The Republic of North Ossetia – Alania is a federal subject of the Russian Federation located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus. The city of Vladikavkaz is the capital of the republic.

Foothill and mountainous areas occupy almost half of the territory of the republic, about 3,850 square kilometers. Majestic mountains covered with coniferous and deciduous forests, picturesque gorges, alpine meadows, glaciers, numerous mineral springs make a vacation in North Ossetia – Alania unforgettable. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

magnificent mountain scenery

Tags: North Ossetia Republic · Vladikavkaz city

The Chara Sands is a sandy massif located in the north of Zabaykalsky Krai, a geological natural monument of federal significance. It is surrounded by larch taiga and swamps and stretches from southwest to northeast for 9 km.

Sands form ridges, dunes and chains of dunes. The length of several dunes is 150-170 m, the height – up to 80 m. The Chara Sands are outwardly similar to the deserts of Central Asia. The Chara Sands on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

snow and sand

Tags: Chita city · Zabaikalsky krai

Derbent is a city located on the shores of the Caspian Sea in the Republic of Dagestan in southern Russia. It is located in the most strategically vulnerable place of the Caspian Gates, where the Greater Caucasus Mountains come closest to the sea, leaving only a narrow 3-km strip of plain.

The Derbent fortress was part of a large defensive system constructed to protect the peoples of Transcaucasia and Western Asia from the invasions of nomads from the north. The system included the walls, the citadel of Naryn-Kala, sea walls, and the Dag Bara Mountain Wall. Naryn-Kala Citadel on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

one of the oldest fortresses in Russia

Tags: Dagestan Republic · Derbent city

The Republic of Ingushetia is located on the northern slopes of the foothills of the Greater Caucasus Range (in its central part) and on the adjoining small ranges of Tersky, Sunzhensky and Skalisty.

The length of this region from north to south is 144 km, from west to east – 72 km. In the northern districts the relief is steppe, in the south – it is mountainous consisting of ridges separated by valleys and gorges. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

beautiful mountainous region

Tags: Ingushetia Republic

The Svyato-Vvedensky Island Convent is located on an island in the middle of Lake Vvedenskoye, about 4 km from the town of Pokrov in Vladimir Oblast.

It was founded by the monks Sergius and Timothy at the very end of the 17th century. They retired to an island in the middle of the lake and built a wooden chapel and a wooden cell there. Their seclusion, according to legend, did not last long. Soon other people wishing to join them began to come here. Svyato-Vvedensky Island Convent on Google Maps. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

picturesque island convent

Tags: churches · Vladimir oblast

In the 11th-12th centuries, Egikal was one of the largest settlements of medieval Ingushetia located on the northern slopes of the foothills of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range.

Today, on this territory there is a picturesque architectural complex “Egikal”, which includes, in addition to military and watchtowers, residential towers that belonged to old clans, as well as structures of a religious cult. Egikal on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

beautiful old towers

Tags: Ingushetia Republic

Ivangorod is a town with a population of about 9.5 thousand people located in the very west of Leningrad Oblast in the northwest of Russia. It stands on the right (eastern) bank of the Narva River opposite the Estonian city of Narva and is part of the Russian state border area (entry only with passes, foreign passports, or with local registration).

The Ivangorod fortress was built on the right bank of the Narva in the summer of 1492. It was named after Ivan III Vasilievich, who reigned at that time. The purpose of the construction of the fortress was to protect the Novgorod land of the Tsardom of Russia from its western neighbors.

picturesque old castle

Tags: Leningrad oblast

The Ferapontov Belozersky Nativity Monastery is a monastery of the Vologda diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church located in the village of Ferapontovo, Vologda Oblast, about 119 km north-west of Vologda.

This is one of the oldest monasteries in the Russian North founded in the late 14th century. The monastery has survived to our time in the buildings of the 14th-17th centuries and in the wall paintings of the famous icon painter Dionysius. In 2000, this monastery was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Ferapontov Monastery on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

beautiful old Russian monastery

Tags: churches · Vologda oblast

Veliky Ustyug is a town with a population of about 31 thousand people located in the north-east of Vologda Oblast in the north of the European part of Russia, about 446 km from Vologda.

First mentioned in 1212, it is one of the oldest Russian towns with a rich cultural heritage. There are 28 preserved churches of the 17th-18th centuries in Veliky Ustyug. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

picturesque old Russian town

Tags: Vologda oblast

The Galsky Estate is a picturesque noble estate built in the provincial classicism style on the bank of the Sheksna River in the early 19th century. This monument of history and culture of federal significance is located in the city of Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast.

In addition to the main sky-blue house, all the household buildings have also been preserved here. The museum offers interactive excursions, classes on painting, clay modeling, and making folk dolls. The equestrian section is open to children and adults. The Galsky Estate on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

magnificent noble estate

Tags: Cherepovets city · museum · Vologda oblast