The Marian Tikhvin Assumption Monastery is an Orthodox monastery located in the town of Tikhvin in the Leningrad region, about 220 kilometers east of St. Petersburg.

Pimen, the Archbishop of Novgorod, founded the monastery by the order of Ivan the Terrible in 1560. The main relic of the monastery is the miracle-working Tikhvin Icon of the Holy Mother. Tikhvin Monastery on Google Maps. Photos by: Dmitriy Gazin.

very picturesque monastery

Tags: Leningrad oblast

Altai is a true sanctuary of wild flowers. You can easily find large flower meadows of all colors – from bright orange to sky blue.

Most of the following photos were made during a trip on the Ukok plateau located in the extreme south of the Altai Republic, on the border of Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and Russia. Photos by: Anton Petrus.

Forget-me-nots.

beautiful Altai scenery

Tags: Altay Republic

In the Chukhlomsky district of the Kostroma region, hidden between forests and abandoned villages, there is a beautiful wooden palace designed by the famous architect Ivan Ropet (1845-1908).

The house was built by Martyan Sazonov for Yelizaveta Dobrovolskaya, his second wife, in the late 19th century. He was of peasant origin but that did not stop him to go to St. Petersburg and become a major construction businessman. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

beautiful wooden house

Tags: Kostroma oblast

Staritsky Holy Assumption Monastery is an Orthodox monastery located in the town of Staritsa, on the right bank of the Volga River, in the Tver region.

The ensemble of the monastery is one of the most important and interesting architectural complexes in the region. This is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia, officially founded in the first half of the 16th century, although the first monks came here from Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in 1110.

explore the monastery

Tags: churches · Tver oblast

Vvedenye is a small village with a population of about 500 people located in the Shuyskiy district of the Ivanovo region, about 10 km north-west of the town of Shuya and 32 km from Ivanovo, the regional capital.

This is one of the most interesting villages of the Ivanovo region with a rich history and a number of temple complexes. The history of the village is directly connected with Nikolo-Shartomskiy monastery founded in the 14th century.

one foggy morning in Russian province

Tags: churches · Ivanovo oblast

Kalyazin is a small town with a population of about 13 thousand people located in the Tver region, on the right bank of the Volga River (Uglich Reservoir), 200 km from Moscow and 160 km from Tver.

In 1939-1940, part of the territory of the old town, including all the main historical and architectural monuments, was flooded during the construction of the Uglich hydroelectric power station.

the bell tower in the middle of the Volga

Tags: Tver oblast

Stolovaya is a flat mountain (3,003 meters) located on the border of the Republic of Ingushetia and the Republic of North Ossetia in the North Caucasus. In Russian the word “stol” means “table”.

This mountain, depicted on the state emblem of Ingushetia, is visible from Magas, the capital of Ingushetia, and Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia (also depicted on the emblem of Vladikavkaz). Stolovaya Mountain on Google Maps. Photos by: Timur Agirov.

climb to the top of Stolovaya Mountain

Tags: Ingushetia Republic · North Ossetia Republic

Borodinsky coal strip mine is located 7 km from the town of Borodino in the Krasnoyarsk region.

In January 2016, the one billionth ton of coal was mined here, making it the largest coal strip mine in the country. It provides jobs for about 1,500 people.

take a look at the mine and equipment

Tags: Krasnoyarsk krai

Multi-colored mountains of Kyzyl-Chin, located near the village of Chagan-Uzun in the Altai Republic, is a great place for photographers, lovers of geology and natural beauty. Clays of different colors create unique natural scenery.

The local mountains look as if they are painted in stripes of different shades of red, yellow and green. This place situated at the beginning of the Chui steppe, about 7.5 km from Chui tract, looks like a real Mars. Kyzyl-Chin on Google Maps. Photos by: Anton Petrus.

awesome alien landscape

Tags: Altay Republic

Solovetsky Islands or simply Solovki is an archipelago located in the White Sea (Arkhangelsk oblast), consisting of six major islands and more than 100 small islands.

The archipelago and the five-kilometer water area of ​​the White Sea are included in the protected area “Solovetsky State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve.” Photos by: Petr Ushanov.

winter on Solovki

Tags: Arkhangelsk oblast