Siberian Federal District

The 350-year-old square of Krasnoyarsk, Theater Square, decorated with bronze lions, sphinxes, is with good reason called the most beautiful square in Krasnoyarsk. This is a favorite place of cultural rest of the townspeople: the Opera and Ballet Theatre, two beautiful fountains and a high clock tower, or as it is called by the locals - Krasnoyarsk Big Ben-are on the square.

Krasnoyarsk’s Stolby Nature Sanctuary is one of the most interesting natural sights in Siberia and a popular place for outdoor activities of Krasnoyarsk residents. The total area of ​​the sanctuary is huge. But there are restrictions for the access of travelers. The sanctuary is divided into two parts: one is intended for excursions and sports activities, and the other, the so-called "Wild Stolby", is dead and dangerous taiga, where the trek of an average person may be unduly risky. Many travel to Krasnoyarsk in order to see this amazing nature sanctuary, which has been nominated to be on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The historical and cultural complex of Omsk Fortress is a reminder of how Omsk city appeared on the map of Russia. In 1716, a detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Dmitrievich Bucholz built two small redoubts on the banks of the Om river. This place, marked with a memorable sign "Derzhava" (great power) in modern Omsk, turned out strategically advantageous. Soon a fortress was built there. According to the census in 1725, 992 people (only men were counted) lived there.

The Taltsy Museum of Architecture and Ethnography is one of the largest open-air museums in Russia. Its territory comprises 78 different buildings (residential, cult, defense) of the peoples of the Irkutsk region over the past 400 years! The foundation of this unique collection of wooden buildings was laid in the 1970s. Back then, the Spasskaya (Savior’s) Gate Tower and the Kazan Chapel of the 17th century were transferred to the Taltsy area from the future flood zone of the Irkutsk HPP. Later a few other monuments of the Irkutsk region were transported here. 

The history of the Lower Embankment of the Angara began in the 17th century in Irkutsk. Originally there were meadows here, then a pier appeared and even later - a residential settlement with a guest house, customs and state institutions. Today it is the northern part of the historic city center and a popular promenade.  

Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest lake, the area of which is larger than that of some European states. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are no authentic data about how Baikal was formed, but just a dozen of versions exist. However, it is precisely known that Baikal was mentioned even in the ancient Chinese chronicles, and scientists suggest that dinosaurs inhabited near Baikal. 

The historical and cultural and natural Tomskaya Pisanitsa Museum Preserve is a unique natural and archaeological museum-reserve. A sanctuary of ancient tribes inhabiting Siberia was found on the banks of the Tom River. The age of the sanctuary is estimated at 6 thousand years. By the decree of Tsar Peter the Great in 1719 an expedition was sent here to study the finds on the terrain. Ancient petroglyphs, drawings and inscriptions on stones have been named «pisanye» («painted») — hence the name Pisanitsa. On the rocks near the bank of the Tom River one can see hunting drawings, solar symbols and everyday scenes.

The Decembrists’ Church Museum is one of the few wooden structures well preserved in Chita. Its history began in 1776 when it was built on the donations of residents on the site of the former prison. Now a small temple is surrounded on all sides by residential buildings. 

The Chita datsan (Buddhist or Lamaist temple) is the main attraction of Chita and the shrine of Buddhists. In the Tibetan language the datsan is called the Damba Braibunling, which in translation means "The place where the rice of the Buddha's teachings is gathered." They started erecting Chita datsan in 2002. Seven years later a two-meter statue of Shakyamuni Buddha was brought from Ulan-Ude, as well as brass lion figures and sacrificial vessel-cassolette. Datsan was opened in 2010. 

In the Soviet Union era, the village Shushenskoye was known primarily for the fact that the leader of the October Revolution, V.I. Lenin lived and worked there in exile. The first museum dedicated to the socio-political activity of the founder of the Soviet state, appeared there back in the 1930s. It was the house of a peasant named Petrova turned into a memorial complex. 10 years later, the second Siberian shelter of exiled Ulyanov-Lenin, the house belonging to a peasant named Zyrianov, was also made a museum. The next stage of the development of Museum-Sanctuary Shushenskoye was the inclusion of the entire surrounding area. The complex “V.I. Lenin’s Exile in Siberia” was opened in 1968 on Lenin’s 100th anniversary.

Znamensky Monastery (the Monastery of Our Lady of the Sign) was a place of exile of the eminent girls who fell out of grace with the authorities. These were mostly the wives and daughters of disgraced politicians of the 18th century. The monastery, formed at the end of the XVII century, was developing rapidly. It all began with a wooden church. Later, within two centuries, there appeared a stone church building, another temple and a building for cells. By the early XХ century, the monastery had a school, a shelter and a hospital. The novices of the monastery, including representatives of influential families, were known for their needlework. 

Ivolginsky Datsan located in the suburbs of Ulan-Ude is one of the largest and most significant Buddhist temples in the world. This is a place of pilgrimage of believers, a religious complex, the atmosphere of which is best evidenced by its name in Tibetan: "The wheel of learning, which brings happiness and joy."