Written by admin on 29 June 2010
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 usually traced back to the Turkic “Sary-Su” (yellow water) or “Sary-Sin” (Yellow Island). The date of the founding of the city is considered to be July 2, 1589, when the fortress Tsaritsyn was first named in a royal charter. The fortress was located slightly above the confluence of the Volga River Queen on the right bank.
In 1961, the name was changed from Stalingrad to Volgograd (“Volga City”) as part of Nikita Khrushchev’s programmer of de-Stalinization. This was and remains somewhat contentious, given the fame of the name “Stalingrad” and its importance in wartime remembrance. There were serious proposals to revert the name to “Stalingrad” during Konstantin Chernenko’s brief administration in 1985. There remains a strong degree of local support for a reversion but intermittent proposals have been not yet accepted by the Russian government. On May 21, 2007, the CPRF or Communist Party of the Russian Federation obtained an important success in the Volgograd mayoral election. Communist candidate Roman Grebennikov was elected as mayor with 32.47% of the vote. Grebennikov is Russia’s youngest mayor of a regional capital.
Tags: Communist Party of the Russian Federation, t the confluence of the Tsaritsa and Volga Rivers, Volgograd in Russia
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Written by admin on 29 June 2010
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 end of Russian customer service), on the Trans-Siberian you’ll soon get to experience the real Russia that all the Cold War Propaganda you’ve been fed never prepared you for: multitudes of steely but twinkly-eyed and curious fellow Russian passengers all dressed in tracksuits and keen to get to know the foreigner who is passionate – or insane – enough to tackle their beloved Mother Russia from side-to-side by train.
You’ll be regaled in broken English with tales of far-off sweethearts, and be offered all manner of Russian food and drink by some of the most truly generous people on Earth. Your liver may not thank you for the vodka, but the damage will be short-lived, unlike your memories of this fascinating journey – which will stay with you for a lifetime.
Tags: connect Moscow with the Far-East city of Vladivostok, the longest railway in the world, Trans-Siberian Railway
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Written by admin on 29 June 2010
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 indigenous peoples who have lived here for centuries revere Baikal as a sacred lake. It has been a centre- piece of the environmental movement for decades since the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill was constructed on its southern shore and began to pollute its pure waters. World Heritage status, it is hoped, may finally bring resolution to this contentious problem.
Lake Baikal is a self-contained aquatic ecosystem, home to more than 1,500 endemic species found no where else on earth. Among these unique flora and fauna are the Baikal seal, believed to be a relative of the Arctic ringed seal, and the omul, a fish considered to be a delicacy in the region. Some of the plants and animals can be dated to prehistoric times. Saving the lake means saving its watershed and the protective forests that surround it.
Tags: lies in southern Siberia, millions of hectares of natural and old-growth forest-covered mountains, the world's oldest and deepest lake
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Written by admin on 28 June 2010
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 as the ‘Galapagos of Russia’, its age and isolation have produced one of the world’s richest and most unusual freshwater faunas, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science.
The lake contains an outstanding variety of endemic flora and fauna, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science. It is also surrounded by a system of protected areas that have high scenic and other natural values. The Committee took note of the confirmation of the revised boundaries of the site, which correspond to the core areas defined in the Baikal Law. It also noted that the special Lake Baikal Law is now in its second reading in the Duma. Finally, it noted concern over a number of integrity issues including pollution, which should be brought to the attention of the Russian authorities.
Tags: high scenic and other natural values, Lake Baikal-- Galapagos of Russia, largest body of fresh water
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Written by admin on 28 June 2010
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 intricate, examples. These structures on Kizhi Island date from various centuries (the oldest from the 14th century), as they have been transported to the island in order to preserve them and make them accessible to the public.
It is possible to visit Kizhi Island from Petrazavodsk, the capital city of the Karelia Region of Northern Russia. Ferries can be taken from the city to the island, which is located on Lake Onega. During certain seasons, cruises to Kizhi can also be booked.
Petrazavodsk can be reached by train from St. Petersburg. The train travels overnight and reaches Petrazavodsk by morning.
Tags: Church of the Transfiguration, ensemble of traditional wooden city Kizhi, located on Lake Onega
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Written by admin on 28 June 2010
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.
Today Ekaterinburg is a city with the population of a million and a half and a powerful industrial and research centre. Its heavy transport and chemical engineering plants, non-ferrous metallurgical works and military industrial enterprises occupy a leading place in the national economy. The city has about 15 institutions of higher education; it is the seat of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Yekaterinburg offers plenty of cross-country skiing, with trails stretching for miles. There are some downhill skiing resorts as well. It will take you approximately 25 minutes to get to the nearest of them from the center of the city.
The dynamics of contemporary life does have its effect on the city. However, good care of its cultural heritage helps to maintain the historical continuity of times and confirms the right of Ekaterinburg to the status of a historical city.
Tags: cross-country skiing, non-ferrous metallurgical works and military industrial enterprises, Yekaterinburg
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Written by admin on 28 June 2010
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 can become very cold (minus 20°C or more).
Volgograd, still referred to by war historians as Stalingrad, was the site of the bloodiest battle in the history of the world. During the struggle the city was reduced to rubble and was the setting for a struggle between the might of the German and Soviet war machines. Because of this there are many fascinating memorials and museums to visit. The city is rich with culture and history, and offers a wonderful experience of Russian life.
Tags: bloodiest battle in the history of the world, ich with culture and history, Volgograd, war historians as Stalingrad
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Written by admin on 26 June 2010
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 Palace of Versailles began as a modest hunting lodge. Well, as modest a lodge as one could expect from a French King. Then Louis XIV enlarged and enrobed the old lodge, turning it into the great Chateau we know today. In 1837, Louis-Philippe converted the whole deal to a museum of French History in what may have been the historic starting point for the development of mass tourism.
Louis XIV
Louis XIII’s successor, Louis XIV, had a great interest in Versailles. He settled on the royal hunting lodge at Versailles and over the following decades had it expanded into one of the largest palaces in the world (Félibien, 1703; Marie, 1972; Verlet, 1985). Beginning in 1661, the architect Louis Le Vau, landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and painter-decorator Charles Le Brun began a detailed renovation and expansion of the château. This was done to fulfill Louis XIV’s desire to establish a new centre for the royal court. Following the Treaties of Nijmegen in 1678, he began to gradually move the court to Versailles. The court was officially established there on 6 May 1682.
By moving his court and government to Versailles, Louis XIV hoped to extract more control of the government from the nobility, and to distance himself from the population of Paris. All the power of France emanated from this center: there were government offices here, as well as the homes of thousands of courtiers, their retinues, and all the attendant functionaries of court (Solnon, 1987). By requiring that nobles of a certain rank and position spend time each year at Versailles, Louis prevented them from developing their own regional power at the expense of his own and kept them from countering his efforts to centralise the French government in an absolute monarchy (Bluche, 1986, 1991; Bendix, 1978; Solnon, 1987). The meticulous and strict court etiquette that Louis established, which overwhelmed his heirs with its petty boredom, was epitomised in the elaborate ceremonies and exacting procedures that accompanied his rising in the morning, known as the Lever, divided into a petit lever for the most important and a grand lever for the whole court. Like other French court manners, étiquette was quickly imitated in other European courts (Benichou, 1948; Bluche, 1991; Solnon 1987).
Evolution of Versailles
The expansion of the château became synonymous with the absolutism of Louis XIV (Bluche, 1986, 1991). In 1661, following the death of Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister of the government, Louis had declared that he would be his own chief minister. The idea of establishing the court at Versailles was conceived to ensure that all of his advisors and provincial rulers would be kept close to him. He feared that they would rise up against him and start a revolt. He thought that if he kept all of his potential threats near him, that they would be powerless. After the disgrace of Nicolas Fouquet in 1661 — Louis claimed the finance minister would not have been able to build his grand château at Vaux-le-Vicomte without having embezzled from the crown — Louis, after the confiscation of Fouquet’s state, employed the talents of Le Vau, Le Nôtre, and Le Brun, who all had worked on Vaux-le-Vicomte, for his building campaigns at Versailles and elsewhere. For Versailles, there were four distinct building campaigns (after minor alterations and enlargements had been executed on the château and the gardens in 1662-1663), all of which corresponded to Louis XIV’s wars (Bluche, 1986, 1991; Verlet, 1985).
First building campaign
The first building campaign (1664–1668) commenced with the Plaisirs de l’Île enchantée of 1664, a fête that was held between 7 and 13 May 1664. The fête was ostensibly given to celebrate the two queens of France — Anne of Austria, the Queen Mother, and Marie-Thérèse, Louis XIV’s wife, but in reality honored the king’s mistress, Louise de La Vallière. The celebration of the Plaisirs de l’Île enchantée is often regarded as a prelude to the War of Devolution, which Louis waged against Spain. The first building campaign (1664–1668) witnessed alterations in the château and gardens in order to accommodate the 600 guests invited to the party (Nolhac, 1899, 1901; Marie, 1968; Verlet, 1985).
Tags: France, palace, The Palace of Versailles
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Written by admin on 24 June 2010
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 UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, and a world-class skiing resort close by – not your typical Russian city.
Famed for its c, every summer the elite of Russia descend upon Sochi for the annual film festival, ‘Kinotavr’ along with two million other visitors who come to enjoy this vibrant season. During the winter, Sochi sees a slew of tourists making their way to the nearby ski resort of Krasnaya Polyana, which is set to host a number of events of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Trips over there will be a memorable and relaxing one.
Tags: 2014 Winter Olympic Games, palm trees and occasional banana trees, Sochi-- Russian Riviera
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Written by admin on 24 June 2010
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 mysterious twilight of the White Nights to world-beating opera and ballet productions on magical winter evenings, St. Petersburg charms and entices in every season. Saint-Petersburg.Com is here to help you navigate every aspect of this fascinating city, with all the information and travel resources necessary to plan your trip to St. Petersburg.
Saint Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city, with a population of 4.7 million perched at the eastern tip of the Baltic Sea and the Neva River. The city was formerly known as Petrograd, and later Leningrad.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city has been rapidly making up for lost time and is by far the most cosmopolitan of Russia’s cities. Renamed once more in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union, most Russians know it as Piter, a familiar diminutive of Saint Petersburg.
Tags: mysterious twilight of the White Nights to world-beating opera, rich cultural traditions, Saint Petersburg, wild nightlife
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Volgograd originated with the foundation in 1589 of Tsaritsyn at the confluence of the Tsaritsa and Volga Rivers.
