Tourism in Russia

Tourism in Russia has been growing rapidly in the years following the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991. Most of the tourism is centered on the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, since these cities are the sites of some of the most famous attractions of Russia, such as the Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin in Moscow, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the State Hermitage Museum and the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg, which recently celebrated the tricentennial of its founding in 2003. Tourists are attracted by the very rich cultural heritage and rather tumultuous history of Russia, and this is reflected in the popularity of Russia's most famous attractions.

Tourists to Russia are required to purchase a visa, in addition to having a valid passport. Visas can not be purchased at the border, and once at the border must be presented with other relevant documents.

Attractions

Popular tourist destinations in the major cities include the following:
* The Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow)
* The Bolshoi Theater (Moscow)
* The Red Square (Moscow)
* The Kremlin (Moscow)
* St. Isaac's Cathedral (St. Petersburg)
* State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg)
* The canals and waterways of St. Petersburg, located on the river Neva. St. Petersburg is sometimes known as the "Venice of the North" and is famed for its "white nights" during the summer
* The Summer Palace of Peter the Great (St. Petersburg)
* The Church of the Savior on Blood (St. Petersburg)
* The Russian Museum, the largest repository of Russian fine art in St. Petersburg
* The Ilya Glazunov Gallery (Moscow), which opened recently

The Russian countryside tends to be quite rural and undeveloped. Vast stretches of tundra, taiga woodlands, and steppe stretch across vast expanses of the Eurasian continent -- Russia is a country that spans 11 time zones. In the countryside, there are many little towns with old cloisters and castles. Some notable cities and towns, which have their own rich cultures and traditions, include Kaliningrad (formerly Königsberg) on the Baltic Sea coast, Novgorod (a famed medieval town) on Lake Ilmen, Tver, Vologda, Nizhni Novgorod, Kirov, Ekaterinburg, Rostov and Kazan.

Tourists are also drawn to the cruises on the big rivers like Volga, Lena or Yenisei as well as journeys on the famous Trans-Siberian railway, the third-longest continuous service that stretches from Moscow to its eastern terminous of Vladivostok at the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Other destinations include the Golden Ring region towns of Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Rostov, Suzdal, Uglich, and Pereslavl-Zalessky.

The coasts of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea occur near the temperate Mediterranean climate zone due to its adjacency to the Mediterranean Sea. A popular vacationing destination is the city of Sochi, known for its beaches.

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