Destination: Russia
Over View
Russia is a land of snow and harsh winters, blooming meadows and mighty rivers, midsummer sun that never sets, a hospitable country with a big heart, talented businesses and amazingly artistic people. There are countless natural, historical and cultural attractions in Russia. It really is a ‘must see’ destination!
Russia covers more than 17 million square kilometers. It takes about a week to cross the country’s ten time zones by train, and ten hours by air. Russia’s population is about 150 million. The national language is Russian. Sixty percent of Russians are atheist, while the majority of believers are Orthodox. Russia has the largest river in Europe, the Volga; the world’s largest lake, the Caspian Sea; the world’s deepest freshwater lake, the Baikal; and Europe’s highest peak, Elbrus.
Best time to visit: One of the best times to travel to Russia is summer, which is also the rainy season. July and August are the warmest months. The coldest time is winter when you can warm yourself up visiting theatres and other places of interest. You’ll be pleased to know that everywhere in Russia has central heating.
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Moscow
Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation, its cultural, tourist and business center. Here are the most famous historical sights: The Kremlin, Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, The Bolshoi Theatre, Sparrow Hills, The State Tretyakov Gallery, The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Moscow Metro and more.
In Moscow, there are more than 400 private and public museums,. Dozens of performances are held daily in the theaters of Moscow.
Moscow is a green city. After a bustling city bustle, it’s nice to take a stroll in one of the many city parks. Also in Moscow, there are always festivals and street festivities. You will admire the night life of the city, stroll through the night streets, and you will be convinced that Moscow never sleeps! -
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is often called a northern capital of Russia. This is the second most significant Russian city. Every year the number of tourists to this amazing city grows.
In 2016, St. Petersburg has become the best destination for tourism in Europe according to the World Travel Awards.
The city was founded by Peter I in 1703. The construction of the city began with a fortress, which was never used for military purposes. In the 18th century it housed the main prison of Peter the Great. Now there are guided tours.
This is many museums, cathedrals and theaters in Saint Petesrsburg. The largest and most famous museum is the Hermitage.
Impressively look numerous imperial and princely palaces, especially the palace and park ensemble of Peterhof, and the Great Catherine Palace, located 26 kilometers from the city.
In summer in the period from June 11 to July 2 in St. Petersburg you can observe a unique natural phenomenon called “white nights”. White nights are a time when evening twilight merges with the morning, and night darkness does not come. At this time, you can go on the night city tour and look at the drawbridge, connecting the two city parts -
Golden Ring of Russia
The Golden Ring of Russia is a tourist route through ancient Russian cities. The Little Golden Ring route includes eight major ancient Russian capitals. These are Vladimir, Rostov the Great, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Suzdal, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, Sergiev Posad. Sometimes other cities with great cultural and historical significance are added to this list.
This trip will not leave indifferent those who want to learn more about the history and culture of Russia, see a lot of monuments of ancient architecture, hear the Russian folklore and enjoy the beautiful views of Russian nature.
There are different ways of traveling along the Golden Ring route: by bus, by car, by train or by boat (in the summer) -
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is one of the most interesting natural attractions in Russia. Since 1996 it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lake Baikal is located in the south of eastern Siberia and is winded on all sides by mountain ridges.
It is the deepest lake in the world ( its depth reaches 1,642 meters) and the world’s largest natural fresh water reservoir. The water in the lake is so clean that in some places you can drink it without boiling. In addition, the water in the lake is so clear that you can see individual objects and stones at a depth of 40 meters.
However, the lake is not suitable for swimming, since the water in it even in summer does not exceed + 8 … + 9 ° C, in some places +15 ° C.
Lake Baikal is so beautiful that tourists from all over the world come to see it. In the winter Baikal is also beautiful. The frozen lake is covered with a thick layer of very clear ice, covered with large cracks.
The starting points of most of the trips to Baikal are the cities Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude and Severobaikalsk. From these cities it is most convenient to start your route to the lake. -
Murmansk and the Northern Lights
Murmansk is the largest city in the world, located beyond the Arctic Circle. This is better place in Russia where you can observe a unique natural phenomenon called the Northern Lights.
This amazing sight is caused by the glow of the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, due to their interaction with charged particles of the solar wind.
Watching the Northern Lights is possible from late August to May, best of all outside the city, where there is little coverage.
In the period from November to February, the chances of seeing a very beautiful glow increase, especially from December 1 to January 10, when the polar night is in Murmansk. The best time for observation is late evening: from 22.00.
Begin hunting for the northern lights with careful planning. It is best to use the services of guides who will find the best point of view for you.
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GUM Department Store (Glavny Universalny Magazin)
Red Square, 3 | Metro Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Moscow 613310, Russia +7 495 788-43-43
The largest department store in Russia, dating back to the days of the tsars, is located opposite the Kremlin in Red Square.
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Vernissage in Izmailovo
105187, Moscow, m Guerrilla, Izmailovo Highway 73zh.
This is the largest, world-renowned exhibition-fair of products and objects of art and applied art, created 25 years ago for artists, designers, craftsmen, artisans, community arts organizations, unions, artisanal crafts and other folk handicrafts manufacturers with the support of the Government of Moscow.”Izmailovo Vernissage” today – a multi-purpose complex, the purpose of which is to maintain, develop and maintain Russian culture, crafts and traditions.
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Central Children’s Store at Lubyanka Square
Moscow, Teatralnyy Proezd, blg. 5/1
The oldest children’s goods store in Russia. This is a whole complex, which includes children’s products of all famous brands, entertainment, cafes and restaurants. Here you will see the world’s largest clock, you can visit the toy museum and look at Moscow with an overview site on the roof.
- Metro The metro is the most popular form of transport in the capital - the Moscow metro system serves 7 million passengers a day. The St Petersburg system serves 2 million, a lot of people considering the network only has five lines. As well as Moscow and St Petersburg there are underground metro systems in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Samara and Yekaterinburg.
- Bus Overground transport can be daunting in Russia but in recent years the competition between public and private companies running the bus services have made it more efficient and cheaper. A lack of centralised organisation has, however, rendered it difficult to find information regarding timetables online, so it is best just to check at the bus stops. Using buses is an excellent way to get a feel for where you are, it allows you to see places that the metro doesn’t reach.
- Taxi You cannot hail a cab off the street in Russia, they have to be called in advance. Fares are not measured on a meter so it is important to agree a price when booking or before setting off. Foreigners will often incur a higher starting rate, so it is a good idea to know approximately how much your journey should cost. It shouldn’t cost more than 500 rubles to get from one side of a city to the other. However, factoring in the fact than non-Russian speakers will probably pay a premium, this could double to 1,000 rubles.
- Local trains Serving the areas around the city centres, the local train services usually connect with the metro or other public transport systems. Not all trains stop at all stations at all times during the day, as the system operates both slow and express services, so it is important to check the timetable in advance.
Russian Foods That Will Make You Go Mmmmm….
Russian food doesn’t exactly top the popularity charts in America, which is a shame, really, because this huge country has a lot to offer besides vodka and caviar. If you ever find yourself in Moscow, these are the Russian foods you definitely need to dig your teeth into:
Borscht
A beet root and beef soup, lightly spiced and served cold with a dollop of sour cream on top.
Khachapuri
Thick, crusty bread shaped like a boat and filled with varieties of melted cheese.
Beef Stroganoff
Strips of beef sauteed in a sauce of butter, white wine, sour cream (called ‘smetana’ in Russia), mustard and onions. Eaten either straight or poured over rice or noodles.
Blini
Thin, crepe-like pancakces made from unleavened dough, usually topped with savory or sweet toppings such as minced beef, caviar, or apples.
Golubtsy
Shredded or minced beef wrapped in cabbage and steamed/boiled until cooked. Found all over Eastern Europe, though the Russians like to add some sour cream on top, which really brings out the flavors.
Khinkali
Dumplings of ground beef and cilantro.
Potato Okroshka
A cold soup made from buttermilk, potatoes and onions, garnished with dill.
Olivie
Potatoes, pickles, bologna, eggs, and carrots swimming in a bowl of mayo.
Solyanka Soup
A hearty soup made from thick chunks of beef and/or pork, cooked for hours over a low flame with garlic, tomatoes, peppers and carrots.
Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage
Cabbage cooked in red wine vinegar, applesauce, butter and onions. Diced apples, sugar, bay leaves and cloves added on top.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat groats are delicious and very healthy food. Buckwheat with meat, fried onions or mushrooms is served for lunch, and with warm milk for breakfast.
Chicken Kiev cutlets
Сhopped chicken fillet with a filling of butter, cheese, greens or other ingredients. Cutlet crumbled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried
Vinaigrette salad
Salad from boiled vegetables (beets, potatoes, carrots, green peas) and pickled cucumbers dressed with vegetable oil. Very tasty and useful!
Syrniki
Fried pellets made from cottage cheese, flour and eggs, Great solution for breakfast.
Pirozhki
If you need a quick snack, choose pies from the dough with different fillings
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1
Borscht
A beet root and beef soup, lightly spiced and served cold with a dollop of sour cream on top.
-
2
Khachapuri
Thick, crusty bread shaped like a boat and filled with varieties of melted cheese.
-
3
Beef Stroganoff
Strips of beef sauteed in a sauce of butter, white wine, sour cream (called ‘smetana’ in Russia), mustard and onions. Eaten either straight or poured over rice or noodles.
-
4
Blini
Thin, crepe-like pancakces made from unleavened dough, usually topped with savory or sweet toppings such as minced beef, caviar, or apples.
-
5
Golubtsy
Shredded or minced beef wrapped in cabbage and steamed/boiled until cooked. Found all over Eastern Europe, though the Russians like to add some sour cream on top, which really brings out the flavors.
-
6
Khinkali
Dumplings of ground beef and cilantro.
-
7
Potato Okroshka
A cold soup made from buttermilk, potatoes and onions, garnished with dill.
-
8
Olivie
Potatoes, pickles, bologna, eggs, and carrots swimming in a bowl of mayo.
-
9
Solyanka Soup
A hearty soup made from thick chunks of beef and/or pork, cooked for hours over a low flame with garlic, tomatoes, peppers and carrots.
-
10
Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage
Cabbage cooked in red wine vinegar, applesauce, butter and onions. Diced apples, sugar, bay leaves and cloves added on top.
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11
Buckwheat
Buckwheat groats are delicious and very healthy food. Buckwheat with meat, fried onions or mushrooms is served for lunch, and with warm milk for breakfast.
-
12
Chicken Kiev cutlets
Сhopped chicken fillet with a filling of butter, cheese, greens or other ingredients. Cutlet crumbled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried
-
13
Vinaigrette salad
Salad from boiled vegetables (beets, potatoes, carrots, green peas) and pickled cucumbers dressed with vegetable oil. Very tasty and useful!
-
14
Syrniki
Fried pellets made from cottage cheese, flour and eggs, Great solution for breakfast.
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15
Pirozhki
If you need a quick snack, choose pies from the dough with different fillings