Taymyr, the largest peninsula in Russia and the northernmost continental landmass of the Eurasian continent, is located between the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea, on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, in the very north of Krasnoyarsk Krai.

The total area of ​​Taymyr is about 400 thousand square kilometers, which is larger than the area of ​​such countries as Japan (373) and Germany (357). There are no cities on the peninsula, the nearest ones are Dudinka and Norilsk located to the south of the peninsula.

The Taymyr Peninsula is located in the Arctic and subarctic zones, which determines the extreme severity of its climate. Taymyr is characterized by long cold winters with temperatures down to -62 °C and short cool summers. Snowstorms are common, sometimes lasting up to several weeks. The local population is made up of peoples of the North who roam the territory. The Taymyr Peninsula on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

amazing landscapes

Tags: Krasnoyarsk krai

St. George’s Cathedral, a white-stone church located in the central part of the ancient Russian town of Yuryev-Polsky in Vladimir Oblast, is an outstanding monument of ancient Russian architecture.

The cathedral was built by Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in 1230-1234. This was the last large white-stone church built in Rus’ before the Mongol invasion. In 1326-1327, on the model of St. George’s Cathedral, the first stone church was built in Moscow – the Cathedral of the Assumption. Saint George Cathedral in Yuryev-Polsky on Google Maps. Photos by: Pavel Labutin.

beautiful ancient church

Tags: church · Vladimir oblast

In Yakutia there is a giant thermokarst depression in the Verkhoyansk ulus (district), 10 km southeast of the village of Batagai and about 660 km north-northeast of Yakutsk. The crater is named after the nearby Batagai River.

Batagaika is about 2 km long, 1 km wide, and about 100 meters deep. Inside, remains of ancient plants, bones and tusks of mammoths, frozen bison and horses are found. This layer of ice is twice as old as the ice of Antarctica. The Batagaika Crater on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

very picturesque crater

Tags: Sakha Republic · Yakutsk city

Dikson is an urban-type settlement located in the very north of Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, on the northwestern tip of the Taimyr Peninsula, on the coast of the Kara Sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean.

It is divided by a strait into two parts – an island and a mainland. In winter, cars and buses travel along the ice road, in summer, boats operate. In spring and autumn, you can only get from one part of the settlement to the other by helicopter. Dikson on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

frozen settlement at the edge of the earth

Tags: Krasnoyarsk krai

The Ecumenical Temple, also known as the Temple of All Religions and the International Cultural Center of Spiritual Unity is an architectural structure located in the Old Arakchino microdistrict in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Dedicated to various religions of the world, it is a popular landmark of the city.

The construction was started by the artist, architect, sculptor, and public figure Ildar Khanov in 1993. This idea came to him after traveling through Tibet and India. The temple was being built with the founder’s own funds until his death in 2013. After it, his brother Ilgiz and sister Flyura Galeeva continued his work.

unique building

Tags: churches · Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

This railway is located on the Yamal Peninsula in northern Western Siberia, in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Russia. Some of the world’s largest natural gas deposits are found here.

It consists of 5 stations and 70 bridges starting from Obskaya Station (Labytnangi) and going to Karskaya Station (the Bovanenkovo natural gas ​​deposit). The length of the railway is 572 km, and it is located entirely beyond the Arctic Circle. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

the railway at the edge of the world

Tags: Salekhard city · Yamalo-Nenets okrug

Putorana is a strongly dissected mountain range located in the northwest of Krasnoyarsk Krai. The nearest large settlement is the city of Norilsk. The surface of the plateau is covered with basaltic lava flows often referred to as the Siberian Traps. This is one of the most poorly studied and inaccessible regions of Russia.

The maximum height of the plateau is 1,701 meters. The name “Putorana”, translated from Evenki, means “lakes with steep banks”. The plateau area is about 250,000 square kilometers. The Putoransky Nature Reserve, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, is located on the plateau. The Putorana Plateau on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over the Putorana Plateau

Tags: Krasnoyarsk krai · Norilsk city

The mountain park “Ruskeala” is a tourist complex located in the Sortavala district of the Republic of Karelia, near the border with Finland. The basis of the complex is an abandoned marble quarry filled with groundwater – a cultural heritage site and historic monument.

The park is located near the village of Ruskeala, about 30 kilometers north of the town of Sortavala. The length of the former marble quarry from north to south is 460 meters, the width – up to 100 meters. Ruskeala Park on Google Maps. Photos by: Maria Mitrofanova.

picturesque abandoned quarry

Tags: Abandoned · Karelia Republic · Petrozavodsk city

The Commander (Komandorskiye) Islands are an archipelago of two large and two small islands located in the southwestern Bering Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, part of Kamchatka Krai of Russia. The archipelago is named after the navigator Commander Vitus Bering, who discovered these islands in 1741.

Bering Island is the largest island of the Commander Islands. It is about 90 km long and 24 km wide. The grave of Vitus Bering and several of his comrades are located here. There is only one settlement here – the village of Nikolskoye with a population of about 600 people. Bering Island, like all the Commander Islands, is located on an underwater ridge that extends from Alaska. The Aleutian Islands of the US state of Alaska are also located on this ridge. Photos by Andrey Grachev.

one of the most remote places in Russia

Tags: Kamchatka krai · Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city

In 2024-2025, there is a peak in solar activity, which directly affects the intensity and beauty of such a natural phenomenon as the northern lights. These photos were taken in the Kotlas district in the southeastern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast on the night of August 12-13, 2024. According to the author of the photos, this was the most active and brightest aurora he has ever seen.

Each northern light is unique. Sometimes they look like green stripes that encircle the night sky. Other times, the northern lights appear as a shimmering canopy or resemble a glowing fog. Their primary color is green, often with shades of pink around the edges and purple in the center. Photos by: Evgeny Smolsky.

amazingly strong northern lights

Tags: Arkhangelsk oblast