Russia Things to Do Tips by bijo69

Irkutsk

Irkutsk is not only the getaway for Lake Baikal, but also a very pleasant town with lots of old wooden houses and beautiful churches.

Difference to Moscow time: +5

Yaroslavl

Another beautiful town on the Volga river. Belonging to the famous "Golden Ring" it has many onionshaped churches to offer.

Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg is kind of a border town between Europe and Asia. The borderline is just a few km west from the city in the Ural mountains. The city is generally known for two reasons: as the place where the Romanov family was killed in 1918 and as the birthplace of Boris Yeltzin.

Main sights are the new built churches dedicated to the Romanovs.

Found the best Italian food in Russia here!!!

Difference to Moscow time: +2

Nizhny Novgorod

Nizhny Novgorod, formerly named after the famous Russian writer Gorky, is Russia's 5th largest city. Located on the Volga it is and has always been an important trade centre.
As many Russian cities, Nizhny Novgorod has a Kremlin from the 16th century.

Moscow

Russia's capital is BIG, appr. 10 million people are living here.
You should visit the famous Kremlin, the Red Square, the rebuilt Christ-the-Saviour Cathedral, the Novodyevichy convent and there are still many many other place to keep you busy for weeks. Don't miss a trip on the metro and admire the underground palaces (stations).

My first visit to Moscow was in 1989 and since then the city has changed and still does change tremendously.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg with its Hermitage, cathedrals, palaces and canals is definitely a "must see".

Founded by tsar Peter the Great in 1703 it has been the capital of the Russian Empire until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.

Best time to visit the city is certainly in June for the White Nights when it hardly gets dark.

Website: http://www.spb.ru

Lake Baikal

Beautiful Lake Baikal is the deepest lake on our planet. It's 636km long and 60km wide, so you've got quite some shores to discover.
Don't miss Olkhon Island!

Difference to Moscow time: +5

Website: http://baikal.irkutsk.org/

Volgograd

Very well know under its old name of Stalingrad, as it was the place where the most decisive battle of WW2 took place. After the destruction it was rebuilt and nowadays it's a beautiful town on the Volga banks again.
In memory and honour to those who died defending their homeland a huge memorial site is build on Mamaev Kurgan. It's most definitely a MUST.

Website: http://www.volgadmin.ru/

Volga river

The mighty Volga is Europe's longest river (3534km). It rises from the woods north of Moscow and flows into the Caspian Sea after passing many important towns. Along its way the river is dammed a couple of times, creating huge reservoirs.