Yaroslav Court - a historical architectural complex on the Trade Side of Novgorod, where veche meetings were held from XI to XV century. The name of the complex is associated with Yaroslav the Wise who, according to the chronicles, reportedly lived in this place, on the right bank of Volkhov.

No one can argue with the fact that the best known cathedral of Veliky Novgorod is Saint Sophia behind the Kremlin walls. But there is another cathedral reflected in the waters of the Volkhov River on the opposite bank – it is also huge, five-domed and very ancient.

The Novgorod Kremlin or Detinets is the citadel of Veliky Novgorod.

There is a thin bright bell tower on Desyatinnaya Street in the ancient Lyudin (Goncharsky) part of Veliky Novgorod, between Prusskaya and Dobrynya streets. Its gate is the entrance to the territory of the former Desyatinny women’s monastery. This is one of the eight ancient city monasteries that almost completely kept its historical layout and the larger part of the buildings.

The icon of Our Lady of the Sign most revered in Novgorod is kept in St. Sophia Cathedral. Another relic is the carved stone cross of the Metropolitan Aleksii in the memory of the Battle of Kulikovo. The third relic has appeared in the cathedral only recently.

The museum porcelain workshop is the newest museum opened in 2011 in the ancient Desyatinny monastery near the Novgorod Kremlin. Its principles include the ancient craft adjoined by advanced interactive technologies, education and entertainment.

The ridges are veiled with blue haze, stone rivers – kurums - stream down the slopes, cold rapid rivers flow into the valley. The nature is wild here. Flora and fauna are included into the Red Book. Discover national parks of the Urals.

Znamenskoye-Rayok, the estate of Glebovs-Streshnevs is called the pearl of creative works of Nikolai Lvov, a masterpiece of Russian Palladian architecture, one of the most romantic and mysterious Russian estates. The most accurate impression of the estate is conveyed in its name – Rayok (“Little Paradise”).

The construction of the fortress of Yamburg was completed and rebuilt several times.

The National Park “Smolenskoe Poozerye” is located in the North-west of Smolensk Oblast, in Demidovsky and Dukhovschinsky districts, on the territory of more than 146 hectares. The most part of the territory is covered by forests, both spruce and broadleaved.

Sebezhsky National Park occupies one third of Sebezhsky District of the Pskov Oblast: total 50 hectares. This is a unique natural oasis where one can find 650 rare species of plants and more than 200 species of birds. However, Sebezhsky National Park is famous not only for its nature. There can be found Stone Age settlements and fantastic medieval buildings.

Lopatinsky garden can be considered the main historical garden of Smolensk, not only because it is located in the city centre near the south-western segment of the fortification. This well-kept park with a picturesque landscape where traditional carousels coexist with historical monuments appeared on the place that soaked in blood: here Sigismund III managed to break through the defense of Smolyans in1809, and Napoleon’s marshals besieged the Royal bastion in 1812.

The name of this place alone already dooms it to popularity: a castle, love, treachery - sounds like a dramatic passion.

The Central Market, or the Old Bazaar, has been the quintessence of special spirit for two hundred years. The most interesting things here are not museums and monuments which are plenty in Rostov-on-Don, but the real life, generous south, a mix of everything and everyone.

Elton is a huge salt lake on the Russian Caspian lowland. It is considered the largest salt lake in Europe.

The first ancient Russian fortified settlement near the town of Vyazma appeared on the Rusyatka River. But the excavations found no traces of settlement at the Sobornaya Mountain, in an area where the Kremlin was situated later.

There is an organization on the shore of Nilmoguba, near the Arctic Circle, that is least expected to be met at the Arctic border – a diving centre. It has been existing for already 10 years - not only as a diving club, but also as a tourist centre with decent excursion services: from trips to nearby islands (with fishing and overnight stays) to a three-day tour to Solovki.

Several decades after tourists started to visit the cave its climate began to change. Taking photographs or touching the stalactites is not yet prohibited in the caves of Lago-Naki. Then it is all the more necessary to be conscious and just watch - enjoy the beauty, not contributing to its destruction. An eye can see more than a lens, and the pictures taken will still be bad without any special professional equipment – there’s too little light.

Rafting in “Nezhnaya” Cave is arranged for all tourists, whether they are experinced or just newbies.

The reconstructed capital of the Golden Horde Sarai-Batu appeared in 2011 on the territory of the settlement of Selitrennoye thanks to the movie by Andrei Proshkin “The Horde”.