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

Opening Hours

Banks 9am–6pm Monday to Friday, some open 9am–5pm Saturday

Bars and Clubs noon–midnight Sunday to Thursday, to 6am Friday and Saturday

Cafes 9am–10pm

Post offices 8am–8pm or 9pm Monday to Friday, shorter hours Saturday and Sunday

Restaurants noon–midnight

Shops 10am–8pm

Supermarkets and Food stores 24 hours

Arriving in Russia

Sheremetyevo Airport (Moscow) Aeroexpress trains (R500; 30 minutes) run to the city every half-hour from 5am to 12.30am. Taxis cost R2000 to R2500 and take at least an hour.

Domodedovo Airport (Moscow) Aeroexpress trains (R500; 45 minutes) run to the city every half-hour between 6am and 11.30pm. Taxis cost R2000 to R2500 and take at least an hour.

Pulkovo Airport (St Petersburg) Frequent buses (R36) run to Moskovskaya metro station (R45) for a total journey time to the city centre of around 30 minutes. Taxis charge around R1000 to the centre and can take up to an hour depending on traffic.

Getting Around

To check train times and make bookings, go to the trip-planning section of the RZD (Russian Railways; http://pass.rzd.ru) website.

Train The extensive network is the best way of getting around, with many comfortable overnight services between far-flung cities.

Air Worth considering if you need to speed up your travels (with online tickets sometimes cheaper than those for trains). Only book airlines with solid safety records.

Bus Useful for getting to places not covered by the train. Sometimes faster than local elektrichka (suburban) train services.

Car or taxi Sometimes the only way to get to really remote destinations.

First Time Russia

Checklist

A Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond the expiry date of your visa.

A Arrange your visa.

A Check airline baggage restrictions.

A Check travel advisory websites.

A Tell banks and credit card providers your travel dates.

A Organise travel insurance.

What to Pack

A Good walking shoes – Russian cities are best explored on foot.

A Phrasebook, mini-dictionary or translation app.

A Earplugs and eye mask for napping on trains, noisy hotels and during long White Nights.

A A sense of humour and a bucketful of patience.

Top Tips for Your Trip

A Consider using a specialist travel agency to arrange visas, make key transport bookings and hire guides.

A Treat yourself to a stay at a business or luxury hotel over the weekend when many often drop their rates substantially to cover the shortfall in business customers. Big discounts can also be had on hotel rack rates when booked online.

A Rail tickets can be booked online or at stations 45 days in advance. There are discounts for online and advance bookings.

A Fixed-priced business lunches, common in cities, are a great deal and an ideal way to sample the cuisine at fancier restaurants.

A Schedule some time out of the big cities at rural or off-the-beaten track destinations to fully appreciate what is special about Russia.

What to Wear

Informal dress is generally fine. However, Russians do make an effort when they go to the theatre or a posh restaurant – you should do likewise if you want to fit in. If you’re planning on exploring on foot, a comfortable pair of waterproof walking shoes will come in handy, as will an umbrella or rain jacket.

In winter, bundle up with several layers before going out and bring a long, windproof coat to stay nicely warm. Hats and coats are always removed on entering a museum or restaurant and left in the cloakroom.

Sleeping

For major cities and resorts it's a good idea to book a night or two in advance.

A Hotels Range from unreconstructed edifices of the Soviet era to luxurious and contemporary.

A Hostels Moscow and St Petersburg have rich pickings but you'll now also find many good ones in other major cities and towns.

A B&B & homestays Not so common but worth searching out for a true experience of Russian hospitality.

Money

A If prices are listed in US dollars or euros, you will still be presented with a final bill in roubles.

A There are ATMs on every corner around the country these days; look out for signs that say bankomat (БАНКОМАТ) .

A Credit cards are commonly accepted in big cities, but don’t expect to be able to use them in more off-the-beaten-track spots and rural areas.

A Inform your bank or credit card provider of the dates you’ll be travelling in Russia and using your card, to avoid a situation where the card is blocked.

Bargaining

Prices are fixed in shops, but at souvenir markets, such as Izmailovo in Moscow, polite haggling over prices is a good idea.

Tipping

It is customary to tip in restaurants and cafes, but elsewhere it is optional. You are not expected to tip when you buy drinks from the bar.

A Hotels Only in the most luxurious need you tip bellboys etc, and only if service is good.

A Guides Around 10% of their daily rate; a small gift will also be appreciated.

A Restaurants Leave around 10% if the service warrants it.

A Taxis No need to tip as the fare is agreed either before you get in or it's metered.

Etiquette

Russians are sticklers for formality. They’re also rather superstitious. Follow these tips to avoid faux pas.

A Visiting homes Shaking hands across the threshold is considered unlucky; wait until you’re fully inside. Remove your shoes and coat on entering a house. Always bring a gift. If you give anyone flowers, make sure it’s an odd number – even numbers of blooms are for funerals.

A Religion Women should cover their heads and bare shoulders when entering a church. In some monasteries and churches women are also required to wear a skirt – wraps are usually available at the door. Men should remove their hats in church and not wear shorts.

A Eating & drinking Russians eat resting their wrists on the table edge, with fork in left hand and knife in the right. Vodka toasts are common at shared meals – it’s rude to refuse to join in and traditional (and good sense) to eat a little something after each shot.

Eating

Russia's main cities and towns have a good range of eating options; in smaller towns and villages the choice is narrower. Booking on the day of your meal is usually fine, though top-end restaurants should be booked at least a month ahead of time.

A Restoran Russian restaurants can be quite formal. Modern ones sometimes have play areas for kids.

A Kafe & kofeynya Cafes are cheaper and often a bit more atmospheric and quirky than restaurants.

A Stolovaya These Soviet-era style canteens can be great value for non-gourmet, self-serve meals.

A Traktir Traditional-style taverns also serving hearty Russian dishes.

What's New

World Cup 2018

Host cities Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara have all benefited from infrastructure improvements linked to the global soccer jamboree.

Park Zaryadye

Moscow's newest park offers four different microclimates (representing Russia's geographic zones), four museums and (eventually) an outdoor amphitheatre – check out the full plan at the pavilion.

New Holland

Closed to the public for nearly 300 years, the central St Petersburg island of New Holland has been reborn as a contemporary arts, culture and entertainment hub.

Gulag History Museum

Moscow's Gulag History Museum has a new R300-million home, which re-creates the bone-chilling conditions of the Soviet labour camps in which millions lived and died.

Museum of Russian Impressionism

This new, private museum showcases a little known and under-appreciated genre of art, using an impressive collection compiled by a billionaire-turned-art collector.

Craft Beers

Microbrew ales are all the rage with Russia's beer geeks and other beverage lovers, as new craft-beer bars and breweries spring up in Moscow, St Petersburg, Perm and other locations.

Arkhyz Resort

Fast modern gondolas whisk skiers and hikers up the slopes for a grandstand view across the Greater Caucasus mountains at Arkhyz Resort.

Garage Museum of Contemporary Art

Occupying a new, permanent home in Gorky Park's former Seasons of the Year restaurant building is Moscow's premier contemporary art museum Garage.

Boris Yeltsin Museum

Part of the swish Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center in Yekateriburg, this museum has an impressive and somewhat unusual collection of exhibits.

Zarya Centre for Contemporary Art

A former factory in Vladivostok is the location of the Zarya Centre for Contemporary Art, where contemporary art is served up in exhibitions, films, lectures and other cool events.

Hermitage Vladivostok

Due to open in 2018, in a gorgeous tsarist-era building in the centre, is the Russian Far East branch of the famous St Petersburg art museum.

Georgievskaya Ulitsa

This re-created pedestrian-only street in the Golden Ring town of Vladimir conjours up Russia's past and is dotted with souvenir stores and whimsical bronze statues.

Nikola-Lenivets

The once abandoned village of Nikola-Lenivets, 220km southwest of Moscow, is now a huge open-air exhibition space dotted with gigantic installations made largely of wood.

Plan Your Trip

Getting Your Visa

Save for a handful of exceptions, everyone needs a visa to visit Russia. Arranging one is generally straightforward but is likely to be time-consuming, bureaucratic and – depending on how quickly you need the visa – costly. Start the application process at least a month before your trip.

Visa Agencies

Action-visas.com www.action-visas.com

Comet Consular Services www.cometconsular.com

Express to Russia www.expresstorussia.com

IVDS www.ivds.de

Real Russia http://realrussia.co.uk

VisaCentral http://visacentral.com

VisaHQ.com http://russia.visahq.com

Way to Russia www.waytorussia.net

Main Visa Types

Tourist Valid for a maximum of 30 days, single- or double-entry, nonextendable.

Business Valid for three months, six months or one year (three years for US citizens); may or may not limit the number of entries.

Private On invitation from a Russian citizen, who provides your accommodation. Up to 90 days, single- or double-entry.

Transit By air for 72 hours, by train 10 days.

Russian Far East free e-visa Citizens of 18 countries can arrive without a visa for stays of up to 30 days, if entering via Vladivostok, Kamchatka or Sakhalin and staying only in the Russian Far East.

Starting the Process

For most travellers, a tourist visa (single- or double-entry), which is valid for a maximum of 30 days from the date of entry and is nonextendable, will be sufficient. If you plan on staying longer than a month, it’s advisable to apply for a business visa – these are available as single-, double- or multiple-entry.

Whatever visa you go for, the process has three main stages: invitation, application and registration.

You may need separate permission for trips to sensitive border regions such as the Altai, Volga Delta, Caucasus and Tuva, which means the processing of your visa can take longer.

If your trip into or out of Russia involves transit through, or a stay in, another country, such as Belarus, China, Mongolia or Kazakhstan, our advice is to arrange any necessary visa or visas in your home country before you enter Russia.

Invitation

To obtain a visa, everyone needs an invitation, also known as 'visa support'. Hotels and hostels will usually issue anyone staying with them an invitation voucher free or for a small fee (typically around €20 to €30). If you are not staying in a hotel or hostel, you will need to buy an invitation – this can be done through most travel agents or via specialist visa agencies, also for around €20.

Application

Invitation voucher in hand, you can then apply for a visa. Wherever in the world you are applying, you can start by entering details in the online form of the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (https://visa.kdmid.ru/PetitionChoice.aspx).

Take care in answering the questions accurately on this form, including listing all the countries you have visited in the last 10 years and the dates of the visits – stamps in your passport will be checked against this information, and if there are anomalies you will likely have to restart the process. Keep a note of the unique identity number provided for your submitted form – if you have to make changes later, you will need this to access it without having to fill in the form from scratch again.

Russian embassies in many countries, including the UK, US, France and Germany, have contracted separate agencies to process the submission of visa applications and check everything is in order; these companies use online interfaces that direct the relevant information into the standard visa application form. In the UK, the agency is VFS.Global (http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk), with offices in London and Edinburgh; in the US it's Invisa Logistic Services (http://ils-usa.com), with offices in Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, Houston and Seattle.

Consular offices apply different fees and slightly different application rules country by country. For example, at the time of writing, a pilot project to collect biometric data via fingerprinting was being run for visa applications in the UK, Denmark, Myanmar and Namibia. Avoid potential hassles by checking well in advance what these rules might be. Among the things that you will need are:

A A print-out of the invitation/visa support document.

A A passport-sized photograph for the application form.

A If you're self-employed, bank statements for the previous three months showing you have sufficient funds to cover your time in Russia.

A Details of your travel insurance.

The charge for the visa will depend on the type of visa applied for and how quickly you need it.

We highly recommend applying for your visa in your home country rather than on the road. Trans-Mongolian travellers should note that unless you can prove you’re a resident of China or Mongolia, attempting to get visas for Russia in Beijing and Ulaanbaatar can be a frustrating and ultimately fruitless exercise.

IMMIGRATION FORM

Immigration forms are produced electronically by passport control at airports. Take good care of your half of the completed form as you’ll need it for registration and could face problems while travelling in Russia – and certainly will on leaving – if you can’t produce it.

Registration

Every visitor to Russia should have their visa registered within seven days of arrival, excluding weekends and public holidays. The obligation to register is with the accommodating party – your hotel or hostel, or landlord, friend or family if you’re staying in a private residence.

If you’re staying at a hotel or hostel, the receptionist will register you for free. This will involve them photocopying every page of your passport. Once registered, you should receive a slip of paper confirming the dates you’ll be staying at that particular accommodation. Keep this safe – there's a very small possibility that you may be asked by officials to show this to prove you've been registered (this is unlikely).

If staying in a homestay or rental apartment, you’ll either need to make arrangements with the landlord or a friend to register you through the post office. See www.waytorussia.net/russianvisa/registration.html for how this can be done and for more details on the whole process.

Depending on how amenable your hotel or inviting agency is, you can request that they register you for longer than you’ll actually be in one place. Otherwise, every time you move city or town and stay for more than seven days, it’s necessary to go through the registration process again. There’s no need to be overly paranoid about this, but the more thorough your registration record, the less chance you’ll have of running into problems. Keep all transport tickets (especially if you spend nights sleeping on trains) to prove to any overzealous police officers exactly when you arrived in a new place.

It’s tempting to be lax about registration, and we’ve met many travellers who were and didn’t experience any problems as a result of it; however, if you're travelling for a while in Russia, and particularly if you're visiting off-the-beaten-track places, it’s worth making sure you are registered at each destination, since it’s not uncommon to encounter cops hoping to catch tourists too hurried or disorganised to be able to explain long gaps in their registration.

Note that you will not be asked to show registration slips when leaving from international airports.

VISA COSTS

The following are fees for single-entry visas including any service charges; expect to pay anything up to double/triple these fees for double- or multiple-entry visas.

A Australia Tourist and work visas issued in 10/two working days are $135/270.

A Most EU countries Tourist/work visas issued in four to 10 working days cost €61/141; visas issued in one to three days cost €96/185.

A UK Tourist and work visas issued in five working days/next working day cost £108/187.

A USA Tourist or work visas issued in 10/three working days cost $123/213.

Visa Extensions & Changes

Any extensions or changes to your visa will be handled by Russia’s Federal Migration Service (Federalnoy Migratsionnoy Slyzhby), which is often shortened to FMS. It’s possible you’ll hear the old acronyms PVU and OVIR used for this office as well.

Extensions are time-consuming and difficult; tourist visas cannot be extended at all. Avoid the need for an extension by arranging a longer visa than you might need. Note that many trains out of St Petersburg and Moscow to Eastern Europe cross the border after midnight, so make sure your visa is valid up to and including this day.

Types of Visa

In addition to the tourist visa, there are other types of useful visas.

Business

Available for three months, six months or one year (or three years for US citizens), and as single-, double- or multiple-entry visas, business visas are valid for up to 90 days of travel within any 180-day period. You don’t actually need to be on business to apply for these visas (they’re great for independent tourists with longer travel itineraries and flexible schedules), but to get one you must have a letter of invitation from a registered Russian company or organisation (these can be arranged via specialist visa agencies); a covering letter stating the purpose of your trip; and proof of sufficient funds to cover your visit.

Transit

For transit by air, a transit visa is usually valid for up to three days. For a non-stop Trans-Siberian Railway journey, it’s valid for 10 days, giving westbound passengers a few days in Moscow; those heading east, however, are not allowed to linger in Moscow. Note that transit visas for train journeys are tricky to secure and are usually exactly the same price as a single-entry tourist visa (in the UK £70 for either, plus a service charge of £38.40).

Visa-Free Travel

Visa-free visits of up to 72 hours are available to tourists arriving at Russian ports including Kaliningrad, Korsakov, Novorossiysk, Sochi, St Petersburg, Vladivostok and Vyborg. You will need to enter and exit the city on a cruise or ferry such as that offered by St Peter Line or Saimaa Travel.

There is also a plan, yet to be executed at the time of research, for visa-free travel in the Russian Far East for citizens of 18 countries (not including the US, Canada or any EU nation). Electronic single-entry visas, valid for up to 30 days, will be issued directly at the Russian border in Vladivostok (and possibly up to a dozen other entry points across the region in the future).

If You Like...

Arts & Crafts

Russian Museum As well as having the country's best collection of works by native artists, this St Petersburg institution has a fantastic folk crafts section.

Flyonovo (Флёново GOOGLE MAP ) Crafts are still produced at the pretty riverside estate of late-19th-century art-lover Princess Maria Tenisheva, 18km southeast of Smolensk.

Novgorod State United Museum Within Veliky Novgorod’s kremlin is an incredible collection of iconographic art spanning several centuries.

Izmaylovsky Market A bustling market for all kinds of handicrafts where you can also watch them being made or try your hand at making your own.

National Museum Marvel at 3000-year-old Scythian gold jewellery in Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva.

Yantarny The source of around 90% of the world’s amber. Look for attractive amber bracelets, necklaces and pendants in Kaliningrad's shops.

Amber jewellery for sale, Kaliningrad | OLEINIK IULIIA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Epic Journeys

Trans-Siberian Railway The 9289km trip from Moscow to Vladivostok is the big one to do.

Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) The ‘other Trans-Sib’ route takes you through very lonely parts of Siberia and the Russian Far East.

Chuysky Trakt Hop in a shared taxi or hire a car to travel the 600km route through dramatic Altai landscapes, including glimpses of snowy mountain peaks and vertigo-inducing canyons.

Neryungri to Yakutsk An iron butt is required for this full-day classic 4WD ride through the Sakha Republic.

Frolikha Adventure Coastline Trail Pushed through virgin territory by Great Baikal Trail volunteers, this 100km-long lakeside trail is an eight-day Siberian odyssey.

Golden Ring Circuit some of Russia’s oldest and cutest towns on a loop that begins and ends in Moscow.

Imperial Grandeur

Catherine Palace The vast baroque centrepiece of Tsarskoe Selo is famed for its Amber Room, dazzling Great Hall and beautiful grounds.

Peterhof Gape at the Grand Cascade fronting Peter the Great’s Gulf of Finland crash pad.

Yusupov Palace A canalside mansion offering a series of sumptuously decorated rooms culminating in a gilded mini-theatre.

Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve (Музей-заповедник Коломенское MAP GOOGLE MAP mKolomenskaya, Kashirskaya) An ancient royal country seat and Unesco World Heritage Site.

Tsaritsyno Palace (Музей-заповедник Царицыно GOOGLE MAP mOrekhovo) The contemporary manifestation of the exotic summer home that Catherine the Great began but never finished.

Literary Titans

Anna Akhmatova Museum at the Fountain House Celebrating the life and times of the famous 20th-century St Petersburg–based poet.

Spasskoe-Lutovinovo The family home of Ivan Turgenev, surrounded by beautiful grounds, is a short trip from the literary town of Oryol.

Dostoevsky House Museum The author, famously associated with St Petersburg, lived for many years in this modest, riverside home in sleepy Staraya Russa.

Mikhailovskoe (Михайловское GOOGLE MAP h10am-6pm, closed last Tue of month, Apr & mid-late Nov) Stand in the shade of Pushkin’s beloved oak tree on his family’s estate near the small town of Pushkinskie Gory.

Lermontov Museum The 19th-century Romantic writer lived in this thatched cottage in Pyatigorsk before meeting his death in a duel.

Yasnaya Polyana (Ясная Поляна GOOGLE MAP h9am-5pm Tue-Sun) The estate where Leo Tolstoy was born, lived most of his life and is buried.

Majestic Landscapes

Dombay This Southern Caucasus resort town is encircled by jagged, Matterhorn-like peaks of rock and ice, festooned with glaciers and gushing waterfalls.

Kola Peninsula Spot the northern lights reflecting off snowbound forests and tundra in the Arctic wilderness.

Barguzin Valley Isolated, virtually uninhabited and hemmed by high peaks, this is one of the most stunning Siberian landscapes in which to go astray.

Kamchatka This Far East peninsula is studded with several dozen snow-capped volcanoes.

Volga Delta Where the mighty river explodes like a firecracker into myriad raskaty (channels).

Blue Lake (Голубые озёра GOOGLE MAP ; Babugent) No permit is needed to hike to the gorgeous lake halfway up the side of Mt Aktru (4044m) within Altai National Park.

Multicultural Encounters

Jewish Museum & Centre of Tolerance (Еврейский музей и Центр толерантности MAP GOOGLE MAP mNovoslobodskaya) Constructivist architect Konstantin Melnikov’s bus depot gets a thrilling makeover as one of the country's best museums.

Tuva With its throat-singing, yurt-building, milk-fermenting traditions, this isolated republic in southern Siberia is a revelation.

Lovozero This dilapidated outpost is worth the trek for those wanting to come into contact with the reindeer-herding Sami (Lapp) people of the Kola Peninsula.

Elista The capital of Kalmykia is home to the only Buddhist national group within Europe.

Esso Make contact with Evenki and Even people in this pretty village in the hinterland of Kamchatka.

Kosh-Agach With a population made up almost entirely of ethnic Altai and Kazakhs, it’s easy to forget you are still in Russia.

Off the Beaten Track

Zyuratkul National Park (Национальный парк Зюраткуль GOOGLE MAP %351-613 2033; www.zuratkul.ru, headquarters in Satka; park levy per day R40) A remote and beautiful part of the Ural Mountains, with a lovely lake, hikes, log houses and a banya (bath house).

Teriberka Tourism is slowly taking off in this Sami village, one of the most picturesque spots in Arctic Russia.

Cherek Valley & Upper Balkaria Hike among the ruins of 18 Balkar villages in the spectacularly scenic Cherek Valley.

Shoana Church (Шоанинский храм GOOGLE MAP h9am-6pm) An early 10th-century Alanian church, claimed to be the oldest functioning chapel in the Russian Federation.

Solovetsky Islands Make a pilgrimage to these White Sea islands, home to one of Russia's best-known monasteries and also a former gulag camp.

The Kurils There are 49 active volcanoes in this Russian Far East chain of 56 islands, as well as beautiful lagoons, rivers and lakes.

Hot springs, the Kurils | PITATATU / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Quirky Places & Experiences

Permafrost Kingdom A never-melting pod of elaborate ice sculptures in a cocoon of permafrost and neon.

Bunker-42 Cold War Museum A secret underground Cold War communications centre now open for exploration.

Sumarokovskaya Elk Farm (Сумароковский лосеферма GOOGLE MAP h10am-3pm) Meet some friendly moose and drink their milk at this farm-cum-scientific institute outside Kostroma.

Dancing Forest Marvel at the twisting and turning pines, sculpted by the winds that whistle across the Kurshskaya Kosa National Park.

Chess City Sit on the 12 chairs of the Ostap Bender monument in this literary fantasy come to surreal life in Elista.

Religious Buildings

St Basil's Cathedral Easily the country's most famous church; its candy coloured domes and swirly spires face the Kremlin across Red Square.

Grand Choral Synagogue A lavish place of worship indicating the pivotal role played by Jews in imperial St Petersburg.

Ivolginsk (Ivolga) Datsan The centre of Russian Buddhism continues to expand into its dramatic setting.

Kul Sharif Mosque Dominating Kazan’s World Heritage Site–listed kremlin is this enormous mosque named after the imam who died defending the city against Ivan the Terrible’s troops.

Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (Церковь Покрова на Нерли GOOGLE MAP h10am-6pm Tue-Sun) Revered for its exemplary perfect proportions and beautiful setting.

Sergiev Posad Russia’s holiest of holies, the beautiful Trinity Monastery of St Sergius.

Soviet Relics

Lenin’s Mausoleum (Мавзолей Ленина MAP GOOGLE MAP mPloshchad Revolyutsii) Soviet relics hardly come more authentic than the embalmed body of VI, a fixture of Red Square since 1924.

VDNKh This park offers grandiose pavilions, gilded statues and fabulous fountains originally built to glorify socialism’s economic achievements.

Alyosha The ever-vigilant, utilitarian concrete statue keeps an eye on Murmansk’s wind-whipped and splendidly hideous Soviet architecture.

Mamaev Kurgan An astounding 72m-tall statue of Mother Russia is the memorial to those who fell in the bloody Battle of Stalingrad.

Lenin Head Installed to celebrate the commie leader’s 100th birthday, this gigantic bust dominates Ulan Ude’s main square.

Lenin Mosaic Beautiful public art in Sochi created in 1980 to mark the 110th anniversary of the birth of the father of the Bolshevik Revolution.

Month by Month

Top Events

Easter, March/April

Victory Day, May

Sadko Festival, June

White Nights, June/July

Kamwa Festival, July

January

Much of Russia becomes snow- and ice-bound during this and subsequent winter months, but the weather rarely causes disruption to transport. Book transport tickets well in advance of the busy New Year period.

z Hyperborea Festival

This Karelian festival celebrates all that is wonderful about wintertime with parties, exhibitions, and an ice- and snow-sculpture competition that attracts entrants from across Russia and the world. The festival runs into February.

z Magic Ice of Siberia

Local and international teams compete for various prizes for their ice sculptures in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk in early January.

z Russian Orthodox Christmas (Rozhdestvo)

On Christmas Eve (6 January), the religious fast from morning to nightfall, after which they tuck in to a feast that includes roast duck and kutya (porridge). Special masses are held in churches at midnight.

February

In the depths of winter, the devout deny themselves meat, milk, alcohol and sex during Lent’s 40-day pre-Easter fasting period. Many restaurants offer special Lenten menus.

z Butter Week (Maslenitsa)

The Russian for this Shrovetide festival comes from the word masla (butter). Folk shows and games celebrate the end of winter, with lots of pancake eating before Lent (pancakes were a pagan symbol of the sun).

z Defender of the Fatherland Day

This holiday on 23 February is celebrated with parades and processions in honour of veterans. Women also give small gifts to the men in their lives.

March

Lent continues. Come prepared for wet, cold weather.

z Festival of the North

A 10-day Arctic fun-fest replete with reindeer-sled races and snowmobile events. Kola’s indigenous Sami (Lapp) people join the celebrations with displays of traditional culture. Kicks off in late March in Murmansk.

3 Golden Mask Festival

This Moscow-based festival, usually held in late March and early April, involves two weeks of performances by Russia’s premier drama, opera, dance and musical stars, culminating in a prestigious awards ceremony.

z Tibetan Buddhist New Year

A movable feast lasting 16 days, Tibetan Buddhist New Year (Tsagaalgan) celebrates the Lunar New Year and hence advances by about 10 days annually. It’s mainly celebrated at family level in Buryatiya and Tuva, where it’s known as Shagaa.

z Women’s Day

Celebrated on 8 March, this is like St Valentine’s Day, with women getting presents of flowers, chocolates and the like, and a chance to rest up while men take care of the daily chores.

April

In Western European Russia, melting snow makes the streets a slushy mess. However, it’s a great time to brave Siberia and the far north, where winter still rules but with less savage force.

z Alexander Nevsky Festival

The second weekend in April sees this celebration in Veliky Novgorod honouring Russia’s best-known prince. Members of historical clubs dress up as knights, engage in mock battle and storm the kremlin walls.

z Easter (Paskha)

Easter Sunday begins with midnight services. Afterwards, people eat kulich (traditional dome-shaped bread) and paskha (cheesecake), and exchange painted wooden Easter eggs.

May

The long-awaited arrival of pleasant spring weather makes this one of the best months for travel. Between International Labour Day (1 May) and Victory Day (9 May), some offices and museums have limited hours as people take advantage of the holidays for extended R&R.

z Cossack Fairs

Held in Starocherkassk on the last Sunday of the month from May to September, with much singing, dancing, horse-riding and merrymaking.

3 Glinka Festival

At the end of the month, the composer Mikhail Glinka is honoured in his home town of Smolensk with this weeklong festival of classical music that draws in top talent.

z Victory Day

On 9 May, this Russian public holiday celebrates the end of WWII, which Russians call the Great Patriotic War. Big military parades in Moscow and St Petersburg are well worth attending.

June

A popular month for den goroda (city day), when towns celebrate their birthdays with parades and street festivals: Veliky Novgorod has one on 12 June and Tver on 25 June. The weather is hot, but be prepared for rain too.

3 International Platanov Festival

Voronezh hosts this ambitious weeklong jamboree of theatre, music and the arts (http://en.platonovfest.com) in memory of local talent Andrei Platanov, a banned Soviet-era writer.

3 Kinotavr Film Festival

Running for a week in early June, Sochi’s Kinotavr Film Festival showcases more than a dozen feature-length Russian movies, with local film-makers and actors on hand. Open-air screenings too.

3 Moscow International Film Festival

Russia’s premier film festival runs for eight days at the end of the month and includes retrospective and documentary cinema programmes as well as the usual awards.

z Sabantuy

In the middle of June this holiday celebrated all over Tatarstan and beyond features horse races, koresh (wrestling matches) and joking competitions – although the humour may be lost in translation.

z Sadko Festival

Held on the second weekend of June in Veliky Novgorod, this event includes Russian and international teams performing traditional folk art, dancing and singing. There's also a craft fair.

z Uglich Versta

A few hundred bicyclists meet for three days of riding, singing and drinking during this annual cycle-fest ( hJun) in the Golden Ring town of Uglich. Expect competitions, kids' events, entertainment and a bicycle parade.

3 White Nights

As days lengthen, Russia’s cultural capital, St Petersburg, hosts a huge party made up of a variety of events, including a jam-packed itinerary of shows at the Mariinsky Theatre & Concert Hall. Events run until late July.

z Ysyakh

Held around 21 June near Yakutsk, this celebration of Sakha culture includes the chance to sample traditional eats while watching local sports and spectacular costumed battle reenactments.

July

The best time to visit the Volga Delta is between late July and late September, when lotus flowers blossom. Russians head to the coast and their dachas (summer country houses) as the weather really heats up.

3 Afisha Picnic

This one-day popular and rock music event (http://picnic.afisha.ru) is held in the Tsarist-era estate of Kolomenskoye on the banks of the Moscow River. It attracts a big international line-up.

z El-Oiyn Festival

Held every two years on the first weekend of July, this ‘folk games’ festival gathers some 60,000 people for a celebration of Altai culture.

z Kamwa Festival

The ‘ethno-futuristic’ Kamwa Festival, taking place in late July in Perm and Khokhlovka, brings together ancient ethno-Ugric traditions and modern culture.

3 Mir Sibiri

Similar to the UK’s Womad Festival, this large event (hJul) floods the small Siberian town of Shushenskoe with almost 25,000 visitors. Tuvan throat singers usually steal the show.

z Solovetsky Islands Herring Festival

Head to Solovki to get your hands on some of Russia’s finest fish – literally, in the case of the bare-handed catch competition.

August

Train prices can spike during this hot month as many people take holidays – book ahead if you want to travel on particular services along the trans-Siberian route.

z Dzhangariada Festival

Held in late August or September, this Kalmyk cultural celebration takes place on the open steppe at a different location every year. It includes wrestling, archery contests and traditional singers.

z Tuvan Naadym

Naadym offers four wild days of underpants-hoicking khuresh (Tuvan wrestling), stern-faced archery contests, gravity-defying feats of steppe horsemanship, lots of croaky throat singing and fireworks bursting over the Tuvan capital of Kyzyl.

October

Russia’s brief, brilliantly colourful autumn is swiftly followed by the onset of winter – at the end of the month, come prepared for snow flurries and plummeting temperatures.

3 Russian Grand Prix

The Formula 1 (www.formula1.com) caravan hits Sochi. The race takes place in the former Winter Olympic Park.

November

In the southern Caucasus you may be able to catch the swiftly fading colours of autumn, but here and elsewhere the weather is certainly getting colder as winter fast approaches.

z Unity Day

Held on 4 November, this public holiday celebrates the expulsion of Polish forces from Moscow in 1612. There's usually a parade in Moscow's Red Square. Unity Day replaced a Soviet holiday to celebrate the 1917 October Revolution.

December

Short days and long nights keep people inside for most of this month. If you’re prepared, it’s the best time to see freshly snow-covered landscapes.

z New Year’s Eve

See out the old year with vodka and welcome in the new one with champagne while listening to the Kremlin chimes on TV.

Itineraries

Russian Capitals

2 Weeks

Most first-time visitors to Russia have both Moscow and St Petersburg high on their wish list of places to visit. Around both cities are worthwhile side-trip destinations that provide an insight into both rural and royal life.

Start in Moscow where the Kremlin, Red Square, the Tretyakov Gallery, a performance at the Bolshoi Theatre and riding the grand metro system must all be factored into your schedule. Stretch your legs in the revamped Gorky Park and along the embankments by the Moscow River.

Save a few days for trips to the historic and serene Golden Ring towns of Sergiev Posad, Suzdal and Vladimir.

Break your journey between the two big cities at tourist-friendly Veliky Novgorod. It’s home to an impressive riverside kremlin, ancient churches and a wonderful open-air museum of wooden architecture.

The historic heart of St Petersburg offers the incomparable Hermitage and Russian Museum, as well as the opportunity to cruise the city’s rivers and canals. Enjoy some of Russia’s top restaurants and bars, and attend first-rate performances at the Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky Theatres.

If you have the time, venture out to grand palaces set in beautifully landscaped grounds such as Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo, easy half-day trips from the city.

Itineraries

The Trans-Siberian Odyssey

4 Weeks

The classic Russian adventure is to travel the Trans-Siberian Railway, an engineering wonder that spans, and holds together, the world’s largest country. So that you can finish up with a grand party in Moscow or St Petersburg, go against the general flow by commencing your journey on the Pacific Coast.

Situated on a stunningly attractive natural harbour, the port of Vladivostok is worth a couple of days' sightseeing before boarding the train. An overnight journey west will take you to your first stop at Khabarovsk, a lively city with a lingering tsarist-era charm located on the banks of the Amur River.

Two more days down the line hop off the train at Ulan-Ude, the appealing capital of Buryatiya, where Russian, Soviet and Mongolian cultures coexist; from here you can venture into the steppes to visit Russia’s principal Buddhist monastery, Ivolginsk (Ivolga) Datsan.

The railway then skirts around the southern shores of magnificent Lake Baikal. Allow at least three days (preferably longer) to soak up the charms of this beautiful lake, basing yourself on beguiling Olkhon Island. Check