Saint-Petersburg is the 'Venice of the North', a city of palaces and museums, broad avenues and winding canals. Alongside world-famous attractions such as the Hermitage, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Mariinsky Theatre, the city has scores of lesser known but equally fascinating sights that reveal both the pomp and extravagance of St. Petersburg's political and Imperial past.

The State Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars that was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository. Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of works of art present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century.

The Holy Trinity Lavra or Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra is the most important monastery in Russia and the spiritual center of Russian Orthodox Christianity. Founded in 1345 by St. Sergius of Radonezh and containing his relics, Holy Trinity is located in the city of Sergiyev Posad about 45 miles northeast of Moscow.

This is one of the most outstanding volcanic regions in the world, with a high density of active volcanoes, a variety of types, and a wide range of related features. The six sites included in the serial designation group together the majority of volcanic features of the Kamchatka peninsula. The interplay of active volcanoes and glaciers forms a dynamic landscape of great beauty.

Stretching for 18 miles on both banks of the Volga, Yaroslavl is an important Volga port with a population of 600,000. Of special interest is the magnificent 13th-century Spassky Monastery ensemble, a group of majestic 17th century cathedrals, an elegant rotunda and remnants of an ancient trading center. Loveliest of all is the Church of Elijah the Prophet, situated in the town's central square. The frescoes on the walls and vaulting inside the church constitute a veritable museum of old Russian paintings.

The pogost of Kizhi is one of the largest open-air museums in Russia, located on the Island of Kizhi in Lake Onega not far from Petrozavodsk, the capital of the Republic of Karelia. The collection of the Open-Air “Kizhi” Museum includes 89 monuments of wooden architecture: old chapels and houses, windmills and granaries, threshing barns and racks for drying crops…

The history of Novgorod is closely linked with all major stages in the life of Russian state. The adoption of Christianity at the close of the tenth century turned Novgorod into a powerful ecclesiastical center. The efforts of Novgorod Bishops in spreading and promoting the Orthodoxy were given high credit in the mid-12th century when they were elevated to the ranks of Archbishops which made the Bishops Chair of Novgorod most powerful in the Russian Orthodoxy. Its medieval monuments and the 14th-century frescoes illustrate the development of its remarkable architecture and cultural creativity.

The Moscow Kremlin is a historic fortified complex in the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square and the Alexander Garden.

Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye was built to commemorate the birth of Ivan the Terrible and upended the Byzantine style with its wooden conical tower, and proved to be a milestone in the history of Russian ecclesiastical architecture.

The Novodevichy Convent was part of a chain of monastic ensembles that were integrated into the defense system of the city. The convent is an example of the highest accomplishments of Russian architecture with rich interiors and an important collection of paintings and artifacts.

Vladimir and Suzdal hold an important place in the country's architectural history. There are a number of magnificent 12th- and 13th-century public and religious buildings, above all the masterpieces of the Collegiate Church of Saint Demetrios and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin.

In the heart of Siberia, where nature reigns supreme, discover the most famous of all nature preserves of Russia - Lake Baikal. Baikal is an excellent travel destination for those who want to spend their holiday in stunning surroundings of the Siberian wilderness. Endless open waters, breathtaking valleys, forests, steppes, volcanoes, glaciers, snow-white mountain peaks with fast-running and crystal clear rivers of Baikal offer unlimited possibilities for adventure.