Russian cities in winter through the lens of Slava Stepanov (PHOTOS)

Slava Stepanov (Gelio) is a Russian urban photographer, who specializes in high-altitude and industrial photography.

1. Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk emerged in 1893 during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Today, 1.6 million people live there, making it Russia's third most populous city after Moscow and St. Petersburg.

2. Khanty-Mansiysk

This is a small city located in northern Siberia and is the capital of Yugra, Russia's largest oil-producing region.

3. Aldan

The Yakut city of Aldan appeared on the site of a gold mine. ‘Aldan’ in Yakut literally means ‘gold’.

4. Vorkuta

Although the city was founded as a coal mining center, it’s become known as the architectural pearl of the Arctic. Just look at the luxurious columns of the Mining College!

5. Kazan

The capital of Tatarstan is a city of mosque domes, ancient kremlin walls and a modern subway.

6. Salekhard

This is the only city in the world situated directly on the Arctic Circle.

7. Tobolsk

Tobolsk was once the capital of the vast Siberian Province. It’s home to the only kremlin in Siberia, built according to the design of "Siberia's Da Vinci", Semyon Remezov.

8. Tomsk

This city is poetically called the ‘Siberian Athens’ – drawing an analogy with the educated capital of Ancient Greece. It was in Tomsk that the first university in Siberia was built back in the 19th century. Tomsk is also famous for its intricate wooden houses with carved window frames.

9. Nizhny Novgorod

Nizhny Novgorod is one of the oldest Russian cities, estimated to be over 800 years old. It also has an ancient kremlin that has survived to this day.

10. Blagoveshchensk

This city in the Russian Far East is located on the banks of the Amur River, which, for a certain stretch, forms the border with China. On the opposite side of the river one can literally see the Chinese city of Heihe.