Russian Travel Guide

The historic sites of Krasnodar

The history of the city of Krasnodar is a little over 200 years long. Over time the place has grown from a small military settlement of Cossacks into a big, booming city. Green streets, squares, fountains and towering office buildings and blocks of flats make up modern Krasnodar. The historic centre of the city however has managed to preserve remarkable examples of old architecture. There blocks of flats and public buildings from the past two centuries have been brought back to life in this beautiful city on the bank of the Kuban River.

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Природа. Краснодарский край

The nature of Karelia. The Kivach

The Kivach Nature Reserve, also called "mini Karelia," is relatively small — about 11,000 hectares overall of untouched, primitive nature with many species of flora, fauna and geology that can be found throughout the region. It is, however the reserve's impressive waterfall — which travellers have been visiting for 300 years — which has brought it the most fame. One of the first mentions of the waterfall is from the mid-16th century, although Kivach's history as a centre of ecological tourism did not begin until the 18th century with the visit of famous Russian poet Gavrila Derzhavin. He described the waterfall's beauty in his poetry, helping to spread recognition of this place all over Russia. Join RTG host Evgenia Altfeld and discover what natural treasures can be found in the Karelian nature reserve in the 21st century.