Elista (in the Kalmyk language “elst” means “sandy”) is a city located in the south of the European part of Russia, the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Kalmykia.

Elista is known as one of the Buddhist centers of Russia. The temple “The Golden Monastery of the Buddha Shakyamuni” is the main attraction of the city and the largest Buddhist temple in Kalmykia. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

explore Elista

Tags: Elista city · Kalmykia republic

Rostov-on-Don, with a population of more than 1.1 million people, is the largest city in the south of Russia. It is unofficially called “the Gates to the Caucasus”, the southern capital of Russia, “Rostov-Papa”, or simply Rostov.

This city, founded in 1749, is located in the southeast of the East European Plain, on the banks of the Don River, 46 km from its confluence in the Azov Sea, 1,074 km south of Moscow. Rostov-on-Don will host several matches of FIFA World Cup 2018. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Rostov-on-Don

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Tutayev (until 1918 – Romanov-Borisoglebsk) is a historical town with a population of about 40,000 people located in the Yaroslavl region. It is one of the towns included in the famous tourist route known as the Golden Ring of Russia.

This town, standing on both banks of the Volga River, appeared as a result of the merger of two towns – Romanov and Borisoglebsk located on opposite banks. You can visit Tutayev during a cruise on the Volga River. Photos by: Sergey Rubtsov.

stroll around Tutayev

Tags: Yaroslavl oblast

Kolomna is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities of the Moscow region, located 113 km southeast of Moscow. It is a major industrial center and transport hub, a river port on the Oka River.

According to the latest archaeological excavations, Kolomna was founded in the middle of the 12th century. One of the main attractions of the city is the Kolomna Kremlin, a partially preserved rare monument of the ancient Russian defensive architecture. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

fly over Kolomna

Tags: Moscow city · Moskovskaya oblast

Kaliningrad, until July 4, 1946 – Koenigsberg, is the administrative center of the Kaliningrad region, the westernmost regional center of Russia.

If you want to see Kaliningrad from unusual angles, then you can go for a boat ride on the Pregolya River, which will cost you about $ 10. Photos by: Vasiliy Nikitinskiy.

Near the ethnographic center “Fish Village” – the place where the boat trip begins.

Kaliningrad – the view from the river

Tags: Kaliningrad city

The former Rukavishnikov Manor located in Nizhny Novgorod (Verkhnevolzhskaya Embankment Street, 7) is an architectural and cultural monument and perhaps the most beautiful building in the city.

It was built by M.G. Rukavishnikov, the owner of the first steel plant in Nizhny Novgorod. His heir S.M. Rukavishnikov turned the estate into a magnificent complex with a house in the style of an Italian palazzo. Photos by: Ruslan Viktorov.

architectural gem of the city

Tags: Nizhny Novgorod city

St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia, is located in the north-west of the country, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland and at the mouth of the Neva River. It was named after St. Peter, the patron saint of Peter the Great, the founder of the city.

The historical center of St. Petersburg and its monuments are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is one of the most important tourism centers in Russia. Photos by: deletant.

unique boat trip

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Yakutsk is the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the third city of the Far Eastern Federal District in terms of population (after Vladivostok and Khabarovsk) and the largest city in the world located in the permafrost zone.

Because of the severe climate, Yakutsk is often called one of the “coldest” cities on Earth. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Yakutsk

Tags: Sakha Republic · Yakutsk city

Vyborg is a town with a population of about 79,000 people located in the Leningrad region, on the shore of the Vyborg Gulf, in the north-eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, 120 km from St. Petersburg, and 35 km from the border with Finland.

Since 2010, this town, founded in the Middle Ages by the Swedes, is the only historic settlement on the territory of the Leningrad region. Until 1940, it was the second largest town in Finland. Photos by: Dmitriy Gazin.

walk around the town

Tags: Leningrad oblast

Khanty-Mansiysk, the capital of Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrug – Yugra, is located on the territory of the West Siberian Plain, on the right bank of the Irtysh River, 20 kilometers from the confluence with the Ob River; in the natural area of the taiga.

Yugra is the main oil and natural gas region of Russia and one of the largest oil producing regions in the world. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Khanty-Mansiysk

Tags: Khanty-Mansi okrug · Khanty-Mansiysk city