Vologda, one of the largest cities of the Russian North and the capital of the Vologda region, is located 474 km north of Moscow and 663 km east of St. Petersburg.

First mentioned in 1147, it is included in the list of Russian cities with a particularly valuable historical heritage. On the territory of Vologda there are more than 200 monuments of history, architecture and culture. Let’s take a look at some of them. Photos by: Andrei Kireev.

The Vologda River and the Vologda Kremlin.

beautiful old city

Tags: Vologda city

Elton is a picturesque salt lake located in the Pallasovskiy district of the Volgograd region, not far from the border with Kazakhstan, 206 km east of Volgograd.

It is not only the largest lake in the Volgograd region, but also the largest mineral lake in Europe and one of the most mineralized lakes in the world. Lake Elton on Google Maps. Photos by: Andrei Kireev.

the realm of salt

Tags: Volgograd oblast

Kostroma, founded in 1152, is the administrative center of the Kostroma region located about 346 km north-east of Moscow on the Volga River.

The historical center of the city is known for its mostly preserved architectural ensemble of the era of classicism of the late 18th-19th centuries. This city is included in the list of settlements that have the official status of “historical”, and is traditionally included in the “Golden Ring of Russia”. Photos by: Eduard Skvortsov.

Ivan Susanin Square – the central square of Kostroma and one of the most picturesque places in the city. The main architectural dominant of the square is the fire tower of the 19th century.

walk around Kostroma

Tags: Kostroma city

Rostov Boris and Gleb Monastery, founded in 1363, is an Orthodox monastery located in the village of Borisoglebsky in the Yaroslavl region, on the road from Rostov to Uglich, 76 km south-west of Yaroslavl, part of the famous tourist route “The Golden Ring of Russia”.

The architectural complex of the monastery was fully formed in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was one of the richest in the Rostov metropolia, while the Moscow princes and the first Russian tsars considered it as their “home” monastery. After the 17th century, the architectural ensemble remained almost unchanged. Rostov Boris and Gleb Monastery on Google Maps. Photos by: Mikhail Aritkin.

picturesque old monastery

Tags: Yaroslavl oblast

The Resurrection Monastery or New Jerusalem Monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church is located in the town of Istra in the Moscow region, 73 km north-west of Moscow.

The monastery was founded by Patriarch Nikon in 1656. According to his plan, a complex of holy places of Palestine was to be recreated near Moscow. The New Jerusalem Monastery on Google Maps. Photos by: Mikhail Aritkin.

amazing monastery

Tags: Moscow city · Moskovskaya oblast

Sheremetev Castle is a picturesque palace and park ensemble and an architectural monument of federal significance located in the village of Yurino in the Republic of Mari El, on the bank of the Volga River.

In 1812, Yurino was bought by the landowner Vasili Sheremetev. The construction of the castle, which lasted from 1874 to 1915, involved three generations of Sheremetevs and seven architects. Sheremetev Castle on Google Maps. Photos by: Dmitry Gazin.

magnificent brick palace

Tags: Cheboksary city · Mari El Republic · Yoshkar-Ola city

Torzhok, founded at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries, is a town with a population of about 46 thousand people located in the Tver region, 65 km north-west of Tver.

In the past, it was an important center of trade on the way to Novgorod and St. Petersburg from the southern regions of Russia. The very name of the town means “trading place”. Torzhok on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexander Lipilin.

winter in Torzhok

Tags: Torzhok city · Tver oblast

The cliff of Bolshiye Pritesy, located in the west of the Chelyabinsk region, is one of the most famous and popular sights of the Ay River. The height of this steep rocky wall is up to 100 meters.

The Ay River is one of the most beautiful rivers in the Urals. In the Bashkir language its name means “Moon” or “Moon River”. It flows through the territory of the Chelyabinsk region and the Republic of Bashkiria. The length of the river is 549 kilometers. It has a lot of picturesque cliffs, rocks, caves.

very picturesque cliff

Tags: Chelyabinsk oblast

You probably know that a lot of countries successfully adopted the electronic visa system over the last decade, and travelers all around the world could not be happier. An electronic visa spares you the time and effort of going to an embassy to apply for the document.

Instead, you get to do it from the comfort of your own home with a laptop and an internet connection. All you need to do is find an online visa service. But what about Russia? Can you go to Russian on an electronic visa?

The answer is yes and no. How is that possible? While Russia’s visa policy does not include an electronic visa, you have the option of getting one but only if you are interested in traveling to the Russian Far East. Even so, not all nationalities have access to such a document. Only the citizens of 18 countries have this option. You can check online whether or not your nationality is on that list.

Vladivostok – the capital of the Russian Far East.

Source: Pixabay

terms and conditions

Tags: Far East District

The Holy Trinity Convent in Murom, one of the oldest cities in Russia located in the Vladimir region, 129 km southeast of Vladimir, is known for preserving the relics of St. Peter and Fevronia, who are revered in the country as patrons of the family and marriage.

It was founded in the second quarter of the 17th century (1643) by the Murom merchant Tarasy Borisovich Tsvetnov. Holy Trinity Convent in Murom on Google Maps. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

fly over the convent

Tags: Murom city · Vladimir oblast