Russia breathes superlatives: the world’s biggest country; its largest supplier of natural gas and second-largest oil producer; home of the planet’s longest railroads, busiest subway system (Moscow’s), and one of its deepest, biggest, and oldest lakes (Baikal, in Siberia). It even boasts balmy beach resorts (on the Black Sea), though the Kremlin and the snowcapped cupolas of its cathedrals seem truer reflections of this northern nation’s might and mysticism.
What the country lacks in climatic warmth, Russians make up for with their bottomless generosity and heartfelt hospitality. Survivors of despots from Ivan the Terrible to Stalin, Russians place high value on keeping their home world safe from the perils of without and stocking their larders with homemade jams, pickles, and desserts. The past two decades have been rough on most Russians, but have sharpened their adaptation skills. Today’s Russian university graduates know more languages, more about financial markets, and more about texting than many of their Western counterparts.
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Frommer's Moscow & St. Petersburg features gorgeous color photos of the sights and experiences that await you.
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Our author, a former Moscow-based AP correspondent, hits all the highlights, from Red Squaqre to the Hermitage. She's checked out both cities' best hotels and restaurants in person, and offers authoritative, candid reviews that will help you find the choices that suit your tastes and budget.
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You'll also get up-to-the-minute coverage of shopping and nightlife; detailed walking tours; accurate neighborhood maps; cultural insights; and side trips to Sergiev Posad's magnificent 14th-century monastery, the palaces of Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo, and more.
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Frommer's Moscow & St. Petersburg also includes a glossary of useful Russian terms and phrases.