Lonely Planet Russia

Russia

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Russia

Russia's Top 20

Need to Know

First Time Russia

What's New

Getting Your Visa

If You Like...

Month by Month

Itineraries

Great Train Journeys

Russian Adventures

Regions at a Glance

On The Road

Moscow

Moscow Highlights

Neighbourhoods at a Glance

Moscow Kremlin

St Basil's Cathedral

Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

State Tretyakov Gallery Main Branch

Gorky Park

Sights

Activities

Tours

Festivals & Events

Sleeping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Country Estates

Istra

Borodino

Golden Ring

Golden Ring Highlights

Vladimir

Suzdal

Plyos

Kostroma

Yaroslavl

Rostov-Veliky

Pereslavl-Zalessky

Sergiev Posad

St Petersburg

St Petersburg Highlights

Neighbourhoods at a Glance

The Hermitage

Peter & Paul Fortress

Russian Museum

St Isaac's Cathedral

Sights

Activities

Tours

Festivals & Events

Sleeping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Peterhof

Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo)

Pavlovsk

Gatchina

Kronshtadt

Leningrad Region

Western European Russia

Tula

Yelets

Voronezh

Oryol

Smolensk

Tver

Torzhok

Veliky Novgorod

Staraya Russa

Pskov

Stary Izborsk

Pechory

Kaliningrad Region

Kaliningrad

Yantarny

Svetlogorsk

Zelenogradsk

Kurshskaya Kosa

Northern European Russia

Northern European Russia Highlights

Republic of Karelia

White Sea

Solovetsky Islands

Arkhangelsk

Kola Peninsula

Murmansk

Vologda

Kargopol

Kenozero National Park

Volga Region

Nizhny Novgorod

Kazan

Ulyanovsk

Samara

Samara Bend

Tolyatti

Saratov

Volgograd

Astrakhan

Elista

Russian Caucasus

Rostov-on-Don

Starocherkasskaya

Krasnodar

Sochi

Adler

Krasnaya Polyana

Mineralnye Vody

Pyatigorsk

Kislovodsk

Dombay & Teberda

Arkhyz

Nalchik

Elbrus Area

The Urals

Perm

Kungur

Yekaterinburg

Around Yekaterinburg

Ufa

Ufa to Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk

Western Siberia

Tyumen

Tobolsk

Omsk

Novosibirsk

Tomsk

Novokuznetsk

Sheregesh

Altai

Eastern Siberia

Krasnoyarsk

Divnogorsk & Ovsyanka

Abakan

Around Abakan

Kyzyl

Around Kyzyl

Western Tuva

Kyzyl to Mongolian Border

Tayshet

Bratsk

Severobaikalsk

Around Severobaikalsk

Irkutsk

Listvyanka

Port Baikal

Olkhon Island

Slyudyanka

Arshan & Tunka Valley

Eastern Baikal

Ulan-Ude

Around Ulan-Ude

Russian Far East

Blagoveshchensk

Birobidzhan

Khabarovsk

Vladivostok

Tynda

Komsomolsk-na-Amure

Yakutsk

Magadan

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Around Petropavlovsky-Kamchatsky

Elsewhere in Kamchatka

Valley of the Geysers

Lake Kurilskoe

Mt Mutnovskaya

Esso

Understand

Understand Russia

Russia Today

History

Russian People

Religion

Performing Arts & Music

Literature & Cinema

Architecture & Visual Art

Food & Drink

Landscape & Wildlife

Survive

Directory A-Z

Accommodation

Customs Regulations

Electricty

Embassies & Consulates

Food

LGBT Travellers

Health

Insurance

Internet Access

Language Courses

Legal Matters

Money

Opening Hours

Photography

Post

Public Holidays

Safe Travel

Telephone

Time

Toilets

Tourist Information

Travel with Children

Travellers with Disabilities

Visas

Volunteering

Women Travellers

Work

Transport

Getting There & Away

Getting Around

Language

Behind the Scenes

Our Writers

Welcome to Russia

The world's largest country offers it all, from historic cities and idyllic countryside to artistic riches, epic train rides and vodka-fuelled nightlife.

Lake Baikal, Eastern Siberia | TOLSTNEV / GETTY IMAGES ©

Arty & Adventurous

Whether you’re a culture vulture in search of inspiration from great artists and writers or an adventure addict looking for new horizons to conquer, Russia amply delivers. Tread in the footsteps of literary greats, including Tolstoy and Pushkin, on their country estates. Ski or climb lofty mountains in the Caucasus, go trekking or white-water rafting in the Altai Republic, hike around Lake Baikal, or scale an active volcano in Kamchatka – the variety of possibilities will make your head spin.

Historic & Contemporary

If ancient walled fortresses, glittering palaces and swirly-spired churches are what you’re after, focus on European Russia. Here, Moscow and St Petersburg are the must-see destinations, twin repositories of eye-boggling national treasures, political energies and contemporary creativity. Within easy reach of these cities are charming historical towns and villages, such as Veliky Novgorod, Pskov and Suzdal, where the vistas dotted with onion domes and lined with gingerbread cottages measure up to the rural Russia of popular imagination.

Off the Beaten Track

Russia’s vast geographical distances and cultural differences mean you don’t tick off its highlights in the way you might those of a smaller nation. Instead, view Russia as a collection of distinct territories, each one deserving separate attention. Rather than transiting via Moscow, consider flying direct to a regional centre such as Rostov-on-Don, Irkutsk or Yekaterinburg and striking out from there. With a welcome spread of Western-style hostels and hotels around the country and the ease of booking trains and flights online, it's simple to organise this kind of trip yourself.

A Riddle Worth Solving

We won’t lie: bureaucracy and occasional discomfort and inconvenience, particularly away from the booming urban centres, remain an integral part of the Russian travel experience. However, a small degree of perseverance will be amply rewarded: one of the great joys of travel in Russia is being swept away by the boundless hospitality of the people. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Winston Churchill both wrote famous lines about Russia being an enigmatic riddle. Embrace this conundrum and you, too, are sure to find yourself swept away by a passion for Mother Russia.

Why I love Russia

By Simon Richmond, Writer

A traveller's relationship with Russia is never an easy one, but over two decades of exploring this multifaceted country, I've yet to tire of it or be disappointed. It's a thrill to discover the latest on the dynamic and liberal art scene in the major cities, and I particularly relish the serene countryside, with Lake Baikal and the Greater Caucasus mountains favourite locations. Above all, it has been encounters with warmly welcoming and highly educated Russians that have made the most lasting impression on me.

Russia's Top 20

Walking Across Red Square

Stepping onto Red Square never ceases to inspire: the tall towers and imposing walls of the Kremlin, the playful jumble of patterns and colours adorning St Basil’s Cathedral, the majestic red bricks of the State History Museum and the elaborate edifice of the GUM department store, all encircling a vast stretch of cobblestones. Individually they are impressive, but the ensemble is electrifying. Come at night to see the square empty of crowds and the buildings awash with lights.

MORDOLFF / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

The Hermitage

Little can prepare most visitors for the scale and quality of the exhibits at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. Comprising an almost unrivalled history of Western art, the collection includes a staggering number of Rembrandts, Rubens and Matisses – the latter being displayed in new galleries in the General Staff Building. In addition, there are superb antiquities, sculpture and jewellery on display, not to mention the stupendously decorated public halls and private apartments of the Romanovs, for whom the Winter Palace was home until 1917.

DREAMER COMPANY / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Kamchatka

It seems almost trite to describe Kamchatka as majestic. To many it is, quite simply, the most beautiful place in the world. It’s Yellowstone, Rotorua and Patagonia rolled into one, and it teems with wildlife free to frolic in one of the world’s great remaining wildernesses. Traditionally the domain of well-heeled tourists who could afford helicopter rides to view its trademark volcanoes, geysers and salmon-devouring bears, parts of Kamchatka can now be explored by independent travellers on more limited budgets. Now if only they could fix that weather…

ONYX9 / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Suzdal’s Idyll

Ding-dong ring the bells of a few dozen churches as you ride your bike through the streets of Suzdal, which are lined with wooden cottages and lush gardens. This is Russia as it would have been, but for the devastating 20th century – unpretentious, pious and very laid-back. Some of the best religious architecture is scattered around, but you can just as well spend all day lying in the grass and watching the river before repairing to a banya (hot bath) for the sweet torture of heat, cold and birch twigs.

MIGUEL SOTOMAYOR / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

The Caucasus Mountains

Photos simply don’t do them justice: the astonishing beauty of the Caucasus mountains is best appreciated on a trek among the jagged peaks. You can take short hikes through meadows, past waterfalls and up into alpine heights from the villages of Dombay and Arkhyz. Those seeking to conquer Europe’s highest mountain set their sights on Elbrus, the twin-peaked overlord that tops out at 5642m – one of Russia’s most challenging mountain adventures. Wherever you plan to go, be sure to arrange any necessary permits well in advance.

KAV38 / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Banya at Sanduny Baths

The quintessential Russian experience is visiting a traditional banya (hot bath). Forget your modesty, strip down and brave the steam room at the likes of Moscow's Sanduny Baths. As the heat hits, you’ll understand why locals wear felt hats to protect their hair. A light thrashing with a bundle of birch branches is part of the fun, as is the invigorating blast that follows the post-steam dive into an icy pool or the douse in a frigid shower – as the locals say, S lyogkim parom! (Hope your steam was easy!).

BALAKATE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Exploring the Altai

Misty mountain passes, standing stone idols, tranquil lakes and empty roads that stretch on forever…welcome to the Altai Republic, Russia’s supreme natural paradise, almost twice the size of Wales but with less than one-tenth of the population. You can travel for hours here without seeing another soul – unless you count the wild horses and goats. From snow-capped peaks to the lunar landscapes of Kosh-Agach, desolation has never been quite so appealing. But be warned – the Altai and its mysteries possess a magnetic pull, drawing travellers back year after year.

VEDERNIKOVA KATYA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Exploring the Black Sea

The serene Black Sea coast has long been a favourite of Russian holidaymakers for its seaside towns, easy-going ambience and the magnificent scenery in the nearby Caucasus mountains. The gateway to it all is Sochi, a vibrant city that reinvented itself as a first-rate international resort and host of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The looming peaks of nearby Krasnaya Polyana make a superb destination for ski lovers, while there’s great hiking – past waterfalls and up to eagle-nest heights – in the Agura Valley.

MASTERQ / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Golden Horn Bay

Vladivostok, capital of Russia’s east, has a swagger in its step after being remade for an economic summit in 2012. No longer a remote satellite of Moscow, Vladivostok is Asia’s rising star, and Golden Horn Bay is its heart and soul. Take it in from one of the city’s myriad viewpoints, or join the frenzy of activity on the bay with a ferry cruise. Check out the impressive new suspension bridge spanning the bay. Suddenly those San Francisco comparisons don’t seem quite so preposterous.

OVCHINNIKOVA IRINA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

A Night at the Mariinsky

What could be more Russian than a night at the ballet, dressed to the nines, watching Swan Lake or Romeo and Juliet? St Petersburg’s famed Mariinsky Theatre offers the ultimate in classical ballet or operatic experiences, and now has a contemporary twist as its long-awaited second stage has finally opened. Also worth a visit is Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, looking better than ever after a long renovation. Tickets are no longer cheap, but the experience will stay with you forever.

PETE SEAWARD / LONELY PLANET ©

Top Experiences

Hiking the Great Baikal Trail

Already one of Russia’s most successful environmental projects, the Great Baikal Trail has the ambitious aim of encircling Lake Baikal with marked hiking trails. That’s still a long way from being achieved, but where trails have been etched into the landscape, donning boots for a trek along Baikal’s shores is all the rage. Whichever section you choose, Baikal’s gobsmacking vistas and the tough going will leave you breathless as you pass through virgin taiga (swampy coniferous forest), along isolated beaches and through cold, flowing rivers.

TILPUNOV MIKHAIL / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Izmaylovsky Market

It’s a fine line between shopping and fun at the kremlin in Izmaylovo. Cross the footbridge and walk through the gate to enter a Disney-like medieval village, complete with wooden church, whitewashed walls and plenty of souvenir shops. Just as in times of yore, the best shopping is in the trade rows outside the kremlin walls. Wander among the sprawling market's stalls to find an endless array of traditional handicrafts, as well as art and antiques, Central Asian carpets, Soviet paraphernalia and more.

RASIKA108 / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Kizhi Island

Old buildings made of logs may not usually be synonymous with ‘heart-stopping excitement’, but the collection of wooden masterpieces on Kizhi is enough to spike the blood pressure of those blasé about even the most glorious architecture. The excitement builds as the heavenly Transfiguration Church is first glimpsed from the approaching hydrofoil. Up close, the church is a miracle of design and construct: legend has it that the unnamed builder destroyed his axe upon its completion, correctly assuming that its glory could not be matched.

BILDAGENTUR ZOONAR GMBH / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Mamaev Kurgan

For history buffs, a trip to Volgograd to take in the immense Mamaev Kurgan memorial to the Battle of Stalingrad is one of those must-visit, bucket-list types of places. The sheer mass of the 72m-high statue of Mother Russia wielding a sword that extends for another 11m must be seen in person to be fully grasped. Historians regard the epic WWII battle between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Red Army as the bloodiest in human history and a turning point in Russia’s ultimate victory in the war.

EV. SAFRONOV / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Olkhon Island

Sacred of the sacred to the shamanist western Buryats, who attach a legend or fable to every rock, cape and hillock, enchanted Olkhon sits halfway up Lake Baikal’s western shore. It’s obvious why the gods and other beings from the Mongol Geser stories chose to dwell on this eerily moving island, though today it’s more likely to be a bunch of backpackers you meet emerging from a cave. The island’s landscapes are spellbinding; Baikal’s waters lap balmiest on its western shore and if you’re after some Siberia-inspired meditation, there’s no better spot.

ANDREY NEKRASOV / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Solovetsky Islands

Delve into the mysteries of the Gulag past of the Solovetsky Islands and visit one of Russia’s most impressive fortress-monasteries. Some of Stalin’s most brutal repressions took place on these remote, forested islands, reachable only by boat and small plane and made infamous by Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago. The monastery, with its sturdy stone walls and powerful cannons, is famous for fighting off the British and withstanding an eight-year siege. Today it's a place of worship once more, the golden iconostases of its churches returned to former glories.

SVIC / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Top Experiences

Tobolsk

The former capital of Siberia, Tobolsk is today renowned across Russia for its magnificent kremlin. Crowds are rare, though, and if you come on a weekday you're likely to have its grounds almost to yourself. The kremlin is perched high above the old town, a part of Tobolsk where you'll lose track of time as you explore the endless wooden buildings and dramatic churches. Tobolsk is off the main Trans-Siberian route, but its charms are well worth the detour.

SERGEI BUTORIN / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Trans-Siberian Railway

Daylight gradually fades, light illuminates the carriage, and windows turn opaque and reflect life inside the train. One of the pleasures of travelling in Russia is to board an overnight train and alight in a different city the following morning. This may be inside a deluxe carriage from St Petersburg, but for many the dream is of a cross-continent odyssey on the trans-Siberian route. One logical place to connect with this route is Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city and home to a mammoth train station and an impressive opera house.

VOSTOK / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Tuva

Throat singers zing and burp under upturned eaves, the yurts of nomads pimple the dust-bare grasslands, a hoard of Scythian gold gleams in the National Museum and a clipped Turkic tongue stutters on the dusty streets – this is Tuva, a republic isolated from the rest of Russia by the Yergaki Mountains, where Slavic influence has all but faded. You’ll long remember a tour of this incredible country, not least for its wildernesses peppered with petroglyph-etched standing stones and its excitingly unique traditional music.

CENKD / GETTY IMAGES ©

Top Experiences

Veliky Novgorod’s Kremlin

In the town that considers itself Russia’s birthplace stands one of the country’s most impressive and picturesque stone fortresses. Within the grounds of the kremlin rise the Byzantine 11th-century Cathedral of St Sophia and a 300-tonne sculpture celebrating 1000 years of Russian history. Climb the Kokui Tower for an overview of the complex, then enter the Novgorod State United Museum to see one of Russia’s best collections of iconographic art. A pleasant park and riverside beach also fringe the magnificent brick walls.

ANDREY POZHARSKIY / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Need to Know

Currency

Russian rouble (R)

Language

Russian

Visas

Required by all; apply at least a month in advance of your trip.

Money

Credit and debit cards accepted. ATMs plentiful. Euros or US dollars best currencies for exchange.

Mobile Phones

Prepaid SIM cards are readily available. International roaming possible.

Time

Moscow/St Petersburg (GMT/USC plus four hours)

When to Go

High Season (Jun–Sep)

A Hot weather across most of the country.

A Peak season for Russians to go on holiday; all forms of transport should be booked in advance.

A Prices can rise in St Petersburg, particularly during White Nights in June and July.

Shoulder (May & Oct)

A Late spring and early autumn see the country bathed in the fresh greenery or russet shades of the seasons.

A Good time for cultural events in cities and major parades on Victory Day (9 May).

Low Season (Nov–Apr)

A Snow falls and temperatures plummet, creating the wintery Russia of the imagination.

A Best time for skiing (although resorts charge higher prices) and visiting museums and galleries.

Useful Websites

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/russia) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveller forum and more.

Way to Russia (www.waytorussia.net) Comprehensive online travel guide.

Afisha (www.afisha.ru) Extensive restaurant, bar, museum and event listings for all major cities; in Russian only.

Moscow Expat Site (www.expat.ru) Mine expat knowledge of Russia.

English Russia (http://englishrussia.com) Russia-focused blog with quirky images and stories.

Important Numbers

Exchange Rates

For current exchange rates see www.xe.com.

Daily Costs

Budget: Less than R1500

A Dorm bed: R700–R800

A Café or street-stall meal: R200–R500

A Travel on buses and metro: R15–R50

Midrange: R1500–R4000

A Double room in a midrange hotel: R2000–R3000

A Two-course meal: R500–R1000

A Museum entry fee: R100–R400

A City-centre taxi ride: R200–R300

Top End: More than R4000

A Double room in a top-end hotel: R5000-plus

A Two-course meal with wine: R2000-plus

A Ballet tickets: R3500

A First-class train ticket (eg Moscow–St Petersburg): R7300