The Russian North is a collective name for the northern regions of the European part of Russia, where a lot of folk traditions have been preserved since the times of Kievan Rus.

In the 16th-17th centuries, a peculiar northern culture developed here with its northern “schools” of painting, bone and wood carving, wooden architecture.

beautiful wooden church

Tags: Arkhangelsk oblast · churches

Kazan is a city with a population of more than 1.2 million people, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, and a large port on the left bank of the Volga River located about 800 km east of Moscow.

The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia. From June 16 to July 6, 2018, 6 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be played here. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Kazan

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

Yelets, first mentioned in 1146, is a city with a population of about 100,000 people located in the Lipetsk region, 82 km west of Lipetsk. In total, there are more than 200 monuments of history and culture here.

However, the general architectural ensemble of the city is its main attraction. Let’s stroll through the old streets of Yelets and look at the beautiful buildings and estates, colorful houses, museums and feel the magic of Yelets. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

explore the streets of Yelets

Tags: Elets city · Lipetsk oblast

Vladimir, the administrative center of the Vladimir region, is one of the largest tourist centers in the European part of Russia included in the popular tourist route Golden Ring of Russia.

This city, located mainly on the left bank of the Klyazma River, about 180 km east of Moscow, was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir in the 12th-14th centuries. The city has a lot of architectural monuments including three white stone monuments built before the invasion of the Mongols. Photos by: Vasiliy Nikitinskiy.

walk on the snow-covered Vladimir

Tags: Vladimir city

The Tula State Weapons Museum, founded in 1775, is the oldest museum of weapons in Russia and one of the main attractions of Tula. In 2012, a new building in the form of a medieval Russian helmet was constructed for the museum (Oktyabr’skaya Street, 2).

Near the building there is an exhibition of Russian military equipment of the second half of the 20th century. Inside you can learn about the history of firearms and cold steel from the 14th century to the present. Photos by: babs71.

1. The building of the museum.

guns, guns, and more guns

Tags: museum · Tula city

Samara is the 9th largest city in Russia with a population of about 1.2 million people. It is a major economic, transport, scientific, educational, and cultural center of the country.

The capital of the Samara region, this city is located on the left bank of the Volga River (Saratov Reservoir) at its confluence with the Samara River (hence the name of the city). Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Samara

Tags: Samara city

Atheism, as a worldview denying religion, without being formally declared in the USSR as an element of state ideology, was actively supported by the Communist Party and state bodies until 1988.

Propaganda was actively used for these purposes. Here are examples of anti-religious posters that you could see in the times of the USSR.

1. There is no God!

religion is poison?

Tags: posters · propaganda · Soviet past

Suzdal is a small town-reserve with a population of about 9,700 people located in the Vladimir region, about 30 km north of Vladimir.

First mentioned in the chronicles in 1024, this is one of the oldest towns in Russia famous for its abundance of monuments and preserved original appearance. Photos by: Vasiliy Nikitinskiy.

winter in Suzdal

Tags: Suzdal city · Vladimir oblast

Rostov, founded in 862, is a town with a population of about 31,000 people located in the Yaroslavl region, about 53 km south-west of Yaroslavl. This is one of the oldest towns in Russia included in the famous tourist route “Golden Ring of Russia”.

On the territory of Rostov there are more than 300 cultural monuments, one third of which are monuments of federal significance. Photos by: Alexander Maretsky.

winter in Rostov

Tags: Yaroslavl oblast

Chelyabinsk, a city with a population of about 1.2 million people, is the seventh most populated city in Russia, the administrative center of the Chelyabinsk region.

One of the largest industrial centers of the country, Chelyabinsk is located on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, on the border of the Urals and Siberia, almost in the center of the continent of Eurasia. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Chelyabinsk

Tags: Chelyabinsk city