The Seven Wonders of Russia are the seven most beautiful places in the country, voted by the Russian people during a survey launched by the newspaper Izvestija, by the television channel Rossija 1 and by the radio station Radio Majak between October 1st 2007 and June 10th 2008 .
On June 12, 2008, on the occasion of the celebrations for the Day of Russia, the winners were listed.
The 7 wonders you can't miss on a trip to Russia:
The Seven Wonders of Russia include both natural attractions and architectural heritage: since Russia is an exterminated country, we realize that it is impossible to see them all in one trip, but it is worth including some of them in your itinerary.
1. Lake Bajkal
Lake Baikal is a very famous lake in southern Siberia, much appreciated by tourists. Unesco heritage, stretching for over 31 thousand kilometers, ranks as one of the largest lakes in the world. Frozen for the whole winter and beaten by a strong wind, at least until May, it is visited above all for Olkhon island home to the mysterious Shaman Rock.
2. Geyser Valley
The geyser valley is an area of Kamchatka characterized by the strong presence of geysers. It is located within the Kronotsky natural reserve and is a World Heritage Site. It is mostly accessed by helicopter, being a rather remote and impervious region. The vapors of the geysers can reach even the temperature of 250 ° C.
3. Mamaev Kurgan and the Statue of Mother Russia
Mamaev Kurgan is the hill that rises above the city of Volgogradin southern Russia. Its name means "sepulcher of Mamai", because it is thought that here there was an important Tartar tomb. Today, however, Mamaev Kurgan houses a monument to the battle of Stalingrad, now renamed Volgograd, in which Soviet forces defeated the German advance in the Second World War. The memorial also includes an allegorical statue of Mother Russia, designed by Evgenij Vučetič, and called "Homecountry calls!".
It is a 52 meter high statue which can be reached by following a path enriched by commemorative inscriptions.
4. Peterhof
Peterhof is a tsar residence in the homonymous village 20 km from St. Petersburg. It was commissioned by Peter the Great between 1714 and 1723 and consists of several palaces. Protected by UNESCO, it was an imperial residence until the October Revolution, after which its buildings became museums. Damaged during the Second World War, Peterhof residence was restored from 1945. Today Peterhof is one of the most visited destinations by tourists: it consists of an upper park, a lower park and the Park of Aleksandra, all enriched by majestic fountains and tree-lined avenues.
5. Cathedral of Saint Basil
The Cathedral of St. Basil in Moscow, whose full name is the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of Jesus on the Moat, is an Orthodox cathedral on the Red Square, a true emblem and symbol not only of the capital, but perhaps of entire Russia. It was commissioned by Ivan IV of Russia to commemorate the conquest of Kazan and Astrachan and still today it represents the geographical and cultural center of the capital.
The shape of the cathedral recalls the flames of a bonfire rising to the sky and the building is a unique architectural example in the Russian tradition. St.Basil Cathedral was secularized in 1929 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.
6. Man'pupunёr
Man'pupunёr is the name that indicates a region characterized by seven monoliths on the top of a hill between the Ural Mountains in the republic of Komi in Russia. These rock formations were formed due to erosion processes that lasted 200 million years. High up to 42 meters, these monoliths are a rather well-known attraction among Russians, even if not very well known abroad.
Their formation is also explained by a local legend, according to which giants marched in the mountains, headed to Siberia where they intended to defeat the Mansi people. The shaman of the giants, frightened at the sight of the mountains, dropped his war drum: this gesture caused the freezing of the giants that turned into monoliths.
7. Mount Elbrus
Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in Russia and the whole Caucasus. Its name has the meaning of "little twins": the mountain is in fact made up of two almost equally high peaks. Originally, the mountain was a volcano, now extinct. For the ancients, this mountain was the place where Prometheus was enchained: today it is perennially snow-covered and its snows generate different glaciers.
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