In Russia, modern ski resorts began to be built in the middle of the 20th century and many are still in operation. Newer ones were built as the general interest in them increased in the run-up to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. According to Swiss consulting group ‘Laurent Vanat’, as of today, there are 354 ski resorts in Russia; however, these include small ones, where there is only one ski lift or less than a kilometer of pistes. Yet, the Russian state registry lists 445 ski slopes at 58 resorts where official competitions can be held. Below is a list of the 10 best ones, according to us!
Krasnaya Polyana.
goncharovaia/Getty ImagesThe most popular places for skiing in Russia are located near Sochi, at the foot of the Main Caucasus Range. The season typically lasts from mid-December to mid-April.
Krasnaya Polyana.
wasja/Getty ImagesThe country's largest skiing zone is there, with more than 170 km of pistes of different levels of difficulty. It is divided into three parts (‘Rosa Khutor’, ‘Krasnaya Polyana’ and ‘Gazprom’) and you can buy a single ski-pass for all three, as well for each one separately.
The second most visited resort in Russia is 'Sheregesh' in Siberia, opened back in 1981.
Snow falls early in these parts, so the skiing season starts in early November. In mid-April, the annual ‘Grelka Fest’ festival is held there with its famous mass downhill skiing in swimsuits event.
In total, the resort has 16 pistes of different levels and two dozen ski lifts. Also, there are several apres-ski bars and cafes. In the coming years, the ski resort is set to become bigger and an airport is being developed nearby.
At the foot of the Caucasus range, in the picturesque Dombay meadow, lies Russia’s oldest mountain resort. Already in the 1920s, all-union tourist routes were developed for the place, with the construction of the skiing complex beginning in the 1960s.
One of the most famous sights there is a hotel in the shape of a "flying saucer ufo". It was gifted to the Soviet resort by Finnish President Urho Kekkonen.
As a rule, budding and amateur skiers head to Dombay, as the slopes are wide and not too steep there. At the same time, there are facilities for freeriding and even heli-skiing there.
In November 2023, 'Arkhyz' was recognized as the best ski resort in the country at the national 'Mountains of Russia' awards.
The resort is new: it was opened in 2013 meeting the most up-to-date standards. Those who are new to skiing or snowboarding will like it most of all: there are 5 ‘green’ pistes and 4 ‘blue’ ones. For advanced skiers and riders, there are also 5 ‘red’ and 2 ‘black’ pistes. They are only 27 km long for now, but construction is ongoing. Evening skiing is also available. The season in the North Caucasus Mountains lasts from December to April.
Experienced tourists will surely enjoy the pistes at the foot of Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. For beginners, there are also a couple of training slopes that have a total length of 17 km.
'Elbrus' is a legendary resort: the first tourist complexes were built there back in the 1930s and, in the 1960s, the first funiculars appeared: on the Cheget slope and glade of Azau. In 2018, the upper row of cableway was extended up to the 3,847-meter mark, meaning the resort now boasts the most high-altitude slopes in the country.
In 2023, 'Elbrus' was recognized as the best ski resort in the North Caucasus.
Ski resorts in the Khibiny mountain range are located near the town of Kirovsk. The main one is 'Bolshoy Vudyavr' ('Big Wood'), which is within just a 15-minute walk from the center of Kirovsk. In total, there are 23 pistes, mostly designed for medium level skiers.
The season spans from early November until the first days of June, with people skiing even on a polar night in December there.
The easternmost skiing complex in Russia opened back in 1960 in the center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Ski jump facilities were built there to prepare Soviet skiers for the 1972 Sapporo Olympics and then biathlon competitions were held there.
A few years ago, the whole infrastructure was renewed and there you can now ride on 22 pistes of different levels, from ‘green’ to ‘black’. Even artificial snow-making systems operate on nine of them.
'Happiness in the mountains'.
Vladimir Astapkovich/SputnikIn the Urals, 200 kilometers from Perm, the ‘Gubakha’ resort enjoys a lot of popularity. It has received numerous awards as the best resort for teaching skiing, the best value-for-money ski resort and Russia's best all-union resort. It has 18 different pistes totalling 18 km overall, including freeride and slalom zones.
There’s also a snow park in 'Gubakha', in which you can practice snowboarding stunts... or watch others pull them off!
Another famous Ural resort where you can ski up until spring. There are 13 pistes in total, the longest of which is 2,780 meters.
By the way, besides alpine skiing, you can also go cross-country skiing in 'Abzakovo': it has a separate route for it.
Believe it or not, but there are two dozen ski resorts around Moscow. The largest of them is 'Sorochany' in the north of Moscow Region, which opened in 2002. In November 2023, it was recognized as the best ski resort in the Central Federal District.
It’s convenient to start learning to ski and snowboard there: the height of some slopes is only 225 meters. There are 10 pistes up to 1,050 meters long in total and several ski lifts available for holidaymakers visiting the place. A training slope for children and numerous recreational areas can also be found there.
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