Baskunchak is a salt lake, with an area of about 115 square km, located in Akhtubinskiy district of Astrakhan region, about 270 km north of the Caspian Sea and 53 km to the east of the Volga River.

Salt extraction on the lake began in the 8th century. Lake Baskunchak was officially mentioned first time in 1627 in the first geographical description of Russia as a place “where they mine salt as pure as ice.” The view of the lake from the satellite. The photos were taken by Richard Zorge.

two in one – the lake and the desert

Tags: Astrakhan oblast · landscapes

Kurilskoye Lake, located in the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, on the territory of the South Kamchatka Federal Preserve, is the place with the highest density of bears in Russia.

The lake area is about 77 square kilometers (the third largest lake of Kamchatka), the average depth is 195 meters, the maximum depth is 316 meters.

bears, they are everywhere

Tags: Kamchatka krai

Yesterday, “Leviathan”, a Russian drama film directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film. It happened for the first time in almost fifty years. Probably, it can even win an Oscar for best foreign language film.

In the film, you can see the wonderful landscapes of northern Russia. Let’s see how these places look through the camera lens. The following photos were taken in Karelia Republic and Murmansk region (the Kola Peninsula) by Andrey Grachev.

fantastic northern nature

Tags: Karelia Republic · landscapes · Murmansk oblast

Multinskiye lakes are located on the northern slope of Katunsky ridge in the Altai Mountains, on the territory of Ust-Koksinsky district of the Altai Republic.

This cascade of lakes is situated in the upper reaches of the Multa River and its tributaries. It is a unique natural area, a lot of rare species of plants grow here. Also, it is a very beautiful place. See for yourself! The pictures were taken by Anton Petrus

beautiful winter landscapes

Tags: Altay Republic · landscapes

The sky over the northern regions of Russia often presents locals and tourists a colorful show. Let’s look at the beautiful views of the aurora borealis, also known as northern lights, over Murmansk region. The photos were taken by Valentin Zhiganov

the sky in a green fire

Tags: Murmansk oblast

Russian nature is known for its diversity. The nature of the Russian North occupies a special place in this variety.

Let’s look at the wonderful scenery of the severe nature of northern Karelia (Karelia Republic) and the Kola Peninsula (Murmansk region). Photos by Andrey Grachev

northern landscapes

Tags: Karelia Republic · landscapes · Murmansk oblast

The Chechen Republic is located in the North Caucasus, in the valleys of the rivers Terek and Sunzha.

The northern part of the republic is the steppes and semi-deserts (Tersko-Kumskaya lowland), the central part – the forest-steppe plains (Chechen plain), the southern part – the Caucasus Mountains.

the beauty of the mountain nature

Tags: Chechnya Republic · landscapes

Away from the noise of big cities, in the middle of the water surface of the Vuoksa River (Priozersky district of Leningrad Oblast), you can find this beautiful church.

The church of St. Andrew is the only church in the world built on a tiny island, a solid rock protruding from the water serves as the foundation. It is the perfect place for solitude with nature and reflection on life. The church on Google Maps. Photo by Eduard Gordeev.

Tags: Leningrad oblast

The Pechora is a river in Komi Republic and Nenets Autonomous District of Russia. This 1809 km long river originates in the Northern Urals, in the southeastern part of the Republic of Komi. Photo by Sergey Makurin

Tags: Komi Republic

Adygea is a republic within the Russian Federation, a part of the Southern Federal District. The territory of the republic is entirely surrounded by another region of Russia – Krasnodar krai.

The mountainous part of Adygea is included in the UNESCO list of World Natural Heritage. There are plenty of waterfalls, caves, rocks for climbing, gorges, canyons, rivers, alpine meadows, pine and fir forests.

amazing views

Tags: Adygeya Republic · landscapes