Russian Cruise Cities:

White-stoned, gold-domed, ancient but forever young: these dramatic epithets instantly evoke images of Moscow, the magnificent Russian capital.

St. Petersburg formerly Leningrad (1924-91), is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe. Founded by Peter I the Great in 1703, it was for two centuries the capital of the Russian Empire (1712-1918).

The final town of the Golden Ring located, 190 km (113 miles) northeast of Moscow.

Bogolyubovo is located 10 km (6 miles) east of Vladimir near the convergence of the Nerl and Klyazma rivers. Town was founded by and named after Andrei Bogolyubsky, grandson of the prince Vladimir Monomakh.

One of the earliest settlements in central Russia, Suzdal has been inhabited since the 9th century.

Kostroma is one of the loveliest cities in our itinerary. It is often called a jewel among the Golden Ring Cities.

Founded in 1010 by Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the city stretches for miles along the confluence of Volga and Kotorosl rivers.

Explore the northern reaches of Lake Onega and the Island of Kizhi, a unique museum of wooden architecture.

The port of Petrozavodsk on the banks of Onezhskoye Ozero (Lake Onega) was founded in 1703 to serve a cannon foundry that was located nearby.

One of Russia's most tranquil and beautiful settings - a cluster of island jewels in the northwestern part of Lake Ladoga.

Although the word Novgorod means "a new city", it is one of the oldest Russian cities. In a sense, Russian history began here. It was the first permanent settlement of the Varangian Norsemen who established the embryonic Russian State.

The town is dominated by its fortresses and churches. Pskov's Kremlin has a fairy tale appearance and has heavy, round, squat towers and wooden roofs.

Town of Klin is located 90km north-west of central Moscow. Famous Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky lived and worked there from 1885 until 1893, the year of his death.

The capital of the Chuvash Republic has a rich historical past. Founded in 1781, it served as fortress outpost for Moscow Principality.

The capital of Tatar Republic was founded in the 13th century by Mongols who had occupied Russia. In the 15th and 16th centuries Kazan became one of the principal cities of the mighty Golden Horde (Tatar) Empire.

For centuries this large industrial city was a gateway to Siberia and Asia.

Located about 45 km north of Perm, is an open-air museum of ethnographic architecture Khokhlovka.

The Solovetsky Archipelago is situated in the Onega gulf of the White Sea. It consists of six large and a several tiny islands, the total area of which comes to about 300 square km.

The expansion of the northern trade routs in 16th and 17th centuries created a need for the port near the mouth of the North Dvina River and White Sea. In 1584 the town of Novie Kholmogory was founded; later it became known as Archangelsk (Archangel).

Founded in 1148, Uglich is one of the most beloved towns in old Russia. The view of the town as it is approached from the Volga River is especially lovely with the Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. John's Church looming on the horizon.