Cultural and educational tourism

Russia is a country of richest history and culture. The most different religious and cultural traditions of numerous nationalities living there have coexisted from time immemorial.

The architectural ensemble of Moscow Kremlin, palaces of Saint Petersburg, and ancient cities of the Golden Ring are known all over the world.

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation, and the business, scientific, cultural and tourist centre of Russia. The first mention of Moscow dates back to 1147. The city was founded by Suzdal prince Jury Dolgoruky (Long-armed). Fast development of Moscow was promoted by its favorable geographical position at a crossing of major trading ways, between the rivers Oka and Volga on the Moskva-river.

The architectural shape of the capital city has been formed for centuries. Best Russian and foreign architects and artists worked in Moscow to create its unique image. Today Moscow is one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. Unique flavour is given to the city by the architectural complex of the Moscow Kremlin, the majestic domes of Vasily the Blessed cathedral, the restored Temple of Christ the Savior, New Maiden Convent, Don's and St. Daniel's monasteries, the palace-and-park ensembles of Kolomenskoe, Kuskovo and Ostankino.

Moscow is a cultural centre of global value. There are more than 70 theatres here, the best known of them the Bolshoi Theatre. Richest collections of painting, graphic art and sculpture are gathered in nearly hundred museums, among them the well-known Tretyakov picture gallery and the Museum of fine arts named after Pushkin. There are scores of concert halls, cinemas and expo-centers in the city.

Today's Moscow is a city of congresses, forums, festivals, industrial exhibitions and fairs, including the Moscow international film festival and the International tourist exhibition MITT.

A visit to the Russian capital gives lots of unforgettable and bright impressions to each and every tourist.

The environs of Moscow are also a whole world of cultural, historical and natural monuments. About 2200 tourist sights are officially registered and taken under protection by the state. The towns of Sergiev Posad, Zvenigorod (Ringing City), Serpukhov and Kolomna - situated near Moscow - attract more and more travelers every year.

Among the attractions of the Moscow area, a special place belongs to monasteries which for ages were spiritual centers of the country. The architectural complexes of Trinity-Sergiev's Lavra, New-Jerusalem or Joseph-Volokolamsk monasteries are of just unequalled beauty. And the manors situated near Moscow—Arkhangelskoye, Marphino, Abramtsevo, Sukhanovo, Melikhovo - are both picturesque and romantic.

The Golden Ring of Russia is the most popular tourist route which goes from Moscow to the northeast through old Russian towns: Sergiev Posad, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Rostov, Yaroslavl', Uglich, Kostroma, Suzdal', Vladimir and many other. There travelers will see scores of most interesting monuments of architecture and history of XII - XVII centuries.

Walls and towers of fortresses and monasteries, earthen banks, white-stone temples and masterpieces of wooden architecture, unique frescos and icons - all of these witnesses to the centuries passed preserve the unbreakable connection of the Golden Ring cities and allow one to see their common features, and to feel the soul of the ancient Rus'.

The route around the Golden Ring involves some monuments of history and culture included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: the ensemble of Trinity-Sergiev's Lavra, the masterpieces of white-stone architecture in Vladimir and Suzdal'.

The towns of the Golden Ring attract tourists with ancient Russian national crafts. They are Rostov enamel and painted trays from Zhostovo, varnished caskets from Palekh and crystal wares of Gus'-Khrustalny (Goose-the-Crystal) glass-blowers. Traditions of ancient masters pass from generation to generation.

Everyone who loves Russian culture and art or interested in ancient Russian life should visit the Museum of wooden architecture and country life in Suzdal', the house-museum of artist Levitan in Plyos, and the museum Library of Russian Vodka in Uglich.

Historical and cultural monuments of the Vladimir region are incorporated into the tourist route Small Golden Ring. In addition to the cities of Vladimir and Suzdal', it includes other ancient Russian towns: Murom, Gus'-Khrustalny, Aleksandrov, Yuryev-Pol'sky, and Bogol'ubovo (God-loving) where at the confluence of the rivers the Nerl' and the Kl'az'ma - one of the most known monuments of old Russian stone architecture - the Church of Intercession on the Nerl' is situated.

Northern Palmira, Northern Venice, the City of White Nights... It has a lot of beautiful names, that majestic city of Saint Petersburg, perhaps the most beautiful of all Russian cities! The Winter Palace, the spike of the Admiralty proudly shot up in the sky, the Spit of Vasilievsky island, St. Isaac and Kazan cathedrals, the Bronze Horseman, sculptures and most elegant railing of Letniy Sad (Summer Garden), canals and bridges on the Neva raised at night, treasures of the Hermitage and Russian Museum, Mariinsky Opera Theater, and unforgettable midnight sun - all these are features of the city. Saint Petersburg was the native place and cradle of Alexander Pushkin and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Alexander Block and Anna Akhmatova. This city may be admired indefinitely!

The environs of Saint Petersburg are full of charm as well. You will never get tired of feasting your eyes upon the palaces and parks of Tsarskoe Selo, fountains of Peterhof, or alleys of Pavlovsk where well-known musical evenings were held, including concerts of «the King of Waltz» Johann Strauss.

The Silver Ring of Russia is the tourist route from Saint Petersburg through the northwest area, covering old Russian cities of Novgorod and Pskov, museum-reserve Pushkinskiye Gory (Pushkin Hills), and the cities of Ivangorod, Gdov and Porkhov with their ancient fortresses. Among historical and architectural monuments of this route a special place belongs to Novgorod Kremlin with its magnificent temples of XI - XV centuries.

The land of the Republic of Karelia to the north of Saint Petersburg is also rich in monuments of culture. The most important of them are the village of Kizhi - the largest in Russia architectural ensemble of national wooden architecture - and Valaam monastery, one of the spiritual centres of Russia established in XIV century on island Valaam in Ladoga lake.

Solovetskie islands with their Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery having rich and complex history are often called a gem of the White Sea area and the pride of Russian North. Beautiful are the tourist centers in the north of Russia: the cities of Vologda, Arkhangelsk and Kargopol', and the well-known Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery where a most valuable collection of XV - XVIII centuries icons is kept.

The Volga-Mother, the great Russian river! It is a heroine of ancient legends (bylinas) and songs, an integral part of the image and spirit of Russia. Since olden days, the Volga was a major trading way. The cities founded on its banks, in different centuries, in due course have turned into large cultural centers of Russia.

Introduction to the Volga region frequently starts with Kostroma. This old Russian city, a gem of church architecture, is among the main tourist centers of the Golden Ring.

At the confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers, Nizhny Novgorod (Lower New-City) is located the largest Russian trading, scientific and cultural centre, a city with rich centuries-old history. The famous annual Nizhniy Novgorod Fair with its numerous exhibitions and forums is a specific feature of «Lower». The Nizhniy Novgorod land since long ago has been famous for its national crafts: Khokhloma and Gorodets lacquerware and Gorodets wood carving.

Another major city in the Volga region is Kazan', the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. It has long and intricate history, and in its architectural monuments - such as Kazan Kremlin - primordially Russian spirit is fancifully bound with unique aroma of the East. Today Kazan is a large cultural center where Russian and Tatar national traditions coexist.

The image of the Middle Volga region is shaped by the old merchant cities of Samara, Saratov and Ulyanovsk (former Simbirsk).

The largest cities of the southern Volga region are Volgograd and Astrakhan. Tsaritsyn-Stalingrad-Volgograd during its more than four-century history frequently found itself in the centre of the major events of the Russian social and state life. Quite remarkable is the architectural ensemble of Central Embankment of the city with its majestic memorial on Mamayev Kurgan in honor of Stalingrad defenders.

The last destination of a travel down the Volga is the city of Astrakhan known since XIII century. The central, historical part of the city is located on an island washed by waters of the Volga and its inflows. On the highest hill of the island in splendor stands the white-stone Kremlin of the early XVII century.

The Krasnoyarsk Territory is the heart of Siberia and geographical centre of Russia. The capital of the territory is famous for its numerous and original fountains; no other Siberian towns can be equaled to it in this aspect. The Krasnoyarsk Museum of Local Lore where items of the Siberian antiquity are richly represented, was recognized the best provincial museum of Russia in 2001.

To the north of Krasnoyarsk downstream the river Yenisey town Yeniseysk is located, founded in 1619 and thus the oldest town Eastern Siberia. Many interesting buildings have remained here. To the north, in a small town of Turukhansk, there is one of the oldest in Siberia monasteries. And in the town of Igarka is a unique underground museum of permafrost.

Tuva is not only the geographical centre of Asia but also one of the most fantastic places on our planet. Everything is primeval here, everything keeps the traditional culture of Tuva people where most ancient Shaman traditions adjoin to those of Buddhism. Pagan stone idols, which are two thousand years old, look at us as silent witnesses of the past in Tuva steppes. Ancient cultural and esoteric traditions have been kept up to now in shamanism, in the fine art — traditional stone-carving - and even in the national cuisine. Traveling in Tuva, you may see shaman witchcraft and experience the mystical force of shaman medicine.

The Tuva throat-singing is well-known worldwide. But only here, in Tuva you may feel how organically the fantastic throat sounds go with the infinite steppe open spaces and mountain snow-covered tops of the Sayan.

The geographical centre of Asia is quite close to the city of Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva. This city is primarily known for a Buddhist temple, the National Museum of Tuva - one of the largest museums in Asia - and for a unique clinic where diseases are treated with ancient shaman methods.

The largest fresh-water and deepest lake in the world - Baikal - is famous, first of all, for the beauty of its nature. But this region is also rich in sights of cultural and educational tourism.

Irkutsk, situated on the banks of the river of Angara 70 kilometers downstream of Baikal, is a large cultural, scientific and tourist center of Eastern Siberia. The city was founded in the middle of XVII century and grew quickly due to its advantageous location. Caravan trading ways from Russia and Europe to Mongolia and China passed through the city.

In the middle of XIX century, in Irkutsk and its vicinities there were some settlements of exiled Decembrists who had strong influence on the life of this area. This page of Irkutsk history is displayed in the expositions of the manor-museums of Decembrists S.G. Volkonsky and S.P. Trubetskoy. Some most interesting samples of wooden carved architecture have remained here, giving a special color to this ancient city.

Buryatiya - a land of steppes, woods and mountains to the south and the east of Baikal - has a rich ethnic and religious history. Buryats are one of the most numerous ethnic groups in Siberia. They were Shamanists since ancient times, and some Shaman traditions have been kept by them up to now. In the beginning of XVIII century, Buddhism came to Transbaikalia and, with it, the cultural achievements of the peoples of Tibet and Mongolia. One of the main architectural monuments in Buryatiya is a Lamaist monastery (datsan) in the town of Gusinoozersk, which in XVIII - XIX centuries was the centre of Buddhist religion in Eastern Siberia.