Sights of Russia

Moscow's sights

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).

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.

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.

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.

Stalin’s ‘Seven Sisters’ skyscrapers, Moscow

Now (heart)breaking news - no one in Russia calls them ‘seven sisters’ - they are just vysotki (высотки, literally ‘tall buildings’). The rare Muscovite will be able to tell which one houses which institution from the first try; but without a doubt, they know the one that is home to Moscow State University.

Sights of Russia

Vyborg is located in Leningrad region on the Karelian Isthmus at the distance of 130 km to the northwest of St. Petersburg, close to the Russian border with Finland. The historical centre of the town is formed by the Castle of Vyborg and other historical buildings of different architectural styles.

The Castle of Vyborg

The first castle was constructed in 1293 after the Swedish army conquered the Karelian Isthmus. The construction of the fortress was started under the command of Torkel Knutsson, the Lord High Constable of Sweden who was the leader of the so-called crusade to conquer Karelia in 1290. He chose the location for a new fortress to keep the Bay of Vyborg, which was a very important trading site used by the local people since a long time.

The Castle served as the stronghold of the Swedish kingdom in Karelian regions. Throughout the centuries, it was the first defensive point of the kingdom against Russians.

In the 16th century, the fortress was renovated and new parts were added. In the 17th century, the military significance of the fortress started to decrease because the danger from the Russian kingdom was not serious and the border was much more eastwards.

Vyborg was taken by the Russians in 1710 during the Northern War and became a part of Finland again only in 1812 when all areas of Old Finland were added to the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. The appearance of the present castle dates back to the 1890s, when much restoration was implemented. The military services of the Russian Empire used the castle until 1918 for housing administration.

Sights of Russia

The Swallow's Nest (Lastochkino Gnezdo)

This miniature neo-gothic castle is perched on the steep Avrora Cliff in southern Crimea. A structure called the "Swallow's Nest" because of its miniature dimensions (10 meters wide, 20 meters long, and 12 meters high) and location was built in 1912 based on the design of architect Leonid Sherwood. The castle’s history spans more than a century during which it has gone through several owners and even survived an earthquake. It initially belonged to German industrialist Vladimir Shteyngel. At the beginning of World War I, the new owner opened a restaurant here. In the 1930s, the structure was deemed unsafe and shut down. It was only 30 years later that reconstruction of the building began.

Sights of Russia

Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal in the southern part of Eastern Siberia is a unique natural site that is 25 million years old. It's the oldest freshwater body on Earth and the deepest lake in the world. Baikal is the biggest lake in Russia. It contains 20% of the world's fresh water. The water in Baikal is completely transparent, and some objects can be seen at depths of up to 40 meters. Its flora and fauna consist of thousands of species and varieties of plants and animals, three quarters of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The incredible beauty of the lake and its surroundings with numerous picturesque bays and amazing cliffs attracts tourists from all over Russia and every corner of the world. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Russia.

Sights of Russia

White-Stone Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal

These are among the most ancient Russian cities that were at the helm of the old-Russian Vladimir-Suzdal principality in the 12th and 13th centuries and which still preserve some unique architectural and artistic features you won't find anywhere else. These features include masonry from white limestone, refined proportions, exquisite stone carving, and an exterior "lightness" of the buildings that all blend in with the surrounding landscape. The Uspensky and Dmitrievsky cathedrals in Vladimir, the Golden Gates, Cathedral of the Nativity in Suzdal, and the bishop's chambers in the Suzdal Kremlin, Spaso-Evfimiyev and Pokrovsky monasteries are the most prominent examples of this architectural style.