573. The Kremlin

 

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562. Ostankino TV tower

 Ostankino Tower (Russian: Останкинская телебашня, Ostankinskaya telebashnya) is a television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia. Standing 540.1 metres tall, Ostankino was designed by Nikolai Nikitin. It is currently the tallest freestanding structure in Europe and sixth tallest in the world. The tower was the first free-standing structure to exceed 500 m in height. Ostankino was built to mark the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It is named after the Ostankino district of Moscow in which it is located.

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560. Tula's Kremlin

 

  Tula Kremlin (Russian: Тульский кремль) is a fortress in Tula, Russia. Monument of the 16th century. There are 2 Cathedrals inside the Kremlin:

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538. Koryakskaya Sopka

 

 Koryakskaya Sopka (Russian: Коря́кская со́пка) is a volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east. It lies within sight of Kamchatka Krai's administrative center, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Together with neighbouring Avachinsky, it has been designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of particular study in light of its history of explosive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. Koryaksky lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at a point where the Pacific Plate is sliding underneath the Eurasian Plate at about 80 mm/year. A wedge of mantle material lies between the subducting Pacific Plate and the overlying Eurasian Plate is the source of dynamic volcanism over the whole Kamchatka Peninsula.  The volcano has probably been active for tens of thousands of years. Geological records indicate that there have been three major eruptions in the last 10,000 years, at 5500 BC, 1950 BC and 1550 BC. These three eruptions seem to have been mainly effusive, generating extensive lava flows.

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520. Dombai-Ulgen

 

 Dombai-Ulgen or Dombay-Ulgen is a 4,046 m high mountain of the Greater Caucasus and the highest point of Abkhazia, a state with limited international recognition otherwise seen to be part of Georgia. It is located on the border with Karachay–Cherkessia, an autonomous republic of Russia.

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515. Russia

 Sunset on the Myachine lake

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510. The Kodar Mountain

 Kodar is the mountain range in the centre of Transbaikalia. Stretches within Irkutsk Oblast and Zabaykalsky Krai in Siberia, Russia. It’s a part of Stanovoye plateau as well as the extension of North Muiskiy Range. Kodar mountains’ length is 200 km. The maximum hight is 3072 km (Pik BAM). Includes 30 glaciers the total area of which is 19 sq km. The biggest glacier is Azarov.

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492. The Romanov Family

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483. The Annunciation Cathedral

 The Cathedral of the Annunciation (Russian: Благовещенский собор, or Blagoveschensky sobor) is a Russian Orthodox church dedicated to the Annunciation of the Theotokos. It is located on the southwest side of Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin in Russia, where it connects directly to the main building of the complex of the Grand Kremlin Palace, adjacent to the Palace of Facets. It was originally the personal chapel for the Muscovite tsars, and its abbot remained a personal confessor of the Russian royal family until the early 20th century. The Cathedral of the Annunciation was built by architects from Pskov in 1484-1489 as part of Grand Duke Ivan III plans for a large-scale renovation of the Moscow Kremlin. It was built on the spot of an older 14th century cathedral of the same name, which had been rebuilt in 1416. This older cathedral in turn had replaced a previous wooden church from the 13th century that had fallen victim to the frequent fires in the Kremlin.

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479. Fairy-tail cottage

 Fairy-tail cottage in Flenovo, architect S.V. Malyutin

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472. Kivach Waterfall

Kivach is a 10.7-m-high cascade waterfall in Russia. It is situated on the Suna River in the Kondopoga District, Republic of Karelia and gives its name to the Kivach Natural Reserve, founded in 1931.  Kivach owes much of its fame to Gavrila Derzhavin, a Russian poet who was inspired by its "unruly stream" to write "Waterfall", one of the most important Russian poems of the 18th century. Many other eminent visitors followed Derzhavin to see the famed waterfall. One of these was Alexander II of Russia, who commissioned a new road to Kivach, a pavilion on the right bank of the stream and a bridge slightly downstream.  In 1936, the Soviets diverted part of the river to feed a local hydroelectric power station, which affected the waterfall negatively, while its rivals — Girvas (14.8 m) and Por-Porog (16.8 m) — were destroyed altogether. Although it is not as spectacular as it used to be, Kivach is still considered a major sight in Karelia.

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462. Olkhon

 Olkhon is the third-largest lake-bound island in the world. It is by far the largest island in Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia, with an area of 730 square kilometres. Structurally, it acts as the southwestern margin of Academician Ridge. The island measures 71.5 kilometres in length and 20.8 kilometres in width. Olkhon has a dramatic combination of terrain and is rich in archeological landmarks. Steep mountains line its eastern shore, and at 1,276 metres above sea level, Mount Zhima is the highest point on the island, peaking at 818 metres above the water level of Lake Baikal. The island is large enough to have its own lakes, and features a combination of taiga, steppe and even a small desert. A deep strait separates the island from the land.  The island's appearance is a result of millions of years of tectonic movement resulting in the hollowing of the channel between the land (Small Sea Strait) and the block of stone forming the island. The steep slopes of the mountains show the vertical heave of the earth

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448. Russia - Finland

 Lovely card from Finland, sent from Russia

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428. Mikhailovsky Castle

 St. Michael's Castle also called the Mikhailovsky Castle or the Engineers' Castle is a former royal residence in the historic centre of Saint Petersburg, Russia. St. Michael's Castle was built as a residence for Emperor Paul I by architects Vincenzo Brenna and Vasili Bazhenov in 1797-1801. The castle looks different from each side, as the architects used motifs of various architectural styles such as French Classicism, Italian Renaissance and Gothic.

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421. The Katun River

 The Katun River (Russian: Катунь) is a river in the Altai Republic and the Altai Krai of Russia. It forms the Ob River as it joins the Biya River some 19 km southwest of Biysk. The Katun River is 688 km long, the area of its drainage basin is 60,900 km². It originates in the Katun glaciers on the southern slope of the Belukha Mountain. The river freezes up in the late November - early December and breaks up in the early or mid-April. The Katun River has a few tributaries: Argut River, Chuya River, Koksa River and Sema River. The river is navigable.

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409. Sochi

 Aquapark/Restaurant/Seaside

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408. Terem Palace

Terem Palace or Teremnoy Palace is a historical building in the Moscow Kremlin, Russia, which used to be the main residence of the Russian tsars in the 17th century. Its name is derived from the Greek word τερεμνον. Currently, the structure is not accessible to the public, as it belongs to the official residence of the President of Russia.  On the 16th century Aloisio the New constructed the first royal palace on the spot. Only the ground floor survives from that structure, as the first Romanov tsar, Mikhail Feodorovich, had the palace completely rebuilt in 1635-36. The new structure was surrounded by numerous annexes and outbuildings, including the Boyar Platform, Golden Staircase, Golden Porch, and several turrets. On Mikhail's behest, the adjoining Golden Tsaritsa's Chamber constructed back in the 1560s for Ivan IV's wife, was surmounted with 11 golden domes of the Upper Saviour Cathedral. The complex of the palace also incorporates several churches of earlier construction, including the Church of the Virgin's Nativity from the 1360s.  The palace consists of five stories. The third story was occupied by the tsaritsa and her children; the fourth one contained the private apartments of the tsar. The upper story is a tent-like structure where the Boyar Duma convened. The exterior, exuberantly decorated with brick tracery and colored tiles, is brilliantly painted in red, yellow, and orange. The interior used to be painted as well, but the original murals were destroyed by successive fires, particularly the great fire of 1812. In 1837, the interiors were renovated in accordance with old drawings in the Russian Revival style.

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393. Peter and Paul Fortress

 The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706-1740. It is the central and most important part of the State Museum of Saint Petersburg History. The museum has gradually become virtually the sole owner of the fortress building except the building of Saint Petersburg Mint. The fortress was established by Peter the Great on May 16 (by the Julian Calendar, hereafter indicated using "(J)"; May 27 by the Gregorian Calendar) 1703 on small Hare Island by the north bank of the Neva River, the last upstream island of the Neva delta. Built at the height of the Northern War in order to protect the projected capital from a feared Swedish counterattack, the fort never fulfilled its martial purpose. The citadel was completed with six bastions in earth and timber within a year, and it was rebuilt in stone from 1706-1740.

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Solovetsky Monastery - Tag

Solovetsky Monastery was the greatest citadel of Christianity in the Russian North before being turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp (1926–1939), which served as a prototype for the GULag system. Situated on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, the monastery braved many changes of fortune and military sieges. Its most important structures date from the 16th century, when Filip Kolychev was its hegumen.

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369. Novodevichy Convent

Novodevichy Convent, also known as Bogoroditse-Smolensky Monastery is probably the best-known cloister of Moscow. Its name, sometimes translated as the New Maidens' Monastery, was devised to differ from an ancient maidens' convent within the Moscow Kremlin. Unlike other Moscow cloisters, it has remained virtually intact since the 17th century. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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