Russian Travel Guide

The animal kingdom of the Commander archipelago

The Komandorsky Archipelago (the Commander Archipelago) in the Pacific Ocean has also long been known as the Clandestine Islands as it is one of the most remote and mysterious territories in Russia. It is thanks to this location that after centuries these lands — their flora and fauna — have hardly been touched by civilization and have maintained their original form. Here on the protected territory of the nature reserve live populations of rare animals such as northern fur seals, northern sea lions, island seals such as the Antonov and the Larga, sea otters and Arctic foxes. The area is also home to many species of birds, including the famous puffin, also called the northern parrot due to its bright colouring.  

Places of worship of the Donskoi monastery

The cathedrals of the Donskoy Monastery are home to the richest collection of religious relics connected to some of the most significant events in Russian history. From the moment of its foundation, a copy of the Our Lady of Kazan icon, which aided the Russian army in its victory over the Tatars, has been kept in the monastery’s main cathedral. The necropolis of the royal Bagrationi dynasty is also located in the cathedral’s basement. The monastery’s Maly Cathedral is fascinating for its own reason — it is here in 1992 that once-believed lost relics of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Russia, were found. 

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Природа. Республика Карелия