Russian Travel Guide

Easter in the Valaam monastery

Christians all over the world look forward to Easter, however for Orthodox Christians, it is the most important holiday of the year. On the day before Easter, crowds of pilgrims take this opportunity to visit the Valaam Monastery in Karelia - albeit weather-permitting; some years Lake Ladoga, Europe’s largest lake, is still frozen come mid-spring, preventing visitors from reaching the island on which the monastery is located. However, during the years when the ice does melt, these pilgrims have the chance to take part in a beautiful and joyous Easter celebration inside the walls of the secluded monastery.

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Города. Санкт-Петербург. Город на воде

Traditional crafts of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a country of treasures both old and new and is a country which has attracted people from all over the world for thousands of years. Those interested in Azerbaijani culture can learn about it not only from books, but also from the designs decorating national carpets, the polished sides of copper dishware and through the sounds of national music. The culture lives on in the artistic work of craftsmen who create their art out of love and passion for their heritage and craft. RTG TV presenter Igor Maximenko travelled to some of Azerbaijan’s various artisan towns where he familiarised himself with some of the country’s most talented artists who continue to practice and perfect the ancient crafts of their ancestors.