Vladimir is a city with a population of about 350 thousand people located 188 km east of Moscow, the administrative center of the Vladimir region.

One of the largest tourist centers in the European part of Russia, Vladimir was the capital of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir in the 12th-14th centuries. Let’s take a short walk through the streets of the city. Photos by: Sergey Rubtsov.

explore Vladimir

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This album of projects of urban and rural buildings of the Russian Empire was compiled by the engineer-architect V.G.Zalessky with the participation of a number of other engineers and architects in 1881 – a very interesting document of its time with beautiful illustrations. Source: humus.

architecture of the Russian Empire

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Magadan is a port city with a population of about 93 thousand people located on the shore of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk about 5,900 km east of Moscow (in a straight line), the administrative center of the Magadan region.

It was founded as a settlement of workers engaged in the development of mineral resources of the Kolyma region in 1929. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Magadan

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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

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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

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For many travelers hoping to see large portions of Russia and head into the continent of Asia, the Trans-Siberian trek is an absolute must. There are many different routes that you can take, departing from a choice of Russian cities and lasting for a varying number of days.

Of course, the main draw of such journeys is to get out there and see more of our wonderful world, especially through Russia and the road often less traveled. You can start in the West at St Petersburg, head over to Moscow, take part in expeditions such as Siberian dog sledding, and even see “true” Russia in places like Irkutsk and Ulaanbaatar.

But what about the reality of the fact that you’re spending up to four weeks of your life on a train? Yes, you get off and stay overnight in hotels sometimes, but that still leaves a rather long time to your journey on board. Here’s how to make the most of it!

traveling around Russia by train

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Love is a universal concept that cuts across race, nation, religion and ethnicity, hence dating is a universal concept as well. Every individual, regardless of where they come from, can relate to dating and being in a romantic relationship.

However, culture differs and since culture is the way of life of a certain people, it affects every facet of life of the people.

Just so you know, in the online world, there is no gainsaying that dating has come to stay and no matter what angle you’re viewing it from, online dating is on steroids – it’s paid its dues and got all there is to stay relevant.

Like every other nation, this speaks true for Russian girls. Dating a Russian girl will demand a different sort of understanding from dating a girl from other nations. If you are in a relationship or about to get into one with a Russian girl, here are things you must know when dating one.

Photo by: Victoria Borodinova

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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

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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

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Russia’s World Cup 2018 has been and gone. On the whole, it was deemed a huge success, with football fans from all four corners of the world visiting Russia for a genuine celebration of football. All 12 of the stadiums used at the World Cup 2018 were built or renovated in some way, at a cost of $2.8 billion.

Unfortunately, there is a fear that some of the stadia will become ‘white elephants’ in the months and years ahead, given over to football clubs that don’t have anywhere near enough supporters to fill them. However, there are some new stadia that will be well-used, providing the perfect legacy for generations of Russian football fans.

Let’s take a look at the biggest and best stadia that will be put to good use in Russia’s domestic season.

“Police at the Rostov Arena” (CC BY 2.0) by Maxence Peniguet

the future of the World Cup 2018 stadiums

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