Thursday 23 November 2017

RUSSIA: Rostov-on-Don A Pleasant City Of Green Parks And Monumental Squares, Though Said Among Dangerous Cities Of Europe

Rostov-on-Don or Rostov is the gateway to the Northern Caucasus region, the historical hotbed of Cossack culture and peasant uprisings.

Nowadays, it’s southern Russia’s largest and most cosmopolitan city. Flowing through the city is the Don River, a geographic and cultural landmark.

Most famously, the river is celebrated in Mikhail Sholokhov’s novels of the Russian Civil War, And Quiet Flows the Don and The Don Flows Home to the Sea.

Rostov is a pleasant city of green parks and monumental squares. It makes a pleasant stopover the Black Sea coast and a good base for several interesting day-trips in the area.

Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative center of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, 32 kilometers (20 mi) from the Sea of Azov.

The southwestern suburbs of the city abut the Don River delta. The population is just over one million people with recent figures recorded as: 1,089,261 (2010 Census);1,068,267 (2002 Census); 1,019,305 (1989 Census).

Rostov-on-Don is an administrative centre of Southern Russia, and one of the largest cities in Russia.


Rostov-on-Don Airport has domestic flights, as well as flights to and from Europe, Africa and Asia. The airport is tiny and crowded, and it's easy for visitors to miss the baggage claim room; as you enter the arrivals area, the baggage claim is up a few steps on your right.

The airport is a ten-minute taxi ride to downtown.

Rostov-on-Don is also home to a few train stations, the two most important being Rostov-Glavniy,servicing long-distance trains and Rostov-Prigorodniy servicing mostly commuter routes. Both of these stations are centrally located and are only a three-minute taxi ride to downtown.

Occasionally, long-distance trains may be routed toward Rostov-Pervomayskiy, a smaller station in the far west of Rostov. This station is a twenty-minute taxi ride to downtown. It is recommended to get an Uber or Yandex taxi via app, as airport taxis charge 2x-3x the normal price.

If you are traveling from Moscow to Rostov, and looking to save money, take the plane, as the flight costs about the same as taking the train, and is less than two hours as opposed to sixteen hours on the train.

There is no metro system in Rostov, and the tram or light rail system is limited. The bus system can be hard to understand, but is very efficient and reliable. However, any public transport can be used to some degree if you have a GPS-capable phone, or an application such as YandexMaps to find routes.

Alternatively, route maps are posted on many bus stops; just show up to the bus stop, determine the bus number, and wait. Buses come very often in Rostov, so you won't have to wait long. If you are unsure of what bus you need, most buses have their entire route listed on the side in Russian only.

Buses in Rostov are often very crowded, but are inexpensive 24 rubles per trip. If you are issued a small ticket on either the bus or the tram, keep it, as the conductor may ask to see it.

Leader taxi can be booked online, probably with Google translate. Recently, Uber has begun operations here. Rostov is home to several unlicensed taxi "companies" which may attempt to scam foreigners. Please determine the fare to your destination before sitting in the taxi.

Don River Lookout, Beregovaya ulitsa. Often referred to as "The Enbankment", visitors and locals alike will enjoy a stroll along the riverside.

More than a picturesque view, the Embankment is lined with several restaurants, statues, lighted fountains, and a few shops; It is the center of nightlife in Rostov. Several steamboats are docked along the bank, and tickets for hour-long excursions can be purchased at the ticket booths on location for about 200 rubles.

An Obelisk at Teatralnaya square, Teatralnaya ploshad. Affectionally dubbed Stella, by locals, the obelisk appears as a winged tower, across the street from Maxim Gorky Drama Theatre.

As one approaches the obelisk, inscriptions honoring the arts, science, agriculture, military, and education can be seen at the base. On the south side of the obelisk, the golden lady Stella hovers between the wings.

Pushkin Street. Visitors may enjoy a stroll down this highly ornate, landscaped boulevard, lined with thousands of trees, restaurants, food kiosks, flowers, benches, statues, and memorials.

A favorite sight near the eastern end of the boulevard are the wrought-iron globes, depicting scenes from Pushkin's most popular works.

Pushkin Street leads into both the City Park or Park Gorkovo and October Revolution Park, where visitors will see more meticulously cultivated garden beds and other diversions such as amusement parks and souvenir kiosks.

Underground Tile Work, While perhaps not the most impressive sight, tile mosaics, depicting scenes of Soviet life, found on the walls of underground street crossings or perekhody, make for a momentary distraction.

Though mosaics are found under several street crossings on Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, the most beautiful and well-maintained mosaics are under the intersection of Boshaya Sadovaya and Buddyonoskiy Prospect. Appreciate the tile work as you walk; do not stop and stare, or you will block other pedestrians.

Many statues and monuments not listed here can be found in almost every public park and major street of Rostov.

Rostov State Opera and Ballet, 134 Bolshaya Sadovaya Street. Rostov has a nice Musical Theatre,which is not located far from the Maxim Gorky Drama Theatre. Most operas are sung in an original language.

Ballets are exquisitely choreographed and are invariably accompanied by extravagant sets. Refreshments are almost always sold in the lobby during intermission for an inflated price. Most Rostov locals will dress formally but practically while attending a ballet or opera. $10-$40 / 400-1500 rubles.

Rostov-on-Don ZooPark, This zoo is well worth a visit, especially if one is accompanied by children. As one of the largest in Russia, the ZooPark is home to a staggering variety of animals, including giraffes, camels, polar bears, falcons, reptiles, fish, and simians.

Entrance costs only 200 rubles for adults and 100 rubles for children. To get there, take the #6 Bus from the Central Rinok and exit at the stop ZooPark.

Shopping at the Central Rinok, Rinok might be translated at bazaar or farmer's market. This massive outdoor-and-indoor assortment of tiny shops and booths can be both exciting and intimidating for Westerners, who are unaccustomed to either haggling/ bargaining or being yelled at by shopkeepers.

Shopping at a Rinok is one of the most memorable experiences that Russia has to offer for an adventurous North American, so don't be put off by the different feel of things. The majority of the Rinok is devoted to food and clothing, but you can buy anything here.

Yes, anything though it might take a while to find. Even if one does not speak the language, shopping at the Rinok is far preferable to shopping at the nearby, overpriced, department stores. Just let the money do the talking.

The Rinok is located downtown, on Stanislavskovo Street, just four blocks south of the central intersection of Bolshaya Sadovaya Street and Buddyonovskiy Prospect.

Maxim Gorky Academic Drama Theatre. 1 Teatralnaya Ploshad, Despite the name, this theatre is a venue not only for dramatic plays, but also comedies and concerts. The theatre is located on the eastern end of Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, directly across the street from the monument known as Stella.

Even throughout the summer months when other theatres may be closed, Maxim Gorky Theatre still operates. Prices will vary depending on the show, but tickets are generally inexpensive when compared to other large theatres.

Stroll Through October Revolution Park, More than just a wooded area, this park is filled with things to do: amusement park rides, ping-pong tables, and a petting zoo, just to name a few.

Stroll Through the City Park,45 Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, Sometimes called Park Gorkovo, this park is filled with beautiful flower beds, a full amusement park, restaurants, and souvenir kiosks.

The best shopping can be done at the Central Rinok or Bazaar/ Farmer's Market in downtown Rostov. This Rinok, located on Stanoslavskovo Street sells everything. This is an interesting place but be careful, criminal's activity possible.

For a more Western-type mall experience, check out the new Megamag Shopping-Entertainment Complex or Megamag TrK on the south bank of the Don River, or another on East exit from Rostov (Sholohova st, road to Moscow). Take a #75 or #73 bus from the Central Rinok across the bridge to 1 Poymennaya Street, on the stop Megamag.

If you are uncomfortable speaking Russian, but need to buy groceries downtown in a familiar supermarket-type environment, try either Zelenyy Perekrestok,49 Buddyonovskiy Prospect, bottom floor of the department store Astor, or Magnit 146 Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, next to the State Ballet and Opera Theatre.

It is not recommended to shop in the upscale department stores such as TsUM, on the corner of Bolshaya Sadovaya and Buddyonovskiy, where prices are inflated and store clerks are intimidating.

Many souvenirs sellers, graphists, painters with his pictures, may be founded in undergrounds at Voroshilovskiy prosp / Sadovaya st and Buddyonovskiy prosp / Sadovaya st, in Gorky's Park in Saturday and Sunday, at Beregovaya st.

If you like swap meet, visit Radio Rynok or radio market on Guseva str on hill, it works at Saturday and Sunday from 09.00 to approx. 13.00. You may look old one-floor Rostov near that market, cobblestones roads, and look for different electronic used stuff and trash near outside that market, many from soviet era radio receivers, headphones, old vynil, electronic parts and other.

Inside market, under roof, you may find used and new electronic stuff, TVs, cell phones, notebooks, CDs and other. This is an interesting place for nerds and retro-electronics collectors.

If an English-speaking visitor wishes to eat in a sit-down restaurant, be warned that in southern Russia most restaurants do not carry a copy of their menu in English. Also, service at these restaurants is slow compared to North American sit-down restaurants.

It is not uncommon to spend an hour waiting for your meal, even when the restaurant is not busy. For travelers on a budget, be warned that a meal for two in these restaurants often costs more than 1500 rubles ($40), and the portions are comically small.

Perhaps preferable is the cafeteria-style restaurant that is ubiquitous in Russia, where non-Russian speakers can point at items on display, or load up a tray. Most cafeterias carry good quality, authentically Russian food at reasonable prices.

In Rostov, two centrally located cafeterias are: Zolotoy Kolos (43 Bolshaya Sadovaya Street), and The cafeteria with the green-and-yellow sign 34 Bolshaya Sadovaya Street

For those of you still reading who still want to go to a sit-down restaurant, the best ones are on the River Embankment, on the north bank of the Don. These include: Frau Mueller (German Cuisine, 29 Beregovaya Street), Osaka (Japanese Cuisine, 30 Beregovaya Street), and any of the ship restaurants docked at the bank.

It is not recommended to drink Rostov water. Buy all your drinking water from a large-chain grocery store in 1.5 or 5 litre bottles for 20-50 rubles. In summer time possible to find kvass points on streets (Staroninskiy, Otlichnik and other kvass).

Westerners will appreciate the Don Plaza Hotel sometimes called the Intourist. This four-star hotel is a three-star on the North American rating, and features a fantastic free breakfast buffet. This breakfast is freaking amazing. The Don Plaza has quite small rooms and spotty Wi-Fi, but makes up for those shortcomings with a really good breakfast menu.

Other options for hotels with less-illustrious breakfasts include the Hotel Rostov at corner of Krasnoarmeskaya Street and Buddyonovskiy Prospect and the Hermitage Hotel 54 Ulyanovskaya Street.

Azov is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia.

There is a small bus going to Azov regularly from the bus stop near the train station in Rostov-on-Don. A sign in the front window of the bus will show Ростов - Азов. The trip costs only 67 Rubles and will take an hour drive through the south of Rostov's environment. The central bus stop in Azov is the final stop and can't be missed.

From the bus stop in Azov further buses to smaller places near the Don are available. Kagalnik is worth a visit for a beautiful trekking tour near the Don Delta.

Kalmykia is a republic in Southern Russia and is most certainly the only Tibetan Buddhist "nation" of Europe. 20% of Kalmykia's land belongs to national reserves, parks and hunting plots.

Elista — the capital and Kalmykia's only city

- Gorodovikovsk

- Iki-Burul

- Komsomolsky

- Lagan — located near the Caspian Sea.

- Tsagan Aman — located on the Volga River, Tsagan Aman is a popular fishing area and a fast developing spa-resort

- Zundi Tolgi

Destinations you must not miss to visit:

Yashalta Salt Lake — located between Berezovoe and Solenoye villages of Yashalta district, it is known in Kalmykia for its therapeutic values. The administration of Yashalta district and republican authorities are planning to open a balneo-resort on Yashalta Salt Lake. Curiously, Yashalta was founded by Estonian settlers in 1877.

Chess-City — an administrative unit within Elista, it often serves as a venue for multiple international chess events. The Chess-City complex also hosts meetings of Russian state officials as well as Russian school olympiads.

Black Lands Biosphere Reserve — a nature reserve situated on the territory of Chernozemelsky and Yashkulsky districts. It is a refuge for ancient saiga antelopes.

Lola Horse Farm — situated not far from Elista in the quiet village of Lola — produces kumys. During the Soviet era, this horse farm and adjoining clinic for respiratory treatment was very popular among communist party bosses, who travelled from Moscow, Saint Petersburg and from other far-way places in Soviet Union.

The Golden Abode of the Buddha Shakyamuni — a Buddhist Temple finished in 2005, located in the centre of Elista with the biggest statue of Buddha in Europe.

Syakyusn-Syume — the second largest but oldest khurul in Kalmykia, located 6km north of the capital but closed for visitors most of time.

The Ergeni Hills are located in the northern part of Kalmykia. Different from the sandy dunes and steppe regions of central and eastern part, the Ergeni Hills are the only place to find some woods in the republic.

Ergeni landscape area is filled with numerous heights, ravines, spring streams, and water-bearing sands.

Popular for its mineral medicinal and fresh subsoil waters, the Ergeni Hills are also home to endangered fish species and Kalmyk medicinal plants. In addition, it is the highest point in the republic which rises to 218 metres above the sea level.

The Sarpa Lakes — right next to the Ergeni Hills, in the north-central part of Kalmykia freshwater lakes called the Sarpa are dispersed.

The Sarpa Lakes include lake of Sarpa 42,6 sq.km, lake Barmanzak 25,8 sq.km, lake Tsagan-Nur 23,5 sq.km, and lake Batur-Mala 21,9 sq.km. Not only it is a picturesque wild scenery of Kalmyk flora and fauna, but also a perfect place for hunting and fishing.

Buddhist temples and monasteries , khuruls number is over 30 all over the republic. The smaller sacred memorials or stupa are dedicated to good events.

Bamb-TseTsg (Tulip) - National Nature Park. Founded in 1991 it includes over 500 hectares of grass and tulip fields of red mostly, white, yellow and violet colour.

In ancient times, the region was home to nomadic tribes such as the Khazars, whose empire was broken by Kiev in 965. Later on it was the north-western corner of the mighty Mongol Empire and subsequently the Golden Horde. Kalmykia is a historical crossroads on the Silk Road.

The Western Mongol Kalmyk tribes, also called Oirats, migrated across Central Asia from an ancestral home around Xinjiang, China and southeastern Kazakhstan and eventually arrived in Southern Russia, displacing the Tatars of the Astrakhan Khanate.

Originally an independent khanate, Kalmykia's independence was slowly chipped away and it was eventually assimilated into the Russian Empire.

As more than half of Kalmyks are followers of Tibetan Buddhism, the country is often referred to as the only Buddhist country in Europe. Sadly, nearly all of Kalmykia's beautiful khuruls Kalmyk Buddhist temples as well as all Christian churches were demolished under Stalin's massive campaign of cultural vandalism.

Under German occupation all Jews of Elista were exterminated. Later in 1943 Stalin deported the entire population of Kalmyks to Kazakhstan and Siberia.

The inappropriate agriculture along with previous collectivization caused erosion and desertification. Those Kalmyks who survived the brutal deportation and exile were finally allowed to return home in 1957, under Khruschev.

But despite these hardships, Kalmykia's khuruls are being rebuilt, and the people remain, and merit a visit.

Present day Kalmykia garnered some press attention for the excesses of its former flamboyant and dictatorial president Ilyumzhinov. Ilyumzhinov, a former Kalmyk statesman in the USSR and president of the World Chess Federation, led Kalmykia since the break up of the Soviet Union, but failed to deliver on rather grandiose promises to turn Kalmykia into a Caspian Kuwait in which there would be a cell phone for every shepherd.

He, however, turned Elista into the claimed chess capital of the world by building a small district of Elista known as City Chess and by hosting successive chess championships in the capital.

Being one of Europe's poorest and most underdeveloped regions, Kalmykia now has one of the highest birthrates in Russia and growing private food production sector. Livestock raising and processing remains the main economic activity and there is also some fishing and arable farming.

Oil-production contributed significantly to the economic revival. The official GDP growth in the republic was 2% in 2010.

Besides Buddhism and Orthodox Christianity believers there are smaller parts of Muslims, Christian Catholics and Protestants.

Although the traditional language of the Kalmyk majority is Kalmyk western Mongolian, it is mainly older people who speak it natively, while younger people usually speak Russian as their native language. Nowadays just a few villages are mainly Kalmyk-speaking by all generations.

Russian is spoken and understood everywhere - although not by some of the very oldest Kalmyks.

The Republic of Kalmykia is a part of the Russian Federation. Therefore, when planning your trip to Kalmykia, you should apply for Russian visa.

The Elista airport is open for flights from Moscow by RusLine and St. Petersburg by Ural Airlines.

The Moscow-Elista train route goes through Stavropol. However, the most convenient way is travel to Volgograd by train then on to Elista by an express minibus or marshrutka, which are cheap.

Several private companies operate a daily bus service between Moscow and Elista. The pickup points in Moscow are bus station close to subway stations: Orehovo, Teplyi Stan, Krasnogvardeiskaya.

In addition to the sights within the present reduced boundaries of the Republic of Kalmykia, worth visiting in Astrakhan oblast is one of the few remaining pre-revolutionary Buddhist Temples under restoration but disused so far in the village of Rechnoe on the left east bank of the Volga.

It was founded in honour of Kalmyks fought against Napoleon and later was visited by novelist Alexander Dumas. To its north is Mount Bogdo Great, revered by Buddhist Kalmyks, and with many fossils in its rocks.

To its south the sacred lotus of the Buddhist Kalmyks can be seen growing in the waters of the Volga delta. These objects are inside the Nature reserve.

In Rostov oblast here are some settlements previously occupied mainly by the newer Buzaf clan of traditionally more russified and christianised Kalmyks who were also Cossacks. They were not allowed to reoccupy this area after their return from deportation.

In Stavropol krai to the south lies the spa resort of Yessentuki in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, near Europe's highest peak, Mt Elbrus. In the European part of the Republic of Kazakhstan can be found the town of Kalmykovo, looking across the Ural River at Asia.

And if you cross Kazakhstan to its border with China, you can meet the Oirats, living in Dzhungaria, part of Xingjiang province. They are those Kalmyks who did not wish to remain in Kalmykia when it was incorporated into the Russian Empire, so they returned home.

All these places occupy a small part of the former Kalmyk Empire that stretched from the Great Wall of China to the River Don in Europe, and from the forests of Siberia in the north to Tibet and the Himalayas in the south.

The republic's national sport is by the will of the former President Ilyumzhinov, chess and locals play throughout school. It is relatively easy to join a game in the parks.

- Fishing, hunting especially geese, apparently

- Attend a performance of traditional Kalmyk dance

- Horseback riding

- Tullip-watching lasts from the end of April till the first week of May, when the steppes is being covered with wild red flowers

Berk — Kalmyk traditional dumplings are larger and contain more meat than your average meat dumplings

Bortsg — Kalmyk traditional frybread

Makahan — Kalmyk dry horse meat sausage

Makhan sheltagan — Kalmyk traditional soup, contains a lot of meat and potato.

Kuyr

Dotur - lamb meat and haslet

Bortsoki - cookies

Traditional Kalmyk drinks bear some similarity to those found in Mongolia, but are unique to the region. Try:

Dzhomba — milk tea with salt,the so called Kalmyk tea served and drank in a certain ceremony.

Kumys — a sour horse milk that is considered a cure for respiratory diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, etc.

Araka — a milk vodka

With tourism on the rise, travellers will have no difficulty finding good accommodation in Elista, although accommodations outside of the capital may be scarce or of lesser quality. It may be possible and extremely rewarding to arrange homestays in rural areas by asking around town or village centres.

Kalmykia is known for its sunny weather and fresh air. However, visitors are advised not to drink tap water due to the high content of minerals and salt.

Otherwise, Kalmykia offers a healthy environment, and delicious and fresh food — mutton and beef being specialties, also Caspian caviar, prized as far away as Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

From April till October stay sun-protected.

Swimming in the salt lake is prohibited for more than 20 min. because of the possible chemical burn.

Krasnodar Krai is a region in Southern Russia, bordering Ukraine to the west across the narrow Strait of Kerch, Rostov Oblast to the north, Stavropol Krai to the east, and Georgia, Karachay-Cherkessia to the south and surrounding Adygea.

Krasnodar Krai offers travelers Russia's premiere beach resorts as well as some of Europe's tallest mountains in its Caucasian south.

Cities Of Krasnodar Krai:

Krasnodar — capital and principal city

Abrau-Dyurso — located between Anapa and Novorossiysk, this town can certainly be called Russian Wine Capital

Armavir (Russia) — founded by Armenians, this is the principal city of eastern Krasnodar Krai

Anapa — an ancient Pontic Greek port, now a small, family-friendly Russian beach resort town

Gelendzhik — Small beach town east of Novorossiysk

Labinsk — mineral waters, waterfalls, lakes, and caves along the Laba river in Krasnodar Krai's southeast

Novorossiysk — Russia's main Black Sea port, a must for WWII buffs, but it also has some nice sandy beaches

Sochi — a big resort city located in a simply beautiful area, where Russians come for fun in the sun and in the nightclubs.

Taman — Small town west of Anapa, location of Lermontov's dacha

Tuapse

Destinations worth a visit:

Caucasian Biosphere Reserve — a UNESCO World Heritage site in the breathtakingly beautiful Western Caucasus, home to the newly reintroduced European buffalo

Krasnaya Polyana — a Western Caucasus ski resort and personal favorite destination of President Putin

Sochinsky National Park

Krasnodar Krai has the most fortunate climate conditions in Russia. Reasonably, it attracts many people to live there: with over 5 million population it has the 3rd place in Russia after Moscow and Moscow Oblast.

The region is famous as Granary of Russia: its agricultural production is feeding the whole country and being exported.

Krasnodar Krai also contains Russia's largest tourist industry by some measure, catering principally to domestic tourists. The region contains a full 25% of all Russia's registered hotels and resorts.

For international travelers, the biggest reasons to visit it are to see the stunning and lush slopes of Western Caucasus mountains and to party po-russky at the beach! Anyone visiting a seaside resort should consider reading Bunin's Sunstroke, one of the most beautiful short stories ever written.

Krasnodar Krai encompasses two major distinct climactic regions. The northern two thirds of the region north of the Kuban River is covered by Russia's near ubiquitous steppe and has a continental climate.

The southern part of the region, however, is much more exotic, ranging from a Mediterranean climate along the Black Sea coast to subtropical in the southeast to high alpine along the border with Georgia and Abkhazia.

Additionally, Krasnodar Krai encircles the enclaved Russian region of Adygea Republic — named for the mountain Adyghe people, also known as the Circassians.

Krasnodar Krai can be divided in three tourist regions:

- The Black Sea coastline or Russian Riviera

- The Azov Sea coastline

- Inner Krasnodar Krai

Rest assured that all, including any ethnic minorities, speak Russian.

The principal rail service for the region comes from virtually any Russian city through Rostov-on-Don from the north to Krasnodar, Novorossiysk, and as far south as Adler. There are cheap express trains (~18–20 hours) from Moscow and Saint Petersburg to Krasnodar.

Krasnodar airport is serviced by flights from Vienna, Frankfurt, Thessalonika, and Istanbul, as well as by numerous domestic Russian flights. It is also easy to fly to Sochi or Anapa from any major Russian city.

It is possible to arrive at Sochi or Novorossiysk by boat from numerous ports of the Black Sea.

Krasnodar tea . This is the only tea sort grown in Russia, being the northernmost one in the world, due to climate conditions, it's impossible to cultivate tea to the north from Sochi. There are several tea plantations in Greater Sochi in Dagomys, Solokhaul of Lazarevskoe districtand Adler.

The amount of their production is limited, so it's not easy to meet it outside the region. Baloven tea brand by Dagomys Tea Plant is available at regional shops. Group tours to tea plants are also available.

Local alcohol. Surprisingly, Russia is the 11th-largest wine producer in the world, and 60% of all Russian wine is manufactured in Krasnodar Krai.

So, there is possible to buy many kinds of this drink, starting from home-made and market-sold wine in no-brand plastic bottles,looks dangerous, but is spoken to be the best one, finishing with premium-class aged wine and brandy in souvenir boxes.

To avoid fake brand production buy it at chain stores.

Abrau Durso sparkling wines. Abrau Durso plant located near Novorossiysk is the leading and the best-known Russian producer of a wide array of sparkling wines, from odious Soviet Shampagne to the exclusive Imperial and Millesime wine collections.

The production technology is based on traditional shampagnoise method. Abrau Durso wine is distributed to all Russian regions and exported. The price varies greatly depending on the collection item.

Abkhazian wines. There are several brands of wine from Abkhazia those are widely common in Russian shops and popular for their inimitative taste.

Apsny - red semi-sweet wine from the mix of Cabernet, Sovignon, Merlot and Saperavi grape. Chegem - red dry wine from Cabernet grape. Lykhny - red semi-sweet wine from Isabella grape. Psou - white semi-sweet wine from Aligote and Riesling grape. 250-500 RUR per bottle.

Brand wines of Krasnodar Krai. The best wine brands in the region are Fanagoria and Myskhako (Мысхако), both produced in Novorossiysk area and having the wide assortment. 200-500 RUR per bottle.

Brandy. This alcohol drink is called Cognac at Russian domestic market, but is exported as Brandy due to necessity to follow the copyright of Cognac province of France.

Together with Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, Krasnodar Krai is among 3 regions of Russia, those grape is acceptable for brandy production. The factory in Temryuk town located near Taman makes the best brandy in Krasnodar Krai, including the aged and souvenir collection.

From 150 RUR per bottle for ordinary drink, to 2,500 RUR for upper-class souvenir bottles.

Dombai, perhaps Russia's most beautiful resort, is located in nearby Karachay-Cherkessia in the Caucasus mountains.

The small collections of the Art Gallery and the Museum of Arts include some works by Repin, Surikov, Perov, Levitan, Aivazovsky as well as of modern Rostov artists.

- Museum of Local Lore

- Rostov Regional Museum of Fine Arts

- Museum of Fine Arts on Dmitrovskaya

- Museum of Russian & Armenian Friendship

- Pioneer and Railway Museum and Children's Railway

Other facilities include seven stadiums, a Palace of Sports, a circus, a zoo botanical gardens and parks.Rostov-on-Don hosts the North Caucasian Science Center and research institutes. The city is also home to a Starbucks coffee chain, a true rarity in this geographical area of Russia.

The Administration of Rostov and Novocherkassk Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church is located in Rostov. Other religious facilities in Rostov-on-Don are the Roman Catholic "Church of the Lord's Supper", the Old Believers' temple, a synagogue, a mosque, and the Diamond Way Buddhist Center of the Karma Kagyu Tradition.

There are also several Armenian and Greek Orthodox churches in the city, with one of the Armenian churches being the oldest standing building in Rostov. All of the Armenian churches are in the Nakhichevan-on-Don district of the city.

- Russian Orthodox churches

- Church of the Intercession

- Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church,belongs to Moscow Patriarchate.

- St. Alexandra's Church

- Ascension Church

- Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

- Church of St. John of Kronstadt, Rostov-on-Don

- Old believers churches

- Old Believers Pokrovsky Cathedral

- Soldier Synagogue

Tourist sites and excursions you should not miss to visit:

- Local bazaars and markets of fresh fish

- Bridges over the Don river and embankment

- Don River lookout

- Armenian Holy Cross Church

- Rostovchanka statue

- River Steamboat rides

- Orthodox Cathedral of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin

- Pushkinskaya Street

- Maxim Gorky Park

- Traditional Cossack villages (stanitsas)

- State Sholokhov museum and reserve

- Azov ancient fortress

- Rostov circus

- Rostov state opera and ballet theater

- Monastery of St. Jacob

- Rostov zoo

- Open-Air Museum of Railway Equipment

- Botanical Garden of SFU

- Art Gallery 16th Line

- Alexander Column

- Grigory and Aksinya in a boat

American specialists prepared a ranking of cities as to their criminal condition. It was published on the Worldatlas website posting maps and different analytical materials on tourism, ecology and economy of different countries.

According to the researchers, the main problem of the city is the growth of the number of crimes committed there. One of the reasons of the high criminal level is the neighboring Donbass. According to the statistics, the criminal level in Rostov-on-Don increased by 21.3% in 2015, specialists remark referring to the local media.

The list of dangerous European cities also includes Italian Bari, Turin and Napoli, French Marseille and Lille, British Coventry, Dutch Rotterdam, Scotch Glasgow and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina).



Tourism Observer

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