WONDERS OF RUSSIA | From the Baltic to the Pacific | The Most Beautiful Places in Russia | 4K

WONDERS OF RUSSIA | From the Baltic to the Pacific | The Most Beautiful Places in Russia | 4K

Russia.  Land of boundless forests, land of golden 
domes, land of czars and eternal ice. A freezing fog, envelops the forest. Thick ice, completely covers a lake in winter.
A train, travels for days without stopping. Welcome to Russia.
Welcome, to the largest nation on the planet. Known as the homeland of the 
czars, this is an immense land, where wolves and lynxes roam in forests 
that exceed the extent of Canada, and where extreme temperatures 
sculpt landscapes of ice, and fire. But let’s start from the beginning…
Russia extends for five thousand six hundred miles, or nine 
thousand kilometers from west to east, covering eleven percent of the planet’s emerged lands.
It is so immense, that it could contain the United States, Europe, and Australia put together, 
and there would still be free space left. A geographical colossus, that 
defies any understanding,   where distances are measured not 
in hours, but in days of travel. This vastness, manifests itself 
most greatly through its time zones. With eleven original time zones, 
although now it officially uses nine,   when in Moscow it’s eight in the evening, in 
Vladivostok it’s already morning of the next day. But it is beneath the surface, that Russia 
reveals one of its most surprising secrets. Permafrost covers sixty-five percent of 
the territory, that is, two-thirds of the nation rest on permanently frozen ground.
Here, building houses, roads, and railways, requires special techniques, and an 
engineering that defies extreme cold. In fact, in Siberian cities, cars remain running 
all night, to prevent the engine from freezing. In this scenario of extreme cold, 
most of Russia remains uninhabited. The average population density, in 
fact, is among the lowest in the world,   with only nine people per square kilometer, 
or twenty-three people per square mile. There are vast territories where humanity 
is only a distant echo, and where nature still reigns sovereign and unchallenged.
And it is precisely in these boundless spaces, that the taiga extends, the 
largest boreal forest on the planet. Russia hosts more forests than any other 
country, and the Russian taiga contains one-fifth of the world’s forests.
It is larger than all of Canada, extending for four point six million square 
miles, or twelve million square kilometers, and hosting wolves, bears, and lynxes, in 
numbers that elsewhere are now only a memory. A green lung, that breathes to 
the rhythm of arctic seasons. But this nation is also a land of 
impossible geographical contrasts. It is one of the very few countries, that boasts   arctic deserts and subtropical 
coasts, in the same territory. In Yakutia and in the arctic zone, for instance,   cold deserts are found, completely 
sterile, where ice replaces sand. In Sochi and on the Black Sea, instead, 
palms, tea and citrus fruits grow, with a humid subtropical climate that seems to 
have come from entirely different latitudes. These climatic contrasts, moreover, manifest 
themselves with temperatures that oscillate   by about one hundred eighty degrees Fahrenheit, 
or one hundred degrees Celsius annually, passing from minus eighty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, or 
minus sixty-seven degrees Celsius in winter, to ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit, or thirty-five 
degrees Celsius in summer in zones like Yakutia. Continuing, in the Soviet period, this immense 
territory also concealed well-guarded secrets. Until 1991, in fact, there existed dozens of 
closed cities, that did not appear on maps, where nuclear weapons were produced 
and military research was conducted. Even today, some cities require 
special permits to enter,   heritage of an era where entire communities, 
existed outside of official geography. In this land of extremes, even the language 
reflects the complexity of the nation. Russian uses six letters more than the 
Latin alphabet, and some consonants   have soft and hard versions.
Learning to read requires months, even for those who already speak the language.
And precisely diversity, is perhaps the most fascinating characteristic, of this nation.
Here, there are more than one hundred ninety ethnic groups, with Russians being eighty percent 
of the population, but they live alongside Tatars, Chechens, Bashkirs, and Buryats, each with 
their own language, religion, and traditions. Russia, therefore, is much 
more than a simple country. It is an entire continent.  A place that continues to tell 
its story, to whoever visits it. But now, let’s go discover the most 
incredible and iconic places, of this nation. Moscow
The Russian capital extends over seven hills, along the banks of the river, that bears its name.
The Kremlin, is a fortified complex that has seen czars, revolutionaries, and Soviet 
leaders pass through, and encloses within its red walls centuries of power.
Red Square, instead, is crossed every day by thousands of people, with Saint Basil’s 
Cathedral showing its colored domes, that seem suspended between fairy tale and reality.
Underground, runs one of the deepest metros in the world, built as an air-raid shelter, and decorated 
with chandeliers, mosaics, and sculptures. The city counts over twelve million inhabitants, 
and lives in contrasts that are easily noticed walking through the streets, with Stalinist 
palaces alternating with glass skyscrapers. Here, the winter cold can reach 
minus four degrees Fahrenheit, or   minus twenty degrees Celsius, while in 
summer, the sun sets after midnight. Lake Baikal The deepest lake on Earth, reaches five 
thousand three hundred eighty-seven feet, or 1,642 meters in depth. It contains one-fifth of the planet’s 
unfrozen freshwater, more than all the American Great Lakes put together, and widens by 
two centimeters, or about one inch every year. Born from a fracture of the earth’s crust, it 
extends for three hundred ninety-five miles, or 636 kilometers through southern Siberia, 
and is surrounded by mountains that reach six thousand five hundred feet, or 2,000 meters.
In winter, the ice can reach four point nine feet, or one and a half meters thick, becoming 
transparent like glass in some points, and allowing one to see the bottom at dozens 
of meters, or over one hundred feet deep. The water hosts species that exist 
nowhere else, like freshwater seals, and fish that live only here.
Twenty-seven islands emerge from its waters, and the largest is inhabited 
by a small community of fishermen. Saint Petersburg
Peter the Great wanted a window on Europe, and built it on marshes and islands, where 
the Neva River flows into the Gulf of Finland. One hundred thousand men worked 
for years, many died of hardship   and disease, but the city was born.
Today, four million people live among canals and baroque palaces, with 342 
bridges that connect these islands, and some open every night, to let ships pass.
The Winter Palace guards three million works of art, with corridors miles long, while Saint 
Isaac’s Cathedral dominates the skyline, with its golden dome that is the third largest 
in the world, and decorated inside with eight hundred eighty pounds, or 400 kilograms of gold.
In summer, there are the white nights, when the sun descends below the horizon only for a few 
hours, leaving a twilight that lasts until dawn. Kamchatka Peninsula
A tongue of land, seven hundred seventy-seven miles, or 1,250 kilometers long, and suspended 
between two oceans, in the Russian Far East. One hundred sixty volcanoes dot the landscape, 
of which twenty-nine are still active, releasing steam and ash toward the sky.
Geysers scattered in remote valleys, shoot boiling water to dozens of meters, 
or over one hundred feet in height. In some areas, forests of dwarf birches and 
larches cover the valleys, thanks to the fertile volcanic soil, which often creates a green mantle.
Brown bears populate these wild territories, gathering along the rivers, when 
salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs. The human population doesn’t even reach 
three hundred thousand inhabitants,   and is concentrated mainly in the 
capital “Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.” Trans-Siberian Railway
Five thousand six hundred miles, or nine thousand kilometers of tracks 
cross Russia, from Moscow to Vladivostok. The complete journey requires seven 
days, crosses eight time zones,   and touches 87 cities.
Work began in 1891, and ended after 25 years of excavations, 
bridges, and tunnels dug in the permafrost. The train passes through birch forests,   Mongolian steppes, and Siberian villages 
where time seems to have crystallized. The track also runs parallel to Lake Baikal for 
one hundred twenty-four miles, or two hundred kilometers, with the external temperature that can 
drop to minus forty degrees Fahrenheit, or minus forty degrees Celsius during winter, while inside 
the cars the heating maintains constant warmth. Altai Mountains
Mysterious mountain chains, meet at the border between Russia, 
Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan. The peaks exceed thirteen thousand 
feet, or four thousand meters,   and glaciers feed rivers, that descend toward 
valleys inhabited by nomadic populations. The steppes are colored with wildflowers 
in spring, while in winter the snow covers everything, isolating villages for months, and 
transforming the landscape into a white desert. Different ethnic groups have 
lived here for centuries,   practicing pastoralism and 
following seasonal migrations. UNESCO has recognized this area as a world 
heritage site for the biodiversity it guards, with various rare species that survive in 
habitats that have remained almost intact. Kazan One thousand years of history intertwine, 
where the Volga River meets the Kazanka River. The capital of Tatarstan, hosts mosques and 
Orthodox churches a few steps apart, testimony to a coexistence that has lasted for centuries.
The local Kremlin, a UNESCO heritage site, encloses within its white walls the “Qol Şärif” 
mosque, rebuilt after being destroyed in 1552. Here, moreover, Cyrillic alphabets and 
Turkish traditions mix, Christian and Muslim holidays are celebrated, and the 
city counts over one million inhabitants. In 2005 Kazan celebrated its millennium of 
history, and since then has renewed itself, with new buildings that have 
joined the historical ones. The “Wedding Palace,” for instance, with 
its futuristic architecture that resembles   a Tatar cauldron, lights up at night, and has 
become one of the symbols of the modern city. Mount Elbrus The highest mountain in Europe, rises to 
eighteen thousand five hundred ten feet, or 5,642 meters, in the Russian Caucasus.
Two twin peaks emerge from the ice, and are dormant volcanoes, whose last 
eruption dates back two thousand years ago. There are also 22 glaciers that slide along its 
flanks, feeding rivers that descend toward valleys inhabited by local populations.
The ascent requires preparation, acclimatization and respect, and every year 
thousands of mountaineers attempt the summit. Local guides know every crevasse, every dangerous 
zone, and accompany them in the adventure. From up there, the gaze embraces the mountain 
chains of the Caucasus, that separate Europe and Asia, and the wind can blow at sixty-two miles 
per hour, or one hundred kilometers per hour. Sochi
Twenty-seven miles, or 43 kilometers of coast along the Black Sea, 
set between the sea and the Caucasus mountains. The city counts four hundred thousand inhabitants,   and lives on beach tourism in 
summer, and skiers in winter. The 2014 Winter Olympics transformed the 
landscape, leaving sports facilities, new roads, and infrastructure that 
connects the coast to the slopes. Here, the subtropical climate allows the 
growth of palms, tea and citrus fruits, while twenty-five miles, or 40 kilometers 
inland, people ski from November to April. Stalin had a country house here, 
and came to rest far from Moscow. Today, instead, Russians come on vacation, filling 
the beaches, and stroll along the waterfront. Kizhi Island An island of two point three square miles, 
or six square kilometers, in Lake Onega, reachable only by boat.
The Church of the Transfiguration rises with twenty-two wooden domes, 
built in 1714 but without a single nail. Every element was interlocked, and carved by hand 
by craftsmen who knew the secrets of pine wood. UNESCO has recognized this place as a world 
heritage site, defining it as an open-air museum, where houses, mills, and chapels 
tell the life of northern peasants. In winter the lake freezes, and even 
allows reaching it walking on the ice. Veliky Novgorod One of the oldest cities in Russia, 
founded in the distant year 859. When Moscow was still a village,   Novgorod governed trade routes that 
connected Scandinavia and Byzantium. The local Kremlin, encloses within the 
red walls the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, built in 1050 with various frescoes.
Here, the first medieval Russian republic was born, where citizens gathered 
in assembly to decide their destiny. Documents on birch bark, found in excavations, 
show that even women knew how to read and write. Dombay
It is located in the valleys of the western Caucasus, where 
rivers are born from perennial glaciers. The mountains exceed thirteen thousand 
feet, or four thousand meters,   creating a natural amphitheater, where 
fir forests give way to alpine meadows. Here live ibexes, brown bears, and European 
bison, reintroduced after disappearing. In winter skiers arrive, while in summer there 
are hikers, who follow paths to mountain lakes. There is also a cable car, that goes 
up to nine thousand eight hundred feet,   or three thousand meters, and 
opens onto incredible panoramas. Not far away, on a rocky hill, moreover 
rises the Christian temple of Shoan,   which is an ancient tenth-century 
church that dominates the valley, and testifies to the historical 
roots of this mountain region. Murmansk
The largest city in the world, beyond the Arctic Circle.
There are about three hundred thousand inhabitants, despite 
the sun never rising for forty days in winter. Founded in 1916 as a military 
port, it resists temperatures   that regularly drop below minus four degrees 
Fahrenheit, or minus twenty degrees Celsius. The port remains free from ice all 
year thanks to the Gulf Stream,   and allows the passage of icebreaker 
ships, which open routes toward the Arctic. It is from here that the hunt 
for the northern lights begins,   and the tourists who arrive are in 
search of those green skies, that dance. Ergaki Natural Park
Granite mountains rise in southern Siberia, created by volcanic 
eruptions six hundred million years ago. The park extends for eight hundred forty-five 
thousand acres, or 342 thousand hectares, crossed by rivers that carve deep gorges, 
among forests of cedars and larches. Alpine lakes reflect the mountains, with waters so   transparent that one sees the bottom at 
thirty-three feet, or ten meters deep. Brown bears, lynxes, and wild reindeer populate 
the valleys, where man can arrive only on foot. The trails lead to strange rock formations,   with snow that in winter covers 
everything, for six months. Suzdal
An open-air museum, where time flows differently. This city counts five thousand inhabitants, and 
preserves two hundred monuments of ancient Russian architecture, distributed over three point 
five square miles, or nine square kilometers. White churches with golden domes, 
are reflected in the Kamenka River,   and fortified monasteries enclose 
centuries of prayers and history. Here, buildings beyond three stories do not 
exist, and there has never been any industry. In the Middle Ages Suzdal 
rivaled Moscow in importance,   governed principalities, and minted its own coins.
Today, instead, tourists walk on dirt roads, visit the twelfth-century Kremlin, and enter 
wooden houses, where merchants and artisans lived. Vladivostok The Russian Far East ends here, where 
the city embraces the Golden Horn Bay. Founded in 1860 as a military fortress, it 
has grown to six hundred thousand inhabitants, becoming the main port on the Pacific.
From the port, fishing boats depart directed to the Sea of Japan, and return loaded with 
crabs and salmon, that supply Asian markets. The Russky Bridge, connects the mainland to the 
island of the same name, crossing half a mile, or one kilometer of sea, with spans suspended at 
two hundred thirty feet, or seventy meters high. Here, winter brings temperatures 
below five degrees Fahrenheit, or   minus fifteen degrees Celsius, and 
the sea freezes, along the coasts. Ruskeala Mountain Park
A canyon carved by man, in the heart of the Karelia region, where 
for two hundred years marble was extracted. The abandoned quarries filled 
with water, creating green   lakes one hundred sixty-four feet, or fifty 
meters deep, surrounded by white rock walls. Today, here one walks on suspended walkways, 
navigates by boat among flooded caves, and descends into tunnels where the 
echo of pickaxes still resounds. A vintage tourist train, moreover, 
connects the city of Sortavala to the park, crossing birch forests and Karelian villages, 
recreating the journeys of the czarist era. The Motherland Calls A statue of two hundred seventy-nine feet, 
or 85 meters, dominates a hill in Volgograd. It weighs eight thousand tons, or seven million 
two hundred fifty-eight thousand kilograms, and holds a sword one hundred eight feet, or 
thirty-three meters long pointed toward the sky. It was built in 1967 to commemorate the 
Battle of Stalingrad, where over one million people died, between 1942 and 1943.
Two hundred steps lead to the base, one for each day the battle lasted, and it 
was the bloodiest combat of World War II. Those who climb the monument find engraved 
the names of seven thousand fallen soldiers, while from hidden loudspeakers war songs resound. Ingushetia
The smallest republic in Russia, extends among the 
mountains of the northern Caucasus. Stone towers rise on slopes, where medieval 
villages resist, eight hundred years of history. These constructions served as defense and 
dwelling, with each family having its own tower, and some reach ninety-eight 
feet, or thirty meters in height. Here there is also the Vovnushki complex, 
which clings to two rocky spurs, and seems to grow from the mountain itself, having been 
built with interlocked stones without mortar. Swallow’s Nest Castle
A castle, clinging to a cliff on the Black Sea, at one hundred thirty-one 
feet, or forty meters above the waves. It was built in 1912 by a German baron, 
who wanted a residence facing the water, following the style of medieval German castles.
The structure measures thirty-three feet by sixty-six feet, or ten meters by twenty, 
and rests on a rock that the sea has been eroding for centuries, threatening 
to collapse with every storm. In 1927 an earthquake cracked the cliff, 
and since then restoration interventions keep walls and foundations standing.
The castle currently hosts exhibitions, and is reached via twelve hundred 
steps, carved into the rock. Kaliningrad
A Russian enclave, squeezed between Poland and Lithuania, and 
separated from the rest of the country by hundreds of miles, or hundreds of kilometers.
This city was called “Königsberg,” and belonged to Prussia, then was destroyed during 
World War II, and rebuilt by the Soviets. Here the philosopher Immanuel Kant 
was born, with his tomb guarded next   to the Gothic cathedral, which is the only 
medieval building that survived the bombings. The city center was rebuilt with wide 
boulevards in Soviet style, dominated by massive buildings, and victory monuments.
The port on the Baltic Sea hosts the Russian fleet, while nearby beaches guard amber, that 
the sea deposits on the sand for millennia. It should be emphasized that ninety percent 
of the world’s amber, comes from these coasts Vyborg Castle A Swedish fortress, founded in 1293, 
on an island in the Gulf of Finland. The Tower of Saint Olaf dominates the 
landscape at two hundred sixty-two feet, or eighty meters high, and offers panoramas 
of a city that has changed flags seven times. Vyborg passed from Sweden to Russia in 1710, then 
to Finland in 1918, and returned Soviet in 1940. The walls have seen sieges, battles, bombardments, 
and every stone tells of different dominations. The castle today hosts a museum, while 
the city preserves Finnish architecture, Lutheran churches, and Hanseatic 
houses along cobblestone streets. Lake Kezenoyam
The highest lake in the northern Caucasus, at about six thousand one hundred thirty feet, or 
1,869 meters above sea level, set among mountains that protect it from winds.
The water reaches depths of two hundred forty-three feet, or 74 
meters, fed by underground springs, that maintain a constant temperature all year.
Here, lives a species of trout that exists nowhere else, adapted to these 
cold waters, over millennia. The lake is also surrounded by pastures, 
where shepherds bring flocks during summer. Yekaterinburg It is Russia’s fourth city by inhabitants, 
at the border between Europe and Asia. An obelisk marks the boundary between the two 
continents, planted where the Ural Mountains geographically divide the world.
Here, in 1918 the family of Czar Nicholas II was shot, in the cellar of 
a house that today no longer exists. In its place rises the 
Cathedral on the Spilled Blood,   built in 2003 on the exact site of the execution. Today the city attracts visitors with 
its wide boulevards, museums, theaters, and the lively historic center, which 
develops along the banks of the Iset River. Kivach Nature Reserve One of Russia’s oldest nature 
reserves, established in 1931. At the center flows the Suna River, which 
plunges for thirty-three feet, or ten meters, creating the Kivach waterfall, which is often 
considered the second lowland waterfall in Europe by flow rate, after those of the Rhine.
The coniferous forest covers hundreds of miles, or hundreds of kilometers, where 
centuries-old pines alternate with birches, that whiten in the landscape.
Here, live brown bears, lynxes, and moose, that traverse landscapes with over five 
hundred plant species, and many of which grow only in this area, protected by a climate 
that mixes arctic and continental influences. In summer, white nights allow walking until 
late, among trees illuminated by twilight. Nizhny Novgorod
A city of one million two hundred thousand inhabitants, 
where the Oka River flows into the Volga. The red brick Kremlin watches over the 
confluence for about five hundred years, built when the city defended 
Moscow from eastern invasions. Inside its walls is found the Church of 
the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the oldest religious buildings in 
the city, with its characteristic domes. Along the “Chkalov” staircase 
one descends to the river,   crossing 500 steps, that cut the 
hill and offer panoramic views. The historic center preserves 
nineteenth-century merchant palaces,   testimony to when it was one of the main 
commercial crossroads, between Europe and Asia. The cable car, finally, crosses the Volga, 
suspended at two hundred eighty-two feet, or eighty-six meters high, and connects the two 
banks in seven minutes of travel over the water. Khibiny Mountains
They rise in the Kola Peninsula, beyond the Arctic Circle.
The peaks reach three thousand nine hundred feet, or twelve hundred meters, shaped by 
glaciers that carved U-shaped valleys. The city of “Kirovsk” lives at the foot of the 
mountains, with thirty thousand inhabitants who work on ski slopes or in mines, because 
underground, here, hide deposits of rare minerals. The trails cross rocky plateaus 
where only mosses and lichens grow,   while glacial lakes dot the 
valleys, with transparent waters. Novosibirsk
Russia’s third city by inhabitants, was born in 1893 in the 
heart of Siberia, as a camp of workers building the railway bridge over the Ob River, and then 
grew around the Trans-Siberian Railway itself. Today, that bridge over half a mile, or more than 
eight hundred meters long connects the two banks, and carries trains between Europe and Asia.
The city is cut by Krasny Avenue, which is the main artery, and crosses Soviet squares 
and markets, where local products are sold. Then there is the Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky,   which was one of the first stone buildings in the 
city, with its ocher-red facade and golden dome. The opera house, moreover, is 
one of the largest in the world,   and can host two thousand spectators. Sviyazhsk
An island in the Volga River, extends for one point two 
square miles, or three square kilometers. Here, Ivan the Terrible founded 
a fortress in four weeks,   assembling prefabricated wooden 
structures, to besiege Kazan. Orthodox churches are reflected in the water,   while fortified monasteries 
enclose ancient frescoes. During the Soviet era, the island became 
a prison camp, then psychiatric hospital, and finally was abandoned.
Today, two hundred inhabitants live among restored walls, and UNESCO has 
recognized this place as a world heritage site. Tyulyuk
Among the folds of the southern Ural Mountains, this village guards one of the last Bashkir 
communities, that still practice nomadic herding. Here, families follow the rhythm of the seasons, 
moving flocks between summer pastures at altitude, and protected valleys in winter.
Yurts alternate with wooden houses, while women weave carpets with patterns 
handed down through generations. The Ay River crosses the territory, bringing 
water to the herds, and in cold months the landscape transforms into a sea of white, where 
only chimney smoke reveals human presence. The Bashkir language still resounds 
in the streets, mixing with Russian, and traditional festivals gather 
families around local dishes. Yaroslavl
One of the cities of the Golden Ring, with one thousand years of history along the Volga River.
Founded in 1010 by Prince “Yaroslav the Wise,” it grew as a commercial center 
between Moscow and the north. The historic center guards 65 Orthodox 
churches, fortified monasteries, and merchants’ houses decorated with colored majolica.
The riverfront comes alive in summer, with outdoor cafés and tourist boats, 
while in winter ice covers the Volga, transforming it into a white expanse.
During the Soviet era it became an industrial hub, with tire and engine factories, 
that today still employ thousands of people. Tomsk
In Siberia, there exists a city where wood speaks through decorated windows, 
with each facade telling stories carved by hand. Tomsk was born as a fortress in 1604, and today 
preserves hundreds of wooden buildings, that transform the streets into an open-air museum.
Here, the first Siberian university opened its doors in 1878, attracting 
minds from across the empire. The climate gives winters at minus twenty-two 
degrees Fahrenheit, or minus thirty degrees Celsius and brief intense summers, while 
the Tom River crosses a city that has made knowledge and artisan tradition, its identity.
Among snow and forests, this city resists, witness to an architecture that 
elsewhere has almost disappeared. Cape Tobizin
The Russian coast breaks off in the Sea of Japan, at a promontory where wind sculpts volcanic 
rocks, and the ocean crashes with constant force. Cape Tobizin extends into the sea, and is a place 
where nature shows its power, without mediations. The black cliffs testify to ancient 
eruptions, while the Pacific waves have smoothed every surface, for millennia.
Here, fishermen know dangerous currents and rich depths, and lighthouses 
guide ships through sudden fogs. Ufa Two rivers meet here, and at 
their confluence “Ufa” grew. This city is a crossroads, where Russian 
culture meets Bashkir and Tatar culture, and where mosques alternate 
with Orthodox churches. It produces about one-third of Russia’s 
refined oil, and its industries   have fueled the country, for decades.
But beyond factories there are monuments, nature, and an established musical tradition. Between oil and ballet, and between 
Europe and Asia, Ufa represents the complexity of a territory, where different 
identities have coexisted for centuries. Golden Temple of Buddha Shakyamuni
It is the largest Buddhist temple in Europe, and rises in the capital of the Kalmykia region. A golden statue of twenty-nine point five feet, 
or nine meters dominates the main hall, surrounded by frescoes that narrate the life of Buddha.
The structure counts seven levels, representing the seven steps toward enlightenment, and 
welcomes pilgrims from all over Russia. The temple was inaugurated in 2005, 
after seventy years in which Soviet communism had prohibited all religious practice. Concluding this visual journey through 
Russia, we moved from the charm of its cities, to the most extraordinary landscapes, 
exploring together not only places, but also curiosities that make 
every corner of this land unique. We hope that the images and stories told have 
enriched your knowledge, and stimulated the desire to personally explore, the extraordinary 
richness of this fascinating country.

Discover the incredible wonders of Russia in this exciting 4K documentary that takes you on a journey through the most beautiful places in the country. A visual experience that will show you what to see in Russia and inspire you for your next adventure.

From the majestic peaks of the Caucasus, including the legendary Mount Elbrus, to the ancient golden domes of the Moscow Kremlin, every corner of this land hides treasures to explore. Russia’s landscapes will leave you breathless, from the endless forests of the taiga to the frozen deserts of Yakutia.

Explore Russia’s most beautiful places like magical St. Petersburg with its imperial palaces and enchanting canals, historic Moscow with Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, and ancient Kazan, where mosques and Orthodox churches coexist in harmony. Discover the alpine valleys of the Caucasus, where imposing mountains reflect in crystal-clear lakes, and travel along the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway through breathtaking landscapes.

This journey will take you to discover the legendary Lake Baikal, ancient monasteries, historic cities, traditional villages and landscapes that make Russia a unique destination. Be inspired by the wonders of Russia and discover why this land continues to fascinate travelers from all over the world.

TIMELINE
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Welcome to Russia
08:31 Moscow
10:28 Lake Baikal
12:29 St. Petersburg
14:13 Kamchatka Peninsula
15:55 Trans-Siberian Railway
17:35 Altai Mountains
19:09 Kazan
21:03 Mount Elbrus
22:55 Sochi
24:30 Kizhi Island
25:55 Veliky Novgorod
27:14 Dombay
29:12 Murmansk
30:41 Ergaki Natural Park
32:24 Suzdal
34:11 Vladivostok
35:53 Ruskeala Mountain Park
37:19 The Motherland Calls (Volgograd)
38:47 Ingushetia
40:10 Swallow’s Nest Castle
41:47 Kaliningrad
43:25 Vyborg Castle
45:01 Kezenoyam Lake
46:22 Yekaterinburg
47:55 Kivach Nature Reserve
49:35 Nizhny Novgorod
51:24 Khibiny Mountains
52:44 Novosibirsk
54:29 Sviyazhsk
55:55 Tyulyuk Village
57:31 Yaroslavl
59:15 Tomsk
01:01:01 Cape Tobizin
01:02:24 Ufa
01:03:59 Golden Temple of Buddha Shakyamuni
01:05:17 Outro

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