HistoricalSites, Russian Federation

Being the most recognizable symbol of Russia in the world, the glorious Red Square is the UNESCO listed World Heritage which accepts thousands of tourists each year. No wonder that this sight is a true must-visit of any Moscow trip and every adventurous globe-trotter has a picture in front of St. Basil's Cathedral. The Red Square is set in the very heart of Moscow, separating the Kitay Gorod commercial district from the Kremlin walls, and has a history as old as the post-Mongol fortress itself. The name "Krásnaya Plóshchaď" translates from Russian as "red", yet the word also means "beautiful". This ancient center of Russia's political power dates back to the end of the 13th century and has a long and rich history. Originally, it was the site of a central market square established in an area cleared by decree for the defense of Kremlin on the banks of Moskva and Neglinnaya rivers. It was also a place where various festive processions were held and thus the square was considered a sacred place. https://www.travelallrussia.com/red-square

St. Basil’s Cathedral is Moscow’s most famous artistic work of architecture. Also called "Pokrovsky Cathedral" or "The Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat", it is the most recognizable Russian building. This Cathedral is to the Russians what the Eiffel Tower is to the French, an honorable symbol of their past, present, and future. The cathedral stands on the Red Square, facing the Ivory Gate Chapel. The St. Basil's Cathedral history started in 1555 by the order of Ivan IV ("Ivan the Terrible") in celebration of the defeat of Kazan, the last remaining grip of the Mongol Empire on European lands. Today there are more than 400 icons painted between the 14th and 19th centuries by the most famous schools of Novgorod and Moscow hanging on the walls. A narrow pathway leads you from one alter to another, passing through a wooden spiral staircase so well hidden in a wall, that it was only found during the 1970 restoration of the cathedral. Taking in the medieval aura and mystical spirituality of St. Basil’s imbues visitors with what can only be described as a quintessential Russian experience. https://www.travelallrussia.com/st-basil-moscow

Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square offers up one of Moscow’s most macabre attractions and perhaps the most famous “modern mummy” in the world. Frozen in time, Vladimir Ilych Lenin’s embalmed body lays within a red granite and black labratorite step-pyramid. Here visitors may gaze on it in the dark, cool of the tomb. The sarcophagus is kept at a constant temperature of 16° C (61° F) and humidity of 80 - 90 percent. Weekly, a mild bleach is used to fight discoloring fungus and mold on Lenin’s skin, and every eighteen months the corpse undergoes a chemical bath of glycerol and potassium for thirty days while the mausoleum is closed. During this time, Lenin’s clothes are washed and carefully ironed. And every three years, Lenin receives a new suit. Lenin can be viewed for five minutes at a time in small groups under the watchful eye of guards in every corner of the room. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lenins-mausoleum

The wooden palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with 270 rooms decorated with paintings and carvings was built in 1667 without using any fasten materials, nails or hooks. It consisted of 26 buildings connected with each other by passages and halls. The whole complex was divided into male and female parts. The male part included ceremonial chambers, chambers of the Tsar and of his sons, while the female part belonged to the Tsarina and to the Tsar’s daughters. https://www.russiaeguide.com/wooden-palace-of-tsar-alexei-mikhailovich.html

The leaning tower, constructed with the sponsorship of the Demidov dynasty, is the symbol of Nevyansk and a monument of industrial architecture.The tower has several levels and floors. Earlier it hosted a lab for examining the content of manufactured iron, the factory's archives, the chancellor's office, and the lockup cell. Today it contains museum exhibits. Akinfiy Demidov's office, which served as a prison in Soviet times, was located on the second floor.To this day there is still a so-called «listening room». If you stand in one corner of the room, you can hear the tiniest whisper of people in the opposite corner. In addition, the Nevyansk tower has preserved its 18th-century clock tower. This chiming clock was manufactured in the 1730s by an English clockmaker, Richard Phelps, and had needed repairs only three times since. There was a time when the clock could play up to 20 musical pieces. Today, every 15 minutes the clock chimes the melody «Glory to You» from the opera «A Life for the Tsar».Another feature of the tower is the metal steeple with a weathercock, bearing the stamped coat-of-arms of the Demidovs. The steeple is grounded. It served as a lightning rod a quarter of a century before Benjamin Franklin invented the first lightning rod in 1725. https://eng.russia.travel/objects/306693/

One of the most significant 18-19th century architectural monuments in Ekaterinburg, the largest and oldest mansion ensemble of the city. Rastorguyev-Kharitonov’s mansion ensemble is a true architectural gem of Ekaterinburg. The estate occupying the entire northern slope of Voznesenskaya Gorka (Ascension Hill) includes the main house, wings, fences and gates, stables, and a large park http://its.ekburg.ru/en/sights/usadba-rastorgueva-haritonova/

Smolensk fortress wall (also known as Smolensk kremlin) is a defensive structure built in 1595-1602. The length of the walls is 6.5 km (only less than half of walls and towers are preserved). http://russiatrek.org/smolensk-city

“Teremok” is a historical and architectural complex located in the former estate of the artist and patron of arts M.K. Tenisheva in the village of Flenovo, about 19 kilometers from Smolensk. http://russiatrek.org/blog/art/historical-and-architectural-complex-teremok/

Vologda, included in the list of Russian cities that have particularly valuable historical heritage, has a unique museum – Museum of Lace, the only one in the country. http://russiatrek.org/blog/art/museum-of-lace-in-vologda/

Vologda monuments of wooden architecture are of special interest. Preserved wooden houses and estates of the 18th-19th centuries are represented in all the architectural styles of the time: One of the well known is Zasetsky House. http://russiatrek.org/vologda-city

Kazan Monastery. One of the highest bell towers in Russia (107 meters). http://russiatrek.org/blog/architecture/majestic-churches-of-tambov-in-spring/

The mansion of Mikhail Aseev, opened after restoration in the autumn of 2014, is one of the most outstanding sights of Tambov. http://russiatrek.org/blog/architecture/the-mansion-of-mikhail-aseev-in-tambov/

The State Architectural-Ethnographic and Landscape Museum-Reserve “Kostroma Sloboda”, located in the city of Kostroma, is one of the oldest open-air museums in Russia. http://russiatrek.org/blog/cities/the-museum-of-wooden-architecture-kostroma-sloboda/

In the Chukhlomsky district of the Kostroma region, hidden between forests and abandoned villages, there is a beautiful wooden palace designed by the famous architect Ivan Ropet (1845-1908). http://russiatrek.org/blog/architecture/the-wooden-palace-in-astashovo/