Russian cities are in many ways strikingly different from European ones - among the differences are the algorithms of construction, the atmosphere of the streets and, of course, architecture. However, in Russia there are cities in which it seems that you are in Europe, and not in your homeland!
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad, perhaps, can be called the most European city in Russia, because until 1945 it belonged to East Prussia. A large number of architectural monuments of the XIX-XX centuries, located in the city, are built in romantic, Gothic and neoclassical styles. Many sights of the city remind us of its German origin: you can call the historic district of Amalienau, Catholic churches, the stunning Brandenburg and Royal Gates, the monumental Holy Cross Cathedral.
Svetlogorsk
Svetlogorsk looks like a well-groomed Austrian village on the shores of the majestic and beautiful Baltic Sea. On the streets of the city there are German estates, unique sculptures and hotels, the owners of which tried to give them the charm of antiquity. The symbol of Svetlogorsk is a water tower, built in a romantic style: at one time it housed the town hall.
Zelenogradsk
Another Russian city on the shores of the Baltic Sea: many years ago it was named Kranz and was the main seaside resort of East Prussia. Its architecture echoes the buildings of Northern and Central Europe. Mansions, characteristic of German architecture of the XIX-early XX centuries, lined up along the main pedestrian street of Zelenogradsk: on the first floors there are restaurants and souvenir shops, and the buildings themselves are maintained in decent condition. Some entrances to the establishments are even decorated with forged signs in the European style.
Saint Petersburg
During the construction of the Northern capital, Peter I sought to collect in the image of one city all the features of the ideal European, and he was able to achieve this in almost everything. Famous and talented French and Italian architects – Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Auguste Montferrand, Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Leblon and Domenico Trezzini – worked on mansions and palaces in the city. This explains the fact that the facades of apartment buildings, squares and embankments are strikingly different from other cities of Russia. European tourists adore the Northern capital, many of them even call the city the most beautiful in the world.
Rybinsk
The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the construction of which more than a century ago the money was allocated for the Polish commune, has the right to serve as an ornament of the squares of Warsaw and Prague. The landscape and architecture of the Rybinsk embankment are very similar to the embankments of the northern Scandinavian capitals. On the banks of the Volga rises the majestic building of the Rybinsk Museum-Reserve - in the past it housed a grain exchange, and from a distance it looks like the palace of some foreign prince.
Vyborg
In the XII-XIX centuries. the city was part of Sweden, and in 1917-1940. was Finnish. Gabled roofs, buildings in the style of Northern Art Nouveau, quiet, cozy streets, lined with stone, amaze the imagination. The most famous attraction of the city is the Vyborg Castle with the tower of St. Olaf, built in the Middle Ages. For many years it was impregnable, but submitted to Peter I. In our time, the castle is a museum, and in the summer on its territory hold jousting tournaments - like real!
