When you think about Russia, what associations come to your mind? Vast landscapes, perestroika, Dostoevsky, Siberia, vodka, spaceships, snow, poverty, matryoshka dolls, rich oil fields, blond women, nuclear missiles… the whole variety of answers you are going to get will only prove that it’s a very diverse and interesting country.
MORE...
If you are traveling for the first time, your must-see destinations should definitely be Moscow and St. Petersburg (which are 5 hours apart by a fast train). If you want to learn more about Russia and its people, it’s better to take some more time and to visit small towns, such as the Golden Ring or Novgorod. For those who like adventures, Caucasus and Kamchatka are the best destinations. And if you’re also thinking about doing something you will remember for your whole life, take the Trans-Siberian trip to Siberia and further.
MORE...
Depending on the purpose of your trip, there are different practicalities you need to know about. We tried to compile the most important facts and pieces of advice, so that you are well prepared for your travels.
MORE...
Every foreigner traveling to Russia needs a Russian visa. There are a few types of Russian visa, the most popular ones are the tourist visa, business visa, private visa, and transit visa. The first two types of visa are quite easy to get.
MORE...
Moscow is the capital of Russia and is the city where all the extremes of the country come together in one chaotic, enthralling, peculiar mix. The glittering storefronts of Tverskaya street hide the labyrinths of rustic courtyards behind. Hip crowds sip cocktails in fancy cafes, while old women sell home-grown cucumbers and tomatoes outside to make their living. The modern office centers next to small cozy churches. Cloned apartment blocks next to tranquil and agreeable city parks. A bust of Lenin overlooking a huge Mercedes sign installed on top of the house built by Stalin for the Soviet elite…
MORE...
St. Petersburg is the second most important city in Russia, also called “The Northern Capital”. Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, this city was the Russia’s “window to Europe” and still is.
St. Petersburg expresses everything “European” Russia has to offer, but in a peculiar mix. The center of the city is very impressive with its beautiful old buildings and channels, somewhat a bigger version of Amsterdam, which inspired Peter the Great so much. It’s hard to believe this city was built on a swamp in the middle of nowhere. Still, if you go behind the polished facades or take a metro to suburbs, you will see the other side of the splendor: shabby courtyards, cracked pavement, labyrinths of small lanes and passages. In a way, this is what makes St. Petersburg a very original and ingenuous place.
MORE...
A meeting of international religious leaders convened Monday in Moscow with the intention of crafting a statement to be sent to the upcoming summit of the Group of Eight major industrialized nations. The participants are expected to discuss everything from terrorism to poverty.
The world’s largest titanium producer, Russia’s VSMPO-Avisma, has received back tax claims for 2005 for a sum of 2 billion rubles ($75 million). This information was reported by Russian daily Kommersant, which quoted company sources, on Tuesday, July 4.
Wine shelves went empty in grocery stores and supermarkets across the Russian capital in June, as suppliers and retailers followed the government’s order to remove all imported wines and spirits with old excise labels from sale by July 1.
The more talk there is about fifth-generation fighters, the more often the question arises: what exactly is a fifth-generation fighter? A special report from Lenta.ru traces back to the roots of this highly sought after aircraft.
Ukraine’s Andriy Shevchenko is one of more than 100 football greats serving as a FIFA charity ambassador. In an interview to SOS-Kinderhof International, Shevchenko explains his decision to take part in the Children’s Villages project, speaking about the situation in his homeland of Ukraine and the chances that Ukraine and Germany have at the World Cup.
One after another, a blue BMW and a red convertible broke through an embankment and plunged into the waters of the Moscow Canal in the center of the city. What happened was not actually a tragedy, not a real one, at least.
