Sulak Canyon, one of the most picturesque natural sights of the Republic of Dagestan, is the deepest canyon in Europe and one of the deepest in the world. The length of the canyon is 53 kilometers, the depth reaches 1,920 meters, which is about 60 meters deeper than the famous Grand Canyon in the US.

This is one of the most visited tourist sites in Dagestan. However, it is also one of the most dangerous places: high cliffs, sharp rocks, strong winds, the absence of any railings along the canyon. Sulak Canyon on Google Maps. Photos by: Murad Magomedov.

amazing natural landmark

Tags: Dagestan Republic · Makhachkala city

On the Russian coat of arms, you can see the image of a two-headed eagle. However, in Russia, one can meet eagles with three heads, legs and wings. Especially often you can see them in the former capital of the country – St. Petersburg.

The fact is that the symbol of Russia is often placed on the highest points – spiers and roofs. If you install a two-headed eagle, then from many angles it will look quite different from the coat of arms. Therefore, an eagle with three heads, wings, and legs was designed (angled at 120 °). From a distance these eagles from any point seem to be two-headed as on the coat of arms. Photos by: Alexander Nikulin.

unique Russian eagles

Tags: Saint Petersburg city

The following filmstrip titled “Shelters, Covers and the Rules for Using Them” was released as a civil defense lessons workbook for pupils of the 5th grade of primary schools (10-11 years old) on request of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) Ministry of Education in 1970. Source: humus. Copyright: Russian State Children’s Library (RGDB).

be ready for a nuclear war

Tags: Soviet past

Lermontovsky Uranium Mine #1 is a former uranium mining enterprise located on Mount Beshtau near the city of Pyatigorsk, about 200 km south-east of Stavropol. The mine was closed in 1975.

Today, it is a popular object with diggers and other extreme lovers. The official name “Mine #1” was used in the documents due to the high secrecy of this object. Mount Beshtau on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir Mulder.

explore radioactive tunnels

Tags: Abandoned · Pyatigorsk city · Stavropol krai

Aygir is a small village located in the mountains of the Southern Urals in the Republic of Bashkiria, about 190 km southeast of Ufa. This area, one of the most inaccessible sights of Bashkiria, is very popular with tourists going to conquer the Ural peaks with backpacks on their shoulders.

From here you can enjoy picturesque views of Mount Maly Yamantau and the rocky peak of the Karatash Range. Aygir on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir Lyapin.

amazing morning landscapes

Tags: Bashkortostan Republic · Ufa city

The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is a famous architectural monument of the Russian pseudo-gothic located in the village of Bykovo in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region, about 40 km south-east of the center of Moscow.

This picturesque church combining baroque and gothic forms was built on the territory of the Vorontsov-Dashkov estate in 1789. The estate itself is an outstanding example of Russian architecture and decorative arts of the era of Emperor Nicholas I. Bykovo on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir d’Ar.

amazing church

Tags: churches · Moscow city · Moskovskaya oblast

Vasilyevo is an urban-type settlement with a population of about 17 thousand people located on the bank of the Volga River, about 25 km west of the center of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The following photos taken in January 2019 give an idea of how winter looks in a large village of today’s Russia. And here are Proven Ways to Keep Warm During Russian Winter. Vasilyevo on Google Maps. Photos by: Anatoly Shcherbak.

snowy winter in the village

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

These picturesque photos were taken on one hot summer evening in the Volga River delta somewhere in the Astrakhan region. The delta of the Volga is the largest river delta in Europe and the 8th in the world.

Due to the lowering of the level of the Caspian Sea, the delta area has increased ninefold over the past 130 years. The unique flora and fauna of the delta (sturgeon, lotus, flamingo, Siberian cranes, pelicans) are under state protection as the Astrakhan Nature Reserve. Photos by: Fedor Lashkov.

beautiful nature scenery

Tags: Astrakhan oblast

Yelets, first mentioned in chronicles in 1146, is one of the oldest cities in Russia. This city with a population of about 100 thousand people is located in the Lipetsk region, about 82 km west of Lipetsk.

It is the only city of the Lipetsk region included in the list of Russian cities with ensembles and complexes of urban development, natural landscapes, examples of old town planning, as well as an archaeological cultural layer, which are valuable in historical, artistic and town planning terms. Photos by: Vladimir Mulder.

fly over Yelets

Tags: Elets city · Lipetsk oblast

The Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, the main church in Stavropol, was originally built in 1843-1847, the bell tower – in 1858-1873. In the 1930s, the cathedral was destroyed and the bell tower was used as a radio mast, and then – a parachute tower. May 11, 1943, the bell tower was blown up by order of local party leaders.

The cathedral was restored on the old foundation in 2004-2012. April 25, 2019, the main dome with a cross was installed on the bell tower of the Kazan Cathedral of Stavropol. It was on this day that the cathedral finally found its original appearance. Photos by: Fedor Lashkov.

beautiful cathedral

Tags: churches · Stavropol city