Yoshkar-Ola, one of the cultural centers of the Finno-Ugric peoples, is a city with a population of about 283 thousand people located about 50 km north of the Volga River and 862 km east of Moscow, the capital of the Republic of Mari El.

The Malaya Kokshaga River flows through the city and divides it into two almost equal parts. Yoshkar-Ola is traditionally considered one of the greenest cities in Russia. Photos by: Kirill Zdorov.

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Tags: Mari El Republic · Yoshkar-Ola city

“Tsvetnik” (meaning “flower garden” in Russian) is the oldest park in the resort-city of Pyatigorsk. It was laid out on the site of a swamp formed by water from hydrogen sulfide sources in the 1820s. By 1850, this place became the recognized center of the resort life of Pyatigorsk. In June 2019, it was reopened after restoration.

In the background you can see the metal-glass building of the Lermontov Gallery (1901) – one of the main historical monuments and symbols of Pyatigorsk, as well as a concert and exhibition complex. The photos were taken by Fedor Lashkov at the end of October.

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Tags: Pyatigorsk city · Stavropol krai

Tomsk is a city with a population of about 575 thousand people located in the east of Western Siberia on the banks of the Tom River, the capital of Tomsk Oblast.

This city is the oldest educational and scientific center in Siberia. There are a lot of preserved monuments of wooden and stone architecture of the 18th-20th centuries here. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

The House of Merchant Kukhterin (1900). Lenin Avenue, 73.

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Tags: Siberia district · Tomsk city

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.

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Tags: Anadyr city · Chukotka okrug

Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, is a city with a population of about 300 thousand people located in the North Caucasus in the south of the European part of Russia.

During the First and Second Chechen Wars, the city, especially its central part, was almost completely destroyed. In 2003, Grozny was recognized by the UN Commission as the most ruined city on Earth since the Second World War. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

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Tags: Chechnya Republic · Grozny city

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

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.

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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

Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery is a monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church located in the city of Dzerzhinsky in the Moscow region, about 26 km south-east of the center of Moscow. The monastery was founded by the Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy in 1380, in the place of the appearance of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

According to legend, it was in this place that his army stopped to rest on the way to the Kulikovo field. The appearance of the icon strengthened Dmitry Donskoy with faith and hope. He said “Siya vsya ugresha serdtse moye” (“This has warmed my heart”). Since then, this place is called Ugresha, and the monastery itself was named Nikolo-Ugreshsky. Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery on Google Maps. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

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Tags: churches · Moscow city · Moskovskaya oblast