What to see in Russia

In the Russian coordinate system, Moscow is the center of the world. The old and the new capital of Russia, and an urban area of 20 million people, Moscow has lots and lots to offer when it comes to architecture, art, history, museums, theaters, concert halls, universities, restaurants, coffee shops, sporting events, et cetera, et cetera. Many satellite meetings of the ICM 2022 are being planned in Moscow.

See whitestone churches, fortresses and kremlins, onion-shaped domes, cherry orchards, and monasteries in a region where Russia’s ancient history is carefully preserved. While the traditional path of visiting the Golden Ring towns goes clockwise, beginning and ending in Moscow, visiting just one or a few places is also an excellent option. Suzdal (gallery) is a particularly popular destination. A modern train connects Moscow with Rostov-Veliky, Yaroslavl (gallery) and Kostroma making these three charming towns easy to visit.

The crystal clear waters of lake Baikal surpass in volume all of North American Great Lakes combined. The nearby city of Irkutsk is among the most popular stops on the Trans Siberian Railway. Irkutsk’s very unique ornate architecture, including many beautifully preserved wooden houses, is one of Irkutsk’s main visitor’s attractions.

Karelia is a land of stunning natural beauty in close proximity to St Petersburg, and a place to learn from the history of the region and its inhabitants. From the stone age petroglyphs, through the craftsmanship of the Kizhi pogost, and through the tormented fate of the
Solovetsky Islands and its ancient monastery, one can follow the many interwoven threads of history.

Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, is an especially vibrant meeting place of the East and the West. Among its historical treasures are jewels of the magnitude of the Kazan Kremlin, a world heritage site, but to the mathematicians it is probably best known as the birthplace of the Lobachevsky geometry. Lobachevsky’s successors are getting ready to welcome the ICM participants to his city and university.

The city of Sochi is the location of the 2014 Winter Olympics, as well as of the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix. It also hosts a major conference, research, and outreach center — the Sirius Mathematics Center. The SMC is a part of the Sirius Education Center, whose main focus is to foster young talent in a number of fields, including mathematics. Located between the Caucasus mountains and the Black sea, Sochi offers great outdoors both in winter and in summer.

Located only 190 km South of St Petersburg, this namesake of Nizhny Novgorod is much older. It was once the capital of the Novgorod Republic and a mighty rival to Moscow. Abundant archeological finds of birch bark letters are a testimony to widespread literacy in those early days. Its culture flourished, filling the city with masterpieces of medieval architecture and art.

Situated at the dramatic confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, Nizhny Novgorod, nicknamed «Nizhny», has been a very important place on the business, culture, as well as mathematical maps of Russia through the nearly 800 years of its history. Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Kazan, Nizhny — all these cities face the Volga, the longest river in Europe (but not nearly the longest river in Russia). A river cruise is a classic way to see Volga’s majestic expanse and visit many more beautiful historic Russian cities.

Ural, the «backbone of Russia» according to the author Alexei Ivanov (Russian хребет means both the backbone and a mountain ridge), is where Europe meets Asia geologically, and is also the place where the industry of ores and coal meets the fairy tale of emerald, malachite, and jasper (the stones that give many St Petersburg palace interiors their splendor). Yekaterinburg, the economic and intellectual center of the region, is also a breeding ground for innovative music.