The pride of the nation - sights of Russia

Many words associate “vacation” with foreign travel, and local holiday for some reason seriously underestimated. But how can it be that most Russians have never visited the places that are the pride of their country? This needs to be fixed! Therefore, if your vacation passes in the vastness of the Motherland— be sure to get to know the beauties of Russia better. Not everything that is worth looking at is presented here, but it can already inspire. 

Red Square

Red Square is probably the most popular attraction in our country, which even foreigners who have never been to Russia know about. Officially, this is the main square of the city, but unofficially it is the main square of the whole country. The size of Red Square is amazing - 24,750 m2. Since 1963, cars have been banned on Red Square, and now you cannot ride a moped or even a bicycle on it.

Red Square has a very rich history, which dates back to 1493, when Ivan III ordered the removal of all wooden structures in order to avoid fires, and for the purpose of trade, a square was formed near the eastern wall, which was called Torgovaya. Since fires often broke out here, it was “underground” called Pozhar. Closer to the sixteenth century, Red Square was called Trinity, and only in the 17th century it began to be called by its current name. Red meant “beautiful.”

For guests, the square is available 24 hours a day, and it is closed only in preparation for events, for example, on May 9th. In winter, on Red Square you can go for a ride on the skating rink, whose area is 2,800 m2. There are many historical sites on Red Square that are simply impossible to pass by. In general, there is something to see and something to admire.

Savior on Spilled Blood

And this beauty is located in St. Petersburg. Its construction was organized due to the fact that at the end of the nineteenth century there was an assassination attempt on Emperor Alexander II. That year, on March 1, he was mortally wounded, therefore this monument was erected in his memory. The temple was built with money collected from all over Russia. The temple is located on the bank of the Griboyedov Canal near the Mikhailovsky Garden and Konyushennaya Square. This nine-domed temple reaches 81 m in height and can simultaneously accommodate 1,600 parishioners. The project itself was carried out by order of the son of Alexander II, Alexander III, in 1883-1907. Now the Church on the Blood has the status of a museum.

Few people know, but the “life” of the temple could have been interrupted in the middle of the 20th century, if not for a fatal coincidence of circumstances. In 1931, the authorities raised the question of demolishing the structure, but the decision was postponed indefinitely. When the issue was raised again in the 38th year of the same century, the decision was positive, but due to the outbreak of the Second World War, the implementation of the task itself was postponed until later. Then the blockade began and the cathedral acted as a morgue where Leningraders lay to rest. At the end of hostilities, the temple was leased to the small theater, which organized a place for storing decorations there. It was only in 1968 that the Church on the Blood was put under control and taken under the protection of the architectural department and work began on organizing the museum. The final transfer of the cathedral to the museum's balance occurred in 1971.  Just think, the Church on the Blood became accessible to visitors exactly 90 years after construction was completed, in 1997!

Peterhof

Another pride of St. Petersburg and the whole country is located on the southern part of the coast of the Gulf of Finland. This very large tourist and scientific center is 29 km away from the city itself. Petergov was founded in 1710 as a country residence of the emperor, and since 1762 it has had the status of a city. On the territory of the city there is an architectural monument of world scale - the Peterhof Museum-Reserve.

It is known throughout the world for its fountains and parks. Peter I's plan for construction appeared back in 1714, when the emperor became eager to build a residence that would not be inferior in its embellishment to the French Versailles. Looking at this stunning city, we can say with confidence that Peter the Great managed to cope with the task one hundred percent. The place for construction was not chosen by chance, because several reservoirs were identified here, which to this day feed the fountains. During the reign of Peter II, Peterhof was practically forgotten and only with Anna Ioanovna coming to power, the palaces and parks were revived.

Unfortunately, during the Second World War, Peterhof was captured by the Germans, which caused the theft and destruction of art treasures, all the trees were cut down, the Grand Palace was blown up and burned. In general, Peterhof experienced a lot. However, now that the place has been restored, everyone can admire the 18th century architecture and feel the connection with their ancestors. There are a lot of monuments and attractions located on the territory of Peterhof, it is difficult to tell about them, so it is better to see everything with your own eyes.

State Russian Museum

This is one of the largest museums in Russia, because it displays 400,000 exhibits. It is located in St. Petersburg. It not only stores unique valuables dating from the 9th to the 20th centuries, but also conducts research activities. The main exhibits are presented in the Mikhailovsky Palace, but there is also a lot to see in other rooms. The museum's area allows for up to fifty exhibitions to be held simultaneously.

The history of the museum begins in 1895, when Nicholas II signed an order to establish a museum in memory of his father Alexander III. The opening took place in 1898 and at that time it was the only museum of Russian fine art in all of Russia. At that time the museum had only 400 exhibits in its collection. Over time, the collection was regularly replenished and has now increased 1000 times. But the museum does not stop there and still participates in auctions and adds to its wealth. By the way, in 1992, by presidential decree, the Russian Museum was included in the list of especially valuable cultural heritage sites.

It is unlikely that you will be able to view the entire collection in one day, so take this into account when going on an excursion.

Palace Square

This place is loved not only by tourists, but also by residents of St. Petersburg, which is not at all surprising, given the beauty of the architectural ensemble. Only the best specialists worked on the implementation of the project. By the way, in the period from 18 to 44 years of the twentieth century, the square had a different name - Uritsky Square. The area of ​​all this beauty is about 5.4 hectares! For comparison, Red Square occupies 2.3 hectares. The site is a World Heritage Site and is exclusively for walking.

On the southern border is the General Headquarters, which is almost 600 m long; in the center of the building there is a gorgeous Arch, which depicts the flying geniuses of Glory and there are sculptural compositions with figures of warriors, the chariot of Glory and the Goddess of Victory. The sculptural group is ten meters high. The arch itself is 17 meters wide and 28 meters high. In honor of the victory in military operations in 1812, the Alexander Column was opened in 1834, the name of which was given in honor of Alexander I. Its height is 47.5 meters, and its weight is at least 600 tons. On the column is an angel trampling a snake with a cross, which symbolizes the victory of good over evil.

Everything is beautiful on Palace Square, but the Winter Palace is especially beautiful, which occupies nine hectares of total area and includes one and a half thousand rooms. At the time of construction, it was the tallest building in all of St. Petersburg. Others were forbidden to build institutions higher than the Winter Palace.

Kolomenskoye

According to legends, Kolomenskoye was founded by refugees from Batu, who burned their city in the 13th century. And the first mention was in the middle of the 14th century, where Ivan Kalita included the mentioned village in his will as his property. Interesting history surrounds Kolomenskoye, so it will be very interesting to look at it. The village is located south of the center of our capital and occupies about 390 hectares. Now Kolomenskoye is classified as a state nature reserve.

In the 16th century, Basil III built a popular tented church here, which is often attributed to the functions of a watchtower, which is an undeniable invention. This was once a royal residence, which has been perfectly preserved to this day. Kolomenskaya is home to four archaeological sites, five natural monuments and many buildings that were built between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Lake Baikal

This is not only a stunningly beautiful lake, but also holds the title of the deepest lake on the planet. In addition, Baikal is the largest reservoir of fresh water. A wide variety of unique fauna and flora live here; moreover, there are many animals that cannot be found anywhere else except on Baikal. It’s interesting, but according to tradition, local residents have long called Baikal not a lake, but a sea.

This pride of Russia is located in Buryatia, Irkutsk region. The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 meters, its area is 31,722 km2, and the volume of fresh water is 23,615 km3. The lake is so clean that looking into it you can see what is located 40 meters away. Baikal is included in the World Heritage List.

There is still debate about how the lake came about, but the age of Baikal has been established at 25-35 million years. The lake is amazing not only for its beauty, but also for its scientific aspects. For example, as history shows, the vast majority of lakes, especially those of glacial origin, “live” for about 15,000 years, after which they become swamped and filled with silt, but this does not happen with Baikal. Scientists are trying to justify this by saying that the age of Baikal is much younger than previously thought and that in fact the age does not exceed 8,000 years for the coastline, and 150,000 years for the deep-sea part.

In general, many questions remain open, but why should a tourist rack his brains over this if he can just come and relax not only with his body, but also with his soul.

Nevsky Prospekt

This is the most important street of the northern capital, the length of which is 4.5 km. The widest part is at Gostiny Dvor - 60 meters, and the narrowest at Moika - 25 meters. 240 facades “look” at Nevsky Prospekt. Unofficially, the odd side of the street is called the shady side, and the opposite side is called the sunny side, which, by the way, is very popular for walking.

The need to create an avenue arose shortly after St. Petersburg was founded. This was the only way to get to central Russia from the Admiralty by land. By 1712, the paved area was landscaped on both sides with birch trees, which formed a beautiful alley, which was regularly monitored and the trees were trimmed in a timely manner. The avenue received street lighting by 1723, and at that time it was the first in all of Russia to have oil lamps. A little later, benches were installed under the latter, where passers-by could rest.

Celebrations and important events always took place on Nevsky Prospekt, as on the main street. The first notable event took place in the 32nd year of the 18th century - the return of Anna Ioannovna’s court, which had been in Moscow for four years. The tradition of paying maximum attention to the avenue on public holidays has survived to this day.

Kizhi

This island is located in the northern part of Lake Onega. Here is the world-famous Architectural ensemble, which includes the 22-domed Church, which was built in the early 18th century, the Resurrection Church, the mid-18th century, and the bell tower from the mid-19th century. According to Russian traditions, they were all built without a single nail, which is not entirely true. Nails, of course, were used, but in very, very small quantities. The place is very popular among tourists and receives an average of ten ships with guests every day. Who exactly built some buildings still remains a mystery, for example, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord. One legend attributes the work to the carpenter Nestor, who supposedly, at the end of the work, threw the work ax into the lake so that no one could repeat his creation.

In 1990, the churchyard was included in the list of protected world heritage sites. There are also many versions about the origin of the name of the place. The most popular one says that Kizhi comes from the Vepsian “kidz”, which means moss growing on the bottom of reservoirs. Interestingly, despite the fact that in the vast majority of cases you can hear the pronunciation on the second syllable, traditional pronunciation puts the emphasis on the first.

Kazan Cathedral

The construction of the Kazan Cathedral of the Mother of God occurred at the very beginning of the nineteenth century (1801-1811). After the war in 1812, the building acquired the status of a monument to military glory, and in 1813 commander Mikhail Kutuzov was buried here. It was in honor of this cathedral that Kazanskaya Street got its name.

Previously, on this site there was a church in which the wedding of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich took place; numerous victories of the Russian army were celebrated there. In 1799, Paul I announced a competition where participants were asked to present a project for a new image of the cathedral. The construction of the new building cost 4.7 million rubles, and the architect Voronikhin, the author of the project, was awarded an honorary order of St. Vladimir. Contemporaries perceived the building mostly as a monument, so in 1812 trophies were brought to this place, but religious services were also held here, but not immediately. The beauty of the Kazan Cathedral is difficult to describe in words and the photograph of the building does not convey all the charm and richness of the building; this can only be seen by personally visiting this historical value.

Vorobyovy Gory

In the period from 35 to 99, the Sparrow Hills were called Lenin Hills. The beauty is located in the southwestern part of Moscow and is a high bank of the Moscow River, which is covered with a forest park. Vorobyovy Gory is considered one of the famous “seven hills”. This place is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful places in Moscow - complex terrain overlooking the river and a picturesque panorama of the capital. The name “Vorobievs” comes from the village of the same name, which existed in the fourteenth century and belonged to the boyars Vorobievs.

The largest observation deck in the capital is located on the Sparrow Hills, which is why this place is loved not only by guests of Moscow, but also by those who have lived in the capital all their lives. At this place, according to a long-established tradition, romantic meetings are organized, friends get together, newlyweds come here, and sometimes shows with the participation of retro cars are held here. The location of the Sparrow Hills is almost in the center of Moscow, just 5.5 km from the Kremlin. Despite the abundant local development, here you can still see untouched parts of the forest with old trees that have seen more than a century. The observation deck has telescopes that can be used by anyone and absolutely free of charge. Nearby there is an embankment where there are cafes where you can have a tasty snack and take a break from walking.

Alexander Garden

Alexander Park is located in the very heart of Moscow and occupies 10 hectares of area. You can stroll in the park along three different alleys, which run parallel to Manezhnaya Square and the Kremlin Wall. In the Middle and Upper Gardens you can see the planting of a large number of trees and a wide variety of ornamental shrubs that bloom at different times. On the territory there is a special specimen in the form of an oak tree, which is two centuries old. In summer and spring, fragrant and mesmerizing flower beds of roses and tulips appear here.

In addition to plants, the garden also contains historical objects - the obelisk for the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, the Kutafia Tower of the Kremlin, etc. But monuments that remind guests of the two Patriotic Wars certainly deserve special attention. The garden itself was founded by order of Alexander II immediately after the end of the war in 1812. The Alexander Garden also consists of three parts: the upper one, which is 350 meters long, the middle one, 382 meters long, and the lower one, the shortest one, 132 meters long. If earlier during conversations the garden was always divided into three parts, now they talk about the garden as an integral object, although the division of the garden is still noticeable.

Rosa Khutor

And this attraction appeared quite recently, only in 2010. In 2014, this place became the site of the Winter Olympic Games, where snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions were held. Rosa Khutor has five lifts and trails with a total length of nine kilometers. The location of the ski resort is in the Krasnaya Polyana area, forty kilometers from the city of Adler. The ski complex is located on an area of ​​1,820 hectares.

The construction of the facility was in no way timed to coincide with the Olympic Games, since they could not even think about it at that time, because the idea and preparation for construction began back in 2003. Every day Rosa Khutor can receive and serve up to 10.5 thousand people. According to one of the resort’s creators, they initially set themselves the goal of creating an environmentally friendly place and becoming an exemplary resort. For this purpose, all relevant examinations were carried out before the start of construction. Trees were cut down exclusively in a targeted manner, and compensatory planting was used.

If you love active recreation, you like the purest mountain air and want to take a good rest from the noisy civilization - then welcome to Rosa Khutor!

Muzeon

This is one of the largest art parks, a cultural museum in all of Russia, which is located in the open air. More than a thousand different works are presented here, which include monuments to leaders of the 30s and 50s. All of them are located along the alleys and there are no restrictions on access to them - anyone can come up to touch and take a photo. Since October 2015, Muzeon has been part of Gorky Park.

The territory of the park is divided into thematic areas, where each represents its own time period and has its own history. Of course, it will be difficult to list a thousand monuments, but among them there are Stalin, Gorky, Dzerzhinsky and many, many others. The exhibited sculptures do not necessarily have a political theme; for example, Grandfather Mazay and the Hares, Shoes, Don Quixote, etc. are especially popular.

Now Muzeon acts not only as a museum, but also as a place where various holidays are sometimes held; people come here to have a good time and look at the photo exhibitions of various sizes and genres that happen. City festivals, holidays and much more are organized here; in general, there is never a dull moment here.

Tsarskoe Selo

Tsarskoe Selo is a museum-reserve located in the largest military-industrial, educational, scientific and tourist center in the city of Pushkin, with a population of 106,087 people. The foundation took place as a country residence for the emperor. The reserve includes the Catherine Palace, Catherine Park, Babolovsky and Alexander parks and other buildings. This is another place with a rich history and a large number of attractions included. It will be problematic to study all this on your own, so it is better to choose a good guide for the excursion.

Main Botanical Garden

This is the largest botanical garden in Europe, which houses a collection of a wide variety of plant species from all over the world. The foundation of this green corner occurred in the 45th year of the twentieth century. The garden contains 8220 species and 8110 forms and varieties of plants. 361 hectares of land located in the north of the capital were allocated for the construction of the park.

The Botanical Garden regularly organizes excursions for tourists, which last about an hour and a half. The guide will tell you the history of the creation of the park, how the garden works and a lot of interesting things. Needless to say, lighting fires in the garden is strictly prohibited; photographs can be taken with the permission of the administration; and it is unacceptable to pick plants, mushrooms and berries. Roller skating, sledding and skiing are also prohibited.