Reasons to Visit Russia
Russia is an extraordinary country. Utterly enormous and yet largely uninhabited and unknown to most of the Western world, it is a place worth of exploration. It has a wealth of history, culture and landscapes there to be admired.
Due to its long history as a communist regime, seemingly trapped behind the ‘iron curtain’ and inaccessible to the West, many people still view it as somewhere that’s difficult to get to or travel within. But actually it is very much open to the public and tourists from all over the world are welcomed there.
So, what is there to see there?
- Churches and Palaces that are beyond spectacular. They look like something out of a fairytale with fabulous spires and arches, crafted carefully and with great panache. They were built with the aim of impressing the capitalist West to show just how wealthy a country could be under communism – so many of the palaces and churches are dripping in gold.
- Ballet that is of supreme quality. Where better than to see Swan Lake than in the country where it was born? Better yet, who better to perform it than the Bolshoi?
- Art in abundance. The Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg houses what is arguably the world’s greatest collection of art. But that is just one of several dozen museums and galleries in that city alone, with others dotted around the country in the other major cities.
- Scenery that will take your breath away. From the flowers in the Steppes to the snowy Caucasus mountains to the vast icy lands in Siberia.
- Winter with a capital ‘W’. You need your furs (or fake furs, anyway) to wrap up in to take in a break in Russia in winter. But the snow and ice make the magical-looking architecture in St Petersburg and Moscow look even more like a fairytale than normal. You could even take a sleigh ride.
If you do decide to visit Russia, bear the following in mind:
- go in the Summer (May – September) if you don’t like the cold;
- go in the Winter (November – December) if you don’t mind the cold, can wrap up warm, and want a bargain since this is the tourist ‘off-peak’ season;
- you’ll need a visa to travel, so plan your trip around eight months in advance to allow plenty of time to get organised.