For the first time, Russia is becoming a budget destination thanks to Easyjet’s Moscow routes from Manchester and London. While seeing more of the country takes a lot of time and commitment, the Golden Ring is a great way to see a glimpse of traditional Russia. Made of up several traditional towns in a loop near Moscow, the ring is full of kremlins, monasteries and beautiful buildings in varying stages of preservation, repair or decay.
I spent four months living in Yaroslavl, which serves as a good base for exploring other towns, though many closer to Moscow are easy day trips. The below photos were taken in Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Rostov Veliky and Sergiev Posad.
Church of Archangel Michael, Yaroslavl
Ipatiev monastery
Abandoned church walls
Inside Ipatiev monastery
Traditional dacha
Walls of Spasso-Yakovlevsky monastery
Alexander Nevsky chapel
Rostov Veliky skyline
Old church
Inside Ipatiev monastery
Yaroslavl’s assumption cathderal
Inside the Rostov Veliky kremlin
Ipatiev monastery
Yaroslavl assumption cathedral
Inside the Rostov Veliky kremlin
View of monastery across the frozen Lake Nero
Inside the Sergiev Posad kremlin
Frescoes
Rostov Veilky kremlin
Traditional wooden architecture
Do you reckon they’ll relax the visa requirements anytime soon? That would get me there.
Doubt it to be honest – they’ve only made it harder in recent years. I’m hoping that the Winter Olympics 2014 and the World Cup in 2018 might lead to a relaxing of restrictions for EU citizens, as they’ve done with big sporting events in the past, but as long as the EU has strict regulations for Russians, they’ll continue to have strict regulations for us.
Lovely photos! Really enjoyed this, and your other Russian posts
Thank you very much! It’s such a fascinating country – just wish it was easier to get to!
What gorgeous photos!!!
Thanks – are you going to be heading here this year?
Yep in July – so think we may just be missing the white nights (?)
The Golden Ring is too far south to experience the proper white nights, but you’ll still get them in SPB.
The festivals are in June and the nights start getting shorter after 21st June, but I’d expect in July you’ll only really have proper night-time from 00:00-04-00 or something similar.
Apologies – thought you were asking if we were visiting “here” as in Russia – not the Golden Ring. Unfortunately will only have a week in Russia so won’t have time to get to the Golden Ring.
Wow – se we might still see white nights in SPB?! Ooh – how exciting!!