Russia Lake Baikal is one of the world’s greatest record-setting lakes. The seventh largest lake in the world by surface area, it is the deepest in the world with a depth of over a mile, the largest by volume, and possibly the oldest lake in continual existence with an estimated age of twenty five million years. It is also one of the great natural sites of Russia and the … [Read more...]
MOUNT KAZBEK
Georgia/Russia (2,535 m) – Sacred Pagan Site Mount Kazbek is one of the great mountains of the Caucasus region, and among the tallest mountains in both Russia and the nation of Georgia. It is associated with the local mythology of the area, and may be related to Greek legends as well. Although its name means “glacier”, the glacial coverage on the mountain is minimal due to … [Read more...]
MOUNT KLYUCHEVSKAYA
Russia (4,750 m) – Tallest Active Volcano in Eurasia Mount Klyuchevskaya is not only one of the world’s tallest and most prominent volcanoes, it is also one of the most active. Located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, it is one of the northernmost volcanoes of the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire. It was sacred to local inhabitants of the area prior to the arrival of Russian … [Read more...]
MOUNT ELBRUS
Russia/Georgia (5,642 m) – Tallest Mountain in Europe (alternate) and Middle East Mount Elbrus may or may not be the tallest mountain in Europe depending on the definition. Located in the Caucasus Mountains in the border area between Russia and Georgia, it is part of the frontier between Europe and Asia. By most (though not by all) definitions it is part of Europe, and … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF STALINGRAD (STALINGRAD BATTLEFIELD)
Volgagrad, Russia (1942-1943 AD) The Battle of Stalingrad is generally regarded as the decisive turning point of World War II, as well as the largest battle ever fought in history. Over the five months that the battle took place, over three and a half million men were involved on both sides, with over two million casualties. Stalingrad effectively ended Nazi Germany’s effort … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF BORODINO (BORODINO BATTLEFIELD)
Borodino, Russia (1812 AD) The Battle of Borodino was the largest single-day battle of the Napoleanic Wars and one of the largest that Europe had seen in history up until that point. It pitted Napolean Bonaparte and the French Grand Army against a roughly equal Russian force, each with perhaps 150,000 or more men. Although a French victory which led directly to the capture … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF KULIKOVO (KULIKOVO BATTLEFIELD)
Kulikovo Field, Russia (1380 AD) The Battle of Kulikovo was one of the most important battles of the Mongol Wars, and a turning point which marked the beginning of the slow decline of Mongol power in Central Asia. It also made a national hero of Dmitri Ivanovich, the Grand Duke of Moscow, and set the stage for the foundation of the Russian Empire, which would go on to become … [Read more...]
BATTLES OF THE NEVA & THE ICE (BATTLEFIELDS)
Ust-Izhora & Narva, Russia (1240 AD & 1242 AD) The Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice were the two great victories of the near-legendary Russian leader Alexander Nevsky. Alexander, who was the Prince of Novgorod and other territories during one of the most turbulent periods in Russia’s history, ruled a young and fractious realm beset on all sides by … [Read more...]
QOLSHARIF MOSQUE (MASJID QOLSHARIF)
Kazan, Russia Thanks to its role as capital of the Kazan Khanate in the 15th and 16th centuries, Kazan has one of the oldest and largest Muslim communities in Russia. Kazan boasts numerous great mosques both ancient and modern, including the Masjid Qolsharif, the most important and magnificent mosque in Russia. The Masjid Qolsharif also enjoys the honor of being the second … [Read more...]
PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS
St. Petersburg, Russia The Peter and Paul Fortress is the greatest Russian citadel of the gunpowder age. Because of its extended western border and endless frontiers in the east, it was impractical for Russia to defend itself with fortresses and traditionally built few. But the new capital of St. Petersburg merited an exception. As a result the Peter and Paul Fortress was … [Read more...]
