Travel Destination: Russian Federation
About Russia
Fascinating old world impressions and intriguing richness can only be found in Russia, a destination you can’t afford to miss. It is the largest country in the world after all and with its colourful past, there are plenty of things to discover in this vast and scenic land. It is Eastern Europe’s pride and Eurasia’s favourite child, bordered by countries North Korea, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Norway.
Russia’s most famous cities and centres are Moscow and St. Petersburg but its other cities, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Omsk, Kazan, Chelyabinsk and Rostov-on-Don are just as stunning. Russian architecture has Byzantine, Renaissance, Naryshkin baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Russian Revival, Art Nouveau, Constructivism and Stalinist Empire style influences.
The Kremlin, Russian for castle, fortress or citadel, often refers to Moscow Kremlin, is the country’s distinct association. A Kremlin is a major fortified complex. There are four Kremlin listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Moscow Kremlin, Novgorod Kremlin, Kazan Kremlin and Suzdal Kremlin. The St. Basil’s Cathedral although often mistaken for, is not part of the Kremlin.
Moscow is the centre for culture, economy, politics, religion, finance, transportation and education in Russia. It is located in the European part of the country and is the seat of Russian government, the Moscow Kremlin being the official residence of the President of Russia. It is the most expensive city and has the most number of billionaires in the world.
The Moscow Kremlin and the Red Square are the most popular attractions in the city. The complex houses four palaces, four cathedrals and towers. The Red Square has the Lenin Mausoleum, St. Basil’s Cathedral (a popular landmark on the Red Square to the southeast end is a multi-tented church built from 1555 to 1561), State Historical Museum, Iberian Gate and Chapel, GUM Department Store and Nikolskaya Tower.
It is a green city boasting an average of 27 square metres of parks per person. It has four botanical gardens, 18 gardens and 96 parks, notably, the Central Park of Culture and Rest, Neskuchniy Garden (Moscow’s oldest park), Izmaylovsky Park (one of the largest in the world) and Tsytsin Main Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences (Europe’s largest). Moscow is not only about the grandeur of palaces, museums and heritage sites, it is also a very modern city complete with a vibrant night life. Red Square is where the luxurious bars and restaurants are located and the current playground of the rich and famous. The Tverskaya Street is also a booming place best for shopping and entertainment. Another upscale row is the Kitai-gorod in Tretyakovsky Proyezd where designer brands are found. Moscow has an extensive underground railway and four international airports. There are also walking zones that you can follow to reach myriad cafés, restaurants, chic hotels and specialty shops.
St. Petersburg, on the other hand, offers the amenities of a modern city referred as the most western Russian city. Despite the low skyline, it has a significant showcase of Baroque and Neoclassical structures. It is a very cultured city with 200 museums to explore, parks and gardens to enjoy and a number of impressive palaces. The Mariinsky Theatre which is home to Mariinsky Ballet is here, a testament of Russian supremacy in ballet and performing arts. The historic sites to visit are the Winter Palace, Peter the Great Palace, Narva Triumphal Gate at Stachek Square, the cruiser Aurora which is now a museum, St. Michael’s Castle, Menshikov Palace which is the seat of the first Governor, the State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg Mosque which opened in 1913 and the Church of Sts. Simon and Ana erected in 1734.
Russia’s mystery and lush beauty are pegged on its glorious and dark history. While its doors are open, why not come in?