Discover Russia

Moscow

Ancient Slav traditions meet contemporary culture in Europe’s biggest city: Moscow. At first glance, tourists often mistake Moscow for a modern city. They go to see the world-class space museums, futuristic art museums, secret soviet bunkers and giant ice skating rinks. While it may be known for its imposing Soviet architecture and glitzy high rises, its history (which by far surpasses Saint Petersburg’s) makes Moscow a hidden cultural treasure.

Long before Peter the Great felt the urge to rule from a sea port, Moscow was the beating heart of Russia’s religious and cultural affairs. Unlike Saint Petersburg, Moscow’s history has a distinctly Eurasian flair; ballerinas vied for attention with cossack dancers and the colourful painted wood work of central Russia was prized just as much as western artwork. To this day, Moscow’s taste for the unconventional can be seen in its most famous sights. Within the regal auditorium of the Bolshoi theatre, ballets are served with a refreshingly contemporary twist. The Tretyakov Gallery, with its renowned collection of Russian icons and Repins, has expanded to include a whole building dedicated to modern Russian art. And, even within the Kremlin’s sacrosanct 800 year old walls, one can find an all glass, cutting-edge theatre amid the ancient monasteries and palaces.
Regardless of whether you embrace Russia’s drinking culture or not, the sheer variety of sights in Russia’s capital is guaranteed to leave you discombobulated but thirsty for more!

Saint Petersburg

Founded in the enlightenment era, Saint Petersburg was the city that sparked Russia’s cultural blossoming. At its height, it boasted a theatre with the world’s biggest stage, one of Europe’s first museums and over 50 palaces. Though Saint Petersburg is no longer the seat of government, it still rules supreme as Russia’s cultural capital. Indeed, the whole of Saint Petersburg’s city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Simply taking a stroll along the city’s canals, edged by palaces stretching to the horizon, is a lesson in architectural design. The grandest of these royal residences, The Hermitage, consists of seven interconnected palaces which houses the world’s largest art collection second only to the Louvre.

The allure of Saint Petersburg – the city of white nights and golden domes – brought some of the age’s greatest minds to its gilded gates. Trace the footsteps of Russia’s most revered writers – Dostoevsky, Pushkin and Gogol – in carefully preserved apartments and relive the glamour and grime of their characters’ lives on literary tours that will take you to cafes as lavish as ballrooms and to working farmers’ markets like Sennoy Ploshad, where Crime and Punishment was set.

In the evenings, join the high society of Saint Petersburg for hours of breathtaking performances. Though Moscow may boast the world’s largest ballet company, Saint Petersburg is still the prima donna of Russia’s theatre scene. See the great Russian ballets – Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and The Nutcracker – on the Mariinsky Theatre’s stage where they were first premiered centuries ago. And, in the sumptuous surroundings of the Tsar’s private theatre, audiences come from allover the world to be riveted into their seats by the stirring notes of Stravinsky’s classical masterpieces or moved to tears by the amorous arias of Tchaikovsky’s operas.

Sochi

With the Caucasus mountains as its backdrop, Sochi is a wonderful Russia’s resort at the Black Sea. With its subtropical climate, warm sea and adjoining modern resort complexes, Sochi has long attracted heads of state, foreign tourists and Russians alike. Sochi has dozens of hotels, tourist centres, and campsites and more than 50 sanatoriums. Its streets and gardens are filled with exotic subtropical trees and shrubs. There are picturesque waterfalls, hilltop views, mineral springs and alpine vistas to enjoy.

Western Siberia

Heading east from the Urals, the influence and reach of Moscow noticeably begins to wane as one enters Western Siberia (Западная Сибирь). Unforgiving winters and a history of Gulag camps give the region a bad rap. The reality is much different. Western Siberia opens its arms to visitors and has plenty to offer the passing traveller. Expect contrasts and extremes, from glaciated mountains to underground cafes, fine art museums to gentle forest rambles. For the international visitor there’s no getting away from the fact that Western Siberia is not the easiest place in which to travel. Visitors need a willingness to rough it, and outside the big cities it helps to be able to speak at least rudimentary Russian. But those who make the effort will be rewarded with an insight into the Siberian way of life and – perhaps more importantly – receive a dose of the locals’ legendary hospitality.

Murmansk

Murmansk (probably from the Sami word “murman” meaning “the edge of the earth”), northwestern Russia, the largest town in the world north of the Arctic Circle, lies 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, and on the eastern shore of Kola Bay, at the ice-free Barents Sea, home to Russia’s nuclear-powered ice-breakers. The population is about 473.000.

The town, founded in 1915 as a supply port in World War I, was a base for the British, French, and American expeditionary forces against the Bolsheviks in 1918. In World War II Murmansk served as the main port for Anglo-American convoys carrying war supplies to the U.S.S.R. through the Arctic Ocean. The town is now an important fishing port, and its fish-processing plant is one of the largest in Europe.

A lot of guests flock in during the Festival of the North, held in the last week of March and featuring reindeer races and a ski marathon.

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Velikiy Novgorod

Velikiy Novgorod is situated on the banks of the picturesque river Volkhov, 190 kilometres to the south of St.Petersburg. The city was founded more than 11 centuries ago. Modern Novgorod is important as a tourist centre. The population is about 234.000. During World War II, the city suffered heavy damage after the Nazi bombings, but the historic buildings were subsequently restored. Among the places to see is the oldest stone building in Russia – St.Sophia Cathedral in the Novgorod Kremlin.