Russian Travel Guide

Patchwork embroidery in Yuryevets

The city of Yuravets on the Upper Volga is almost 800 years old. People in the area have always cultivated flax and local seamstresses were known all over for their skills. In the 21st century seamstresses don’t weave, but make multi-coloured patchwork quilts from scraps of material. Although quilting is a craft done all over the world, different peoples began doing it at different points in time and for varying reasons. In Russia, for example, there is manual of rules, advice and instructions from the 16th century called “Domostroy,” which includes detailed descriptions of different cuts of dresses, how to best sort and save scraps of fabric and how to repair ready-made clothing. In the 20th century, patchwork became a kind of art – it served as a type of welcome for avant-garde and futuristic artists and has nowadays become a popular hobby.

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Природа. Остров Валаам

Tour of Kronshtadt

Kronshtadt is both a fortress and a port city. Despite its relatively small size, it has proven to be an island of key importance for Russia as it defended the country from attacks from the Baltic for 300 years. For its entire existence the military island has been subordinate to the sea. Its history, traditions, architecture and the way of life of its citizens have been heavily influenced by the city’s maritime location. For tourists looking not to simply stroll around the city but to get to know the island’s fascinating past it is worth a trip to the local history museum. RTG TV presenter Evgenia Altfeld did just this, as well as sought out Kronshtadt’s shortest street and a place on the road where a granite map of the city can be found. She also checked out the most beautiful and magnificent structure in Kronshtadt, the Naval Cathedral, admired the lovely Finnish Gulf and...