The Day of Russia is celebrated every year since 1992 on the day when the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR (the name of Russia in the USSR) was adopted – June 12. On the same day, in 1991, the first elections of the president of the RSFSR were held. Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia, won the election.

The relation for this holiday in Russia is ambiguous. Some believe it was a negative event that hastened the collapse of the USSR. Also it should be mentioned that the majority of people in Russia don’t even know what this day is about, they just enjoy additional day off.

Tags: Moscow city

Ingushetia Republic is located in the northern part of Big Caucasus range, part of North Caucasus Federal District. The length of the region from north to south is 144 km, from west to east – 72 km.

The northern part of the region has steppe terrain, the southern – the mountainous terrain, which consists of ridges separated by valleys and gorges (the Caucasus Mountains). The highest point of the region is Mount Shan (4500 meters). Ingushetia is known for its tower buildings – historical and architectural monuments. Photos by timag82

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Tags: Ingushetia Republic

While the majority of people in Russia enjoy warm summer weather with temperatures ranging from +10 to +30 degrees Celsius, there are places where the rivers has yet to be opened from the winter ice.

For example, this video was shot on June 3 this year, on the Yenisei River in the small town of Dudinka (24,000 people) located in the north of Krasnoyarsk krai. The town is a seaport in the lower reaches of the Yenisei River, the largest in Siberia.

Tags: Krasnoyarsk krai · Siberia

The branch of the Novgorod State Museum-Reserve “Vitoslavlitsy” is located near Yuriev Monastery (about 5 km from Veliky Novgorod), on the shores of Lake Myachino.

Various wooden buildings (churches, peasants houses, mills, barns, etc.) that have architectural and historical value are moved here from all the districts of Novgorod oblast. At the present time around 30 buildings are gathered in the museum.

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Tags: museum · Novgorod oblast

The North Caucasus is the region where the best Russian sea and mountain resorts are located. Among them are the resorts of Krasnodar Region, Caucasian Mineral Waters, Dolinsk, Elbrus, Dombai. At the same time it is the most unsettled region of the country.

The following scenic photos were taken in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia republics by Vadim Mahorov.

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Tags: Kabardino-Balkaria Republic · Karachay-Cherkessia Republic

Valery Busygin was born in 1952 in Morshansk, small town located in the north of Tambov oblast. In 1972 he graduated from Penza Art College named after K.A.Savitsky. Since 1990 the artist participated in a lot of exhibitions in Russia and abroad.

The paintings of Valery Busygin are exhibited in galleries: “Charles Hecht Galleries” Los Angeles, “Gabreal Franklin Galleries” Santa Cruz, “Richard Thomas Galleries” San Francisco, Monterey, Laguna Beach, (USA) and in private collections in Russia and abroad (more paintings of Valery Busygin).

Tags: churches · Tambov oblast

This unique museum was founded by enthusiasts. The exhibition can be found in one of the halls of the Moscow school №1262. The room is full of various exhibits in one way or another related to the Lend Lease program.

Lend Lease was a state program of the United States during the Second World War. In accordance with the program the U.S. supplied its allies (mainly the Great Britain, the USSR, France, and China) with munitions, military equipment, food, and strategic raw materials, including petroleum products. Photos by moscowwalks.ru

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Tags: Moscow city · museum

Pochozersky church complex built in the 17th-18th centuries is unique architectural ensemble consisting of two churches and bell tower – one of five remaining in the Russian North, and one of only three in Arkhangelsk oblast.

The complex is of significant historical and architectural value due to the fact that it has extremely rare in the Russian wooden architecture diagonal three-dimensional composition, which is unique in Russia. Photos by Constantin Voutsen

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Tags: Arkhangelsk oblast · churches

A characteristic feature of the nature of Russia is a huge amount, and an exceptional variety of lakes. According to the Big Russian Encyclopedia the total number of lakes in Russia exceeds 2.7 million; the total area (excluding the Caspian Sea) is more than 400 thousand square kilometers.

In the most part (about 98%) the lakes have small area (less than 1 square kilometer) and a depth of 1-1.5 meters. Large lakes are relatively few. There are about 140 lakes in Russia with an area of over 100 square kilometers, and only 9 lakes with an area of more than 1000 square kilometers.

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Elbrus is a stratovolcano in the Caucasus (on the border of the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia). Elbrus is located north of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and is the highest peak in Russia. Also because the border between Europe and Asia is controversial, Mount Elbrus can also be the highest peak in Europe.

Elbrus is a saddle-shaped volcano with a two peaks. Western peak has an elevation of 5642 meters, Eastern – 5621 meters. The peaks are connected by a saddle (5200 meters), the distance between peaks is about 3 kilometers. By climbing classification Elbrus has rating 2A (snow and ice), climbing to the top of two peaks – 2B. Photos by Oleg Grigoryev.

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Tags: Kabardino-Balkaria Republic · Karachay-Cherkessia Republic