The Atlas Obscura Guide To Russia

190 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Russia

Updated August 14, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Russia

Dargavs

Dargavs, Russia

Dargavs Village

This ancient village and its adjoining cemetery have a beautiful history of death and remembrance.

Looking down the hall to the bunker

Moscow, Russia

Bunker-42

Dr. Strangelove-esque tours reveal the inside a bunker once reserved for Stalin himself.

It contains museums, a market, and a number of exhibits celebrating Russian art.

Moscow, Russia

Izmailovo Kremlin

Moscow's other, lesser known kremlin is a fairytale-like cultural complex modeled after Old Russia.

Lenin’s Mausoleum

Moscow, Russia

Lenin's Mausoleum

This building holds the embalmed remains of the leader of the Bolshevik Revolution.

Komsomolskaya station.

Moscow, Russia

Moscow Metro Stations

The gorgeous entrances into the city's underbelly look more like grand halls than subway stops.

Abandoned salt mine.

Yekaterinburg, Russia

Psychedelic Salt Mines

It's hard to believe the dizzying patterns covering this abandoned mine are completely natural.

Moscow, Russia

Museum of Soviet Arcade Games

Immortal combat in a Moscow museum.

See All 190 Things To Do in Russia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Russia

Russian Vodka Museum

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Russian Vodka Museum

The past, present, and future of Russia's signature alcohol is remembered in the world's only museum dedicated to the starchy spirit.

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Literary Café

Once frequented by heavyweights of the Russian arts scene, this café is stuck in the 1800s.

Tula, Russia

Tula Pryanik Museum

A tea party concludes each visit to this Russian spice cookie sanctum.

Semenkovo, Russia

Vologda Butter Museum

Slather on the history at an exhibition dedicated to this Russian luxury.

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Museums 29

Architecture 28

Soviet History 28

Sacred Spaces 18

Military 18

Architectural Oddities 17

Monuments 15

Statues 15

Art 13

Animals 12

Nature 10

Homes 9

History & Culture 9

History 9

Ruins 9

Geology 9

Churches 9

Abandoned 9

Collections 8

Cosmonauts 8

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Taken in 1917 at Tsarskoye Selo, outside St. Petersburg, this is the only known color photo of the original Amber Room.

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