Western Siberia and Ural |
General information
While our economy is finally starting to recover from the 1998 devaluation of the ruble, millions in central cities became rich, and millions - especially in province - still live in poverty. So far, travelers haven't been affected directly by the country's economical questions. You'll find that the overall quality of hotels, restaurants and services, while wildly variable, is improving.
However, Russia is still unpredictable and some conditions are changing so quickly that you should keep a very close eye on the news. And in any case, you should be flexible, tolerant and patient - and aware of risks. Russia can be both an enthralling adventure and a tiring ordeal. For those willing to endure the risks and inconveniences, Russia is simply a fascinating place - from the imperial beauty of Moscow and St. Petersburg to the bleakly romantic Siberian countryside.
Because of the security situation in the North Caucasus, I strongly advise against all travel to Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria (including the Elbrus area) and to the eastern and southern parts of Stavropol Krai, particularly where it borders Chechnya and North Ossetia.
Central Russia
Tula
Founded as an industrial center, Tula (pop. 540,000) has a number of sites worth a day trip from Moscow. Visit the 350-year-old Kremlin, the History of Arms Museum and the Imperial Small Arms Factory (founded by Peter the Great in 1712). Some of Russia's finest samovars (teapots) were created in Tula, some of which can be seen in the Samovar Museum near the Kremlin. The city's most famous draw, however, is nearby Yasnaya Polyana, the country estate of author Leo Tolstoy. While there, visit his home, museum and (unmarked) gravesite. 110 mi/180 km south of Moscow.
Oryol
An ancient city, Oryol is known as the birthplace of novelist/playwright Turgenev (author of A Month in the Country). While some sites in Oryol are associated with the author, ardent followers will want to make the pilgrimage to nearby Spasskoye-Lutovinovo, Turgenev's well-preserved country estate. Oryol merits an overnight trip from Moscow. 210 mi/340 km southwest of Moscow.
Yaroslavl
One of Russia's oldest cities, Yaroslavl was founded by Yaroslav the Wise of Kievan Rus' in 1010. Over the next several centuries the city prospered as a trading port on the Volga and a center of textile manufacture, becoming by the 17th century the second largest city in Russia behind Moscow. Its wealthy merchant community became notable patrons of the arts, building hundreds of churches. Fortunately, the great majority of these remain intact today, making the city one of the most beautiful destinations in Russia. Read more about Golden Ring Cities >>
Uglich
The approach to Uglich is one of the most memorable sights of a cruise along the Volga. Bereft of the usual screen of Kremlin walls, its especially fine churches and cathedral rise up from the horizon in a brilliant play of red, blue, and gold.
The city's visual appeal, as well as its tragic past, have made Uglich one of the most beloved cities in Russia. Founded in 1148, it flourished during the 13th and 14th centuries, and was favored in the 16th by Ivan the Terrible. Not only did Ivan use Uglich as a base for his campaigns against the Golden Horde, but he also selected the city as the location of his seventh wife's honorary exile from Moscow. Upon Ivan's death, his son Dmitry joined his mother here, only to be brutally murdered by Boris Godunov as part of his campaign to seize the crown. On the spot where the murder took place, the city built the magnificent Church of St. Demetrius on the Blood, which greets the eye of all who approach the city. The Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. John's Church are nearby, similar in design and beauty. Read more about Golden Ring Cities >>
Kostroma
Kostroma's associations with great figures in Russian history is second only to Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was founded in 1152 by Yuri Dolgoruky, who also gave Moscow its start. Kostroma experienced its first great period of prosperity as the home of the Godunov family, which arrived in the 14th century and quickly rose to prominence in the region. By the time that Boris Godunov enjoyed his brief and tragic reign as tsar, the city had become the third largest commercial center in Russia, surpassed only by Moscow and Yaroslavl.
After Godunov's fall and the Time of Troubles, the throne was offered to Michael Romanov, whose family had long been fierce opponents of the Kostroma Godunovs. However, as chance would have it, it was in Kostroma itself that Michael was elected Tsar. The city of his enemy became a sort of adoptive hometown, and the Romanovs continued to provide the city of he fallen Godunov's with influential patronage. Although Michael began this tradition, it was Catherine the great who eventually had the greatest impact on Kostroma's appearance. After a disastrous fire in 1773 which destroyed all but a few buildings, Catherine decided to turn the city into a showpiece for her enlightened design principles. She sent in a slew of her best designers from St. Petersburg, and within a few years Kostroma had been transformed. The city center remains as one of the finest examples of late 18th century architectural principles in Russia. Of particular interest are Susanin Square, the Ipatyevsky Monastery, and the outdoor museum, containing a number of fine examples of traditional wood-construction architecture. Read more about Golden Ring Cities >>
Nizhni Novgorod
Nizhni Novgorod was until quite recently a closed city, best known to westerners as the exilic home of Andrei Sakharov after he denounced the war in Afghanistan. Nizhni is Russia's third largest city and a major industrial center. Although it dates back to the 13th century, the majority of its most interesting sights are from later periods. Foremost among these is the city's great, brooding Kremlin, built during the 16th century.
Far East and Eastern Siberia
Vladivostok
The last stop on the Trans-Siberian Express, Vladivostok (pop. 648,000), is set amid hills overlooking the Sea of Japan. The town has a few interesting museums, including the Arsenev Regional Museum (natural-history displays and Japanese ceramics), the Museum of the Pacific Fleet and the Krasny Vympel (Red Pennant), the first ship of the Soviet Pacific Navy. Vladivostok is also a good center for organizing camping and trekking trips to Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula. Because it is a strategic port city (home to the Russian Far Eastern Fleet), it was closed to foreigners for many years. 4,000 mi/6,400 km east of Moscow.
Russian North and Nort-West
Murmansk
The largest city north of the Arctic Circle, Murmansk (pop. 450,000) is a port town and base for the Northern Fleet (submarines). It's said that Murman translated as the "end of the Earth" when the town was named - with nine months of winter and 52 days of continual darkness, we can believe it. If you do find yourself there, go to the Panorama Restaurant for a full (and warm) view of the city, which stretches for 12 mi/20 km along the shoreline. Note the port's overhanging cliffs, which sheltered Allied supply ships from German air attacks during World War II. Sights in town include the Military Museum of the Northern Fleet (displays about the fleet's role from World War II to the present), Gun Monument (in memory of town defenders), St. Nicholas' Church and the aptly named Local Museum (World War II displays). Nearby is the ancient settlement of Kola, with remnants of 13th-century earthen ramparts and a 400-year-old cross. The Festival of the North (last week of March) is a carnival that features all sorts of cold-weather fun, including swimming in water with chunks of ice. Cruises to the North Pole also originate in Murmansk. 630 mi/1,015 km north of St. Petersburg.
Novgorod
This city (pop. 240,000) is more than 1,000 years old. At one time it competed with Moscow for domination of Old Russia. Today, it's primarily modern and industrial but still retains a well-preserved Kremlin and old city center. See St. Sofia Cathedral (begun in 1045, with six domes) and the city's other ancient churches, which are concentrated in the Yaroslav Estate across the Volkhov River from the Kremlin. Two-hour river cruises are offered from a dock just south of the Kremlin. Also in town is the apartment where physician/dissident Andrei Sakharov lived in exile. Just outside of Novgorod is the Vitoslavlitsy Museum of Wooden Architecture, which has about two dozen wooden structures, all built without nails. Novgorod can be reached by rail or air from St. Petersburg or Moscow (the town is closer to St. Petersburg). 100 mi/160 km southeast of St. Petersburg.
Kizhi Island
A small island in Lake Onega, Kizhi has a collection of fascinating wooden churches and other nicely preserved wood structures. There aren't many places left in Russia where these buildings survive, and as a result, Kizhi has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pine logs and aspen shingles were used to create the buildings, many of which have onion domes. There's nothing to do on the island except admire the structures at this open-air museum, but it's worth it for those with an interest in architecture. (The Church of the Transfiguration, with 22 cupolas and an unusual iconostasis, is especially notable, although it's closed for badly needed repairs.) Most visitors arrive by hour-long steamer excursion from the industrial city of Petrozavodsk. (Use Petrozavodsk only as a transit point - there's not a lot to do there.) Keep in mind that you can't visit Kizhi November-April. 200 mi/320 km northeast of St. Petersburg. Read more>>
Southern Russia
Pyatigorsk
Set on a plateau on the northern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains, Pyatigorsk (pop. 121,000) is the center of the best-known spa area in Russia. It has some of the nation's finest and most spectacular scenery, which you can best see by taking the cable car to the top of nearby Mt. Mashuk. Local attractions focus almost exclusively on water or rest cures, including rain "massages," hydrotherapy and mineral baths. The Lermontov Baths is the oldest bathhouse in Russia. Other resort towns offering similar cures are Zheleznovodsk, Yessentuki (with mud baths) and Kislovodsk (where all traffic is banned to ensure clean air). Other area attractions include Sochi, a popular beach resort on the Black Sea, and the ski slopes on Mt. Elbrus or in the Dombai Valley. 330 mi/530 km southeast of Volgograd.
Volgograd
This city (pop.1,000,000) on the western bank of the Volga River was once known as Stalingrad, but it was renamed in the late 1950s when Stalin's policies were reassessed - less favorably - in official history books. It has been given the title "Hero City" because of its courageous and tenacious resistance to the Nazis in "The Great Patriotic War" (as the Russians call World War II). The city itself has been totally rebuilt since the war. One day in Volgograd is enough to visit the impressive Museum of the Defense of Stalingrad, to see the memorial atop Mamayev Hill (allow at least an hour, preferably in the early morning), and to take one of the 90-minute boat rides on the Volga. 560 mi/900 km southeast of Moscow. Read more>>
Western Siberia and Ural
Irkutsk
This is the 300-year-old Siberian city. Its citizens are a proud bunch, much like Alaskans or Texans, and are a pleasure to be around. Irkutsk dressed in a fantasy-like attire: the trees were covered by a wonderful lace of hoarfrost, and the snow sparkled brightly under the strong sun and blue sky. Of course, the next day was gray, cloudy, bitterly cold and somewhat depressing, but that's the risk you take when you visit Siberia. While the city doesn't have many attractions, but the Museum of Wooden Architecture (a collection of buildings from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries) and the quirky Irkutsk Regional Museum (good exhibits on local tribes and the city's history) are pretty cool. Irkutsk is also a departure point for excursions to Lake Baikal, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Eurasia, though the majority of tours simply take you to the shore for a look. Most travelers either fly in or visit the city as part of a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway. 2,620 mi/4,215 km east of Moscow.
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