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 and the State Duma (Parliament). The Moscow Oblast, the region surrounding Moscow, has a population of approximately […]
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 of Moscow’s Bolshoi to become the undisputed preeminent musical theatre in modern Russia. Renowned for the impeccable […]
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, and reason enough on its own for many travelers to book a trip to St. Petersburg. The […]
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 unsuitable for the canals and fountains that he envisioned. Moving his attentions further west to Peterhof, the […]
St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Russia’s first Emperor Peter I. In 1712–1918, it was the capital of Russia. In 1914, the city got the name of Petrograd, while in 1924 it was renamed as Leningrad. It got its historic name back only in 1991. Nowadays, it is Russia’s second largest city after Moscow […]
