The Best Places to Visit in Russia by Travel Influencers

Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd, then Leningrad, is a city situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. It is Russia's second-largest city after Moscow.

Moscow is the capital and most populous city of Russia. With over 12.5 million residents living within the city limits of 2,511 square kilometres as of 2018, Moscow is among the world's largest cities, being the most populous city entirely within Europe, the most populous urban area in Europe with over 17 million people, the most populous metropolitan area in Europe with over 20 million people, – the Moscow Metropolitan Area, and also the largest city on the European continent.

Petergof or Peterhof, known as Petrodvorets from 1944 to 1997, is a municipal town in Petrodvortsovy District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland.

Gelendzhik or Gelenjik is a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Gelendzhik Bay of the Black Sea, between Novorossiysk and Tuapse.

Sevastopol is the largest city on the Crimean Peninsula and a major Black Sea port. Since annexing Crimea in 2014, the Russian Federation has administered Sevastopol as a federal city.

Vladivostok is a city and the administrative centre of the Far Eastern Federal District and Primorsky Krai, Russia, located around the Golden Horn Bay, not far from Russia's borders with China and North Korea.

Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai. It is located in Western Russia, on the Black Sea coast near Russia's southern border. The Greater Sochi area, which includes territories and localities subordinated to Sochi proper, has a total area of 3,526 square kilometers and sprawls for 145 kilometers along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains.

Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, 202 kilometers northeast of Moscow. Population: 31,792; 34,141; 35,707.

Yoshkar-Ola is the capital city of the Mari El Republic, Russia. Yoshkar-Ola means red city in Mari and was formerly known as Tsaryovokokshaysk before 1919, as Krasnokokshaysk between 1919 and 1927 and Charla.

Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third-largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk and Omsk, with a population of 1,035,528 as of the 2010 Census.

Vyborg is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Vyborg Bay, 130 km to the northwest of St.

Ruskeala is a rural locality under the administrative jurisdiction of the town of republic significance of Sortavala in the Republic of Karelia, Russia.

Kazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,243,500, it is the sixth most populous city in Russia.

Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers.

Vityazevo is a rural locality in Vityazevsky Rural Okrug under the administrative jurisdiction of the Town of Anapa in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located 11 kilometers north of Anapa proper on a bank of the Vityazevsky liman. Population: 7,936; 6,026; 5,268.

Tyrnyauz is a town and the administrative center of Elbrussky District of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia, located on the main road leading to the Upper Baksan valley area and on the main climbing route for Mount Elbrus. Population: 21,000.

Yekaterinburg, alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk, is a city and the administrative centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Ural Federal District, Russia.

Novosibirsk is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. It had a population of 1,612,833 in 2018, making it the most populous city in Siberia and the third-most populous city in Russia.

Chegem is a town and the administrative center of Chegemsky District of the Kabardino-Balkar Republic, Russia, located 10 kilometers north of Nalchik, at the elevation of about 470 meters. Population: 18,019.

Vityazevo is a rural locality in Vityazevsky Rural Okrug under the administrative jurisdiction of the Town of Anapa in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located 11 kilometers north of Anapa proper on a bank of the Vityazevsky liman. Population: 7,936; 6,026; 5,268.

The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706 to 1740 as a star fortress.

The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, commonly known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, is a Christian church in Red Square in Moscow, Russia and is regarded as a cultural symbol of the country.

The Winter Palace was the official residence of the Russian Emperors from 1732 to 1917. Today, the palace and its precincts form the Hermitage Museum.

Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. It separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and now the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod.

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskva River, a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin.

The Catherine Park is the large landscaped area to the south of the Catherine Palace, located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo, 25 km south-east of St. Petersburg, Russia. The park has two parts: a formal 18th century Dutch-style garden and a natural English garden.

Lake Baikal is a rift lake located in southern Siberia, Russia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast.

Petergof or Peterhof, known as Petrodvorets from 1944 to 1997, is a municipal town in Petrodvortsovy District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland.

Tsarskoye Selo was the town containing a former Russian residence of the imperial family and visiting nobility, located 24 kilometers south from the center of Saint Petersburg. The residence now forms part of the town of Pushkin.

The State Historical Museum of Russia is a museum of Russian history wedged between Red Square and Manege Square in Moscow. Its exhibitions range from relics of prehistoric tribes that lived on the territory of present-day Russia, through priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty.

GUM is the main department store in many cities of the former Soviet Union, known as State Department Store during the Soviet era. Similarly-named stores operated in some Soviet republics and in post-Soviet states.

Kolomenskoye is a former royal estate situated several kilometers to the southeast of the city center of Moscow, Russia, on the ancient road leading to the town of Kolomna. The 390 hectare scenic area overlooks the steep banks of the Moskva River. It became a part of Moscow in the 1960s.

Palace Square, connecting Nevsky Prospekt with Palace Bridge leading to Vasilievsky Island, is the central city square of St Petersburg and of the former Russian Empire.

The Lakhta Center is an 87-story skyscraper built in the northwestern neighborhood of Lakhta in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Standing 462 meters tall, it is the tallest building in Russia, the tallest building in Europe, and the fourteenth-tallest building in the world.

The Kul Sharif Mosque located in Kazan Kremlin, was reputed to be – at the time of its construction – one of the largest mosques in Russia, and in Europe outside of Istanbul.

The Lakhta Center is an 87-story skyscraper built in the northwestern neighborhood of Lakhta in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Standing 462 meters tall, it is the tallest building in Russia, the tallest building in Europe, and the fourteenth-tallest building in the world.

The Khibiny Mountains is one of the two main mountain ranges of the Kola Peninsula, Russia, within the Arctic Circle, located between Imandra and Umbozero lakes.

The Palace Embankment or Palace Quay is a street along the Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg which contains the complex of the Hermitage Museum buildings, the Hermitage Theatre, the New Michael Palace, the Saltykov Mansion and the Summer Garden.

Mount Kazbegi is a dormant stratovolcano and one of the major mountains of the Caucasus located on the border of Georgia's Kazbegi District and Russian Republic of North Ossetia–Alania.

Lake Teletskoye is the largest lake in the Altai Mountains and the Altai Republic, Russia, and has depth up to 325 meters. Situated at a height of 434 m above the sea level, the lake is 78 km long and 5 km wide and lies between the mountain ridges Korbu and Al-tyntu, on the junction of the Sailughem Mountains and the Western Sayans.