12 places where you’ll discover the many faces of Russia (PHOTOS)

Anna Sorokina

Jun 12 2026

It’s impossible to see the whole country in a single trip, but these cities are must-visits.

1. Derbent – An ancient history

It is one of Russia’s oldest cities and it will definitely surprise you. For example, it’s home to the 6th-century Naryn-Kala (‘Sunny’) Fortress – the oldest in Russia. And the Juma Mosque, built in 734, is the oldest, not only in Russia, but in the entire post-Soviet space.

Derbent itself was founded back in the 6th century BC. For centuries, dozens of ethnic groups have lived there: The Lezgins, Dargins, Avars, Kumyks and many others. The city, meanwhile, stands on the shores of the Caspian Sea and is considered the southernmost city in Russia.

2. Suzdal – The Golden Ring

It’s impossible not to fall in love with 1,000-year-old Suzdal! After all, it’s there that you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of ancient Russia, stroll through numerous monasteries, churches and streets lined with old wooden houses; dine at restaurants and cafes serving national cuisine and join in various folk festivities. This city has long become a tourist mecca and one of the symbols of the ‘Golden Ring’ – a famous route that goes through ancient Russian settlements.

3. Kazan – A crossroads of cultures

This is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. The city is a melting pot of different cultures, traditions and eras – the population is roughly equally divided between Russians and Tatars. In the city center, for example, the white-stone kremlin and the Kul-Sharif Mosque stand just a stone’s throw from each other. Nearby, the “leaning” Syuyumbike Tower stands side by side with the historic 16th-century Annunciation Cathedral.

4. Yekaterinburg – The industrial heart

This Ural city with a population of over a million people began its history with an ironworks in the city center in 1723. In Soviet times, Yekaterinburg became a major industrial hub. The legendary T-34 tank was manufactured there, followed by mining excavators and steam-hydraulic presses. At the same time, this heavy engineering city also became famous as a center of Ural rock music and avant-garde architecture.

5. Ulan-Ude – Siberian Buddhism

This is the spiritual center of Buddhism in Russia. In the city itself, you can visit authentic Buddhist temples and, about 35 km away, lies the Ivolginsky Datsan, where the incorrupt body of Lama Itigelov is enshrined.

Ulan-Ude is also worth visiting to try Buryat ‘buuz’ and ‘chebureki’, learn the ‘yokhor’ circle dance and see the largest statue of Lenin’s head right on the main square.

Read our report here.

6. Yakutsk – Extreme geography

Yakutsk is the largest city in the world built on permafrost. All the buildings there are built on stilts to prevent the ground from thawing, due to the heat from the houses and the facades are painted in bright colours to help people navigate and find their way in the freezing fog. In Yakutsk, you can actually touch the permafrost: visit the underground laboratory of the Permafrost Institute or explore the caves of the ‘Kingdom of Permafrost’. Even in summer, when the outside temperature is +30°C, you’ll need to wear warm clothes!

7. Irkutsk & Lake Baikal – The grandeur of nature

The lake is the oldest, deepest and purest reservoir of fresh water on the planet. It’s also the deepest in the world – reaching a depth of 1.6 km! The locals consider it sacred. It holds one-fifth of all the world’s fresh water and is home to hundreds of plant and animal species found nowhere else. For example, the Baikal seal (the only freshwater seal in the world) and the Baikal sturgeon. And there is a very scenic railway that runs along the southern part of the lake.

You can find out how it was built here.

8. Vladivostok – a bridge to Asia

Vladivostok is often dubbed the “Russian San Francisco”, because of its picturesque bridges spanning its bays. The most famous are the Zolotoy (Golden) Bridge and the Russky (Russian) Bridge. The city is also home to one of the oldest lighthouses – the Tokarevsky Lighthouse – located on a small island only reachable by a narrow, man-made spit. In the city, you feel the proximity of Asian countries: many colourful stores and cafés serving ‘pho bo’ and ‘ramen’. Incidentally, Vladivostok is the final stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

9. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – land of volcanoes

The Kamchatka Peninsula boasts an incredible concentration of volcanoes. Just imagine: there are about 30 active volcanoes and another 300 or so extinct ones. Unsurprisingly, this region attracts tourists who want to see “Martian” landscapes. There are also many geysers there, which are even used to heat and light entire settlements!

10. Murmansk – Gateway to the Arctic

The world’s largest city above the Arctic Circle and one of Russia’s biggest ports. The nuclear icebreaker ‘Lenin’ is moored there at its permanent berth. Murmansk is a place where you can experience both the polar night and the polar day, while in winter and spring, witness the real Northern Lights.

11. St. Petersburg – Capital of the Russian Empire

Until 1917, St. Petersburg was the Russian capital, a fact reflected in its vast array of majestic architecture: lavish palaces and estates, strolling parks designed in the traditional European style and legendary theaters and museums. Summer St. Petersburg is especially alluring, with its white nights and drawbridges, which earned it the nickname “Northern Venice”.

12. Moscow – A metropolis with history

The medieval kremlin, the skyscrapers of Moscow City, the quiet side streets of Arbat Street, delivery robots and the most beautiful subway system in the world. Moscow is the quintessential Russian megacity, where historical heritage blends seemlessly with progress.

#Russian regions