Beyond Moscow

Nobleman’s Apartment in the Sleptsov Mansion ❤️ Many know this house for its magnificent staircase, white stucco, and the charming little shops nestled inside its historic interiors. But very few have ever set foot in this former barin’s apartment ["Barin" in Russian is written as барин and translates to "master," "gentleman," or "lord"]. Now anyone can visit. ✨ 📍Coordinates: Yandex.Maps 📸nata_tauras 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

— We barely had time to blink, and suddenly the first day of winter has arrived. Now it’s definitely time to start counting down to the New Year. ☃️ And if we’re talking about a real Russian winter, where else would you look but Siberia? At the same time, you don’t have to go all the way to Novosibirsk or Krasnoyarsk to experience true Siberian cold. Take Tobolsk, for example — the first (and official) capital of Siberia, back when the Siberian Governorate stretched from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. It’s a wonderful city, and one you absolutely should visit in winter. Photo: Slava Stepanov 📍Coordinates: Yandex Maps #Tyumen_Region 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko: Domestic travel in Russia reached 76.2 million trips in the first 10 months of the year — up 4.8% from the same period last year ✈️Chernyshenko and Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov presented the latest domestic tourism figures based on Rosstat data. “Domestic tourism continues to show confident growth. What’s important is that the positive dynamic persists even during the off-season. From January to October, the number of trips across the country reached 76.2 million — 4.8% more than in the same period last year. The most popular destinations were Siberia, the South, and the Northwest,” Chernyshenko said. 🏕He emphasized that the national project ‘Tourism and Hospitality’ plays a key role in boosting travel flow and developing regional infrastructure. “These results help move toward the President’s goal: by 2030, tourism should account for 5% of Russia’s GDP, and the number of domestic trips should reach 140 million,” he added. 🏙Top regions by total tourist trips, Jan–Oct 2025: 🏅 Moscow 🏅 Krasnodar Krai 🏅 St. Petersburg 🏅 Moscow Region 🏅 Republic of Tatarstan 🏅 Republic of Crimea 🏅 Sverdlovsk Region 🏅 Stavropol Krai 🏅 Tyumen Region 🏅 Rostov Region 📈Fastest-growing regions: 🏆 Karachay-Cherkess Republic 🏆 Republic of Adygea 🏆 Republic of Kalmykia 🏆 Tver Region 🏆 Chukotka Autonomous Okrug “We see a stable trend toward broader travel geography across Russia. This is driven by comprehensive development of tourist infrastructure, increased accommodation capacity, and the emergence of new attractions — all of which improve the quality and diversity of the tourism product,” Reshetnikov noted. Photo: Government of the Russian Federation #MadeInRussia 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

— There is no lighting more beautiful than the one created by nature itself. It suits the majestic Elbrus perfectly. Photo: @Forbidden_Mountains 📍Coordinates: Yandex.Maps #KabardinoBalkaria 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

🌏🇷🇺Winter Rybinsk, Yaroslavl οblast. Yaroslavl is a Russian city, northeast of Moscow. It's part of the Golden Ring group of ancient towns. Photo: Sergey Chekalοv I love Russia! ❤️ #BeautifulRussia@TCofRus

Interesting facts about one of the most famous stores in St. Petersburg — and all of Russia! The Eliseev Merchants’ Store on Nevsky Prospect is a landmark of the Northern Capital. It’s hard to find a tourist who would ignore this magnificent Art Nouveau building. The Eliseev family came from the village of Novoselki in the Yaroslavl Governorate. St. Petersburg was home to the largest diaspora from Yaroslavl — known for being enterprising, inventive, and, as people joked, “never smudging their round faces with lime or stone dust.” Locals used to say: “The Yaroslavl folk are all handsome. If needed, they’ll make a piglet out of a carp.” They knew how to please the metropolitan public and had excellent commercial instincts. A legend claims that the dynasty’s founder, Pyotr Eliseev, was once a serf gardener of Count Sheremetev. One frosty winter he supposedly treated the count to fresh strawberries grown in a greenhouse — Sheremetev was so delighted that he granted him freedom. In reality, Eliseev was a state peasant, meaning he had no personal master and was legally free. In 1813 he arrived in St. Petersburg and began trading in colonial goods, wine, and fruit. The famous store on Nevsky would later be built by his grandsons. The Eliseevs introduced a number of standards for both décor and functional retail architecture. They were the first in Russia to install in-house production facilities inside the store: pickling workshops, oil pressing, smokehouses, beverage bottling, and a bakery. Refrigerators and heating units in the basements maintained ideal storage temperatures. 📷@marusiasavina #Saint_Petersburg 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

🏔️The North Caucasus is one of the most in-demand domestic travel destinations in Russia The main point of attraction, of course, is Dagestan, offering a unique combination of seaside recreation on the Caspian coast and dramatic mountain landscapes. The republic is rich in natural landmarks and offers activities for every taste. 📍Gunib District, Republic of Dagestan 🎥abdullabekov_murad 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

✨Voronovo Estate✨ Voronovo is one of the oldest country estates in the Moscow region. 📍A few details: ▪️Even before the Time of Troubles, the Voronoy-Volynsky boyar family held a manor here. ▪️The estate passed through several noble families, including the Volynskys, Vorontsovs, Rostopchins, Sheremetevs, and Saburovs. ▪️Among its owners was Moscow’s governor Fedor Rostopchin, who burned his own palace in 1812 as Napoleon’s troops approached. ▪️The estate was rebuilt in the mid-19th century in a modified form under the Sheremetevs. Since 1949, it has served as a closed government retreat and is now overseen by the Ministry of Economic Development. 📍What you’ll find on the grounds: ✅The manor house — an example of 19th-century eclecticism with lowered side wings, originally designed by architect N. A. Lvov in the classical style and later altered in the 1800s. ✅The Church of the Holy Mandylion (Spas Nerukotvorny) — built between 1752 and 1762 in the late Baroque style. ✅The Dutch House — featuring tall decorative gables, white-stone details, and ornamental vases. ✅The equestrian courtyard with a tower and a formal linden park dating back to the mid-18th century, planted with mixed tree species. 📷Elena Krizhevskaya 📍Coordinates: Yandex.Maps 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

Sochi’s historic Sea Terminal building is a striking example of Stalinist Empire–style artistic synthesis and arguably one of the most intriguing and best-preserved structures of its era in the city. Its architecture, sculptural compositions, exquisite interior ceramics, wrought-iron and wood elements — everything here is monumental and deeply impressive. Construction of the seaport began in the 1930s, but the war halted progress. The project was revived during Sochi’s postwar reconstruction. By late 1950, architects Karo Alabyan and Leonid Karlik completed the design, and on December 15, 1955, the seaport officially opened. The passenger terminal housed ticket offices, a waiting hall, a restaurant, and even a sailors’ club. In the 1960s–70s, the second floor reportedly hosted autumn agricultural exhibitions. Today, the building is mostly occupied by boutiques and restaurants. Few people realize that you can not only enter the historic structure but also step out onto the second-floor balcony, which offers a beautiful view of the marina. 🤩 Sochi, Voikova St., 1 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

The Heljulanjoki River begins in Finland and flows into Russia’s Karelia, passing through the Sortavala area. Rising 79 meters above it is Paasonvuori Hill. A staircase of 365 steps leads to the top — a scenic, well-maintained trail. To access it, you need to buy a 450-ruble ticket at the foot of the hill → right here: Paaso Fortress. A winter walk here is especially pleasant, given the limited outdoor activities in the season. As dusk settles, Paasonvuori lights up. The trail is illuminated all the way to the summit, making the walk even more atmospheric than in summer. 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

An impressive job has been done by Vologda’s restoration experts. In the wooden 1915 Krasilnikov income house in #Vologda, the new #HotelOfTheWeek “Dom na Kirova 33” has opened. The logs, delicately carved cornices, veranda, doors, staircases, wooden ceilings — and even 12 functioning stoves — have survived to this day. Each of the eight rooms features antique furniture, artwork, and a Dutch stove that can be lit upon request. Most rooms are equipped with kitchens and dining areas. The bathrooms offer handmade cosmetics from a local Vologda brand. There are plenty of great features and a wonderful atmosphere, though — as is often the case with historic boutique hotels — there are also some nuances. For example, the specifics of sound insulation in a wooden house, and a restriction on stays with children under 7. Rates start at 12,000₽ per night for two guests. Breakfast is not included; it can be served in the room or in the shared kitchen between 9:00 and 11:00 by ordering in advance. The price is 1,500₽ per person. 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️

Where to eat in Samara? You’ll have to forgive us — we’re hopeless traditionalists. We always end up having breakfast, lunch, dinner (and any emergency snacks) at the same place: Beloturka Bakery. Don’t let the word “bakery” fool you — they’re being modest. They serve excellent breakfasts, great hot dishes, and as for the chicken soup… Vasilisa wouldn’t trade it for anything. And honestly, opening an artisanal bakery with this level of historical detail, this menu, this interior, this service — it’s cheating. You get addicted. They now even have their own newspaper, The Beloturka Herald — one more to add to the list of great historical-style prints, alongside Shuya’s Shuisky Herald from Russian Christmas. There are several Beloturka locations in Samara. We visited two: — our favorite in the very center, on Kuybysheva Street, — and the newer one on Molodogvardeyskaya. Our hearts belong to the first one (the atmosphere!), but they’re all excellent. And yes, the famous local sweet buns “Neklyutinki” — light, airy, served with whipped salted butter — are available everywhere. A tribute to Samara merchant Neklyutin. Even if you’re not a bread lover, stop by for the history. Or at least for the Beloturka & “Anton’s Right Here” Foundation merch — their tote bags with “Strangers are just unfamiliar friends” are delightful. 🤩Samara 🏙️Beyond Moscow🏔️