SEVEN WONDERS OF RUSSIA

Lake Baikal or "the Pearl of Siberia" is the deepest lake in the world, and the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. It holds approximately twenty percent of the world's total fresh water. Baikal is also home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. At more than 25 million years old, it is the oldest lake in the world.

The valley has more that 200 thermals, including approx. 90 geysers on the territory of 4 km2. It is the only geyser field in Eurasia and the second largest concentration of geysers in the world. This 6 km long basin is situated on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. It is part of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, which, in turn, is incorporated into the World Heritage Site "Volcanoes of Kamchatka". The valley is difficult to reach, with helicopters providing the only feasible means of transport.

Located near the main range of the Greater Caucasus Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia and in the whole Europe. Its west side is 5642 m high and its east side is 5621 m high above sea level. In 1997, a Land Rover Defender was driven to the summit, breaking into the Guinness Book of Records.

Located in the Troitsko-Pecherskiy region, in the Komi Republic, the columns (or Manpupuner as they are known in Russia) are one of the country’s most mysterious attractions. The 7 massive rock towers burst out of a flat plateau. Their height, that varies between 30 and 42 meters, and their abnormal shapes make them inaccessible to even the most experienced rock-climbers.

Located 29 km away from St Petersburg Petergof is a “country-house” of tsar Peter the Great. His aim was to turn Petergof into the “North Versailles” and today it is famous for its numerous fountains. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Cathedral was built between 1555 and 1561 and became not only the symbol of Moscow, but the symbol of Russia, too. It is a multi-tented church on the Red Square in Moscow and also features distinctive onion domes. The interior of the cathedral is a collection of separate chapels, each filled with numerous icons, medieval painted walls, and varying artwork on the top inside of the domes. The cathedral was commissioned by Ivan IV (also known as Ivan the Terrible) to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan.

The monument is the symbol of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). It was raised as a commemoration of the great Battle of Stalingrad during the WWII (August 1942 to February 1943). The battle was a decisive Soviet victory over Axis forces on the Eastern front of World War II and arguably the bloodiest battle in human history. At the time of its installation in 1967 the statue of The Motherland Calls formed the largest free-standing sculpture in the world.

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