Moscow is the capital of Russia and the country`s principal political, economic, financial, educational, and transportation center, located on the Moskva River. The city`s population of 10.4 million permanent inhabitants within the city boundaries constitutes about 7% of the total Russian population.

Sergiev Posad is famous for Troitse-Sergieva Laura (Laura means monastery). Due to this fact, the town is considered to be the capital of Russian Orthodox (Russian Vatican). The monastery was founded in the XIV century on the hill Makovets. Its founder was Reverent Sergiy Radonezhskiy. His hallows are buried in this monastery and for hundreds of years the orthodox world has been making pilgrimage here. Sergiev Posad become a town only in 1782.Behind the high walls of Laura there is the largest men monastery, the monastery necropolis and the Moscow Ecclesiastical Academy and Seminary. There remains a historical and architectural XV-XIX century ensemble of churches, belfries and chambers.

Invaluable treasures of Russian architecture: Spassko-Preobrazenskaja church (1152), old monasteries, cathedrals of the XVI-XVIII centuries, monuments of civil architecture, picturesque nature attracted here such famous people as: Prishvin M.M., Shalapin F.I., Korovin K.A. From the ancient pagan drova hill is situated near the town, where the legend Sin-Stone lies, the place of pagan admiration.

Rostov-the-Great is one of the oldest Russian towns of the “Golden Ring”, which is situated on the wonderful lake Nero. In the chronicles the town was first mentioned in 862. The town preserves residential wooden two-story houses of the XIX century with pediments and balconies in the Russian classic style, and the monuments of civic architecture Myitny and Gostiny Dvors (1830s). Also Rostov-the-Great is famous for its bell ringing and architectural monuments of the XVI century. The pearl of the town is Rostov Kremlin with its White Walls in which many historical films were shot.

Yaroslavl was founded in 1010 by Grand Duke Yaroslav Wise. The history of the town is closely connected with such names as poet Nekrasov N.A., Grand Duke Pozharskiy, the founder of the first national theatre in Russia Volkov F.G., sculptor Opekushin A.M., artist Savrasov A.K. and many other famous Russian people. Yaroslavl reached the peak of its development. It was then that the architectural ensembles went up to make Yaroslavl one of the most beautiful cities of old Russia with churches rich in frescoes and ceramic ornamentation. During the XVIII century the city retained its importance as an economic and cultural center.

Kostroma is supposed to have been founded in 1152 by prince Yriy Dolgorukiy as a fortress. Now Kostroma is the only city in Russia which has retained the layout and architectural ensemble formed in its central part during the XVIII - early XIX centuries. Numerous architectural monuments and first of all ensemble of Ipitievskiy monastery, the layout of Kostroma, unique buildings of the central part of the town are a bright example of Russian town planning.

Suzdal seems to be one of the most famous cities of the "Golden Ring". Suzdal became the first in the USSR, and it still remains the only city in Russia that has received wide international recognition for the preservation of historical monuments. Many tourists visit Suzdal again and again. "A museum in the open air" is the most exact description of this ancient Russian town that has about two hundred ancient monuments of religious architecture. They are situated on the area of nine square kilometes. Having kept the ancient lay-out, Suzdal now is a city-resort. Among architectural monuments of special interest for tourists is the Kremlin surrounded by ancient ramparts, the complexes of the Convent of the Intercession and the Monastery of Our Savior and St. Euthimius, the Museum of Wooden Architecture and Rural Life, XVIII century Possad churches, and the Gostiny Dvor (Possad Marketplace, 1811).

For more than 250 years Vladimir played a very important part in the history of Russia, when it was the capital of the ancient Russian state. Up to 1432, Grand Princes of Russia were crowned in the Vladimir Cathedral of the Assumption of Holly Mother of God. According to some chronicles the town was founded at the end of the X century and named after Kievan Prince Vladimir the Saint( Vladimir Krasnoe Solnishko), the baptizer of Russia. But the real Golgen age of its historical importance the town had in the middle of 12-beginningof the 13 c. Today, Vladimir is a major administrative, industrial and cultural center with a population of about 350,000 residents. Its unique historical and architectural monuments testify to the former beauty and power of the ancient Russian capital. Vladimir has preserved its ancient defensive ramparts, the main gateway to the city - the Golden Gate, the golden-domed Cathedral of Assumption with Andrey Rublev`s frescoes, and the Cathedral of St. Dmitry whose walls are lavishly decorated with relief carvings in white stone.

"Valaam" is the name of both the large main island (shown in the map above), as well as the archipelago of about 50 islands of various sizes, in the northern part of Lake Ladoga (LAґ-do-ga), which is the largest lake in Europe.