“Vitoslavlitsy” is an open air museum of folk wooden architecture located near St. George Monastery, about 4 km from Veliky Novgorod, on the southern shore of Lake Myachino.

The museum, opened on May 16, 1967, has about thirty monuments of the ancient Russian wooden architecture of the 16th century, residential and other buildings of the 18th-19th centuries.

explore the museum

Tags: Novgorod oblast

In Soviet times, a very significant part of the budget was spent on various military purposes, including the construction of numerous defensive structures all over the country.

And here is one example. This artillery battery is located somewhere on the coast of the Kola Peninsula, in the northwest of the European part of Russia, in Murmansk region. Photos by: Ralph Mirebs.

get inside the battery

Tags: Abandoned · Murmansk oblast

Tolbachik is a volcanic complex located in the east of Kamchatka. It is a stunningly beautiful place – a lifeless valley covered with volcanic ash with many cracks and cones shrouded in clouds of acid gases.

The area around the volcano resembles landscapes of distant planets from science fiction movies. This is how Tolbachik plateau looks today – after several major eruptions happened in recent years. Photos by: Andrey Grachev.

fantastic scenery

Tags: Kamchatka krai · landscapes

Beautiful Church of the Sign of Our Lady is located in the village of Dubrovitsy, Podolsky district, Moscow region, about 36 km from the center of Moscow, near Podolsk.

The church was built of white stone in 1690-1703. It is famous for its unique, unusual for Russia architecture. Most probably foreign (possibly Italian) masters were involved in the construction. Church in Dubrovitsy on Google Maps. Photos by: Vladimir Dar.

architectural masterpiece

Tags: Moskovskaya oblast · Podolsk city

By tradition, the celebration of Victory Day on May 9 in many large cities of Russia ends with fireworks.

The biggest and most colorful fireworks are held in Moscow, the capital city of the country. Let’s look at some photos of one of them. Photos by: Konstantin Abrosimov.

colorful photos

Tags: Moscow city

Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan and a major port on the left bank of the Volga River, is located 820 kilometers east of Moscow.

This city with a population of about 1.2 million people is one of the largest economic, scientific, educational, cultural and sports centers in Russia. In 2005, Kazan celebrated its millennium.

Kazan Kremlin, the oldest part of the city

explore Kazan city

Tags: Kazan city

Toropets is a small town with a population of about 12 thousand people located in Tver region, 400 km to the west of Moscow. It is one of the oldest towns in the country founded in 1074.

The rich historical past of the town left a considerable legacy. On the territory of Toropets, there are dozens of monuments of culture of national and regional importance. Photos by: Petr Ushanov, Ivan Dyomkin.

let’s fly over Toropets

Tags: Tver oblast

Kizhi churchyard or just Kizhi is a world famous architectural ensemble situated on the island of Kizhi in Lake Onega (Karelia Republic).

It consists of two churches and a bell tower of the 18th-19th centuries surrounded by a wall. In 1990, Kizhi churchyard was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the most valuable objects of cultural heritage of Russia. Kizhi churchyard on Google Maps. Photos by: Dmitry Gazin.

beautiful wooden architecture

Tags: Karelia Republic

Veliky Novgorod is a city located in the northwest of Russia, the administrative center of Novgorod Oblast. It is one of the oldest and most famous cities of Russia which celebrated its 1150th anniversary in 2009.

Veliky Novgorod preserved a lot of unique monuments of ancient Russian architecture of the pre-Mongol period. It is the only ancient Russian city that avoided decay in the 11th-12th centuries. Let’s look at some of them. Photo by: deni spiri.

Veliky Novgorod Kremlin

take a walk

Tags: Novgorod city

The second part of pictures showing the great variety of Russian landscapes, cities and towns. The first part can be found here: Toy-like Russia – Part 1. Photos by: Stepanov Slava.

Mirniy city in Yakutia

explore Russia

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