means, the beating heart of Moscow, the  Red Square , colorful-domed  St. Basil’s Cathedral  and the mighty red-walled  Kremlin  cannot but be mentioned among top places to see during your Russia tour.

The largest Christian Orthodox  Cathedral of Christ the Savior , Sparrow Hills and the Old Arbat Street are worth visiting as well, plus we advise stepping down to see the  Moscow Metro , many stations of which are famed for their luxuriant palatial interiors.

Quick Moscow Facts

• Founded: in 1147
• Population: 11.9 million (2012)
• Must-visit sights: The Moscow Kremlin, The Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral

Nizhny Novgorod

If you will be attending the sports events in Nizhny Novgorod , we recommend not to miss touring the best sights of this picturesque Volga River city. Boasting rich history and scenic hilly surroundings, the Minin and Pozharsky Square and the Pechersky Ascension Monastery are among the points of interest of Nizhny.

Take a walk along its many pedestrian streets and the Historic Rozhdestevenskaya Street, see what’s inside the city’s own Kremlin, ride the local tram for a fun experience or enjoy a cruise on the mighty Volga.

Quick Nizhny Novgorod Facts

• Founded: in 1221
• Population: 1.2 million (2012)
• Must-visit sights: Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, Chkalov Stairs, The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Kaliningrad

The FIFA World Cup is indeed a large-scale event, and the easternmost city on the World Cup map of 2018 is Russia’s Kaliningrad , situated on the shores of the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania.

The town has been part of Russia for less than a century and has a lot of German architecture and beautiful sandy beaches.

Because it’s often referred to as the “land of amber”, we advise bringing souvenirs made of this stone as well as visiting the Konigsberg Cathedral, the Fort 5 defensive fortress, and the Amber Museum.

Quick Kaliningrad Facts

• Founded: in 1255
• Population: 437,456 (2012)
• Must-visit sights: Brandenburg Gate, Amber Museum, Königsberg Cathedral

Although Saransk might not be the first city that will pop up in your mind when you think of Russia, it shouldn’t be left without your attention. Originally founded as a fortress in the 17th century, it is home to unique Mordovia culture and has much to offer its visitors.

When going sightseeing check out the State Musical Yaushev theatre, the museum of Local Lore and Soviet Square. If you’re not too short on time, take a short trip to the Sanaksar Monastery of Feodor Ushakov located nearby.

Quick Saransk Facts

• Founded: in 1641
• Population: 298,103 (2012)
• Must-visit sights: The Cathedral of St. Theodore Ushakov & Mordovian Erzia Museum of Visual Arts

Being a melting pot of many religions and Slavic and Tatar culture, undoubtedly, Kazan boasts a unique history, many interesting places to see and things to do in the free time in between soccer matches.

Visit its white-walled Kremlin, holding the stunning blue-domed Qol Sharif Mosque, take a picture with the Dragon Zilant monument for good luck, check out the leaning Soyembika Tower and neighboring Annunciation Cathedral. Also enjoy the truly unique Temple of all Religions and take a stroll in Millennium Park.

Quick Kazan Facts

• Founded: in 1005
• Population: 1,1 million (2012)
• Must-visit sights: Kazan Kremlin, Kul Sharif Mosque, Temple of All Religions

Samara is another unique city on the shores of the Volga noted for its well-preserved Tsarist architecture. Stalin’s Bunker Museum placed deep underground is definitely a must-visit during your stay in Samara.

Also, check out the Samara Kosmicheskaya space monument, take a stroll down the river embankment and plus while you’re in Samara taste the local Zhigulevskoye beer.

Quick Samara Facts

• Founded: in 1586
• Must-visit sights: Samarskaya Luka National Park, Stalin's Bunker & Iversky Women's Monastery

Ekaterinburg

This one-of-a-kind Russian city is renown for being the place where the Russian Imperial Family spent its last days before the revolution.

The main attractions of Ekaterinburg include Church on Blood, Rastorguev - Haritonov’s House and the Monastery Complex Ganina Yama .

Plus here you can treat yourself to a unique opportunity to stand on two continents at once on the nearby Europe-Asia monument!

Quick Ekaterinburg Facts

• Founded: in 1723
• Population: 1,3 million (2012)
• Must-visit sights: The Church on Blood in Honour of All Saints Resplendent in the Russian Land, Ekaterinburg Central Park & Ganina Yama

Also referred to by its previous name Stalingrad, Volgograd is among the most strikingly beautiful cities in Russia with winding canals, hills abundant in greenery and numerous attractions dedicated to the heroism of Soviet people.

When in Stalingrad go to Mamayev Kurgan hill complex to see its impressive Motherland Calls memorial erected to honor the victory during the Battle of Stalingrad and WWII.

Quick Volgograd Facts

• Founded: in 1589
• Population: 1 million (2012)
• Must-visit sights: Mamayev Kurgan, The Motherland Calls, Pavlov's House

Top tourist attractions in Russia

Here is a list of top tourist attractions in Russia . Only the topmost tourist destinations are presented here. To see other destinations, please check the images from Russia section.

Curious if any of these place from Russia made it our best tourist attractions in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.

You can also view all tourist attractions in Russia and other countries on our tourist attractions map .

Hermitage Museum

Art Gallery

The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums in the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise over three million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the world. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. Apart from them, the Menshikov Palace, Museum of Porcelain, Storage Facility at Staraya Derevnya and the eastern wing of the General Staff Building are also part of the museum. The museum has several exhibition centers abroad. The Hermitage is a federal state property. Since 1990, the director of the museum has been Mikhail Piotrovsky. Of six buildings of the main museum complex, four, named the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage and New Hermitage, are partially open to the public. The other two are the Hermitage Theatre and the Reserve House. The entrance ticket for foreign tourists costs more than the fee paid by citizens of Russia and Belarus. However, entrance is free of charge the first Thursday of every month for all visitors, and free daily for students and children. The museum is closed on Mondays. The entrance for individual visitors is located in the Winter Palace, accessible from the Courtyard.

World Heritage Site

Kizhi is an island near the geometrical center of the Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It is elongated from north to south and is about 6 km long, 1 km wide and is about 68 km away from the capital of Karelia, Petrozavodsk. Settlements and churches on the island were known from at least the 15th century. The population was rural, but was forced by the government to assist development of the ore mining and iron plants in the area that resulted in a major Kizhi Uprising in 1769–1771. Most villages had disappeared from the island by 1950s and now only a small rural settlement remains. In the 18th century, two major churches and a bell tower were built on the island, which are now known as Kizhi Pogost. In 1950s, dozens of historical wooden buildings were moved to the island from various parts of Karelia for preservation purposes. Nowadays, the entire island and the nearby area form a national open-air museum with more than 80 historical wooden structures. The most famous is the Kizhi Pogost, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Moscow Kremlin

Tourist attraction

The Moscow Kremlin, sometimes referred to as simply the Kremlin, is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the Alexander Garden to the west. It is the best known of kremlins and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. The name Kremlin means "fortress", and is often used as a synecdoche to refer to the government of the Russian Federation in a similar sense to how the White House is used to refer to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Indeed, even the Russian President's official website is Kremlin.ru. It had previously been used to refer to the government of the Soviet Union and its highest members. "Kremlinology" refers to the study of Soviet and Russian politics.

Mariinsky Theatre

The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. Through most of the Soviet era, it was known as the Kirov Theatre. Today, the Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra. Since Yuri Temirkanov's retirement in 1988, the conductor Valery Gergiev has served as the theatre's general director.

Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from an historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod. Red Square is often considered the central square of Moscow and all of Russia, because Moscow's major streets—which connect to Russia's major highways—originate from the square.

Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. The gallery's history starts in 1856 when the Moscow merchant Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov acquired works by Russian artists of his day with the aim of creating a collection, which might later grow into a museum of national art. In 1892, Tretyakov presented his already famous collection of approximately 2,000 works to the Russian nation. The façade of the gallery building was designed by the painter Viktor Vasnetsov in a peculiar Russian fairy-tale style. It was built in 1902–04 to the south from the Moscow Kremlin. During the 20th century, the gallery expanded to several neighboring buildings, including the 17th-century church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi. The collection contains more than 130,000 exhibits, ranging from Theotokos of Vladimir and Andrei Rublev's Trinity to the monumental Composition VII by Wassily Kandinsky and the Black Square by Kazimir Malevich. In 1977 the Gallery kept a significant part of the George Costakis collection.

Winter Palace

The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was, from 1732 to 1917, the official residence of the Russian monarchs. Situated between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, adjacent to the site of Peter the Great's original Winter Palace, the present and fourth Winter Palace was built and altered almost continuously between the late 1730s and 1837, when it was severely damaged by fire and immediately rebuilt. The storming of the palace in 1917 as depicted in Soviet paintings and Eisenstein's 1927 film October became an iconic symbol of the Russian Revolution. The palace was constructed on a monumental scale that was intended to reflect the might and power of Imperial Russia. From the palace, the Tsar ruled over 22,400,000 square kilometres and over 125 million subjects by the end of the 19th century. It was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style. The green-and-white palace has the shape of an elongated rectangle, and its principal façade is 250 m long and 100 ft high. The Winter Palace has been calculated to contain 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases. The rebuilding of 1837 left the exterior unchanged, but large parts of the interior were redesigned in a variety of tastes and styles, leading the palace to be described as a "19th-century palace inspired by a model in Rococo style."

Pushkin Museum

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the largest museum of European art in Moscow, located in Volkhonka street, just opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The International musical festival Svyatoslav Richter's December nights has been held in the Pushkin museum since 1981.

Peter and Paul Fortress

The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740. It is the central and most important part of the State Museum of Saint Petersburg History. The museum has gradually become virtually the sole owner of the fortress building except the building of Saint Petersburg Mint.

Amusement Park

Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure is an amusement park in Moscow, named after Maxim Gorky.

The Moscow Zoo is a 21.5-hectare zoo founded in 1864 by professor-biologists, K.F. Rulje, S.A. Usov and A.P. Bogdanov, from the Moscow State University. In 1919, the zoo was nationalized. In 1922, the ownership was transferred to the city of Moscow and has remained under Moscow's control ever since. The zoo had an area of 10 hectares when it first opened, with 286 animals. In 1926, the zoo was expanded to adjacent lands, increasing the area to 18 hectares. The zoo's original buildings were wooden, built in the old Russian style with intricate wood trims. In 1990, the zoo was renovated. Notable additions include a new main entrance in the shape of a large rock castle, and a footbridge that connected the old and new properties of the zoo. Prior to construction of the footbridge, the zoo operated as two 'separate zoos' because the Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street divides the properties. In addition, the zoo was expanded once more. New exhibits were opened including a sea aquarium, an aviary, a creatures of the night exhibit, a sea lion exhibit and a section aimed at children. Waterfalls and streams were added throughout to give the zoo a more natural feeling.

Peterhof Palace

The Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the "Russian Versailles". The palace-ensemble along with the city centre is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Russian cruiser Aurora

Aurora is a 1900 Russian protected cruiser, currently preserved as a museum ship in St. Petersburg. She battled the Japanese Navy in the Russo-Japanese War. One of the first incidents of the October Revolution in Russia took place on the cruiser Aurora.

Kunstkamera

The Kunstkamera was the first museum in Russia. Established by Peter the Great and completed in 1727, the Kunstkammer Building hosts the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, with a collection of almost 2,000,000 items. It is located on the Universitetskaya Embankment in Saint Petersburg, facing the Winter Palace.

Nevsky Prospect

Nevsky Avenue is the main street in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. Planned by Peter the Great as beginning of the road to Novgorod and Moscow, the avenue runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Station and, after making a turn at Vosstaniya Square, to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. The chief sights include the Rastrelliesque Stroganov Palace, the huge neoclassical Kazan Cathedral, the Art Nouveau Bookhouse, Elisseeff Emporium, half a dozen 18th-century churches, a monument to Catherine the Great, an enormous 18th-century shopping mall, a mid-19th-century department store, the Russian National Library, and the Anichkov Bridge with its horse statues. The feverish life of the avenue was described by Nikolai Gogol in his story "Nevsky Prospekt". Fyodor Dostoevsky often employed the Nevksy Prospekt as a setting within his works, such as Crime and Punishment and The Double: A Petersburg Poem. During the early Soviet years the name of Nevsky Prospect was changed, first to "Proletkult Street" in honor of that Soviet artistic organization. Following the demise of Proletkult the name was changed again, this time to "Avenue of the 25th of October," alluding to the day of the October Revolution.

Catherine Palace

Rococo Structure

The Catherine Palace is a Rococo palace located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo, 25 km south-east of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was the summer residence of the Russian tsars.

Peter and Paul Cathedral

The Peter and Paul Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral located inside the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is the first and oldest landmark in St. Petersburg, built between 1712 and 1733 on Zayachy Island along the Neva River. Both the cathedral and the fortress were originally built under Peter the Great and designed by Domenico Trezzini. The cathedral's bell tower is the world's tallest Orthodox bell tower. Since the belfry is not standalone, but an integral part of the main building, the cathedral is sometimes considered the highest Orthodox Church in the world.

Kazan Cathedral

Kazan Cathedral or Kazanskiy Kafedralniy Sobor, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, is a cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, probably the most venerated icon in Russia.

Kremlin Armoury

The Kremlin Armory is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1808 and located in the Moscow Kremlin. The Kremlin Armoury originated as the royal arsenal in 1508. Until the transfer of the court to St Petersburg, the Armoury was in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons, jewellery and various household articles of the tsars. The finest Muscovite gunsmiths, jewellers, and painters used to work there. In 1640 and 1683, they opened the iconography and pictorial studios, where the lessons on painting and handicrafts could be given. In 1700, the Armoury was enriched with the treasures of the Golden and Silver chambers of the Russian tsars. In 1711, Peter the Great had the majority of masters transferred to his new capital, St.Petersburg. 15 years later, the Armoury was merged with the Fiscal Yard, Stables Treasury and the Master Chamber. After that, the Armoury was renamed into the Arms and Master Chamber. Alexander I of Russia nominated the Armoury as the first public museum in Moscow in 1806, but the collections were not opened to the public until seven years later. The current Armoury building was erected in 1844-1851 by the imperial architect Konstantin Ton. The director of the museum from 1852 to 1870 was the writer Alexander Veltman.

State Historical Museum

The State Historical Museum of Russia is a museum of Russian history wedged between Red Square and Manege Square in Moscow. Its exhibitions range from relics of prehistoric tribes that lived on the territory of present-day Russia, through priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The total number of objects in the museum's collection comes to millions. The place where the museum now stands was formerly occupied by the Principal Medicine Store, built by order of Peter the Great in the Moscow baroque style. Several rooms in that building housed royal collections of antiquities. Other rooms were occupied by the Moscow University, founded by Mikhail Lomonosov in 1755. The museum was founded in 1872 by Ivan Zabelin, Aleksey Uvarov and several other Slavophiles interested in promoting Russian history and national self-awareness. The board of trustees, composed of Sergey Solovyov, Vasily Klyuchevsky, Uvarov and other leading historians, presided over the construction of the museum building. After a prolonged competition the project was handed over to Vladimir Osipovich Shervud.

Kubinka Tank Museum

The Russian Kubinka Tank Museum is a museum of armoured fighting vehicles in Kubinka, just outside Moscow. It has many famous tanks from World War I, World War II and the Cold War. The museum also houses many unique vehicles, such as the Panzer VIII Maus, Troyanov super-heavy tank and a Karl-Gerät alongside single production prototypes from the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The museum is derived from the research collection of the Kubinka armour test base, still functioning as such. Most Cold War-era Western tanks are war trophies from Middle East, Africa, Vietnam and Latin America, sent to the armour test facility to test for weaknesses.

Yasnaya Polyana

Yasnaya Polyana was the home of the writer Leo Tolstoy, where he was born, wrote War and Peace and Anna Karenina, and is buried. Tolstoy called Yasnaya Polyana his "inaccessible literary stronghold". It is located 12 kilometres southwest of Tula, Russia and 200 kilometers from Moscow. In June 1921, the estate was nationalized and formally became his memorial museum. It was at first run by Alexandra Tolstaya, the writer's daughter. The current director of the museum is Vladimir Tolstoy, also one of Tolstoy's descendants. The museum contains Tolstoy's personal effects and movables, as well as his library of 22,000 volumes. The estate-museum contains the writer's mansion, the school he founded for peasant children and a park where Tolstoy's unadorned grave is found.

Poklonnaya Hill

Poklonnaya Gora is, at 171.5 metres, one of the highest spots in Moscow. Its two summits used to be separated by the Setun River, until one of the summits was razed in 1987. Since 1936, the area has been part of Moscow and now contains the Victory Park with many tanks and other vehicles used in the Second World War on display. Historically, the hill had great strategic importance, as it commanded the best view of the Russian capital. Its name is derived from the Russian for "to bow down", as everyone approaching the capital from the west was expected to do homage here. In 1812, it was the spot where Napoleon in vain expected the keys to the Kremlin to be brought to him by Russians.

Neoclassical Structure

Kuskovo was the summer country house and estate of the Sheremetev family. Built in the mid-18th century, it was originally situated several miles to the east of Moscow but now is part of the East District of the city. It was one of the first great summer country estates of the Russian nobility, and one of the few near Moscow still preserved. Today the estate is the home of the Russian State Museum of Ceramics, and the park is a favourite place of recreation for Muscovites.

Marble Palace

Marble Palace is one of the first Neoclassical palaces in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is situated between the Field of Mars and Palace Quay, slightly to the east from New Michael Palace.

Central Air Force Museum

Aerospace Museum

The Central Air Force Museum in Monino at the site of Monino Airfield 40km east of Moscow, Russia, is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Russian aircraft. 173 aircraft and 127 aircraft engines are on display, and the museum also features collections of weapons, instruments, uniforms, other Cold War-era US spy equipment, artwork, and other air-related items. A library containing books, films, and photos is also accessible to visitors. Tours are given by ex-pilots. The museum opened its doors in 1958. Prior to 1999, the museum was closed to the public, because of the display of classified prototypes from the era of the former Soviet Union. The museum is located next to the Military Academy named after Yu. A. Gagarin.

Varshavsky railway station

Varshavsky station, or Warsaw station, is a former passenger railway station in Saint Petersburg, Russia, now serving as the Museum of Railway Machinery. The station was originally built in 1851 for a rail line, completed in 1858, from the city to the Tsar's residence in Gatchina. The line was extended in 1859 to Pskov and in 1862 to Warsaw, which at that time was a part of Russian Empire. A branch from the main line that ran to the Prussian border at Virbalis connected Saint Petersburg to other capitals of Europe. The current building was designed by Piotr Salmanovich in a mixture of historical styles. It was constructed between 1857 and 1860. A church was built in front of the station in 1908; it was later demolished and a Lenin statue by Soviet sculptor Nikolai Tomsky appeared in 1949. In 2001, the station was closed, with long distance rail service diverted to Vitebsky railway station and commuter service to Baltiysky Rail Terminal, and the depiction of Lenin removed. The trade center Warsaw Express has occupied the building since 2005. On the tracks, a railway museum now holds over 80 exhibits of steam engines, electric and diesel locomotives.

Abramtsevo Colony

Abramtsevo is an estate located north of Moscow, in the proximity of Khotkovo, that became a center for the Slavophile movement and artistic activity in the 19th century.

Leningrad Zoo

The Leningrad Zoo or Leningradskiy Zoopark, sometimes called the Saint Petersburg Zoo or Sankt-Peterburgskiy Zoopark, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is located in Alexander Park on the Petrogradskaya Storona. It was founded by Sofia Gerhardt and Julius Gerhardt in 1865. It has about 2,000 animals from 410 species, including polar bears. The zoo was renamed from "Zoological Garden" to "Leningrad Zoo" in 1952. In 1991 the name was retained, even after the city resumed its former name of Saint Petersburg.

Polytechnical Museum

Polytechnical Museum is a science museum in Moscow that emphasizes the progress of Russian and Soviet technology and science, as well as modern inventions and developments. It was founded in 1872 after the first All-Russian Technical Exhibition on the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of Peter the Great. The first stage of the museum was designed by Ippolit Monighetti and completed in 1877. Almost from the beginning the collection was too big for the space. The north wing was added in 1896 and the south wing in 1907. It is the largest technical museum in Russia, offering a wide array of historical inventions and technological achievements, including humanoid automata of the 18th century and the first Soviet computers. Its collection contains more than 160,000 items in 65 halls including, Chemistry, Mining, Metallurgy, Transport, Energy, Optics, Automation, Computer Engineering, Radio electronics, Communications, and Space exploration. Highlights include the first Achromatic telescope; an early solar microscope, created by German anatomists Johann Nathanael Lieberkühn; an early seismograph created by Boris Borisovich Galitzine; galvanoplastics by Moritz von Jacobi; and early electric lights by Pavel Yablochkov. The automobile exhibit includes a Russo-Balt K12/20 and a GAZ-M20 Pobeda.

Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps

The Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, also known simply as the Artillery Museum, is a state-owned military museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Its collections, consisting of Russian military equipment, uniforms and decorations, are hosted in the Kronverk of the Peter and Paul Fortress situated on the right bank of the Neva near Alexander Park. The museum is managed by the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Stroganov Palace

The Stroganov Palace is a Late Baroque palace at the intersection of the Moika River and Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg, Russia. The palace was built to Bartolomeo Rastrelli's designs for Baron Sergei Grigoriyevich Stroganov in 1753-1754. The interiors were remodeled by Andrei Voronikhin at the turn of the 19th century.

Moscow Museum of Modern Art

Modern Art Museum

The Moscow Museum of Modern Art is a museum of modern and contemporary art located in Moscow, Russia. It was opened to public in December 1999. The project of the Museum was initiated and executed by Zurab Tsereteli, president of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Menshikov Palace

The Menshikov Palace is a Petrine Baroque edifice in Saint Petersburg, situated on Universitetskaya Embankment of the Bolshaya Neva on Vasilyevsky Island. It was the first stone building in the city. Since 1981, it has served as a public museum, a branch of the Hermitage Museum. The palace was founded in 1710 as a residence of Saint Petersburg Governor General Alexander Menshikov and built by Italian architects Giovanni Maria Fontana, and, later, German architect Gottfried Johann Schädel. It was opened in 1711, but the construction continued until 1727, when Menshikov with his family was exiled to Siberia and his property was confiscated. In 1731, Cadet Corps were established and occupied the palace and neighboring buildings. At the end of the 19th century the Menshikov Palace was restored and became the museum of the Corps. In 1924, its collections were moved to the Hermitage and other museums. From 1956-1981 the Menshikov Palace was restored again and finally opened to the public as a branch of the Hermitage Museum with a collection of Russian art of the late 17th-early 18th century.

Central Armed Forces Museum

The Central Armed Forces Museum also known as the Museum of the Soviet Army, is located in northern Moscow near the Red Army Theater.

Gorki Leninskiye

Gorki Leninskiye is an urban locality in Leninsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, 10 kilometers south of Moscow city limits and the Moscow Ring Road. Population: 3,586; 1,729; 1,711. The estate of Gorki belonged to various Muscovite noblemen from the 18th century, ending up in the possession of General Anatoly Reynbot, who was Governor General of Moscow in 1905 during the Revolution of 1905. After his death the estate passed to his widow, Zinaida Morozova. She engaged the most fashionable Russian architect, Fyodor Schechtel, to remodel the mansion in the then current Neoclassical style, complete with a six-column Ionic portico. After the Soviet government moved to Moscow in 1918, the luxurious estate was nationalized and converted into Vladimir Lenin's dacha. In September 1918, the Soviet leader recuperated there from an assassination attempt. He spent an increasing amount of time there as his health declined over the following years. On May 15, 1923 Lenin followed the doctor's advice and left the Moscow Kremlin for Gorki. He lived there in semi-retirement until his death on January 21, 1924.

Kaliningrad Zoo

The Kaliningrad Zoo was founded in 1896 as the Königsberg Tiergarten in the then-German town of Königsberg, which in 1945 became part of Russia and was renamed Kaliningrad. Thus, the zoo is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Russia, and one of the largest. Its collection, which extends over 16.5 ha, comprises 315 species with a total of 2264 individual animals. The Kaliningrad zoo is also an arboretum. Sights include not only animals, but also rare plants like a relict ginkgo tree which was coeval with the dinosaurs. The zoo also has animal sculptures, including a bronze statue of an elk and a stone statue of an orangutan. The entrance is decorated by a sculpture of many animals. The grounds include pre-war buildings and a fountain.

Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange and Rostral Columns

Greek Revival Structure

The Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange and Rostral Columns, located in Saint Petersburg in the Russian Federation, are significant examples of Greek Revival architecture. Designed by French architect Thomas de Thomon, and inspired by the Greek Temple of Hera at Paestum, the stock exchange was constructed between 1805 and 1810. The rostral columns erected on either side of the Stock Exchange were completed in 1811. The Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange is located at Birzhevaya Ploschad 4.

Khudozhestvenny Cinema

Khudozhestvenny is a Moscow movie theater opened in 1909.

Monino is an urban locality in Shchyolkovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located 38 kilometers east of Moscow. Population: 22,821; 20,017; 18,582. The Central Air Force Museum in Monino is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Russian aircraft. 173 aircraft and 127 aircraft engines are on display, and the museum also features collections of weapons, instruments, uniforms, artwork, and other air-related items. A library containing books, films, and photos is also accessible to visitors. Tours are given by ex-pilots. The museum opened its doors in 1958. Since the museum is situated on the territory of a military division, all visitors must pass the entrance gate to the complex. It is no longer required to first obtain special permission to visit. There is a Mineral spa complex Monino capable of serving 150 people simultaneously. Monino is home to VVA-Podmoskovye, current champions of the Professional Rugby League, Russia's national rugby union competition. VVA have won the title eight times, in 1993, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. They were also nine-time winners of the Soviet Championship.

Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery

Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, loosely translated in English as St. Cyril of Beloozero's Monastery, used to be the largest monastery of Northern Russia. The monastery was dedicated to the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, for which cause it was sometimes referred to as the Dormition Monastery of St. Cyril. By the 20th century, the town of Kirillov had grown nearby.

Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow

The Museum of the Great Patriotic War is a history museum located in Moscow at Poklonnaya Gora. The building was designed by architect Anatoly Polyansky. Work on the museum began on March 3, 1986, and the museum was opened to the public on May 9, 1995. The museum features exhibits and memorials concerning World War II, known in Russia as "The Great Patriotic War".

Moscow Paleontological Museum

Natural history Museum

The Orlov Museum of Paleontology was founded by Paleontological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciencies in 1937 prior to the XVII session of the International Geological Congress. It is named after Yuri Alexandrovich Orlov. It contains public exhibits representing almost every type of fossil organism. Particularly well represented are dinosaurs from Mongolia, therapsids from the Perm region of Russia, and Precambrian fossils from Siberia.

Central Naval Museum

Central Naval Museum is one of the oldest Russian museums and one of the world's largest naval museums. The museum's history officially started in 1709 with the foundation of Model-kammer by Peter the Great for the conservation of ship drafts and models. Since 1924, the museum has been known by its current name. At first, the museum was located in the Main Admiralty building. However, since 1939–41, it has been located in the Old Bourse building in Saint Petersburg.

Church of the Twelve Apostles

The Church of the Twelve Apostles is a minor cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, commissioned by Patriarch Nikon as part of his stately residence in 1653 and dedicated to Philip the Apostle three years later. Although premises for the Muscovite metropolitan had existed in the Kremlin ever since the 14th century, Patriarch Nikon, who aspired to rival the tsar in authority and magnificence, had them replaced with a much more ambitious residence, centered on a spacious chamber in the form of the cross, once used as a banqueting hall but now serving as a museum of applied arts. To this structure adjoins from the south a domestic church of the patriarchs, originally consecrated to Philip the Apostle until the dedication was altered to the present one in 1682. The church is almost as prominent as neighbouring grand cathedrals of the 15th century, due to its placement upon a high pediment, pierced by two large arches allowing passage from the Cathedral Square to the patriarch's courtyard. The exterior walls are decorated with two belts of columned arches which reference both the neighbouring cathedrals of the Cathedral Square and the great churches of the 12th-century Vladimir-Suzdal school which had been their inspiration. The rigorous outline of five helmeted domes, in keeping with Nikon's conservative architectural tastes, serves to accentuate the church's Byzantine pedigree.

Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics

The Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics is the first museum in the world dedicated to the history of space exploration. It was opened on 3 October 1967 in Kaluga, and is named after Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a school master and rocket science pioneer who lived most of his life in this city. The driving force behind the creation of the museum was Sergei Korolyov, chief designer of RKK Energiya. The building was designed by Boris Barkhin, Evgeny Kireev, Nataliya Orlova, Valentin Strogy and Kirill Fomin, and the cornerstone was laid by Yuri Gagarin on 13 June 1961. The museum has over 100,000 visitors per year and has 127 employees, of whom 43 are curators.

Dostoyevsky Museum

The F. M. Dostoyevsky Literary Memorial Museum, located on Kuznechny Lane 5/2 in Saint Petersburg, was opened on November 12, 1971 in the former apartment of the famous writer. Fyodor Dostoyevsky lived in the apartment twice during his life: first for a short period in 1846 in the beginnings of his career, and later from October 1878 until his death in January 1881. The apartment was his home during the composition of some of his most notable works, including The Double: A Petersburg Poem and The Brothers Karamazov. The apartment has been reconstructed based on the memoirs of his wife and his friends.

Anna Akhmatova Literary and Memorial Museum

The Anna Akhmatova Literary and Memorial Museum is a literary museum in St Petersburg, Russia, dedicated to the poet Anna Akhmatova.

Suvorov Museum

Suvorov Memorial Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is a military museum dedicated to the memory of Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov. It was founded in 1900 to commemorate the centenary of Suvorov's death and was inaugurated four years later, on the 175th anniversary of Suvorov's birth, with much pageantry, in the presence of Emperor Nicholas II. In 1904, the museum moved into the present building, purpose-built to a flamboyant design by Alexander von Hohen in a dramatic Russian Revival style. The building's austere outlook derives primarily from medieval Muscovite military architecture. Apart from the Suvorov family coat of arms and signs of military glory, the facade displays two mosaics representing "Suvorov Leaving Russia for Italy in 1799" and "Suvorov Crossing the Alps". The museum's collections, exceeding 100,000 items in 2002, were acquired through purchase and private donations. The Communist authorities had the museum closed down in 1919 and the collections were dispersed to other museums. In the 1930s, the building housed the AeroMuseum. During the Siege of Leningrad, it was damaged by a bomb. During the Great Patriotic War the respect of Suvorov was restored in the Soviet military. As a consequence, the museum building was renovated in 1950 and resumed its activity the following year. The latest restoration was undertaken in 1995-2000.

Kremlin Arsenal

The Kremlin Arsenal is a former armory built within the grounds of the Moscow Kremlin in Russia. Initially constructed in 1736, it has been rebuilt several times. It remains in military use to date, unlike the Kremlin Armoury, another arsenal within the walls of the Moscow Kremlin, which is now a museum. The building is off-limits to tourists, who can view a portion of its short southern façade upon entering the precincts of the Moscow Kremlin. The Kremlin Arsenal is currently home to the Kremlin Regiment, which forms the main security service for the Russian President, and the longer eastern façade is a high secured and restricted area closed to the public.

Taganrog Museum of Art

Taganrog Museum of Art was officially inaugurated in 1968, but the basis of the museum collection was formed by the end of 19th century when the art department of the Taganrog's city museum was established. Renowned playwright and short-story writer Anton Chekhov played a major role in establishing the collection of his home city through his connections in St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and his friends like Mark Antokolski etc. The most important part of the museum collection was formed in the Soviet Union time, and features two departments - Russian art before the Russian Revolution of 1917 and Soviet art. The whole collection of art was looted from the museum during the Occupation of Taganrog in 1941-1943. Since 1975, the museum of art is located at the former mansion of merchant Anton Handrin on Alexandrovskaya street 56.

Nabokov House

Nabokov House is the house in Saint Petersburg with the modern street number of 47 Great Morskaya Street, 190000. It was in this mansion that Vladimir Nabokov was born in 1899. Currently, the first floor of the house contains the Nabokov Museum.

Ivanovka estate

Ivanovka is an estate near Tambov, Russia, which used to be the summer residence of the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff in the period between 1890 and 1917. It was the family home of his aristocratic relatives, the Satins. Many of Rachmaninoff's earlier masterpieces were created in its bucolic atmosphere. A museum commemorating the life and works of the composer was opened there in 1982.

Timiryazev State Biological Museum

Smolny cathedral in saint petersburg.

Baroque Structure

Rastrelli began the design in 1734, and used a Muscovite style with vague French touches to the detailing. The building stands in the cdentre of a magnificent square formed by the monastic buildings. The central dome is over 105m high.

Alexander I Palace

Alexander I Palace in Taganrog is a one-story stone building in Russian classicism style on Grecheskaya Street, 40 where Russian emperor Alexander I of Russia died in 1825. The mansion was built in 1806 and belonged to different owners. The most significant of them was the Governor of Taganrog Pyotr Papkov. Emperor Alexander I of Russia stayed there twice – in 1818 and 1825. After his death the building was bought by his widow empress consort Elizabeth Alexeievna and the first memorial museum in Russia dedicated to the Emperor was established there. Among the visitors to the palace of Alexander I were the Russian emperors Alexander II of Russia and Alexander III, poets Alexander Pushkin and Vasily Zhukovsky, artist Ivan Aivazovsky, People’s commissar of enlightenment Anatoly Lunacharsky, and many others. For 12 years since 1864 an amateur choir conducted by Pavel Chekhov sang in the Church of Exaltation of the Cross, which was established within the mansion to honor the emperor. At the end of 1860s – beginning of 1870s Alexander, Nicolas and Anton Chekhov sang there in choral parts of descant and alto. In 1928 the memorial museum was closed and some of the exhibits were moved into the Alferaki Palace.

Russian Museum

Building complex

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• 10 of the Popular Tourist Attractions in Russia for Excellent Sightseeing Tour

Russia is the largest country in the world and offers an array of travel experiences. Right from treks up to the slopes of glacier-capped mountains to strolls along the shores of the oldest lake on Earth, this country is amazing in every way. You may find various historical sites and cultural activities in the great cities of this country. Whether you wish to stroll through the steppes of Mongolia or explore the grounds of Moscow’s Kremlin, a visit to Russia is truly an adventure. If you are visiting Russia soon and wondering which places to visit, then read on to know more about popular tourist attractions in Russia.

St Sophia Cathedral

Named after Hagia Sofia (Holy Wisdom) Temple (currently a mosque) in Istanbul, St Sophia Cathedral is a cathedral church. This 38-metre-high, five-domed, stone cathedral was constructed by Vladimir of Novgorod between 1045 and 1050 to substitute an oaken cathedral erected by Bishop Joachim the Korsunian in the late 10th century.

Suzdal Kremlin

Located in the oldest part of Suzdal, Suzdal Kremlin is an amazing architectural complex surrounded by well-preserved 11th century earthen walls. The heart of the Kremlin is the Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral, which is positioned right in the center of the ensemble. The cathedral is supposed to be the oldest preserved structure in Suzdal, which was actually built in 1222-1225 at the site of an earlier erected church.

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Constructed between the year 1554 and 1561, Saint Basil’s Cathedral is situated right at the heart of Moscow. This cathedral is among the top tourist attractions in Russia. The interior artifacts not only attract visitors, but also its distinctive architecture that allures travelers to come here from around the world. It is designed to resemble the shape of a bonfire in full flame; this cathedral has unique kind of architecture in the world. You won’t find any other structure on earth like St. Basil’s Cathedral.

Hermitage Museum

Established in the year 1764 by Catherine the Great, the Hermitage Museum is situated in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is a massive museum of art and culture displaying the highlights of a fine collection of more than 3 million items sprawling the globe. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings which includes the Winter Palace, which was a former residence of Russian emperors. This museum is a must visit place for art lovers.

Mount Elbrus

Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain of Russia as well as entire Europe and considered to be 10th most prominent peak in the world. Elbrus has two summits and each of these have dormant volcanic domes. The taller west summit is 5,642 meters high while height of the east summit is 5,621 meters. Elbrus may not be that rocky of a mountain, but its surrounding peaks are not like that. The normal route to Elbrus is long and tiring but precisely not difficult. The biggest danger is the weather that can be mostly nasty on this mountain.

Moscow Kremlin

It is a must-see tourist attraction for anyone travelling in Moscow. It is home to the nation’s top governmental offices. However, Moscow Kremlin has walled enclosure houses four cathedrals which were constructed in the 15th and 16th century as well as several notable museums. This 250-acre ground includes the Armory, filled with royal treasures (of the past), and the Diamond Fund Exhibition, a collection of jewelry which includes a 190-carat diamond given to Catherine the Great.

Kolomenskoye Park

Kolomenskoye is a previous royal estate located in the southeast of the city center of Moscow. The 390 hectare picturesque area enjoys the views of the steep banks of the Moskva River. It is located at a small metro ride from the center, close to one of the city’s most industrialized areas, the park and its awe-inspiring buildings are so steeped in history that not even the Kremlin itself can quite so well evoke the Russia of old. Arriving at Kolomenskoe along a street of drab Soviet tower blocks, you are first confronted by a rather gaudy collection of “medieval” sideshows and souvenir booths, and part of the magic of the experience is the way that this display of touristy tackiness fades from your memory the further you get into the tranquil, rugged beauty of the park proper.

Kizhi Island

Located in Karelia, an area in Northwestern Russia that borders Finland and the White Sea, Kizhi Island is renowned for its incredible open-air museum. The museum’s collection has the 120-foot high Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior (a structure made popular by its 22 domes). This islands other tourist attractions are dozens of wooden houses, chapels and barns, windmills etc. In the museum the peasant culture is signified with folk ensembles and craft demonstrations.

Valley of Geysers

Located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, the Valley of Geysers is renowned to be world’s second largest geyser field. The Valley of Geysers was founded in the year 1941 by local scientist Tatyana Ustinova. Since then, it became a famous tourist attraction in Kamchatka and attracts a lot of interest from tourists and scientists.

Red Square is a city square (plaza) in Moscow, which separates the Kremlin from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod. It is often considered the central square of Moscow since major streets of the city, which connect to Russia’s key highways, beginning from the square. The rich history of Red Square reflects in several paintings by Vasily Surikov, Konstantin Yuon and others. It was used to serve as the main marketplace of Moscow. It also was the site of diverse public ceremonies and proclamations. The square has been steadily built up since that point and has been used for official ceremonies by all Russian governments since its foundation.

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