Rostral Column on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, Russia. The former lighthouse is decorated with the prows of conquered ships to frighten off invaders.

Exquisite interior of Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral at Saint Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia. The church and fort are first and oldest landmarks in the city, built during the reign of Peter the Great.

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral at Saint Peter and Paul Fortress is the oldest landmark in St. Petersburg, Russia. Built between 1712 and 1733, its spire is the world’s tallest Orthodox bell tower.

The 19th century, Russian Neo-Classicist style St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia features golden icons & columns of malachite & lapis lazuli

Traditional nesting Matrushka dolls being painted in Mandrogy, a recreated village on the banks of the Svir between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega, Russia