An ancient Iranian festival that basically celebrates the coming of the winter solstice and the longest night of the year for centuries is Yalda Night (or Shab-e Yalda; also, Shab-e Chelleh). It refers to a time between the […]
Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation, is located along the Moskva River. With a population of approximately 12 million, it is the largest city in the country and home to the seat of the President, the government […]
The Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg St. Petersburg’s other internationally renowned cultural institution, and for some visitors an even greater draw than the Hermitage, the Mariinsky Theatre has profited in recent years from the financial and creative turmoils […]
The Hermitage (The Winter Palace) in Saint Petersburg Undoubtedly St. Petersburg’s most famous visitor attraction, and universally acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest treasuries of art and antiquities, the Hermitage is a name to be conjured with, […]
The Grand Palace at Peterhof was designed to be the centerpiece of Peter the Great’s “Russian Versaille”. Around 1720, the Tsar gave up on attempts to establish his court at Strelna, mainly because the boggy ground proved entirely […]
