Tourist Attractions & Monuments Russia

Founded in 1930, the museum of the Geological Institute of the local centre of the Academy of Sciences displays nearly 10,000 mineral samples from the region, particularly from the Khibiny Mountains. The collection is of unparalleled richness and is well worth a visit. It is easy to understand why the Kola Peninsula and the city of Apatity are major centres of scientific and extractive activities: the soil is richer there than anywhere else in Russia.

On the left of the Hotel Intourist, two blocks away, you can see the monument to Youri Gagarin on the boulevard of the same name. On the left bank, there is the Irkutsk railway station and the Faubourg Glazkovo, with wooden houses and clay streets. Later on, on the left, the huge Polytechnnique Institute (20 000 students) and the Academic Precinct, an annex of the Russian Academy of Sciences, take care of the country's future elites.

Having regained his name in September 1991, St. Petersburg did not forget that she first called Leningrad, a name loaded with the weight of a often tragic story. Dedicated to the heroic resistance of its inhabitants during the long blockade imposed by the Nazi armies, this monument erected on the square of Victory, in the south of the city, forcefully recalls this. Built from 1957 by the famous architects Anikouchine, Speranski and Kamenski, who were all veterans of the war, the monument was officially inaugurated only on May 9, 1975, on the occasion of Victory's 30 ^th anniversary. A set of sculptures on Victory Square illustrates the courage of the Russian population during the blockade, and especially solidarity between generations and social classes.

Inaugurated three years later, the memorial of the monument, in the basement, is struck by all the names of the heroes of the Soviet Union, knights of the 3rd rank, hero of socialist work, who have distinguished themselves in Leningrad; adding to the solemnity of this place of remembrance, 900 lanterns illuminate the underground room, one for each day of the blockade of the city. Unfortunately, a blockade that has been long enough to allow this symbolic light to be able to see without difficulty the documents exposed behind the windows that tell the history of the defence of the city. A poignant black and white documentary shows daily life during the terrible winter of 1941-1942: 41 ° C thermometer, streets strewn with corpses, bombed buildings… In the centre of the room, a model shows the line of the Leningrad blockade. Hitler thought it easy to obtain the surrender of this city whose reserves were bombed. But the population resists, and the city is encircled by September 1941. For some time, the city is ravitaillée by Lake Lagoda, on which the trucks can pass in winter. But famine is fast and, allied to cold, more than 1 200 000 deaths out of the 3 million Leningrad people, almost half of the city… At the end of 1943, Russians receive significant quantities of armaments from the west Ural and can counter.

In January 1944, the blockade was lifted. The exhibition also commemorates this immense relief by a large mosaic fresco representing the liberation of the city. It contrasts with a second fresco, on the opposite wall, which illustrates the distress of the people in these terrible days.

Next to the Dormition Cathedral, in the shade of peaceful lime trees, is the necropolis of some of the family members of Tsar Boris Godunov, whose life inspired Pushkin's play of the same name (1825), Mussorgsky's opera of the same name (1869), as well as Zulawski's film of the same name (1989). The necropolis houses his son Theodore, his wife (daughter of Maluta Skuratov, the cruel executioner of Ivan the Terrible), his daughter Olga and himself. Boris' parents are buried in Kostroma, in the monastery of St. Hyptati.

This beautiful little white church has a rare and interesting architecture. It was built in 1476-1477. Its bell tower served, in those troubled times, as a watchtower to scan the surroundings. Each bell has its own name and characteristics. The walls are slightly sloped upwards to slim the construction, and a pretty frieze runs along the whitewashed brick facades. This is where Maximus the Greek, one of the greatest religious philosophers of the Orthodox tradition, was buried in the 16th century.

This beautiful square was designed in the 14th century and is the heart of the Kremlin. The square owes its name to the three cathedrals facing it: the Dormition Cathedral, the Archangel Cathedral and the Annunciation Cathedral, reminding us of the historical links between power and the Church in Russia. On the square there are also the Palace of Facets, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe and the Church of the Twelve Apostles. Ivan's great bell tower still dominates the square, as it did when it was the tallest building in the kingdom.

It is a kind of open geological museum of the main minerals in the region. Unfortunately, the explanations are almost unreadable, due to lack of maintenance. Take a walk in the basement of this park.

Armenians were never very numerous in St. Petersburg, but they founded the Armenian Apostolic Church there, independent of the Russian Orthodox Church. St. Catherine's Church was built at the end of the 18th century. It is noteworthy for its baroque facade, its bright colours and its astonishing appearance set on the edge of the wide open spaces of the Nevsky perspective. It is one of the favourites of tourists who stop intrigued by this building with its rather un-religious appearance.

It is a unique monument, with a prestige and history dating back thousands of years, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Golden Gate of Vladimir copies the lost gates of Kiev and Constantinople. The gate in Vladimir dates back to the 13th century, when the city was at the height of its power and could one day claim to rule the Slavic world, but today it seems a bit overrated. Originally, the gate was flanked by two huge oak leaves hung on large hinges. It is to the golden plate that covered the leaves that the door owes its name.

Located in the west of Buryatia (470 km from Ulan-Ude), in the Tounka Valley (from the name of the Tounka River, which means "clear"), this park stretches between lakes Baikal and Khoubsougoul (Mongolia). Its surface area is 11,836.62 km2, mostly forest. You enter a majestic mountainous environment spread out from the Khamar-Daban mountains in the west to the Tounka mountains of eastern Saïan. Some areas will remind you of alpine landscapes. The tounka has its own microclimate and flora (some endemic species unique in the world are drastically protected). Its numerous waterfalls, clear lakes, extinct volcanoes, remains and monuments, 12 mineral springs attract many Russian and foreign visitors. The thermal springs, known for their medical virtues, are called Arshan (the most famous), Nivola-Pustyn and Shumak. These sanatoriums are very popular and offer detox and fasting cures.

Founded in May 1991, the aim of the park is the study and protection of nature, the dissemination of the history of the region and the development of tourism. It is possible to go on long walks or horseback rides, excursions by bus or car, and ski tours in winter. The guides for long-distance hiking trails are very well done and will be of great help to you. You can get there by bus or helicopter from Irkutsk or by regular bus from Slioudianka.

Geology enthusiasts will find a rich collection of minerals from all over Siberia.

In addition to Russian art, the museum presents Western European paintings including a Nicolas Chick, as well as a rich collection of masters from China, India and Japan, ancient eastern porcelain, decorative art objects. An icon of the icons is located in Epiphany Cathedral, 1 oulitsa Ioukhé Botor.

These are the temporary exhibition halls of the museum, located in the building of the church of the Saviour. Icons, national costumes, bells and… panoramic view of the clocher.

A tributary of the Yenisey River was part of the Ob '-Yenisey Canal (1 055 km) at the end of the th century. The canal has lost its importance with the implementation of the Trans-Siberian region. You can learn more by visiting the village of Nijnechadrino.

This resting place for families is also open to foreigners. Various excursions are organized in June, July and August: day at Tagarsky Lake, guided tour of Minoussinsk and in the mountains of the "stone town".

This lake is well known among the Russians who are pressing its black beaches of world and are covered by Soviet buildings.

A very pleasant and idyllic place, with a small beach. The locals like to find themselves in the beautiful days after work or weekend. Ideal for discovering contemporary khakassienne and relaxing.

Exhibition of regional painters. Children's drawings.

29 oulitsa Leningradskaïa, Ichym.

The Tyumen Museum of History and Architecture is currently closed until further notice due to recent events. The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the museum closes. To make sure you get a full tour of all the exhibition rooms, we recommend that you contact the museum before your visit. Admission is free for the permanent collections, under-18s, schoolchildren and leisure centers. The museum allows visitors to discover 26 centuries of the history of France's oldest city, through exhibitions of archaeology, fine art, everyday objects and architecture.

Site of the only newspaper in English from the Russian Far East. A wealth of information.

Presentation of the city, rather well done, in English.

Official site in Russian.

General information about the city, in English.

Presentation of Barnaul and its region. Lots of info and links. In Russian.

Collective of American photographers, section of chronicles (English) on contemporary Russia (see "road stories").

Everything on Russian trains. History, lines, schedules, photos. Also in English.

Official site in Russian.

General information, exit programme, in Russian.

A geologist, he wrote books about the mineral riches of Western Siberia and the Kuzbass.

Exiled Décembriste in Tomsk. Originally from Tobolsk, he participated in the war in 1812.

Once the wooden bridge is crossed on the Katoune, it is three kilometres on foot, on the left of the bridge, to the intersection of roads where signs indicate Beriozka (birch) and Ozero Aïa (Aïa Lake): 1 km from there is a beautiful lake of hot water, a very loved place of travellers. On its shores, the modern Aïa Hotel was built by the Yugoslavs.

The room was very clean and very clean. Exhibits «Kouznetsk and Dostoyevsky», «The letters and documents of F. Dostoyevsky».

Geodesic point of the mileage count.

The Biysk region is well known for its various spas. If they are not always very pretty, they at least offer the possibility of skiing. The most famous station is Bielokourikha. 75 km from Biysk, in a wonderful climate, at the foot of the Altai Mountains. Comfortable rooms for 1 or 2 people, "luxury" rooms, excellent cuisine. The shuttle buses from the Biysk bus station run almost every half hour.

The cathedral was built in the th century instead of two churches dating back to the th and th centuries. Above all, don't miss its frescoes whose restoration was completed well after that of the church of the Resurrection (see below). Inside, in addition to a 1730 baroque iconostasis, which resembles that of the Goritski Monastery, you can see the tomb of Metropolitan Ionas Sisoievitch. Nor do the handles of the doorway of the church of origin, which dates from the th century, fail.

On the right of the Église church, there is a part of the monastery belonging to the seminar, which can only be entered with a special invitation. This part also includes a church and the Academy of Theology.

The white palace now houses administrative buildings, archives and library. Its lines are elegant, but its reputation does not match that of the «beautiful palace».

It was the last church built under Metropolitan Ionas in 1683. Past the entrance of the church, we find the scenes of the Last Judgment. The staircase has thirty-three steps, the number of years that Jesus spent on Earth. This church is the Kremlin's entrance.

The tradition of bells, so vivid in all the cities of the Golden Ring, is even more sensitive here, where carillon requires expert handling. In the Middle Ages, the bells were the safest means of communication, the link between the Kremlin and the population, demanded by jangling to come together on the Red Square in front of the bell. It dates back to the th century and the bells were fondues at that time. The most important of these weighs more than three tonnes. Their use was forbidden after the revolution, around 1928, they were taken down and locked. In the years 1950 to 1990, the bells, however, served little. It was when some party's cleric went to Rostov and showed, after a few glasses of vodka, the desire to hear them. However, we continued to sell the recordings regularly, on discs or cassettes, to perestroika where the bells were again in honour and directly known by all those who had listened to them on tape or vinyl. Rostov coaches learn their art from the monks of Pskov, who are educated in ancient books that describe technical prowess to express tones and half tones. They are now being sounded by hand, by the rope and by pressing the pedals.

Patriarch Nikon, famous for his reforms of the Orthodox Church in the 17th century, had this palace and the attached Church of the Twelve Apostles built between 1652 and 1656. Their beauty will amaze you even before you set foot on the Cathedral Square. Today, the palace houses the Museum of Applied Arts of the 17th century with the reconstructed apartment of a boyar, a powerful nobleman of the Tsarist Russia. In the church, the iconographic history of the Russian school of the same period is presented.

Built between 1487 and 1491 by Italian architects Marco Rouffo and Pietro Antonio Solari, the palace is the oldest public building in the Kremlin. It owes its name to its east side facade, with white limestone bosses. Its huge central hall, called the Golden Hall, is decorated with religious paintings mixed with scenes of both history and everyday life: today it is used for official presidential ceremonies. Restored in 2012, the Palace of Facets can be visited only with organized groups.

At the end of the inner courtyard of the great Kremlin palace and adjacent to the Faceted palace, there is the surprising Terem Palace commissioned by Tsar Michael I Feodorovich. Here you can visit a succession of intimate rooms (terams are small rooms), inspired by the traditional Russian wooden isba, including the golden room of the Tsarina, with painted ceilings and period furniture. The window in the center was called Chelobitnaya (of the Supplication): a box driven by a pulley was supposed to transmit the people's supplications to the tsar.

It borders the lake on 500 m. The square and the old town are walking on foot in about two hours. There are beautiful wooden houses Rue street and Gorki street. In the market square you will find the residences of the rich Merchants and the Church of the Dormition of 1730, whose intimate character gives it charm.

Those who appreciate the art of photography will be fulfilled in this exhibition room. It's impossible to tell you what you're going to stumble upon, since the different exhibitions change regularly. What is certain is that Russia, with its Slavic aesthetics, its wild nature, its deprived cities and its Soviet monumentalism gives a lot of subjects. Finally, you can see all the art school students and Moscow's avant-gardists strolling around.

Painting and graphic art of Russian painters, realism and impressionism in abstract art.

The gallery of contemporary Moscow painters and Russian painters residing abroad: AEC group (Arzamassova, Evsovitch, Sviatsky), Dimitri M, Anatoly Jouravliov, Guy Rigvava, Igor Kaminnik, Valery Kochliakov, Vladimir Doubossarsky and Alexandre Vinogradov, Alexandre Rötburd, Vitaly Komar, Alexandre Melamide, Avdey Ter-Oguanian, Andrey Bassanets, Arsène Savadov, Arsène Savadov, Youri Khorovsky, Groupe group, Bogdan Mamonov etc.

If you've read Metro 2033, you'll remember it. This park is absolutely huge, it looks like the jungle of Ostankino. There are plants and trees of all kinds, including the most exotic ones. You might enjoy a walk through a small Japanese garden designed by landscape architects Ken Nakajima and Adachi Takeo, or, if you're conservative, through a birch wood. Don't forget to take some nuts for the squirrels which are very numerous there. Please note that it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages.

The museum's exhibition traces the life and work of the writer in an alternating manner in order to interweave the two and to grasp the author's universe. Thus, a room devoted to the life of the writer follows another room devoted to one of his outstanding works(Eugene Onegin or The Queen of Spades). In the latter, you can see the author's handwritten manuscripts, embellished with drawings. The visit takes about one hour. Admission is free on the third Sunday of every month.

The 17 museum rooms present unique collections (750 000 exposed units) of the world of animals and plants, the evolution of man… Some exhibitions are adapted for Children.