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Red Square, Moscow

This is possibly the most famous central square in the world. It is a humbling sight both day and night; beautiful in winter when it is covered by a pristine blanket of snow and it is regally dramatic all the year round. Originally an expanse of nothing more than mud, and populated by a ragged collection of hawkers, beggars and outcasts, Red Square acquired its present size and stature gradually. The square and its surroundings exude the drama of Russian past and present. The walls of the Kremlin loom on one side, their blood-red height belittling the pale GUM department store opposite. At the southern end of the square towers, is the onion-domed exuberance of St. Basil's Cathedral.

Lenin Mausoleum, Moscow

Architect Alexei Shchusev (who built this imposing mausoleum on Red Square in 1930) modeled it on the ziggurat terraced temples of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. Inside, visitors file round the embalmed body of the leader of the Russian Revolution, Vladiamr I. Lenin. The material used for the exterior is mostly dark-red granite and grey and black labradorite. The colors are in perfect harmony with the red bricks of the Kremlin Wall that looms in the background. It measures 12 meters in height and 24 meters in length.

Gorky Park, Moscow

Gorky Park stretches along 3 kilometers of the Moskva River to the southwest of the city center. The park became known to the Western public thanks to a blockbuster movie based on Martin Cruz Smith's (Cold War) best-selling book, 'Gorky Park,' and the Scorpions' famous song. Laid down in 1928, the original ornamental gardens are now accompanied by an entertainment zone, hosting everything from science lectures to rock concerts in its auditorium.

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

It was Catherine the Great who was responsible for creating the celebrated Hermitage museum within the walls of her glorious Imperial residence, the Winter Palace. At the time of her death the collection contained nearly 4,000 paintings. Today there are more than three million items making the Hermitage one of the largest and most prestigious museums in the world. Visitors can be forgiven for being unsure where to begin, coronation carriages, the Malachite Room, centuries old porcelain and antiques, Faberge, Rembrandt, Raphael, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Van Gogh, Matisse, Renoir, Degas, and Rodin, and all that just for starters. It can take a complete day to see the highlights, but investigating every corner in each of the five linked buildings could take years.

Moscow Kremlin, Moscow

Russia's walled fortress contains much of the country's history, politics and religion. The walls were originally built from white stone, but were rebuilt in the late 15th century with their distinctive red brick. Visit historic religious sites including the Cathedral of the Assumption, Archangel's Cathedral, palaces (most notably the Patriarch's Palace), museums, and of course the official residence of the country's President. Entry to all attractions is via the Kutafia Tower on the southern side.

Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg

This is the historic heart of the city. Tsar Peter I built the fortress in just six months in 1703. Situated on the Zaiachii (Rabbit) island, the fortress faces the Winter Palace and is one of the city's symbols. The fortress houses an assembly of interesting monuments such as the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Trubetskii prison, Peter's Boathouse and the The Mint. Peter and other Russian Tsars are buried at the cathedral.

State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

Pavel Tretiakov, collector of some the best work of contemporary artists in Moscow and St. Petersburg, founded this gallery in 1856. His brother Sergei collected French and Dutch masters, and in 1872 they combined their collections and opened this extremely popular museum. In 1892 it was donated to the city of Moscow and lives on with works by famous Russian painters such as Vasilii Perov, Ivan Kramskoi and Ilia Repin.

St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

Possibly the most widely-recognized of Russia's architectural monuments, St. Basil's looms at the southern end of Red Square in all its multi-colored, multi-coned glory. The cathedral's real name is the Cathedral of the Intercession. It was built between 1555 and 1561 to commemorate the victory of Ivan the Terrible over the Tatars in Kazan. The cathedral was built near the grave of the so-called, "holy fool", St. Basil the Blessed, hence its popular and widely-used name.

Tverskaya Street, Moscow

Originally conceived as a generic road leading out of Moscow in medieval times, Tverskaya Ulitsa has since become a central artery of the city as well as a constant reminder of Russia's dynamic history. The avenue houses a variety of historically significant buildings including the National Hotel, the Yermolova Theatre, the State Duma, and a number of buildings used by Stalin, and Lenin during their days in power. The streets modern appearance took shape in the 1930s after a significant number of buildings were demolished in order to straighten and widen its crooked original layout. Today it is a trendy shopping district, where tourists and locals can take in the herculean neoclassical buildings that line its sidewalks while spending some some hard-earned rubles.

Alexander Nevsky Lavra, St. Petersburg

Just along the Neva River at the most eastern end of Nevskii Prospekt is the oldest monastery in St. Petersburg. Surrounded by walls and moats, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded by Peter the Great in 1710. It is dominated largely by the functioning Neo-Classical Cathedral of the Trinity, constructed by Ivan Starov between 1776-1790. Within the historic grounds also lie the Lazarus and Tikhvin Cemeteries, where visitors can search for the graves of some of Russia's most celebrated thinkers, architects, artists and composers: Lomonosov, Dostoevsky, Rossi, Quarenghi and Tchaikovsky among others.

St. Isaac's Cathedral, St. Petersburg

During the first part of the 19th Century, 11,000 serfs drove 25,000 wooden planks into the ground creating the foundation for what would become St Isaac's Cathedral. More than 100 kilos of pure gold were used to gild the dome and the 112 polished granite columns to support it. The massive interior is constructed from various types of marble and stone and is designed to accommodate up to 14,000 people. Construction of the cathedral was a painstaking project, taking 40 years to complete; its architect, Auguste Ricard de Montferrand, died shortly after. The golden dome has governed the Neva River skyline for nearly 200 years. One of the cathedral's most popular attractions is its circular observation deck. After climbing 562 steps, a panoramic view of Peter's city awaits.
 

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