Introducing Russia
For centuries the world has wondered what to believe about Russia. The country has been reported variously as a land of unbelievable riches and indescribable poverty, cruel tyrants and great minds, generous hospitality and meddlesome bureaucracy, beautiful ballets and industrial monstrosities, pious faith and unbridled hedonism. These eternal Russian truths coexist in equally diverse landscapes of icy tundra and sun-kissed beaches, dense silver birch and fir forests and deep and mysterious lakes, snow-capped mountains and swaying grasslands – those famous steppes. Factor in ancient fortresses, luxurious palaces, swirly spired churches and lost-in-time wooden villages and you’ll begin to see why Russia is simply amazing.
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To get the most from Russia, head way off the beaten track. After taking in old favourites such as dynamic Moscow, historic St Petersburg and beautiful Lake Baikal, dive further and deeper into the largest country in the world. Visit the soft, golden sands of the old Prussian resort of Kranz, now known as Zelenogradsk in the far western Kaliningrad Region; the charming Volga river village of Gorodets, home to folk artists and honey-cake bakers; fascinating Elista, Europe’s sole Buddhist enclave and location of the wacky Chess City; the 400-year-old mausoleums of Dargavs, a North Ossetian ‘city of the dead’; or the hot springs of Kamchatka’s Nalychevo Valley in the Russian Far East.
Russia’s vast geographical distances and cultural differences mean you don’t tick off its highlights in the way you might those of a smaller country; the Russian Far East, for example, is the size of Europe. A more sensible approach is to view Russia as a collection of countries, each one deserving exploration. Rather than transiting via Moscow, consider flying direct to a regional centre such as Irkutsk to have an Eastern Siberian vacation, or to Yekaterinburg to explore the Urals mountain range.
If cultural and architectural highlights are what you’re after, stick to European Russia, which is all of the country west of the Urals. If you don’t mind occasionally roughing it and are in search of Russia’s great outdoors, train your eye on the vast spaces of Siberia and the Far East. Alternatively, boost your adrenaline on the country’s top ski resorts and raft-friendly rivers. You can also get a bird’s eye view of it all from the cockpit of a MiG-25 or even from outer space, as well as unique experiences such as getting a beating in a banya (traditional steam bath).
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Explore the Kremlin grounds
- Travel by train from St Petersburg to Beijing
- Experience the wonders of Mongolia, Siberia, Moscow & St Petersburg
Last updated: Apr 4, 2012
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Would a round trip/onward ticket be required for entry into Russia?
by wr2012 02 June 2012
I was wondering if there are requirements for Russia that one must show either a round trip or onward ticket to enter the countries? …
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Daily Costs in Russia
by wr2012 02 June 2012
My wife and I are planning to go to Russia in late September and take the Tans Siberian Railway to Beijing. I understand that itis quite…
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Re: trans-siberian railroad east to west, and classical music in Russia
by Chicagobest 02 June 2012
Everbrite raises some very good points as always. Yesterday, I received our passports with visas back for what will be my 11th visit…
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Russia
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- Tours (17)
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Our Top Picks For Russia
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1 St Petersburg
Visit tsarist palaces, and enjoy many wonderful museums, including the Hermitage, in Russia’s most elegant and European city
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2 Novgorod
Relish Russia’s history in the country’s first capital, home of the Byzantine Cathedral of St Sophia and a restored kremlin
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3 Moscow
Savour the power and pleasures of the nation’s awe-inspiring capital in Red Square, and its plethora of museums, shops, restaurants and clubs
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4 Veliky Ustiug
Deliver your wishes directly to Russia’s own Santa Claus in this delightfully quaint town
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5 Yekaterinburg
Explore the gently rolling Ural Mountains from this historic city where the Romanovs met their violent end
Fast Facts about Russia
- Don't arrive without a
- What do they call a...
- Russian doll - matryoshka
- babushka scarf - pavlovoposadsky platok
- fur hat with earflaps - ushanka
- Hurry up, hurry up
After the victory over Napoleon, impatient Russian soldiers in Paris cafés would bang their tables and shout ‘Bystro, bystro!’, meaning ‘Quickly, quickly!’ – that’s where the word 'bistro' came from.
- Area
16, 995, 800 sq km (twice the size of the continental USA)
- Population
141.4 million
- National chemist
father of the periodic table, Dmitry Mendeleyev also standardised the formula for vodka at 40% alcohol to water
- Language
Russian
- Head of State
Dmitry Medvedev
- Phrases
privyet (hi), do svidaniya (goodbye), spasiba (thanks), izvinitye (excuse me)
- Time zones
11
Our favourite Russia Blogs (beta)
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Soft Landings in Russia: day tours make challenging cities easy.
Blog: Solo Traveler - 1 June 2012
It was with a little trepidation that I went to Russia but taking these great day tours in each city made it easy.
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The Moscow Metro and Beautiful Propaganda
Blog: Solo Traveler - 28 May 2012
There's beauty in this propaganda -- photos of the Moscow Metro.
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Vietnam's Undisclosed Nuclear Threats Exposed
Blog: Fish Egg Tree - 21 May 2012
Sand Dunes at Phuoc Dinh in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam, where Vietnam's first nuclear power plant will be built by Russia.
