Kazan is a city with a population of more than 1.2 million people, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, and a large port on the left bank of the Volga River located about 800 km east of Moscow.

The city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia. From June 16 to July 6, 2018, 6 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be played here. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Kazan

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

Yelets, first mentioned in 1146, is a city with a population of about 100,000 people located in the Lipetsk region, 82 km west of Lipetsk. In total, there are more than 200 monuments of history and culture here.

However, the general architectural ensemble of the city is its main attraction. Let’s stroll through the old streets of Yelets and look at the beautiful buildings and estates, colorful houses, museums and feel the magic of Yelets. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

explore the streets of Yelets

Tags: Elets city · Lipetsk oblast

Vladimir, the administrative center of the Vladimir region, is one of the largest tourist centers in the European part of Russia included in the popular tourist route Golden Ring of Russia.

This city, located mainly on the left bank of the Klyazma River, about 180 km east of Moscow, was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir in the 12th-14th centuries. The city has a lot of architectural monuments including three white stone monuments built before the invasion of the Mongols. Photos by: Vasiliy Nikitinskiy.

walk on the snow-covered Vladimir

Tags: Vladimir city

Samara is the 9th largest city in Russia with a population of about 1.2 million people. It is a major economic, transport, scientific, educational, and cultural center of the country.

The capital of the Samara region, this city is located on the left bank of the Volga River (Saratov Reservoir) at its confluence with the Samara River (hence the name of the city). Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Samara

Tags: Samara city

Suzdal is a small town-reserve with a population of about 9,700 people located in the Vladimir region, about 30 km north of Vladimir.

First mentioned in the chronicles in 1024, this is one of the oldest towns in Russia famous for its abundance of monuments and preserved original appearance. Photos by: Vasiliy Nikitinskiy.

winter in Suzdal

Tags: Suzdal city · Vladimir oblast

Chelyabinsk, a city with a population of about 1.2 million people, is the seventh most populated city in Russia, the administrative center of the Chelyabinsk region.

One of the largest industrial centers of the country, Chelyabinsk is located on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, on the border of the Urals and Siberia, almost in the center of the continent of Eurasia. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Chelyabinsk

Tags: Chelyabinsk city

The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Darna is an Orthodox church located in the village of Darna in the Istra district of the Moscow region, about 65 km north-west of the center of Moscow.

The church was built according to the project of the architect Sergey Shervud in elegant Neo-Russian style in 1895-1900. Darna on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir Dar.

beautiful brick church

Tags: churches · Moscow city · Moskovskaya oblast

More and more travelers from across the globe pack their bags and head to the world’s largest country for the winter holidays. Why might you ask? To get a piece of Russia’s one-of-a-kind overwhelming winter spirit!

There’s more to do in winter Russia than just eating pierogi and going shapka-ushanka shopping, so book Russian rail tickets ahead of time and use this handy list of entertaining Russian winter activities to make your trip even more unforgettable!

winter in Russia is fun

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Gus-Khrustalny is a town with a population of about 55,000 people located in the Vladimir region, about 100 km southeast of Vladimir.

In 1756, the merchant Akim Maltsov began the construction of a glass factory on the Gus River. Later, it turned into the Gusevskoy Crystal Factory and a town with the name Gus-Khrustalny grew around the factory. Photos by: Katya Utemova.

colorful glasswork

Tags: Gus-Khrustalny city · museum · Vladimir oblast

Valdai is a picturesque lake located in the territory of the Valdai National Park in the Novgorod region. The area of the lake is about 20 square kilometers, the average depth is 12 meters (the maximum depth – 60 meters).

On an island in the center of the lake, there is a historical and architectural monument of the 17th-18th centuries – an ensemble of buildings of the Iversky Monastery. On the western shore of the lake the town of Valdai is located. Lake Valdai on Google Maps. Photos by: Konstantin Antipin.

fly over Lake Valdai

Tags: Novgorod oblast