Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a city with a population of about 200 thousand people located in the southeastern part of Sakhalin Island in the Far East of Russia, the capital of Sakhalin Oblast.

It is the sixth largest city in the Russian Far East, in which Russian and Japanese cultures are closely intertwined. Here you can often see old Japanese buildings and monuments. The distance from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Moscow, if flying by plane, is 6,640 km and 9,280 km (by car). Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Tags: Sakhalin oblast · Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk city

When you close your eyes and think of cruise destinations, do images of the Caribbean or Mediterranean pop into your head? Those regions are beautiful and packed full of sunshine, but forgetting cold winter cruises is a mistake.

Visiting northern latitude destinations over winter can show you some phenomenal sights that you’d never see otherwise. And what’s even better? You get to experience these stunning destinations from the comfort of a cruise ship.

Let’s take a look at why Russia and Alaska are top winter cruise destinations. You won’t be disappointed!

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Teriberka is a village with a population of about 900 people located in Murmansk Oblast, in the north of the Kola Peninsula on the shore of the Barents Sea.

In the European part of Russia, Teriberka is the only place that can be reached by road to see the open Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. Also here you can see such a picturesque natural phenomenon as the northern lights. Teriberka on Google Maps. Photos by: Sergey Korolev.

amazing scenery

Tags: Murmansk oblast

Putorana is a strongly dissected mountain range located in the northwest of Krasnoyarsk Krai. The nearest large settlement is the city of Norilsk. The surface of the plateau is covered with basaltic lava flows often referred to as the Siberian Traps. This is one of the most poorly studied and inaccessible regions of Russia.

The maximum height of the plateau is 1,701 meters. The name “Putorana”, translated from Evenki, means “lakes with steep banks”. The plateau area is about 250,000 square kilometers. The Putoransky Nature Reserve, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is located on the plateau. The Putorana Plateau on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over the Putorana Plateau

Tags: Krasnoyarsk krai · Norilsk city

Zelenchuk churches (Northern, Middle, and Southern) are the three oldest Orthodox churches of the Caucasus located in the valley of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River near the village of Nizhniy Arkhyz in the central part of the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia.

Northern Zelenchuk Church, the largest of them, was constructed in the late 10th – early 11th centuries. This beautiful building, harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape, is built of sandstone. The basis of the construction is a cross with a dome in the center. Northern Zelenchuk Church on Google Maps. Photos by: Fedor Lashkov.

very picturesque old church

Tags: churches · Karachay-Cherkessia Republic