Zaraysk is a small town (23,000 people) located in the Moscow region about 145 km from Moscow. The town was mentioned for the first time in 1146. The main attraction of Zaraysk is the Kremlin constructed in 1528-1531.

It is one of the few towns in Russia which is completely preserved. Walking down the streets of Zaraysk sometimes you have the feeling that you get in a small provincial town of the late 19th century. Photos by Maxim Yashin.

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Tags: Moskovskaya oblast

“Capital City” is a complex of two tall towers named after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and 18-story building connecting them. The construction was started in 2003, but soon was halted after the redesign.

In 2005 the construction was resumed. The complex was completed in late 2009. The tower “Moscow” (301.6 m) is the highest building in the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe. Photos by Viktor Ulyanov.

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Tags: Moscow city

Interesting set of original black&white and color photographs of the cities and towns of the Russian Empire taken in 1890-1912.

Tags: Russian Empire

Once this place located in Moskovskaya oblast was a large estate, the family nest of Soymonov nobles. The estate was founded in the 18th century by Pyotr Alexandrovitch Soymonov. Main buildings of the estate were constructed by N.A.Soymonov including Znamenskaya church built in 1797.

Znamenskaya church is the only remaining building of the former estate of Teploye. Photos by Denis Frantsouzov.

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Tags: Abandoned · churches · Moskovskaya oblast

Pyatigorsk (“five mountains city”) is the oldest balneological and mud resort of Russia and the largest city, as well as industrial, commercial, scientific, cultural and tourist center of eco-resort region Caucasian Mineral Waters. The city is the center of North Caucasus Federal District.

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On the territory of Torzhok (small town in Tver oblast) the 344th Training Center of Army Aviation Pilots is located. The center includes the 696th instructors’ helicopters testing regiment. The regiment conducts the testing of all current models and modifications of Russian military helicopters.

Since 1989 there is a helicopter museum on the territory of the center. The unique collection of the museum has 14 machines representing the history of the helicopters in the USSR. Photos by Denis Mokrushin.

Mi-1. The first Soviet helicopter constructed in 1948. It was used for training in flight schools until the mid-1970s.

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Tags: museum · Soviet past · Tver oblast

Tyumen was the first Russian city in Siberia. Being an administrative and business center of the largest oil- and gas-extracting region Tyumen is unofficial “oil and gas capital” of Russia.

The following pictures were captured from the tallest building in Tyumen, residential complex “Parusa” (25 floors, 78 meters). The building is located at the intersection of Melnikaite and Taimyr streets. Photos by Stepanov Slava.

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Tags: Tyumen city

Excursions in Saint Petersburg never get bored because the city is fraught with many secrets and stories.

You can see the city from the view of its founder Peter the Great if you take a river tour in St. Petersburg. After going aboard of boat you will dive into the atmosphere of the times of Peter the Great because the city was originally planned as Venice of the North or New Amsterdam.

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October 5 Grozny (capital city of Chechen Republic) with characteristic to local authorities fanfare celebrated the Day of the city. Noncircular date (193 years) has not prevented wide celebrations: such stars as Jean-Claude Van Dam, Kevin Costner and Vanessa Mae were invited to take part in the concert.

The concert was organized to celebrate the opening of Chechen financial center “Grozny-City,” but everyone knew perfectly well that in fact it was the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov. The concert was broadcasted on second federal TV channel.

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Tags: Chechnya Republic · Grozny city

“Nalychevo” is a nature park on the Kamchatka Peninsula (Kamchatka krai) created in 1995. The total area of the park is about 287 thousand hectares.

The park is located in the valley of Nalycheva River and is bounded by the chain of volcanoes. On the territory of the park there are a lot of hot and cold mineral springs with medicinal properties. Photos by Ilya Stepanov.

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Tags: Kamchatka krai · Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city