View source for Tourism in Russia

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}

[[File:1 Saint Basils Cathedral.jpg|thumb|[[St. Basil's Cathedral]] in [[Red Square]]]]
'''Tourism in Russia''' plummeted in 2022. Only 200,100 foreigners visited Russia in 2022, a drop of 96.1% from pre-[[COVID-19 pandemic|pandemic]]/pre-[[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] years.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2023/02/09/Tourism-collapses-in-Russia-following-western-sanctions|title=Tourism collapses in Russia following western sanctions|date=9 February 2023|website=Al Arabiya English}}</ref> Earlier, Russia had seen rapid growth since the late Soviet times, first domestic tourism and then [[international tourism]] as well.<ref>[https://www.statista.com/statistics/888119/russia-international-tourist-arrivals/ "Number of inbound tourism visits to Russia from 2014 to 2022"], Statista, 27 April 2023</ref>  Russia had formerly been among the [[World Tourism rankings|most popular tourist destinations]] in the world, though it fell off that list in 2022. Not including [[Crimea]], the country [[List of World Heritage Sites in Russia|contains 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites]], while more are on UNESCO's tentative lists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=ru|title=UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Tentative Lists|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref>

Tourist routes in Russia include a travel around the [[Golden Ring of Russia|Golden Ring]] of ancient cities, cruises on the rivers including the [[Volga]], and long journeys on the [[Trans-Siberian Railway]]. Diverse regions and ethnic cultures of Russia offer different foods and souvenirs, and show a variety of traditions, including [[Russian people|Russian]] [[Maslenitsa]], [[Tatars|Tatar]] [[Sabantuy]], or [[Siberia]]n [[shamanist]] rituals. In 2013, Russia was visited by 33 million tourists, making it the ninth-most visited country in the world and the seventh-most visited in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.e-unwto.org/content/r13521/fulltext.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112082549/http://www.e-unwto.org/content/r13521/fulltext.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 January 2015|title=Tourism Highlights 2014|website=E-unwto.org|access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref>

== History ==
{{expand section|date=June 2023}}
After the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]], several governments, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada have issued travel advisories calling on their nationals to avoid travel to Russia.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://crisis24.garda.com/alerts/2022/04/europe-russia-extends-flight-suspension-at-multiple-southern-and-central-airports-until-april-19-update-40|title=Europe: Russia extends flight suspension at multiple southern and central airports until April 19 /update 40|website=Europe: Russia extends flight suspension at multiple southern and central airports until April 19 /update 40 &#124; Crisis24}}</ref>  For the same reason, airline routes between Russia and Western countries were closed, and supply of spare parts for some domestic airline traffic inside Russia became a challenge.<ref>[https://www.dw.com/en/sanctions-russias-commercial-airlines-face-a-slow-death/a-63804157 "Sanctions: Russia's commercial airlines face a slow death"], Deutsche Welle, 18 November 2022</ref>

Only 200,100 foreigners visited Russia in 2022, a drop of 96.1 percent from the pre-pandemic period.<ref name="auto1"/> Most of Europe closed its airspace to Russian planes a few days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.<ref name="auto1"/> Foreign-issued Visa and Mastercard cards no longer work in Russia, further impacting tourism.<ref name="auto1"/>

== Cultural tourism ==
[[File:Kishi church 4.jpg|thumb|left|[[Kizhi]] in north-west Russia]]
[[File:NN-07-2021 06.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street]] in [[Nizhny Novgorod]]]]
Tourist destinations in Russia include Saint Petersburg (which appeared in the list of top visited cities of Europe in 2010) and Moscow, the current and the former capitals of the country. Moscow and Saint Petersburg museums such as [[Hermitage Museum|Hermitage]] and [[Tretyakov Gallery]], theaters including [[Bolshoi Theatre|Bolshoi]] and [[Mariinsky Theater|Mariinsky]], churches such as [[Saint Basil's Cathedral]], [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour]], [[Saint Isaac's Cathedral]] and [[Church of the Savior on Blood]], fortifications such as the [[Kremlin]] and [[Peter and Paul Fortress]], squares such as [[Red Square]] and [[Palace Square]], and streets such as [[Tverskaya Street|Tverskaya]] and [[Nevsky Prospect]]. Palaces and parks are found in the former [[Template:Imperial palaces in Russia|imperial residences]] in the suburbs of Moscow ([[Kolomenskoye]], [[Tsaritsyno Park|Tsaritsyno]]) and Saint Petersburg ([[Petergof|Peterhof]], [[Strelna]], [[Oranienbaum, Russia|Oranienbaum]], [[Gatchina Palace|Gatchina]], [[Pavlovsk Palace]], [[Tsarskoye Selo]]). Moscow contains Soviet-era buildings along with [[Moscow International Business Center|modern skyscrapers]], while Saint Petersburg has classical architecture, rivers, channels and [[Bridges in Saint Petersburg|bridges]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

[[File:Grand Cascade of Peterhof 01.jpg|thumb|right|Grand Cascade in [[Peterhof Palace|Peterhof]] in [[Saint Petersburg]]]]

[[Nizhny Novgorod]] is the capital of the [[Volga Federal District|Volga region]]. Nizhny Novgorod is divided into two parts by the [[Oka River]]. The ''[[Administrative divisions of Nizhny Novgorod#Upper City|Upper City]]'' is its historical part. The ''[[Administrative divisions of Nizhny Novgorod#Lower City|Lower City]]'' is its industrial and commercial part. Here are the [[Nizhny Novgorod Fair|Fair]], the old [[Sormovsky City District|Sormovo]] and Kanavino, [[GAZ]] and Sotsgorod (the so-called "city in the city"), the [[Nizhny Novgorod railway station|railway terminal]], and the [[Strigino International Airport|airport]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Kazan, the capital of [[Tatarstan]], shows a mix of Christian Russian and [[Muslim]] [[Tatars|Tatar]] cultures.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

[[Sakha Republic]] proposes to use former forced labour camps as a tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/26/russia-sakha-republic-yakutia-proposes-tourist-camps-former-gulags|title=Russia's Sakha Republic proposes 'tourist camps' on former gulag sites|first=Alec|last=Luhn|date=26 March 2014|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Poles visit places of Communist crimes, e.g., of the [[Katyn massacre]] and [[Solovetsky Islands]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.katyn.pl/index.php?display=one_rec&id_one=99|title=Strona domeny katyn.pl|website=Katyn.pl|access-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414210706/http://katyn.pl/index.php?display=one_rec&id_one=99|archive-date=14 April 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itaka.pl/wycieczki/rosja/tajemnice-wysp-solowieckich,LEDSOLO.html|title=Tajemnice Wysp Sołowieckich – ITAKA|first=Biuro Podróży|last=Itaka|website=Itaka.pl|access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref>

=== Museums ===
Russia is home to museums that include the [[Tretyakov Gallery]], the [[Kremlin Armoury]] and the [[State Historical Museum]] in Moscow, the [[Hermitage Museum]], and the [[Russian Museum]] in St Petersburg, the [[Kazan Kremlin]] in Kazan, etc.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} Russia has museums related to its literary and classical music heritage, such as [[Yasnaya Polyana]] associated with [[Leo Tolstoy]], the [[Mikhaylovskoye Museum Reserve]] associated with [[Alexander Pushkin]], the [[Dostoyevsky Museum]], the [[Tchaikovsky State House-Museum]], and the [[Rimsky-Korsakov Apartment and Museum]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Museums related to Russia's military history and military hardware include the [[Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow|Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War]] on [[Poklonnaya Hill]], the [[Central Naval Museum]] in St Petersburg, the [[Mamayev Kurgan|Battle of Stalingrad Museum]] in Volgograd.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} Museums related to science and technology include the [[Polytechnic Museum]] of Moscow, and the [[Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics]].

The GULAG History Museum tells the story about the [[GULAG]] camps in [[Siberia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gmig.ru/en/|title=GULAG History Museum|website=gmig.ru}}</ref>
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| caption1 = The [[State Historical Museum]] 
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| caption3 = [[Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow]]
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| caption4 = The [[Hermitage Museum]]
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== Nature tourism ==
In Russia, Nature Reserves have history and it has its own word of definition Zapovedniks ({{langx|ru|заповедник}}, plural заповедники) more than [[Zapovednik#List of Nature Reserves ("Zapovedniks") in Russia|100 Nature Reserves exist in Russia]] and more than [[List of National Parks of Russia|50 National Parks]].

National parks and sanctuaries of Russia include the [[Baikal Nature Reserve]], the [[Altai Nature Reserve]], the [[Lazovsky Nature Reserve]], the [[Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve]], the [[Curonian Spit]] National Park, the [[Valdaysky National Park]], the [[Baikal-Lena Nature Reserve]], the [[Ilmen Nature Reserve]].

The [[Seven Wonders of Russia]] include [[Lake Baikal]], [[Valley of Geysers]], [[Manpupuner rock formations]], [[Kizhi Island]], and [[Mount Elbrus]].

Other areas include [[Republic of Adygea]] where [[Fisht Mountain]] is located, Chechnya Republic where [[Lake Kezenoyam]] is located.<ref>{{cite web|title=40 most beautiful places in Russia|url=http://russianblogger.me/40-most-beautiful-places-in-russia/|website=Russianblogger.me|access-date=30 September 2015}}</ref>
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| caption1 = The [[Valley of Geysers]] in [[Kamchatka Peninsula]]
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| caption2 = [[Lake Baikal]], the deepest lake in the world and the biggest fresh-water lake by volume
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| caption3 = [[Mount Elbrus]] with its two peaks
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| caption4 = The [[Manpupuner rock formations]] 
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==Health tourism==
[[File:Нарзанная галерея, фонтан "лягушки".JPG|thumb|Narzan Gallery building in Kislovodsk housing a dozen fountains of both hot and cold mineral-rich water]]
[[Mineral spa]] resorts have been established across Russia in such regions as [[Kamchatka Krai]], [[Altai Krai]], [[Krasnodar Krai]], [[Stavropol Krai]], [[North Caucasus]] region of Russia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rbth.com/travel/2016/02/03/hit_the_spa_russian_style_mineral_springs_and_hot_tub_substitutes|title = Hit the spa Russian style: Mineral springs and hot tub substitutes|date = 2 March 2016}}</ref> Some cities have natural hot spring water during winter and some of Russian cities are called Russian Spa town, including [[Pyatigorsk]], [[Yessentuki]], [[Kislovodsk]], [[Zheleznovodsk]] and [[Mineralnye Vody]]; these towns are jointly known as the [[Sanatoriums of the Caucasian Mineral Waters|Caucasian Mineral Waters]].

Russia has one of the largest water borders in world, but only the more Southern regions are suitable for resort tourism. The warm subtropical Black Sea coast of Russia is the site for some seaside resorts such as [[Sochi]] and [[Tuapse]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

===Winter sport===
A vast part of Russian territory is in [[Subarctic climate]] and [[humid continental climate]], and that is why it is cold. In addition, Russia is mountainous in regions like [[Northern Caucasus]], [[Altai Krai]] and Kamchatka Peninsula. The highest peak in Europe, Mount Elbrus, is in Russia, which makes Russia a place for winter sports. [[Ski resort]]s are in Russia. A ski resort in Russia is Sochi and its [[Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi, Krasnodar Krai|Krasnaya Polyana]]. Other ski resorts in Russia are [[Dombay, Karachay–Cherkess Republic|Dombay]] in [[Karachay–Cherkessia]] in [[Northern Caucasus]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ski resort Dombay |url=https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/dombay/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=www.skiresort.info}}</ref>
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| caption1 = The [[Gornaya Karusel]] in [[Sochi]]
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| caption2 = [[Dombay, Karachay-Cherkess Republic|Dombay]]
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| caption3 = The [[Sheregesh]] in [[Kemerovo Oblast]]
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| caption4 = [[Igora|Igora ski resort]]
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== Medical tourism ==
Russia is a destination for medical tourism. A factor in its popularity was the relatively weak ruble [[Russian financial crisis (2014–2016)|post-2014]], which saw the industry grow from some 110,000 clients in 2017<ref name="forbes-medical-tourism">{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.ru/biznes/365591-medicinskiy-turizm-pochemu-inostrancy-lechatsya-v-rossii-rossiyane-za-granicey |title=Медицинский туризм: почему иностранцы лечатся в России, а россияне — за границей |trans-title=Medical tourism: why foreigners seek treatment in Russia, and Russians abroad |language=Russian |website=forbes.ru |date=14 August 2018 |access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref> to some 728,000 clients in the first five months of 2020.<ref name="ratanews">{{cite web |url=https://ratanews.ru/news/news_1092020_4.stm |title=Какое лечение в России выбирают иностранцы |trans-title=What kind of medical treatment do foreigners choose in Russia |language=Russian |website=ratanews.ru |publisher=RATA news |access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref> Stomatology is the most used (44% of patients), genecology and urology follow (25% taken together), the other services are plastic surgery (10%), ophthalmology (10%), and cardiology (5%).<ref name="forbes-medical-tourism" /> Most clients come from [[Commonwealth of Independent States|the CIS states]], where receiving high-tech medical assistance can be problematic, particularly from Central Asia, which amounts for 62% of all patients; but also from Eastern Europe (32%), South and East Asia (5%).<ref>{{cite journal |title=Promises and Hurdles of Medical Tourism Development in the Russian Federation |year=2020 |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01380 |doi-access=free |last1=Daykhes |first1=Arkady N. |last2=Jakovljevic |first2=Mihajlo |last3=Reshetnikov |first3=Vladimir A. |last4=Kozlov |first4=Vasily V. |volume=11 |page=1380 |pmid=32655455 |pmc=7324547 }}</ref> In addition to price and accessibility of complex manipulations, the difference in regulations between Russia and the clients' own nations is a driving factor for receiving care in Russia: for instance, [[in vitro fertilization]] is illegal in China, but legal in Russia.<ref name="ratanews" />

== Religious tourism ==
Religious tourism has two main subtypes: pilgrimage, as travel done for religious or spiritual purposes, and the viewing of religious monuments and artefacts, as a kind of sightseeing. The former is relatively insignificant for the Russian tourism industry, amounting for approximately 100 thousands pilgrims yearly.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.atorus.ru/news/press-centre/new/47852.html |title=Туристов отделят от паломников с 1 ноября |trans-title=Starting November 1, tourists will be separated from pilgrims |language=Russian |website=atorus.ru |date=23 July 2019 |publisher=Ассоциация Туроператоров |access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref> The latter is more important.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} Orthodox Christianity being the most common religion in Russia, it also accounts for most religious monuments across the country.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

<gallery class="center" widths= heights=  mode="packed">
File:Московский_Кремль_8.JPG|Domes of [[Cathedral Square, Moscow|Sobornaya Square]] in Moscow Kremlin
File:Moscow July 2011-34a.jpg|The [[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour]]
File:Сергиев Посад. Троице-Сергиева лавра. 1.jpg|The [[Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius]]
File:Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces Patriot.jpg|The [[Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces]]
File:Речная церковь.jpg|The [[Church of the Intercession on the Nerl]]
File:RostovKremlin 5911.JPG|[[Rostov Kremlin]]
File:Saint Isaac's Cathedral in SPB.jpeg|[[Saint Isaac's Cathedral]]
File:Valaam Monastery (2017-07-11).jpg|The [[Valaam Monastery]]
</gallery>

Multiple pieces of Islamic religious architectural art are scattered across the country, from mosques to [[Maqam (shrine)|maqāms]]. They are mostly clustered in the historically Muslim regions.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

<gallery class="center" widths= heights=  mode="packed">
File:Moscow Cathedral Mosque 01-2016.jpg|[[Moscow Cathedral Mosque]]
File:Mosque SPB.jpg|The [[Saint Petersburg Mosque]]
File:Perm asv2019-05 img48 Cathedral Mosque.jpg|[[Perm Mosque]]
File:Мечеть Кул Шариф - вид с башни.jpg|The [[Kul Sharif Mosque]] in Kazan
File:Bolgar mosque.jpeg|[[Bulgar Mosque]]
File:Ljalja-Tjulpan.jpg|[[Lala Tulpan]] in Ufa
File:Grand mosque of Derbent.jpg|The Juma Mosque in Derbent built 736
File:Achmat-Kadyrow-Mosche, Grosny 2008.jpg|The [[Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque|Heart of Chechnya mosque]]
</gallery>

Russia has a Buddhist minority, notably in Kalmykia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why the Myanmar crisis makes Russia choose between Muslim and Buddhist minorities inside |url=https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/why-myanmar-crisis-makes-russia-choose-between-muslim-and-buddhist-minorities-inside-17587 |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=ISPI |language=en-US}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" widths= heights=  mode="packed">
File:Datsan Gunzechoinei Face.jpg|The [[Datsan Gunzechoinei]] in St.Petersburg
File:Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume.jpg|The [[Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume]] in [[Elista]]
File:Tsogchen-dugan._The_main_cathedral_church_of_the_Ivolginsky_datsan.jpg|[[Ivolginsky Datsan]] in Buryatia
File:Белый_Старец_под_звездным_небом_(cropped).jpg|[[Sagaan Ubgen]] statue on [[Bogdo-Baskunchak Nature Reserve#Ecotourism|Big Bogdo]] mountain sacred site in [[Astrakhan Oblast]]
</gallery>

== Foreign travel statistics ==
In 2013, 27 million international tourists arrived in Russia, generating US$11.2&nbsp;billion in international tourism revenue for the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights13_en_lr_0.pdf |title=Tourism Highlights 2013 edition |website=Dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net |access-date=27 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127174556/http://dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/unwto_highlights13_en_lr_0.pdf |archive-date=27 November 2013  }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=October 2019}} Including domestic and international tourism, the industry directly contributed RUB860&nbsp;billion to the Russian GDP and supported 966,500 jobs in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/russian_federation2013_2.pdf|title=2013 Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report Russian Federation|website=Wttc.org|access-date=27 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202234337/http://wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/russian_federation2013_2.pdf|archive-date=2 December 2013}}</ref>

However, only 200,100 foreigners visited Russia in 2022, a drop of 96.1 percent.<ref name="auto1"/>
{{transcluded section|Visa policy of Russia}}
{{#section-h:Visa policy of Russia|Visitor and visa statistics}}

== See also ==
* [[Visa policy of Russia]]
* [[Russian culture]]
* [[List of museums in Russia]]
* [[List of World Heritage Sites in Russia]]
* [[Wildlife of Russia]]

== Notes ==
<references group="Note" />
== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Russia}}
* [https://www.mos.ru/en/calendar Moscow City Guide at the official website of the Mayor of Moscow]
* [http://www.visit-petersburg.ru/en/ St Petersburg Official City Guide]
* [http://www.ticrk.ru/en/ Karelia Tourist Portal] (Solovetsky Islands, Kizhi)
* [http://www.zolotoe-koltso.ru/eng/index.php Guide to the Golden Ring of Russia]
* [http://visit-tatarstan.com/en/ Tatarstan Official Guide](including Kazan)
* [https://en.rosaski.com/ Official Rosa Khutor Guide] (ski resorts in Sochi)
* [http://1baikal.ru/en/ekoturizm/turisticheskij-gid/ Baikal Tourist Guide]
* [http://vladivostok.travel/en/ Vladivostok City Guide]
* {{in lang|ru}} [http://www.russiatourism.ru/en Federal Agency for Tourism]
* [http://visitvolga.ru/en/ Cheboksary tourist portal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813235804/http://visitvolga.ru/en/ |date=13 August 2018 }}

{{Economy of Russia}}
{{Russia topics}}
{{Tourism in Asia}}
{{Tourism in Europe}}
{{Russian souvenirs}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Russia}}

[[Category:Spa towns in Russia|List of Spa towns in Russia]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in Russia|List of Seaside resorts in Russia]]
[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in Russia|List of Ski resorts in Russia]]
[[Category:Tourism in Russia| ]]
[[Category:Tourism in Europe by country|Russia]]