Aygir is a small village located in the mountains of the Southern Urals in the Republic of Bashkiria, about 190 km southeast of Ufa. This area, one of the most inaccessible sights of Bashkiria, is very popular with tourists going to conquer the Ural peaks with backpacks on their shoulders.

From here you can enjoy picturesque views of Mount Maly Yamantau and the rocky peak of the Karatash Range. Aygir on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir Lyapin.

amazing morning landscapes

Tags: Bashkortostan Republic · Ufa city

The Church of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God is a famous architectural monument of the Russian pseudo-gothic located in the village of Bykovo in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region, about 40 km south-east of the center of Moscow.

This picturesque church combining baroque and gothic forms was built on the territory of the Vorontsov-Dashkov estate in 1789. The estate itself is an outstanding example of Russian architecture and decorative arts of the era of Emperor Nicholas I. Bykovo on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir d’Ar.

amazing church

Tags: churches · Moscow city · Moskovskaya 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

Tutayev is a historic town with a population of about 40 thousand people located on both banks of the Volga River in the Yaroslavl region, about 35 km north-west of Yaroslavl. This is one of the twelve places included in the Golden Ring of Russia – a popular tourist route passing through the old towns of North-Eastern Russia.

The churches of Tutayev, picturesquely scattered on the hilly banks of the Volga, are the main sights of this town and attract tourists and architecture lovers. The photos were taken in March when Tutayev was still covered with snow. Photos by: Roman Smirnov.

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Tags: churches · Yaroslavl oblast

Murmansk is a city with a population of about 295 thousand people located in the northwest of Russia, the administrative center of the Murmansk region. It is the largest city in the world located above the Arctic Circle.

The city stands on the rocky east coast of the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea. This is one of the largest ports in Russia. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

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Tags: Murmansk city

St. Andronicus Monastery is a complex of buildings of the former monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church located on the left bank of the Yauza River, near one of the Poklonny Mountains of Moscow.

The monastery, founded in 1357, was named after its first hegumen, Andronicus, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh. St. Andronicus Monastery on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir Dar.

beautiful churches and a unique museum

Tags: churches · Moscow city · museum

Barnaul is a city with a population of about 632 thousand people located in the south of Western Siberia at the confluence of the Barnaulka and the Ob rivers, the administrative center of the Altai Krai.

It was founded as a settlement at the Akinfiy Demidov silver smelting plant in 1730. The blast furnace on the city’s coat of arms reminds of those times. Today, it is a large industrial, cultural, medical, and educational center of Siberia. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

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Tags: Altai krai · Barnaul city

Yaroslavl is a city with a population of about 609 thousand people, the administrative center of the Yaroslavl region. Founded in the 11th century, Yaroslavl is one of the oldest Russian cities, which reached its peak in the 17th century. In 2010, tise city celebrated its millennium.

The historic center of Yaroslavl, located at the confluence of the Volga and Kotorosl rivers, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yaroslavl claims the status of the “capital” of the Golden Ring of Russia. Photos by: Roman Smirnov.

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Tags: Yaroslavl city