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.

RUSSIA ~The Catherine Palace interiors~

Wonderful view of "The Amber Chamber" a room with many mysteries...that made it to be the basis for the plot of several movies and books... the creating of this room must have been an enormous undertaking... it was made of several tons of the gemstone, amber...and it disappeared during WWII???
(RU-1612696)Thanks Julia!!

Fifth Issue of definitives of Russian Federation - Bear and Elk
(Issued 29-08-2008)

The Amber Room in the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg is a complete chamber decoration of amber panels backed with gold leaf and mirrors.

It was a gift to Peter the Great in 1716 celebrating peace between Russia and Prussia.The Room was shipped to Russia in 18 large boxes and installed in the Winter House in St. Petersburg as a part of a European art collection. In 1755, Czarina Elizabeth ordered the room to be moved to the Catherine Palace in Pushkin. Italian designer Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli redesigned the room to fit into its new, larger space using additional amber shipped from Berlin.

The room's fate became anything but peaceful: Nazis looted it during World War II, and in the final months of the war, the amber panels, which had been packed away in crates, disappeared. A replica was completed in 2003, but the contents of the original, dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World," have remained missing for decades.

RUSSIA ~Yubileinii~

I do like cities on a river...at first I couldn't find the church...it must be that tiny red building on the riverside...Thanks Tanya!!

Nice stamps:
Historie - 150th Anniversary of Origin of Russian Statehood (Issued 19-09-2012) and
Europa - Trees (Issued 05-05-2011)

In 1987 in a bend of the river Kuban construction began on a new residential district, which was named Yubileinii (Jubilee). On 10 May 1992 the site of the Orthodox church vo imya Rozhdestva Khristovanam of the Birht Christ) in Yubileinii was consecrated. The bank on which the church now stands is called Rozhdestvenskaya (Christmas)

RUSSIA ~Voronezh~

...Lovely wintry view of the historic part of the city (RU-1533660)...Thanks a lot Nataly!!

With beautiful stamp:From the series "Fauna of Russia.
Wild Goats and bighorn sheep. (Issued 30-01-2013)

Voronezh is the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast and is the largest city in southwestern Russia. It is located either side of the Voronezh River and is a region near the border of Ukraine.
It is home to Russia's many universities and young students and also famous in Russia for its cosmonaut and aviation industry.

RUSSIA ~The Western Sayan~

...Fantastic official (RU-1268323) view of unspoiled, crystal-clear looking lake... a natural beauty..
Thanks Asya!!

With great bunch of stamps: The 6 Kremlin stamps are defenitives issued in 2009 and "Weapon of the Victory stamp - Automotive vehicles" (issued 16-03-2012)

Located in southern Siberia and on the northern edge of Mongolia Tuva extends from the coniferous forests of the Taiga in the north to the rolling Steppes in the south. Nowhere else in the world is so far from the sea.

The Sayan Mountains' towering peaks and cool lakes give rise to the tributaries that merge to become one of Siberia's major rivers, the Yenisei River, which flows north over 2000 miles to the Arctic Ocean. This is a protected and isolated area, having been kept closed by the Soviet Union since 1944.

RUSSIA ~Lake Baikal-UNESCO~

Great views of the largest natural tank of fresh water in the world... It contains 1/5 of the world's fresh water...that sounds unbelievably...it must be huge...(RU-1264275)Thanks Larisa!!

With nice stamps: Fountains of Russia (Issued 15-12- 2009)and Definitive stamps (Fox) of Russia (Issued 29-08-2008)

Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia is the deepest lake in the world with a maximum depth of 1,632m, 640km long and judging by it size only it would be more of a sea than a lake.There are 26 islands on the lake, the largest being Olkhon Island. Baikal is also the world's most ancient freshwater lake, it originated 20-25 million years ago. In the winter, the place completely freezes over, which means there are no lake ferries. Instead, you can drive across the ice!

Lake Baikal was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.

RUSSIA ~Yekaterinburg~

... Great views of a a very modern looking beautiful city (RU-1166078)... But also with a lot of monuments of great historical and cultural value... Thanks a lot Alexandra!

With a set of great stamps and a clear!! postmark. WWII Military Vehicles,(Issued16-04-2012) and definitives stamps "Hare" (Issued 29-08-2008)

Views from the card:
1.Cathedral of the Blood
2.City Pond
3.City view
4.Ural State University
5.Monument of the city founders
6.Old Railway station Yekaterina, the 4th largest city of Russia is located on the border of Europe and Asia,in the Ural mountains. It is the main industrial and cultural center of the Ural region.
The city was founded in 1723 by Vasily Tatischev and named after Saint Catherine, Tsar Peter the Great's wife Empress Catherine I (Yekaterina).

The city has quite a bloody history. It was, of course, the place where Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, four daughters Olga, Tatyana, Maria, Anastasia and young son Alexey, were brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks in July 1918.

RUSSIA ~St. Petersburg-The Transfiguration Cathedral~

Great official (RU-1135528)... St Petersburg is certainly known by the number and variety of beautiful churches... Lots of them are on postcards!! Thans Olya!!

With two nice stamps:
(Issued July 10 2009) For 100th Anniversary of the Birth of M.L.Mil (1909-1970), designer of the Mi-28 Helikopter.
The second stamp shows Afanasy Lavrentievich Ordin-Naschokin (1605–1680) one of the greatest Russian statesmen of the 17th C.(issued October 21 2011)

The cathedral was ordered to be built by empress Elizabeth of Russia and was built from 1743 to 1754, designed by architect Mikhail Zemtsov.Between 1825 and 1829 it was rebuilt by the architect Vasily Stasov in the Empire style, just as it can be seen today.
The Cathedral of the Lord's Transfiguration of all the Guards is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and has the rare distinction of never being closed by the Soviets.