Volgograd originated with the foundation in 1589 of Tsaritsyn at the confluence of the Tsaritsa and Volga Rivers. The original name of the city, Tsaritsyn, was first recorded by English explorer Barry in 1579, though he did not refer to the city, but to the island on the Volga. The origin of the name is [Continue]

The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world. It was built between 1891 and 1916 to connect Moscow with the Far-East city of Vladivostok. The route it passes through the cities of Perm, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Chita and Khabarovsk. Once you have braved the snaking ticket queues (and met the sharp [Continue]

Lake Baikal is the world’s oldest and deepest lake. It lies in southern Siberia, its watershed extending across the Mongolian border. Literally millions of hectares of natural and old-growth forest-covered mountains ring the lake. The lake and its environs make one of the largest World Heritage sites on the planet. Both Russians and the [Continue]

The lake Baikal is located in Eastern Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and Buryatia to the southeast. It is the planet’s deepest and oldest lake, as well as its largest body of fresh water, containing over one fifth of the world’s supply. It contains 20% of the world’s total unfrozen freshwater reserve. Known [Continue]

The complex of buildings original to Kizhi Island, the Pogost of Our Savior, is on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list. The famous Church of the Transfiguration, built in the 18th century, boasts 22 onion domes. Wooden architecture can be found throughout Russia, but Kizhi Island boasts some of the nation’s most famous, and most [Continue]

It was nearly three hundred years ago when this town was founded on the eastern slopes of the Urals Mountains on the banks of the beautiful Iset River. It was given the name of Ekaterinburg, to honor the memory of the martyr Saint Catherine, after whose name the Emperor Peter the Great’s wife was baptized. [Continue]

Volgograd was originally named Tsaritsin, and then in 1925 the name was changed to Stalingrad.  Stalin died in 1953, but it took another 12 years for the name to be finally changed to Volgograd in 1965 by Khruschev.  The city is located on the river Volga. In the summer it can be more than 30°C and in winter the temperature [Continue]

Versailles Quick Facts * In 1624, Louis XIII, the king of France, began the building of a hunting lodge in the small village of Versailles * There are 18,000 square meters of history in the Palace of Versailles * Versailles is half an hour by rail from the Gare St Lazarre station in Paris The [Continue]

Home to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Sochi is nestled in the slopes of the Caucasus Mountains and stretches 90 miles (145km) along the coast of the Black Sea, the longest city in Europe. Referred to as the ‘Russian Riviera’, Sochi boasts an inviting subtropical climate, pebbled beaches, lush forests, botanical parks, waterfalls, the [Continue]

One of the world’s most beautiful cities, St. Petersburg has all the ingredients for an unforgettable travel experience: high art, lavish architecture, wild nightlife, an extraordinary history and rich cultural traditions that have inspired and nurtured some of the modern world’s greatest literature, music, and visual art. From the [Continue]