If your budget, your own principles, or a simple unwillingness do not allow you to go somewhere far abroad, then a good way out is the west of Russia. Namely - Karelia, in which there are many cities that have seen more than one war, a large number of different sights.
Monastery on the island of Valaam
This island, located in the northwest of Ladoga, is covered with stones and rocks, reaching 60 meters in size. Its total area is only 30 squares, everything else is water. In the cathedral, every tourist can go and listen to Valaam chants.
Balaam, among other things, is the spiritual center of Orthodoxy. Summer is a seasonal time for tourists, because the monastery during this period is visited by a huge number of people who want to see its beauty and learn its history.
For the most part, monks live on Valaam, whose life is completely and completely regulated by faith and the church.
As in many historical monuments, there are different rules: girls and women need to wear headscarves, which can be rented, as well as long skirts.
Kizhi Museum-Reserve
Kizhi was rightfully included in the UNESCO list as a cultural heritage site of the world. The buildings located there have fully survived to the present time, thanks to the old technologies of architecture in Russia. This museum is located on Lake Onega.
Kizhi is an island, and an architectural monument is located on it. Coming to Kizhi, you can see a couple of churches that are ideally suited to each other, bell towers. Once the people responsible for filling the museum brought some chapels, buildings, even houses from different parts of Karelia. All this can be considered a legacy of the art of carpenters and artisans who once lived on the territory of the republic.
Cross of Sorrow
Also located in Karelia, the Cross of Sorrow is located on the edge of the city of Pitkyaranta, in a place with a very telling name - Death Valley, the international name of which is slightly less frightening and more poetic - the Valley of Heroes.
The Cross of Sorrow is a military monument during the Russian-Finnish war of 1939-1940. It is made of cast iron and reaches a height of 5 meters. On both sides of the cross are a Finnish mother and a Russian mother and mourn the lost sons and husbands. The author and creator of this historical monument is Leo Lankinen, who was himself born in Karelia.
Mass graves are located near this memorial.
