Places Sputnicktatorship Wants to Go

Site of the largest impact event to occur over land in Earth's recorded history.

A remote forest of stone pillars along the Lena river.

The tallest hotel in Europe.

Abandoned castle was once a grand example of Russian privilege, built exclusively to win a frivolous bet between noblemen.

The reason for the strange contortions in the trunks of these "drunken" pine trees in Russia is still a mystery.

Moscow's imposing monument to the Space Age.

The world's second-largest excavated hole.

Secret Soviet city once home to Russian cosmonauts and space training facilities.

Nightmarish example of the unintended consequences of weapons testing.

The oldest museum in Russia is home to a fascinating collection of nearly two million anthropological artifacts and anatomical curiosities.

A little church on a tiny island looks like something from a fairy tale.

Legends of time travel and magical woodland creatures bolster the natural charm of this verdant sanctuary in the midst of Moscow.

An 18th century wonder of the world, lost in WWII, re-created at the Catherine Palace.

This Russian religious complex is a Frankenstein's chapel that includes influence from almost all the major faiths.

Stunning examples of Russia's 18th-century wooden architecture.

Museum celebrating the achievements of the Soviet space program.

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

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

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

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

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

Its humdrum facade only adds to its electrifying appeal: a rooftop with panoramic views of a shapeshifting metropolis.

The best place for scenic views of the DMZ and North Korea.

A thriving surf community exists in relative remoteness along the former boundary between North and South Korea.