RUSSIA ~ Veliky Novgorod - UNESCO ~

... Nice winter scene of the ancient city of Veliki (Great) Novgorod... the view from the banks of the Volkhov River is breathtaking with the red Kremlin wall and the church onion-domes... known as "The Birthplace of Russia" or "The Oldest City of Russia"... there are a number of medieval monuments, including monasteries, churches in different Russian architectural styles and some have very old frescoes still visible... the most important church of them all is the 11th century St. Sophia Cathedral and it is located inside the Kremlin of the city... the oldest church in Russia... this town offers a trip back in time and a taste of Russian culture... Thanks a lot Oleg!【ツ】

Novgorod was first mentioned in the year 859. In the 15th century, Novgorod and its lands join Moscow as part of Russia and it continued to keep its importance in trade routes between East and West. It developed into one of the major centres of Russian culture, which exerted national influence on stone architecture and painting. 

It was one of the most important cities of Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages and was the only principality that was saved from Mongolian dominion after the Mongolian invasion of Russia.

UNESCO recognized Novgorod as a World Heritage Site in 1992.

Stamps:

The 200th Anniversary of Cherkessk 

(Issued 19-09-2025)

Russian Navy 

(issued 29-07-2021)

RUSSIA ~ Wrangel Island - UNESCO ~

... Great nature view of a remote island tucked away high above the Arctic Circle... Wrangel Island is  part of the Russia’s Far East... a place of paradoxes—both a harsh, isolated landscape and a cradle of life... one of the most remarkable Arctic nature reserves...  a critical Arctic ecosystem, home to species found nowhere else... best known for being the last refuge of the woolly mammoth... while most mammoth populations disappeared from the mainland around 10,000 years ago, a small group managed to survive on Wrangel until about 4,000 years ago... but even though Wrangel is remote, it is not safe from modern threats... the warming of the Arctic is opening new shipping routes near the island... more ships could mean more pollution, more noise, and more problems for wildlife... Russian leaders have even suggested loosening environmental rules so that military training could take place on the island... these developments worry both scientists and environmentalists... Thanks a lot Oleg!ヽ(ヅ)ノ

Wrangel Island is located in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and the East Siberian Sea. It is part of Russia’s Chukotka region and covers about 7,600 square kilometres.

The island boasts the world’s largest population of Pacific walruses and the highest density of polar bear dens. It is a major feeding ground for the grey whale migrating from Mexico and the northernmost nesting ground for 100 migratory bird species, many endangered. Currently, 417 species and subspecies of vascular plants have been identified on the island, double that of any other Arctic tundra territory of comparable size and more than any other Arctic island.

To protect this fragile environment, the Soviet Union declared Wrangel Island a nature reserve in 1976. In 2004, the Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Stamps:

Definitives - Eagles

(Issued 04-08-2019)

Towns of Soldierly Glory

(Issued 30-04-2010)

80th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with the Dominican Republic

(Issued 22-07-2025)

100th Anniversary of the Artek International Children's Center 

(Issued 16-06-2025)

RUSSIA ~The Church of St. Basil the Great on the Hill - Pskov - UNESCO ~

... Wonderful wintery panoramic church scene... built in 1413 and located in the historical center of Pskov within the fortress walls of the Middle Town on a natural elevation... an ancient city with multitude of beautiful old churches... they reflect the city’s Golden Age and are the best examples of this style... Pskov is the largest stone fortress in Europe and one of the most important tourist centers in Russia... it attracts travelers from all over the world... Thanks a lot Oleg!ヽ(•‿•)ノ  

Pskov is one of the oldest Russian towns, being first mentioned in a chronicle of the year 903 as Pleskov. The town became important in the Middle Ages as a centre for trade between the interior of Russia and the Hanseatic seaports of the Baltic.

Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. The ten churches and related buildings around the city of Pskov are on the list.

Stamp: 

The 100th Anniversary of the Domestic Civial Aviation of Russia

(Issued 15-07-2023)

RUSSIA ~ Samara Bend National Park - Samara ~

... A beautiful natural landscape... when the Volga rounded the Zhiguli mountains, an amazing territory was formed... the main natural attraction of the Samara region... the park is culturally important because of its centrality to a range of peoples back to ancient times... and to its scientific value resulting from the biodiversity of its closely placed variety of habitats... the entire region is located on the Russian Plain, at the meeting place of three native zones: forest, steppe, and forest-steppe... part of the Middle Volga Complex Biosphere... Thanks a lot Oleg!【ツ】

National Park Samara Bend in the Samara Region was founded in 1984 with an area of 134 thousand ha. It covers most of the peninsula formed by the 180-degree bend of the Volga River in the Samara Oblast. The north shore of the bend is on the Kuybyshev Reservoir, the south side is on the Saratov Reservoir, and it has a border with Zhiguli Nature Reserve. 

 

The Samara Region is located in southwestern part of the East European Plain on the Volga River. It borders on the Republic of Tatarstan, and the Orenburg, Saratov and Ulyanovsk regions. It also has a state border with Kazakhstan. 

Stamps:

The 150th Anniversary of the ITU

(Issued 07-05-2015)

Peter Belyusov, 1897-1970 

(Issued 15-06-2022)

RUSSIA ~ Church of the Ascension - Kolomenskoye - UNESCO ~

... Winter view of a lovely Russian Orthodox Church... located on a grass hill overlooking the river... a masterpiece of world architecture and one of of the first religious stone buildings to take the tent shape in Russia... it became the turning point in Russian religious architecture... the ground floor is in the shape of a cross, which then becomes a tower that is initially octagonal before being topped by a pyramid that reaches 28 meters high... the Church has been numerously rebuilt and reconstructed, but its main characteristic features were preserved... it is a part of the large architectural museum complex "Kolomenskoye"... Thanks a lot Oleg! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Kolomenskoye is a former royal estate situated  to the southeast of the city center of Moscow, on the ancient road leading to the town of Kolomna (hence the name). The 390 hectare area overlooks the steep banks of the Moskva River. It became a part of Moscow in the 1960s. 

The Church of the Ascension was designed by Italian architect Pietro Annibale and was built between 1528 and 1532  to celebrate the birth of Ivan IV, the future tsar of Russia, who later became known as Ivan the Terrible.

The church was inscribed in 1994 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:

The Image of Modern Russia - Bear 

(Issued 24-08-2021)

The 100th Anniversary of the Red-Banner School of Marshal A.I. Eremenko 

(Issued 16-11-2018)

Definitives - Eagles

(Issued 07-08-2019)

RUSSIA ~ Lena Pillars National Park - UNESCO ~

... Lovely view of a unique natural monument in far eastern Siberia overlooking the Lena river... these 150 to 300 meters high extraordinary cliffs were formed 400 thousand years ago... wind and water have converted the relatively soft Cambrian limestones into solid rocks... you can also see the prints of shells of ancient inhabitants of these places in the rocks... there is also beautiful forests around it... the most popular site in the natural park are Labydia rocks with an observational platform... Thanks a lot Leonid!¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

The Lena Pillars Nature Park is a geological site located in the Sakha Republic of eastern Siberia.The total area of the park is 485 thousand hectares.

They were produced by the region's extreme continental climate. During winter temperatures can reach -60°C and  40°C in summer. The pillars form rocky buttresses isolated from each other by deep and steep gullies developed by frost shattering directed along intervening joints.

The word lena comes from the Russian regional language, Elyu-Ene, which means it is a large river. 

National Nature Reserve Lena Pillars is one of the national parks in Russia since 1995.

The park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012.

 Stamps:

Concorde Tower - Magas 

(Issued 04-06-2014)

The 100th Anniversary of Russian Academic Archeology 

(Issued 26-08-2019)

RUSSIA ~ Taganay National Park - Chelyabinsk Oblast ~

... Beautiful winter scene with ❄️frost❄️ covered trees... a wonderful winter escape in the Ural Mountains... these mountains create a natural divide between Asia and Europe and at their southern tip lies Taganay National Park... a sweeping valley bound by rugged peaks with pristine mountain lakes and dense alpine forests... the park has several hidden and untouched eco-systems, including tundra, meadows, forests and sparse woodlands... it is the most popular national park of the South Urals among nature-loving tourists... a piece of the pristine taiga... Thanks a lot Oleg!【ツ】 

Taganay National Park was established in 1991 and was the first in the Urals. It covers the northern part of the mountain ranges of the Southern Urals.Total area of the park is about 568km2. Taganay is a group of mountain ridges with the highest point rising 1178 m. above sea level.

The 97% of the territory of the national park is covered with forests of Siberian spruce, fir, pine, larch, maple, willow, lime, birch, alder, and aspen. 

The forest is a safe home for brown bears, wolves, lynxes, elk, martens, and otters. The park features over 180 bird species, over 55 mammal species and about 10 fish species.

 Stamps:

Definitives - Eagles

(Issued 07-08-2019)

The 650th Anniversary of Kaluga

(Issued 05-08-2021)

RUSSIA ~ Dormition Cathedral - Vladimir - UNESCO ~

... Wonderful winter scene of a historical and cultural monument... a city's landmark and symbol of ancient Russian architecture... located on a cliff overlooking the Klyazma River in the "The Golden Circle" with some of Russia’s most beautiful religious buildings... this grand limestone church was expanded over time... a very impressive site, with its belltower and five golden domes and its richly painted and gilded interior....  this cathedral is one of the few temples with preserved frescoes of Andrei Rublev... Thanks a lot Oleg!【ツ】

Constructed in 1475-1479, the Cathedral of the Assumption, or Cathedral of Dormition, is a Russian Orthodox church and is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos.The current structure hoted the coronation of every Russian monarch from 1547 to 1896 and is the burial place of most of the Moscow’s Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church

Today, it is the cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church and the National Museum.

The Golden Ring is a selection of cities – Sergiyev Posad, Alexandrov, Kostroma, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Uglich, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, Rostov Veliky, Suzdal and Vladimir.

The White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal embraces eight medieval limestone monuments of Zalesye. In 1992, the Dormition Cathedral was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage.

Stamps:

The 175th Anniversary of Hydrometeorologic Service

(Issued 15-05-2009)

The 1000th Anniversary of the Unification of Mordovia with Russia
(Issued 20-07-2012)

Definitive
(Issued 11-06-2019)

RUSSIA ~ Kizhi Pogost - Kizhi Island - Republic of Karelia - UNESCO ~

... Wonderful unique example of Russian wooden architecture... the world famous Transfiguration Church with 22 wooden domes... the biggest building in the world that’s made entirely from wood (even down to the nuts and bolts)...  a fairytale-like scene in a beautiful setting... the churches, bell tower, and other wooden structures blend wonderfully with their surroundings...the whole island is an  “Open Air Museum” of wooden architecture... to this day, these buildings on the small island of Kizhi, serve as a Russian Orthodox church for the surround rural communities...  Khizi is a must-see for any visitor to Russia... with great matching stamp👍... Thanks a lot Julia!!(✿ ♥‿♥)

Ⓒ Photo: Serghei Starus
Kizhi Pogost dating from the 18thC is located on a narrow strip of land on the southern tip of the island Kizhi on one of the many islands in Lake Onega in Karelia.The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia (a republic), located in the northwest of Russia.

The Transfiguration Church (1714), (also known as the "summer church") is about 37m tall. The smaller, nine-domed Intercession Church (also known as the "winter church") was built in 1764, and its iconostasis is intact.The third structure inside the Pogost is the belltower which was built in 1874.

This WHS consists of the “Pogost” or walled enclosure and gate containing the Summer Church of the Transfiguration, the Winter Church of the Intercession and a bell tower. Inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1990.

Stamp:

The 50th Anniversary of the Kizhi State Historical-Architectural and Ethnographic Memorial Museum Reserve
(Issued 19-08-2016)

RUSSIA ~ Novodevichy Convent - Moskou - UNESCO ~

... Great postcard with lots of interesting facts on... this monastery is one of the most beautiful architectural monuments in the country... probably the best-known of Moskou... a true masterpiece... still working as a nunnery to this day, this convent is about as deeply immersed in Orthodox history as one can get... a magnificent and peaceful place with an impressive icon collection... with picturesque and tranquil ponds and garden... and a fascinating nearby cemetery too...Thanks a lot Elena!【ツ】

The Novodevichy Convent was founded in 1524 by Grand Prince Vasili III in commemoration of the conquest of Smolensk in 1514.

It was built as a fortress at a curve of the Moskva River and became an important part of the southern defensive belt of the capital, which had already included a number of other monasteries.

During the Soviet epoch, it was turned into the most high-profile cemetery in the Soviet Union, with the likes of Peter Kropotkin, Nikita Khrushchev, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich, Konstantin Stanislavski, Boris Yeltsin, and Mstislav Rostropovich being interred there.

Unlike other Moscow cloisters, it has remained virtually intact since the 17thC. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps:

2X Definitive Issue Kremlins
(Issued 01-10-2009)

Gifts of Nature
(Issued 27-09-2003)

Folk Dances - Joint Issue with India
(Issued 26-10-2017)

RUSSIA ~ Lake Kenozero - Kenozersky National Park - UNESCO ~

... A beautiful flowering geranium field and new Russian National Park... it's one of the last areas of traditional Russian way of life, culture... with traditional villages and wooden churches.....known for the beautiful and untouched nature....great place for nature lovers, offering boating, hiking and other exciting activities... a magical place in the Russian North... with nice postcrossing stamp...Thanks a lot Oleg!!¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photo:Ⓒ Daniel Korzhonov
Kenozersky National Park is a natural and historical-cultural complex is located in the southwest of Arkhangelsk region and was established in 1991. The center of Kenozersky National Park’s northern part is Lake Kenozero which is the biggest lake in the region and gives its name to the park. The park covers an area of 1396 sq km.

The Park has got preserved natural complexes and objects, material and sacred monuments. It contains more than 100 architectural monuments as this territory is considered to be among the first areas which were inhabitied by the Novgorod people. Besides different villages, which appeared on the waterways, there were 3 orthodox monateries on the territory of the park. Today there are 11 churches and bell-towers in differents parts of the Park.

Most of the area is covered by mixed forests which formed thousand of years. They cover about 106 thousand hectares. More than 50 species of mammals inhabit the territory of the park and 263 bird species can be observed.

In 2004, the park received the status of a biosphere reserve and was included in the UNESCO list of biosphere reserves.

Stamps:
Definitive Issue. Kremlins
(01-10-2009)

Postcrossing
(Issued 25-03-2016)

RUSSIA ~ Shaman Rock on Olkhon Island - Lake Baikal - Pribaikalsky National Park - UNESCO ~

♥✿♥Wishing you all a Happy Earth Day!♥✿♥

... The perfect postcard to celebrate this special day... awesome nature beauty... Lake Baikal is one of the main wonders in Russia....the oldest, most beautiful, purest and deepest freshwater lake in the world... with a surface area bigger than Belgium, it contains nearly one quarter of all the world's freshwater, which is more than the five American Great Lakes combined... it's on the Olkhon Island, the heart of Lake Baikal... Thanks a lot Irina!! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photo:Ⓒ Andrei Grachow
Lake Baikal, located in south-east Siberia is the world's oldest lake, estimated to be approximately 25 million years old.  It was formed as a rift valley (earth's crust slowly pulls apart) and is crescent shaped. Lake Baikal is 79 km wide and 636 km in length. The coastline is roughly 2100 kms.

Olkhon is the fourth-largest lake-bound island in the world. It is by far the largest island in Lake Baikal.

"Shaman-rock" is above water projection of Angarsk threshold. This rock is a subject of many popular legends and myths about Baikal Lake and Angara river, besides it is one of the main symbols of Baikal Lake.

Pribaikalsky National Park covers the southwest coast of Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia. The coastal strip includes some mountain ridges to the west as well as offshore islands such as Olkhon Island to the east.

The lake was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Stamps:

Definitive Issues
(Issued 29-08-2008)

ContamparyRussian Art
(Issued 29-11-2016)

RUSSIA ~ Republic of Tyva ~

...Nice postcard from a special place located in the heart of Asia... a largely unknown republic of the Russian Federation and almost isolated from the world...  with unique culture and identity... the mountains are breathtaking... there are 100 plus minerals springs... famous for its Tuvan throat singing.... Thanks a lot Eugene!!ヽ(ヅ)ノ

Tyva Republic (also called Tuva) is situated in the center of Asia in southern Siberia, part of Siberian Federal District. The republic borders the Altai Republic, the Republic of Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and the Republic of Buryatia in Russia and Mongolia to the south. It is the homeland of the Tuva people.

The city of Kyzyl is the capital of the Tuva Republic in the extreme east of Siberia, Russia. Kyzyl lays claim to being located precisely in the geographical center of Asia - a claim that has proven to be somewhat controversial.

Stamps:

 Definitive Issue. Kremlins
(Issued 01-10-2009)

The 850th Anniversary of the City of Velikiye Luki
(Issued 14-07-2016)

RUSSIA ~ The Struve Geodetic Arc - UNESCO ~

...Received my third country with  Geodetic Arc "Z Point" on Hogland Island...still 7 to go...Thanks a lot Oleg!

Photo © Nikolai Vorobyev “The Struve Arc” (“Russian-Scandinavian Arc”) is a chain of old triangulation points extending for 2,820 km on the territory of ten European countries and representing a unique monument of science and technology. The points are marked by drilled holes, cross marks in stone, carved crosses or cairns.

Both Russian triangulation points are situated on the small Hogland Island in the Gulf of Finland – they are the “Maki-Paalys Point” and “Z Point”.

Stamps:

Definitive Issue. Kremlins
(Issued 01-10-2009)

Definitive Issues
(Issued 29-08-2008)

The 50th Anniversary of the Russian Society for Protection of Monuments of History and Culture
(Issued 14-10-2015)

RUSSIA ~ Siberia - Golden Mountains of Altai Republic- Lower Shavlinskoe Lake - UNESCO ~

...the sky and the view...breathtaking scenery... Thanks Oleg!!

Photo: Alexandr Ermolitsky The Altai Republic is a small mountainous republic in Russia, southern Siberia, close to the borders of Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China. It is a spectacularly beautiful and unspoiled land of forests, alpine meadows, and mountain peaks reaching heights of more than 4,500m. The name "Altay" (or "Altai") comes from Mongolian "Altan", which means "golden", and in 1998, UNESCO inscribed five separate natural regions, the "Golden Mountains of Altai", as a World Heritage Site.

The mountains have several undisturbed glaciers and provide the source of main rivers like the Ob. Lower Shavlinskoe Lake is located 5 km away from Upper one at a height of 1725 m. The length is 800 m and the width is 500 m.

The mountains are the habitat of several globally endangered mammals, such as the snow leopard and the Altai argali.



Stamp:
Museum of Wooden Architecture and Folk Art
(Issued 01-08-2011)

RUSSIA ~Solovetsky Island - UNESCO~

A stunning and beautiful nightview...now a peaceful looking site...but a place with a dark history...between 1926 and 1939 the monastery was turned into a special Soviet prison and labor camp, which served as a prototype for the Gulag system... also know as "Silovki" Gulag...
The back of the card is almost as beautiful as its front... Thanks a lot CharlesLing!!



Wonderful matching stamps:
World Cultural Heritage in Russia
Solovetsky Islands

(Issued 17-07-2009) and 

The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Aram Khachaturyan (composer) stamp.
(24-04-2003)

The Solovetsky Monastery is one of the most significant monastic institutions in Russia. The monastery is located on the large island of Solovetsky and  became one of the richest and best known monasteries in Russia.It was founded in the second quarter of the 15th century by tree monks from the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery.

The Solovetsky archipelago comprises six islands in the western part of the White Sea, near the Arctic Circle. They have been inhabited since the 5th century B.C. and important traces of a human presence from as far back as the 5th millennium B.C. can be found there. The archipelago has been the site of fervent monastic activity since the 15th century, and there are several churches dating from the 16th to the 19th century.

The USSR recognized the beauty and importance of the islands and in 1974 were designated both a historical/architectural museum and a nature reserve. In 1992  it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

RUSSIA ~Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve - UNESCO~

...Great view of one of the most most northerly and isolated islands on the planet... and home of the polar bear ... the first species to become endangered because of global warming and climate change!! :(
Many Thanks Galina!!


With nice stamps:
Definitives series - Russian Kremlins - Moscow Kremlin
(Issued 01-10-2009)
100th Anniversary of Shipbuilding Plant "Severnaya Verf"
 (Issued 01-10-2012)

Wrangel Island is a Russian island in the Arctic Circle. This amazing snow-covered island is a haven for fabulous arctic wildlife, it  is famous as the breeding ground of polar bears (along with Herald Island), seals, walruses, lemmings and a summer breeding ground for birds and whales. Arctic fox also make their home on the island.The islands are two of the closest to the North Pole.

Wrangel Island may have been the last place on earth where mammoths survived. It was discovered 162 years ago.

There are no humans on this island, only a few people  work at the nature reserve and the staff at the arctic meteorological station who study the island’s fragile ecosystems, it is recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2004 for its unspoilt natural environment.

The Wrangel Island Reserve did not even freeze during the Ice Age, when temperatures across the planet dropped for a long period. As a result, very rare ecosystems have evolved here in distinctive ways, and they are regarded as valuable.

RUSSIA ~Smolensk -The Assumption Cathedral~

A great view of one of the many beautiful Orthodox Cathedrals in Russia (RU-1669730). Thanks Alyona !



 With fantastic stamps:
Amber Room- Cameo 'Moses and Pharaon' and 'Engraved Head'
(Issued 25-05-2004)
Contemporary Russian art.A.I.Suhovetsky "Autumn. Interior. 1992."

The Cathedral of the Assumption, dominating the city of Smolensk from the lofty Cathedral Hill. The first brick church on the spot was started by Vladimir Monomakh in 1101 but was as damaged during the great Siege of Smolensk (1609-11). The current 6-pillared 5-domed edifice was constructed over a period of almost 100 years, but it was eventually completed in 1772.

 Smolensk is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe and located on the Dnieper River.The city  has the honorary status of Hero City.

RUSSIA ~Leonarda da Vinci-The Madonna with a Flower~

...One of the many wonderful paintings shown it the famous State Hermitage museum (RU-1670661) Thanks Milen!!

With a set of nice stamps!

The Madonna with a Flower or The Benois Madonna (1478) is one of the few paintings from the early career of Leonardo da Vinci, a topic Leonardo favored in various sketches and drawings in his earliest years as an artist.

Leonardo da Vinci, 1452 - 1519.

There are around 14 Leonardo da Vinci paintings, according to recent art history sources.

RUSSIA ~The Virgin Komi Forests -UNESCO ~

From Russia a great new UNESCO site showing "the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve"...normally I don't mind a bit of damage (shows the card has traveled)but I wonder who  nibbled on one corner... ^__^
Thanks a lot Darya!!

nat

With nice matching WHS stamps:
(Issued 25-06-2003)
1. Shape Park
2.Stone Pillars on the Man-Pupuner Mountain
3.The Kozhim River
4.The Upper Pechora








The Komi Virgin Forests" is the first Russian natural site that has been inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.

At 32.800km² it is the largest virgin forest in Europe. The territory consists of two protect areas, Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve and Yugyd Va National Park) that together make up the last European massif of primary forests, almost undisturbed by human activities.

This taiga area is the home of more than 40 mammal species, 204 bird species (including such Russian Red Data Book birds as erne and fish hawk) and 16 fish species, the most valuable of which are ice period relics Lake Char and Arctic gray ling.