It’s the world’s largest nation, straddling both Europe and Asia, and with such a depth of natural and manmade beauty it’s difficult for first-time visitors to know where to start. Here’s a guide to a handful of the must-see buildings in this fascinating country – but there are many, many more.
The former summer residence of the Russian monarchs [above] lies in the heart of Peterhof, a district of St Petersburg. Peter the Great (can you see a theme here?) began construction in 1714 and a number of architects worked on the palace over the years. Today it is a masterpiece of Baroque art, embellished with Neoclassical and Late Rococo details. Translation? It’s very fancy. But it was virtually destroyed by Axis Powers during World War II, and repairs are ongoing to this day. Nonetheless, the palace and its grounds are incredibly beautiful and well worth a visit.
The official name of this extraordinary structure is the Church of the Resurrection, but we prefer its more informal epithet. It references the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, for whom the church was built (it stands on the spot where a bomb was thrown into his carriage in 1881 – he died several hours later from wounds sustained during the attack). The church is St Petersburg’s most elaborate, with five OTT onion-domes decorated in jeweller’s enamel and an interior that’s even more elaborate – to be truly blown away, make sure you take a look inside.
The city of Kazan, on the banks of the Volga and Kazanka rivers in southwest Russia, is often referred to as the ‘Sports Capital of Russia’. But it’s also home to massive cathedrals and mosques, including the beautifulQolşärif/Kul Sharif Mosque, the symbol of Kazan and one of the largest Muslim places of worship in Europe. There are also numerous museums in Kazan – while you’re there, check out the Museum of Happy Childhood and the Museum of Soviet Life.
In the northwest of the country, in the middle of Lake Onega, the second-largest lake in Europe, lies Kizhi Island. On the island is a collection of traditional log structures, including two churches and a bell tower. The 22-dome Transfiguration Church was built in 1714 using locally cut pine logs and a special technique that required zero nails. In 1764 the smaller nine-dome Church of the Intercession was constructed, while in 1862, the bell tower was built to tie the two places of worship together. Together, they form one of Russia’s greatest open-air museums. The historical site, called Kizhi Pogost, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the White Sea in northern Russia, near the Arctic Circle, lies the Solovetsky Archipelago, also known as the Solovki Islands. Of the six large and 100+ small islands in the archipelago, Great Solovetsky Island is the most famous, thanks in large to the monastery located there. It was one of the largest Christian citadels in northern Russia but was later converted into a Soviet prison under the Bolshevik government, and served as the model for gulag camps.
It was built by Ivan the Terrible and is located near the Kremlin in Red Square, Moscow – has there ever been a building more Russian than St Basil’s Cathedral? The UNESCO World Heritage-Listed building was constructed in the mid-16th century in honour of a military conquest, and one of the legends surrounding the cathedral has Ivan blinding the Italian architect in charge of the design so that it could never be replicated. Once upon a time the cathedral was apparently white with gold domes, but in the 17th century was painted in the bright colours still seen today.