Fortress Oreshak: A Military and Prison Outpost on Ladoga
On Orekhov Island, at the source of the Neva River from Lake Ladoga, lies the fortress Oreshak, which celebrates its 700th anniversary in 2023. The first mentions of these places appear in the Novgorod chronicles of 1228…
Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, Guarded by Ancient Sphinxes
The three-story building of the Academy of Arts in classical style is located along the Universitetskaya Embankment on Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg, right behind the Egyptian sphinxes. These mythical creatures, b…
Symbol of Nevyansk: The Leaning Tower in the Ural Hinterland
The Urals, known as the backbone of the state, rightfully bear the reputation of a harsh region. The character of its inhabitants has been shaped by centuries of work in factories, metallurgy, machine engineering, and mi…
The Church of Paraskeva Friday in Staritsa: Unique and Unrepeatable
The sleepy provincial town of Staritsa, as if fallen out of time, is gradually shedding its centuries-old dust. Two hundred years ago, it was a thriving merchant city on the Volga trade route. Ships from Tver, Nizhny Nov…
Ipatiev House: Witness to a Bloody Execution
History of its Origin
The stone two-story mansion was built in the 1870s on one of the slopes of Voznesenskaya Hill. Initially, the house belonged to state councilor Ivan Redikortsev. According to legend, he built it wi…
Merchant Filippov's House in Staritsa: Where Pushkin Danced
The two-story mansion in the center of Staritsa attracts attention with its lightness and elegance of architectural lines. In the past, high society life thrived here: wealthy merchants and local nobles held balls, atten…
Nienhans, the ghost fortress
The ancient fortress of Nienhans was once elevated at the confluence of the Ohta River and the Neva, almost in the very center of modern Saint Petersburg. For the Swedes, it was an important stronghold on Russian lands a…
Konoplino, Estate of Writer Ivan Ivanovich Lazhechnikov
The estate of Konoplino is located at the confluence of the Korzhach River into the Volga, not far from the ancient city of Staritsa. In the past, it belonged to Ivan Ivanovich Lazhechnikov, who is considered the creator…
The Bobrinsky Palace: In the Glamour of High Society
Catherine II and Grigory Orlov were closely connected not only by state affairs but also by personal relationships. Thanks to Orlov, Catherine was able to rid herself of her husband Peter III and ascend to the throne of …
Alexeyevsky Palace in St. Petersburg: A Blend of Styles and Forms
St. Petersburg, once the capital of the Russian Empire, is famous for its palaces and parks. There are many mansions and estates that once belonged to members of the imperial family.
Among the luxurious buildings, mainl…
