Western European Russia
This witch-hatted tower offers incredible city views from its fourth tier; a small museum (open 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday; admission R80) on the 3rd…
Must-see attractions in Russia
Western European Russia
This local museum is housed in the bell tower of the handsome Trinity Cathedral. Apart from local insights, the place offers superb views of the lake and…
Russian Far East
Surrounded by trees on the pedestrian stretch of ul Sholom-Aleykhema is this quirky statue of Sholem Aleichem, whose much-loved Yiddish shtetl tales…
Moscow
The bombastic marble, glass and concrete State Kremlin Palace, built between 1960 and 1961 for Communist Party congresses, is now home to the Kremlin…
Western Siberia
Wooden stairs lead beneath the kremlin’s Pryamskoy Vzvoz (gatehouse) to the wonderfully dilapidated old town full of weather-beaten churches and angled…
St Petersburg
This elegant mansion, constructed in 1907 for the engineer SN Chaev, is now occupied by a public clinic. It combines neoclassical and art nouveau motifs…
St Petersburg
A picturesque cemetery behind the Trinity Cathedral, where more recently deceased Petersburgers can be found, including former mayor Anatoly Sobchak and…
Northern European Russia
A mini-Lenin near the Church of St John the Baptist (Церковь Иоанна Предтечи, 1710–17), on grand pl Revolyutsii, was reputedly the first ever erected in…
Northern European Russia
In the fine Marfin Mansion, the Lair of Art Gallery hosts occasional mini-concerts, but is most interesting for its furnished interior and large model of…
Western Siberia
With its voluptuously curved baroque towers, the 1786 Znamensky Cathedral is the most memorable of a dozen ‘old’ churches that have recently come back to…
St Petersburg
Completed in 1786, this Baroque-style cathedral is a handsome feature of Vasilyevsky Island's skyline. The interior decoration is restrained compared to…
St Petersburg
A gas-fuelled flame has burned in the centre of Mars Field since 1957 in honour of all the city's citizens who have died in wars and revolution.
Western European Russia
Inside the City Park of Culture & Rest you'll find this statue dedicated to the famous writer Turgenev, who was born in Oryol in 1818.
Russian Far East
This museum has an excellent exhibit on the arrival of Jewish settlers to Birobidzhan in the 1930s, plus boars and bears and a mini-diorama of the…
Western European Russia
Constructed in 1955, the exterior of this building is decorated with busts of famous writers and thinkers, including Lenin and Marx on the corner - now…
Western European Russia
This handsome little neoclassical building hosts temporary Dostoevsky-centric exhibitions, as well as exhibitions of Russian artists, and events dedicated…
St Petersburg
A landmark on the corner of Nevsky pr and Dumskaya ul is the clock tower of the former Town Duma (Town Parliament) which was the seat of the…
St Petersburg
There is invariably a pigeon perched atop the statue of Pushkin, erected in 1957, which stands in the middle of tree-lined Arts Sq.
Western European Russia
At 50m tall and with a 90m diameter, this is the tallest tower of Pskov's 15th- to 16th-century Outer Town in the kremlin complex.
Western European Russia
Contains playful woodworks by Smolensk Oblast native Sergei Konenkov, otherwise known as the 'Russian Rodin'. The museum also has works by other noted…
Western European Russia
Kursk's small regional museum houses exhibits on the area’s natural, artistic and archaeological history, but its focus on wartime Kursk is what draws…
St Petersburg
This late-19th-century pharmacy still houses a medical clinic; it has a beautifully preserved facade as well as the original pharmacy interior on the…
Russian Far East
Just northwest of the river terminal is the impressive WWII memorial, which features stoic faces chipped from stone, with nearby pillars marking the years…
Sakhalin Island
This large park is full of rides and amusements, but there are some very pleasant parts for strolling away from the crowds, and even an attractive…
Western Siberia
Guarded by two statues of Soviet workers, wielding a hammer and a plasterer’s board, the one-time cement workers’ club is now used as a cultural centre.
Western European Russia
This bookshop only sells Russian-language titles, but if you don't read Russian it's still a worthwhile stop to admire the beautiful blue baroque building.
Western European Russia
Perched on a hill near the Borisoglebsky Monastery, this sky-blue-domed beauty has a stunningly decorated interior.
Western European Russia
This attractive large green-domed church, a short walk east of pl Lenina, boasts a colourful fresco-covered interior that hosts regular choral services.
Western European Russia
Much restoration work has been done on this charming, pink-walled convent, which also runs a small orphanage for girls. Donations are welcome.
Northern European Russia
This 18th century church, located with the walls of the Solovetsky Transfiguration Monastery, also acted as a hospital in the tsarist period.
Exhibition Hall of State Horse Breeding Office
St Petersburg
The east end of the old stables building is used for temporary exhibitions from the collection of the Museum of the History of St Petersburg.
St Petersburg
The Blue Bridge is 97.3m wide making it the widest of the city's bridges. It's one of four bridges across the Moika that were colour-coded.
Western Siberia
This unusual WWII monument features a Soviet woman piercing the heart of a winged reptilian creature. The embodiment of evil, we assume.
Western Siberia
Less eye-catching from the outside than neighbouring St Sofia's Cathedral, but with splendid arched ceiling murals, is this 1746 church.
Kamchatka
Yelizovo’s small Regional Museum has ethnographic exhibits, Russian weavings, local art and the requisite stuffed sables and marmots.
War Victory Monument 1941-1945
Northern European Russia
Memorial consisting of an eternal flame flanked by grim-faced statues of servicemen, honouring the fallen of the Great Patriotic War.
Russian Far East
This small monument is dedicated to the memory of the Japanese prisoners of war who were forced to work building the BAM after WWII.
Western Siberia
Dating from 1792, this large and elegant cathedral sits below the fortress and is worth a peak for its impressive icons and frescos.
St Petersburg
Behind the Grand Choral Synagogue, this red-brick synagogue is generally open for guided tours only. Make inquiries via the website.
Western European Russia
This giant Lenin statue looms large over Tula's central square (pl Lenina) with its brutal architecture of the old Soviet city.
