Today, Vytegra is a small town (since 1773) with a population of about 10,000 people standing on the banks of the Vytegra River, 337 km north-west of Vologda, in the Vologda region.

You can see how this place looked like 108 years ago, in 1909. It is possible due to unique color photographs made by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky. Source.

General view of Vytegra and the Vytegra River.

back to the past

Tags: Russian Empire · Vologda oblast

Suzdal is one of the most beautiful old Russian towns located in the Vladimir region. First mentioned in 1024, this town-museum has a lot of historical and architectural monuments.

By the middle of the 11th century, it became a major trade and craft center. The period from the 16th to 17th centuries was marked by an active stone construction (monastery and church buildings). The architectural ensembles that have survived to the present day were formed during this period. Photos by: Andrei Kireev.

amazing ancient town

Tags: Suzdal city · Vladimir oblast

Church of the Intercession at Fili is an Orthodox church located in Filevsky Park district, in the western administrative district of Moscow (Novozavodskaya Street, 6).

This architectural monument of federal importance is a fine example of early Moscow baroque. The church was built by the boyar Lev Kirillovich Naryshkin, the uncle of Peter I, in 1690-1694. Photos by: Pavel Labutin.

beautiful church

Tags: churches · Moscow city

The Episcopal Chamber (Chamber of Facets) is an architectural monument of the 15th century located in the territory of the ancient fortress (Kremlin) in Veliky Novgorod.

This is one of the oldest surviving civic buildings in Russia included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, along with other historical buildings of Novgorod the Great.

unique jewelry exhibition

Tags: Novgorod city

Smolensk is a city with a population of about 329,000 people located in the west of the European part of Russia, the capital of the Smolensk region. This is one of the oldest cities in the country founded more than 1,150 years ago.

The city is located 378 km south-west of Moscow, in the upper reaches of the Dnieper River, on the way from Moscow to Belarus, Baltic States, the countries of Central and Western Europe. Photos by: Denis Mukimov.

explore the ancient Smolensk

Tags: Smolensk city

Murmansk, located in the northwest of Russia, is the largest city in the world in 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 ice-free ports in Russia and in the world built during the First World War, in 1915, to deliver military supplies from the allies because of the blockade of the Black and Baltic Seas. Photos by: Konstantin Antipin.

snow-covered Murmansk

Tags: Murmansk city

The Republic of Ingushetia is located on the northern slopes of the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. This region is also sometimes called “the land of towers.”

The towers of Ingushetia are unique in its architecture and occupy an important place in the history of the Caucasus. Also they are remarkably scenic as you can see in this video.

Tags: Ingushetia Republic

This weather happens in Moscow only a few times a year. Warm cyclone comes after heavy frosts gradually displacing icy air from the city.

At ground level, you can see only dull gray clouds, but if you climb higher, for example, at the Ostankino TV tower (340 meters), you will enjoy the following breathtaking views. Photos by: Dmitriy Chistoprudov.

Moscow from above

Tags: Moscow city

St. George’s Cathedral, a white-stone church located in the central part of the ancient Russian town of Yuryev-Polsky in the Vladimir region, is an outstanding monument of ancient Russian architecture.

The cathedral was built by Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich in 1230-1234. In 1326-1327, on the model of St. George’s Cathedral, the first stone church was built in Moscow – the Cathedral of the Assumption. Photos by: Pavel Labutin.

beautiful ancient temple

Tags: Vladimir oblast

Sunduki (meaning “chests”) is a mountain range, natural and historic monument located in Ordzhonikidze and Shirinsky districts of the Republic of Khakassia.

One of the most mysterious places in Khakassia, this mountain range got its name from the most northern mountain – “Sunduk” (“chest”), on top of which there is a rock in the form of a cube. Sunduki on Google Maps. Photos by: Sergey Filinin.

stone waves of Khakassia

Tags: Khakassia republic