Places taylorlanxon Wants to Go

This 15th-century cave complex is one of the very few monasteries to stay open throughout World War II and the Soviet regime.

An unusual collection of self-made musical instruments and unique noises.

A 360 degree battlefield experience.

The world's tallest statue of a woman wields the world's tallest sword and is at risk of toppling over.

Replica of mosque destroyed by Russia in the 16th century.

Church built on the site where the last tsar of Russia and his family were killed.

A scale model of Russia so big visitors are offered binoculars to rent so they can see the whole thing.

A city block packed with whimsical sculptures that seem to be plucked from a tiled fantasy world.

No one knows why ancient labyrinths were built on this tiny northern island.

Unusual, mushroom-like rock formations caused by weathering and water erosion, set to disappear, according to geologists.

This nostalgic Russian museum is full of USSR cultural artifacts from the 1970s and 80s.

Former prison camp dedicated to the victims of political repression.

The USSR’s Conquest of Nature lead to the domestication of many moose—no squirrel.

The world's first museum dedicated to the work of game-changing naturalist Charles Darwin.

Dark, eerie exhibits make for a surreal exploration of the subconscious.

This frozen-in-time summer home outside Moscow provides a look at Russian life in the 1950s.

Some of the world's only freshwater seals live in one very special lake in Russia.

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.

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

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.

Palace where the nearly un-killable Rasputin was murdered.

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