As you know, Russia is a vast country boasting many wonderful museums. Pretty much everyone has heard about the most popular ones, such as the Hermitage Museum, Winter Palace, Armoury Chamber, and Faberge Museum.

But what do you know about sights a bit further from the public eye? The country houses numerous museums and galleries that are less widely known but just as deserving your attention. Let’s have a look at some of the most interesting options to spice up your travel plans.

explore Russian museums

Tags: museum

Yaroslavl is one of the oldest Russian cities founded in the 11th century. In 2010, this city located about 260 km northeast of Moscow celebrated its millennium. It is depicted on a 1,000-ruble banknote.

The historical center of Yaroslavl with 140 monuments of architecture is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yaroslavl is traditionally included in the famous tourist route “The Golden Ring of Russia”. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Yaroslavl

Tags: Yaroslavl city

“Lesnoy Terem” in Astashovo is a former residence of the peasant Martyan Sazonov (1840/2-1914) located in the central part of Kostroma Oblast, about 200 km from Kostroma.

This is quite a unique phenomenon – a country residence built in the middle of a small village in a remote place. This picturesque wooden house was built in the Russian style with rich and varied carved decor. Lesnoy Terem in Astashovo on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

amazing wooden house

Tags: Kostroma oblast

Kizhi is an island in the northern part of Lake Onega in the south of the Republic of Karelia. It is known primarily for the exposition of the historical, architectural and ethnographic museum-reserve “Kizhi” located here, including the architectural ensemble of the Kizhi Pogost – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Most of the buildings are monuments of architecture, a lot of them were moved for exposition from other villages of this region. Kizhi Island on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

snow-covered monuments of wooden architecture

Tags: churches · Karelia Republic · Petrozavodsk city

Naryan-Mar (meaning “Red town” in the Nenets language) is a town in Russia with a population of about 25 thousand people, the administrative center and the only town in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

It is located in the Arctic Circle, in the lower reaches of the Pechora River, 110 km from the Barents Sea. The distance from Moscow to Naryan-Mar is about 1,500 km, from Arkhangelsk – 660 km. The nearest railway station – Usinsk – is located at a distance of 350 km. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

aerial view of Naryan-Mar

Tags: Naryan-Mar city · Nenets okrug

The Republic of North Ossetia – Alania is a federal subject of the Russian Federation located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus. The city of Vladikavkaz is the capital of the republic.

Foothill and mountainous areas occupy almost half of the territory of the republic, about 3,850 square kilometers. Majestic mountains covered with coniferous and deciduous forests, picturesque gorges, alpine meadows, glaciers, numerous mineral springs make a vacation in North Ossetia – Alania unforgettable. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

magnificent mountain scenery

Tags: North Ossetia Republic · Vladikavkaz city

The Chara Sands is a sandy massif located in the north of Zabaykalsky Krai, a geological natural monument of federal significance. It is surrounded by larch taiga and swamps and stretches from southwest to northeast for 9 km.

Sands form ridges, dunes and chains of dunes. The length of several dunes is 150-170 m, the height – up to 80 m. The Chara Sands are outwardly similar to the deserts of Central Asia. The Chara Sands on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

snow and sand

Tags: Chita city · Zabaikalsky krai

Derbent is a city located on the shores of the Caspian Sea in the Republic of Dagestan in southern Russia. It is located in the most strategically vulnerable place of the Caspian Gates, where the Greater Caucasus Mountains come closest to the sea, leaving only a narrow 3-km strip of plain.

The Derbent fortress was part of a large defensive system constructed to protect the peoples of Transcaucasia and Western Asia from the invasions of nomads from the north. The system included the walls, the citadel of Naryn-Kala, sea walls, and the Dag Bara Mountain Wall. Naryn-Kala Citadel on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

one of the oldest fortresses in Russia

Tags: Dagestan Republic · Derbent city

Russia is full of surprises and adventures, as you can enjoy yourself in the Russian province or visit the remarkable monuments in the Russian capital Moscow. Traveling to Russia for the first time may seem like a crazy adventure for tourists, but there are many things you need to keep in mind before visiting this beautiful country.

The country is not scary at all if you keep in mind these important things. This way you are going to enjoy your trip and come back with memories. Read below to know more.

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The Republic of Ingushetia is located on the northern slopes of the foothills of the Greater Caucasus Range (in its central part) and on the adjoining small ranges of Tersky, Sunzhensky and Skalisty.

The length of this region from north to south is 144 km, from west to east – 72 km. In the northern districts the relief is steppe, in the south – it is mountainous consisting of ridges separated by valleys and gorges. Photos by: Alexandr Lipilin.

beautiful mountainous region

Tags: Ingushetia Republic