|
|
| Churchill's 'riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma' remains an apt description of Russia ; most outsiders have only a hazy idea of its realities. A composite of the extravagant glories of old Russia and the drab legacies of the Soviet era, it's a country that both befuddles and beguiles. |
| This is a land of snow and deadly winters, but also of rivers that meander across meadows and a midsummer sun that never sets. Its people, in the words of a Russian proverb, 'love to suffer', yet they also love to party and can be disarmingly generous and hospitable. |
| With countless cultural treasures having withstood the tribulations of history and economics, and an artistic legacy running the gamut from Karenina to Zhivago , Russia remains a must-see destination. Russia 's myriad ethnic groups collectively form a rich cultural stew, one that has added much flavour to the country's spiritual life via institutions such as the Orthodox Church, to Russian visual arts with their recurring religious and existential themes, and to the society-focused aesthetics of the national literature and performing arts. |
|
Moscow
Moscow , the barometer and nucleus of the changes sweeping through Russia.
|
|
Novgorod
Novgorod was settled in the 9th century and for 600 years was Russia 's pioneering artistic and political centre. Its Kremlin includes the Byzantine Cathedral of St Sophia, the Millennium of Russia Monument, the icon-filled Chamber of Facets and the research-based Museum of History & Art. Across from the Kremlin, Yaroslav's Court includes medieval markets, churches, arcades and palace remains.
|
|
Sochi
With the Caucasus mountains as its backdrop, subtropical climate, warm seas and adjoining trendy resort complex of Dagomys.
|
|
St Petersburg
St Petersburg has been dubbed the Venice of the North for its palace-lined waterways. Sculpted by islands and the sinuous Neva River , the city is a vista of geometric elegance.
|
|
The Volga
The main artery of the Russian heartland has always been the 3700km(2299mi)-long River Volga (Europe's longest), which meanders from Yaroslavl, north of Moscow, all the way down to Volgograd. Cruisers and steamships ply its waters, the most interesting section is between.
|
|
|
|
|
