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

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

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

Anadyr, the administrative center of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, is a port city with a population of about 15 thousand people located in the extreme north-east of Russia in the permafrost zone.

Today, a fish processing plant and energy enterprises are operating in the city. Gold and coal are being mined in its vicinity. Reindeer husbandry, fishing, and hunting are also developed. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Anadyr

Tags: Anadyr city · Chukotka okrug

The wooden house in Astashovo has an amazing story that dates back to 1897. There was everything here: prosperity, decline, abandonment, and incredible rebirth. It is located in the abandoned village of Astashovo (also known as Ostashevo) in the Chukhloma District of Kostroma Oblast.

It is the main house of the Astashovo Estate once owned by a peasant Martyan Sazonov. After the abolition of serfdom, Martyan moved to work in St. Petersburg, where he specialized as a cabinetmaker. By 1897, he became rich and decided to return to his home village, then the construction of the house began. Astashovo Wooden Palace on Google Maps. Photos by: Roman Smirnov.

beautiful wooden house

Tags: Kostroma oblast · museum

Gunib, a village of about 2,600 people located 150 km southwest of Makhachkala, is one of the most picturesque places in the Republic of Dagestan. It stands on the plateau of the same name at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level.

The village arose in connection with the construction of the Russian military fortification in 1862. The fortification was named after the former village of Gunib, which was located on the top of the plateau and was destroyed in 1859. Gunib on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Gunib

Tags: Dagestan Republic · Makhachkala city

Sofia Falls are waterfalls of glacial origin flowing from the Sofia Glacier of Mount Sofia (3,637 meters) – one of the main natural attractions of the Arkhyz ski resort located in the southern part of the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia in the Western Caucasus.

These picturesque waterfalls are located about 15 km south of the village of Arkhyz. Sofia Falls become the most full-flowing at the height of summer (July, August), when the glacier is actively melting. The following photos were taken in late July by Fedor Lashkov. Sofia Falls on Google Maps.

fly over Sofia Falls

Tags: Cherkessk city · Karachay-Cherkessia Republic · landscapes

A lot of people know about the picturesque remnant cliffs on the Manpupuner Plateau in the Northern Urals in the Republic of Komi.

However, in Russia, there is a number of similar places and one of them is the mountain range of the Ulakhan-Sis – a geological complex located in the polar part of Yakutia between the Indigirka and Alazeya rivers. The Ulakhan-Sis on Google Maps. Photos by: Sergei Karpukhin.

unique monument of nature

Tags: Sakha Republic · Yakutsk city

Nerekhta is a small provincial town with a population of about 21 thousand people located in Kostroma Oblast, about 47 km southwest of Kostroma and 71 km southeast of Yaroslavl.

First mentioned in 1214, this old town is included in the famous tourist route known as the Golden Ring of Russia. However, due to the fact that the M-8 federal highway passes away from it, tourists rarely come here (especially organized tourist groups). Nerekhta on Google Maps. Photos by: Eduard Skvortsov.

walk around Nerekhta

Tags: Kostroma oblast

The Orthodox Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Basmannaya Sloboda (1705-1728) is one of the few examples of Petrine Baroque in Moscow, inspired by Western European forms and having little in common with Old Russian architectural tradition (Novaya Basmannaya Street, 11).

It is noteworthy that this stone church was built according to the drawing of Peter I. In total, Peter I made eight drawings of churches. Seven of them were built in St. Petersburg, and only one in Moscow.

unique church

Tags: churches · Moscow city