15 breathtaking views from across Russia (PHOTOS)

June 12 is a national holiday called ‘Russia Day’. This day marks the starting point of the modern history of Russia. Before, it was the Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union, but, on June 12, 1990, the declaration of state sovereignty was adopted and Russia became a sovereign modern state - the Russian Federation..

So what is celebrated? It is Russia itself that’s celebrated on this day. And Russia is roughly 145 million people in 85 subjects in 11 times zones, across 17 million square kilometers of territory with more than 190 nationalities speaking a total of 270 languages and dialects while professing all kinds of religions (Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism the most popular).

Here are some highlights and breathtaking pics.

1. Moscow, the capital of Russia, and its iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square

2. The magnificent Peterhof palace in St. Petersburg, a city built by Peter the Great to open a “window” to Europe

3. Kizhi island in Karelia that houses Russia’s oldest surviving wooden churches

4. Swallow’s Nest in Crimea, a castle hanging on a high cliff in Yalta, on the Black Sea coast

5. Polar lights near Murmansk, the largest in the world city above the Arctic Circle

6. Suzdal, the most “Russian” city where one can dive into the atmosphere of old Russia

7. Naryn-Kala fortress in Dagestan’s Derbent, one of Russia’s and the world’s oldest cities

8. Belogorsky Monastery in Perm, a place in the Urals that looks simply breathtaking in winter 

9. Lake Baikal, the world’s largest freshwater lake and the world’s deepest lake

10. Chara Sands, a fascinating desert surrounded by snow-covered mountains in Russia’s Siberia 

11. The Lena Pillars, a breath-taking range of limestone cliffs in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

12. Khanty-Mansiysk, the northern land with traces of mammoths

13. Kamchatka, a land of volcanoes, geysers and bears

14. A picturesque lighthouse in Vladivostok, the eastern megapolis that can be reached via a 9,000 kilometer Trans-Siberian railway journey from Moscow

15. Kaliningrad, Russia’s enclave in Europe, and its dancing forest on the Curonian Spit 

Not enough? Then check out our ultimate list of 100 most beautiful places in Russia!

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