12 Welcome to Russia!
Welcome to the city that never sleeps, the third Rome, the place that does enjoy diversity, the capital of Russia – Moscow. Moscow is the largest city of the great country with almost 11 million inhabitants. During your stay in this heterogeneous metropolis you will get to know the history of the city and to visit the most prominent sights of Moscow- the breathtaking Red Square with the beautiful ensemble of St. Basil’s cathedral and GUM, the Kremlin and its famous insides, Tverskaya Street and the Bolshoi Theate. There is so much waiting for you in the city of Moscow.
Strange as it might seem but the provincial town of Uglich of today used to be the seat of princedom back in the 13th century. Uglich is the town where one of the most momentous events of the Russian history took place in the 16th century. It was then that the last member of the Ruirik dynasty, the young Tsarevich Dmitry was murdered. That dreadful event gave rise to what later became known as the time of trouble and only after 15 years the Romanov’s dynasty’s succeeding to the throne.
Today’s Uglich does cherish its history and you can still see the relics of the past. That is the church of St. Dmitry on the spilled Blood. Built in 1690 on the spot where Dmitry had been murdered it appears on the horizon with its red walls and blue domes as one sails north on the Volga.
Among the precious jewels of old Russian cities Yaroslavl shines with a particular bright, unfading light. Founded in 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the city prospered as a trading port and a center of textile manufacture. No other city in Russia except Yaroslavl can boast such a wealth of the 17th - century architecture. In 2010 the city celebrated its millennium.
Welcome to the Northwest of Russia, the village of Goritsy, home to the Resurrection Convent, standing at the shoreline. From Goritsy a bus will drive you to the town of Kirillov, 8 kilome¬ters away, to tour one of the major Orthodox strongholds of Old Russia, the Monastery of St. Cyril on the White Lake. Founded in the 14th century, the monastery has preserved its re¬markable architecture and fascinates the visitors by its majestic churches enclosed within austere fortress walls. The monastery is also famous for its museum of icons some of them are the oldest in Russia.
Situated to the northeast of Lake Onega, the island of Kizhi is home to the open-air museum of fascinating wooden architecture. Walking on the island, you can see old wooden churches, chapels, bell towers, peasant houses, granaries, barns, windmills, bathhouses which were all brought from around the Onega region to illustrate the architecture common to the Russian North. The focal point, referred to as the Kizhi Ensemble, comprises the awe-inspiring 22-domed Transfiguration Cathedral (1714), the neighbouring Church of Intercession (1774) and the bell tower between the two. Another significant structure is the modest Chapel of the Resurrection of Lazarus. Built in 1391, it is the oldest standing wooden church in Russia.
Inhabited by talented craftsmen, Mandrogui is a reconstructed village, built on the bank of the Svir River to illustrate the traditions and lifestyle of Russia`s past. Experience provincial Russian lifestyle, watch the artisans and craftsmen making "matryoshkas" (Russian nesting dolls), carving wood, sewing, and ... visit the Vodka Museum, which boasts 250 varieties of the national drink.
Known as the cultural capital of Russia St Petersburg allures people from all over the world by its enigmatic mixture of purely European architecture and typically Russian history. Disclose the secrets of St. Petersburg by visiting the Peter and Paul’s Fortress where the Romanov dynasty is buried, St. Isaak’s Cathedral, Smolny Cathedral and seeing the richest art collection of the Hermitage Museum. Take a chance to go for a stroll in the kingdom of fountains that used to be a luxurious summer residence called Peterhof.