In 2024-2025, there is a peak in solar activity, which directly affects the intensity and beauty of such a natural phenomenon as the northern lights. These photos were taken in the Kotlas district in the southeastern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast on the night of August 12-13, 2024. According to the author of the photos, this ..read more

Kamchatka is a peninsula stretching from north to south for about 1,200 km in the northeast of Eurasia. From the west it is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, from the east – by the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Kamchatka Krai, one of the federal subjects of Russia, is located on the territory ..read more

Sarykum or Sary-Kum (translated from the Kumyk language as “Yellow Sand”) is the largest sand dune in Europe, located in the central part of the Republic of Dagestan, about 18 km northwest of Makhachkala. It is one of the largest sand dunes in Eurasia, approximately 3 km long, 2 km wide and up to 262 ..read more

The Ay River is the largest tributary of the Ufa River and one of the most picturesque places in the Southern Urals. Ayskiye Pritosy is a unique natural geological object located on the Ay River, on the border of Chelyabinsk Oblast and the Republic of Bashkortostan. These beautiful limestone cliffs, which are steep walls up ..read more

Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin (1832-1898) was one of the greatest Russian landscape painters, who created very photorealistic pictures. In his paintings, he often depicted the nature of the central zone of the East European Plain, also known as the Russian Plain, one of the largest plains in the world. Rye (1878). Marsh. Polesie (1890). View of Valaam Island (1858). Rain in an Oak Forest (1891). In the Rye (1866). Oak Trees (1886). Oak Grove (1887). Oaks (1887). Winter (1890). The Kama River near Yelabuga (1895). The Morning in a Pine Forest (1889) – the most famous painting of Ivan Shishk ..read more

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Kamchatka Krai. It is located on the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, on the shores of Avacha Bay of the Pacific Ocean. The distance to Moscow in a straight line is almost 6,800 km. The population of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is about 163 thousand people, slightly more than half of the total population of the region. The elevation difference in the city is 513.6 meters from sea level (Avacha Bay) to the top of Mount Rakova. Photos by: Slava Stepanov. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky lies south of Moscow and on the ..read more

Tobolsk is a city in Russia with a population of about 100 thousand people, located at the confluence of the Tobol and the Irtysh rivers, about 250 km northeast of Tyumen. It was founded as the center of the development of Siberia in 1587, about 17 km from the Tatar settlement of Sibier (also known as Kashlyk, Isker), the capital of the Siberian Khanate (1468-1598). From the end of the 16th to the 18th centuries, it was the main military, administrative, political, and religious center of Siberia. Today, Tobolsk is the second most populous city in Tyumen Oblast. Photos by: Anton Petrus. Since ..read more

Iturup is an island of the southern group of the Great Ridge of the Kuril Islands, the largest island of the archipelago, part of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. The island is disputed by Japan, which considers it as part of Nemuro Subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture. According to the most common version, the name of this island goes back to the word “etorop”, which is translated from the Ainu language as “jellyfish”. In 2023, the population of the island was about 6,900 people. Iturup Island on Google Maps. Photos by: Andrey Grachev. White pumice rocks – one of the symbols of Iturup. Zolotaya (Go ..read more

Discover vibrant poker scenes in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Malacca, and Genting Highlands, offering competitive tournaments, diverse game options, and luxurious settings. From upscale poker rooms in city centers to high-stakes experiences with panoramic views, Malaysia caters to all levels of players. The thriving poker culture in different regions provides unique opportunities for immersive gaming experiences and professional tournament structures. Explore these top destinations to elevate your poker gameplay and immerse yourself in the excitement of Malaysia’s diverse poker landscap ..read more

Severnaya Zemlya (literally “Northern Land”, until 1926 – Land of Emperor Nicholas II) is an archipelago located in the central part of the Arctic Ocean north of the Taimyr Peninsula on the border of the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. This is the northernmost part of Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia. The archipelago consists of 4 large islands (October Revolution, Komsomolets, Bolshevik, Pioneer) and a number of small ones. The area of Severnaya Zemlya is about 37 thousand square km. The length from north to south is 380 km, from west to east – 340 km. There is no permanent population on the islands ..read more