The Shoana church, built in the Byzantine architectural style at the end of the 10th century, is one of the oldest Christian churches in Russia.

It is located on the southeastern spur of the very picturesque Shoana Mountain (1,232 meters) on the left bank of the Kuban River in the central part of the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia in the foothills of the northwestern Caucasus. Shoana Church on Google Maps. Photos by: Fedor Lashkov.

picturesque mountain church

Tags: Cherkessk city · Karachay-Cherkessia Republic

The Bykovo Estate is a manor complex located in the park in the village of Bykovo in Moscow Oblast, about 40 km southeast of the center of Moscow. This is an outstanding example of Russian architecture and gardening art of the era of Emperor Nicholas I. The territory of the estate and the adjacent park is about 30 hectares.

The main architectural attraction of the Bykovo Estate is the Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God – a famous monument of Russian pseudo-Gothic architecture of the 18th century. The Bykovo Estate on Google Maps. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

unusual Orthodox church

Tags: churches · Moscow city · Moskovskaya oblast

Veshalovka is a village with a population of about 700 people located in Lipetsk Oblast, about 29 km northwest of Lipetsk and 410 km south of Moscow.

The main attraction of Veshalovka is the Orthodox Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” (1794) or simply Znamenskaya built in the pseudo-Gothic style, which is unusual for this part of Russia. Today, it is an architectural monument of federal significance. Veshalovka on Google Maps. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

very picturesque church

Tags: churches · Lipetsk oblast

Smolensk, the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, is one of the oldest cities in Russia. First mentioned in 863, it is located in the west of the country. In the history of Russia, it is known as the “shield city”, which for many centuries served as the defense of Moscow.

Let’s see how Smolensk looked in the last decade of the Russian Empire, in 1912. This is possible thanks to unique color photographs taken by Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky (1863-1944), a pioneer of color photography in the Russian Empire.

unique views of Smolensk

Tags: Smolensk city

The Resurrection Church in Kadashi Sloboda (1687-1695) is a picturesque Orthodox church located in Yakimanka District in Central Administrative Okrug of Moscow (2-Y Kadashevskiy Pereulok, 7).

This church is an outstanding architectural monument built in the style of “Moscow Baroque” characterized by elegance of proportions and delicate silhouette. In 2014-2016, a complete restoration of the facades of the church and the bell tower was carried out. The Resurrection Church in Kadashi Sloboda on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir d’Ar.

beautiful Moscow church

Tags: churches · Moscow city

The Polar Urals is the northernmost part of the Ural Mountains. As well as throughout the Ural watershed, it is a geographical border between Asia and Europe, as well as an administrative border between the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic.

These are harsh and sparsely populated places, but due to the fact that the Vorkuta-Labytnangi Railway crosses the Polar Urals, it is relatively easy to get here. In winter, the Nenets come to the mountains of the Polar Urals with their herds of deer. Photos by: Sergey Karpukhin.

the life of nomadic herders

Tags: Salekhard city · Yamalo-Nenets okrug

Today, Yekaterinburg, the fourth largest city in Russia (about 1.5 million people), is the largest administrative, cultural, scientific, and educational center of the Urals.

And here is how Yekaterinburg looked a little over a century ago with a population of about 60 thousand people. These unique color photographs were taken by Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky (1863-1944), a pioneer of color photography in the Russian Empire, in 1909.

The general views of the southern part of Yekaterinburg.

unique photos of Yekaterinburg

Tags: Ekaterinburg city · Sverdlovsk oblast

“Akhtyrka” is a former estate and park complex located on the banks of the Vorya River in Moscow Oblast near the city of Sergiev Posad, about 60 km north-east of Moscow. From 1734 to 1879, it belonged to the princes of the Trubetskoy family.

In 1922, the wooden palace burned down, other structures gradually collapsed. But the Church of the Icon of Our Lady of Akhtyrka (1821-1825) survived. In 1937, it was closed. In 1991, the church was returned to the community of believers, services were resumed. Today, it is a monument of architecture of federal significance. Akhtyrka Church on Google Maps. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

picturesque stone church

Tags: churches · Moscow city · Moskovskaya oblast · Sergiev Posad city

Arkhangelsk is a city with a population of about 350 thousand people located in the north of the European part of Russia, at the mouth of the Northern Dvina River, 30-35 kilometers from its confluence with the White Sea. It is the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast and the largest city of the Russian North.

Founded in 1584, this city is traditionally considered the capital of Pomor’e – an original region located on the southern coast of the White Sea, distinguished by its culture and even a special dialect of the Russian language. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Arkhangelsk

Tags: Arkhangelsk city

Volgograd is a city with a population of more than 1 million people located on the bank of the Volga River in the southeast of the European part of Russia, the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast. Until 1925, it was called Tsaritsyn, from 1925 to 1961 – Stalingrad.

This city is known in Russia and abroad as the site of one of the main battles of the Second World War – the Battle of Stalingrad. Several matches of the 2018 World Cup were held here. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Volgograd

Tags: Volgograd city