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

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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

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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

Ekaterinburg (in 1924-1991 – Sverdlovsk), the fourth largest city of Russia, is an administrative center of the Sverdlovsk region and the Urals Federal District. It is the biggest administrative, cultural, scientific, and educational center of the Urals.

Over almost three hundred years of its existence, Ekaterinburg was rebuilt several times. The project “Ekaterinburg. Then and Now” shows how much the city has changed over the 100 years. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

Ekaterinburg – past and present

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Out with the old, in with the new: may you be happy the whole year through!
Happy New Year!

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Serguei Fomine, a photographer from Russia, began his project “Russia From Above” in 2003. The project is an artistic photo shoot of the most visually attractive natural, historical and architectural sites located on the territory of the country.

A lot of his photos are unique because these hard to reach places have never been photographed before. Let’s take a look at some of these photos.

Acid lake in the crater of Maliy Semyachik volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

fly over Russia

Tags: Arkhangelsk oblast · Kamchatka krai · Khabarovsk krai · Krasnodar krai

Lago-Naki is a famous plateau located at an altitude of about 2,000 meters in the Western Caucasus, in Maikop district of the Republic of Adygea.

It is a place of stunning natural beauty known for its flowering alpine meadows. Almost the entire territory of the plateau is included in the Caucasian Reserve. Photos by: Vladimir Mulder.

beautiful alpine scenery

Tags: Adygeya Republic

Astrakhan is a city in Russia with a population of about 532 thousand people. The oldest economic and cultural center of the Lower Volga and the Caspian region, it is the capital of Astrakhan oblast.

The city is located in the upper part of the delta of the Volga River, on 11 islands of the Caspian depression. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

fly over Astrakhan

Tags: Astrakhan city