Site of the Month for June 2011 relates to Russia. GuideRussia provides interesting information about Russia such as business, networking, travel, education, news, real estate, shopping, transportation, culture.

It comes as no surprise that Russia, a country considered to be the largest in the world and beating its closest rival by a huge margin, is a mystery to most people. With an area spreading over 10.5 million square miles, the most people know is what they have studied in textbooks; the Tsars and their bloody rule, Mongolian invasions and the horrifying tales of their looting and Marxists lead revolutions. This is a very narrow view of a country that by sheer mass of its border qualifies as one of the most versatile destinations in the world. However, before embarking on your adventure across Russia, remember to look for the best bargains in airfare as there are quite a few available options.

o Moscow- Russia’s gigantic capital. It has numerous tourist attractions for those that crave for a bit of adventure.
o Irkutsk – this popular Siberian city is located at a distance of merely an hour of the breathtaking Lake Baikal on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
o Kazan – for those traveling after a bit of research on Russian history, this capital of Tatar culture offers immense attraction and is in the very center of the Volga Region.
o Saint Petersburg – the city boasts of containing one of the world’s best museums, the Hermitage. This historical city is also home to a unique open air museum, its city center. All this makes St. Petersburg a popular choice amongst tourists.
o Sochi – hosts to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, this is Russia’s favorite Black Sea beach resort. It is a virtually unknown destination but that will change drastically after the Olympics.
o Volgograd – once known as Stalingrad, it is the sight of the final deciding battle of World War II. A huge war memorial is erected here to commemorate those that lost their lives.
o Lake Baikal – or as is affectionately called the “pearl of Siberia” it is arguably the world’s deepest and biggest lake. 25-30 million years old and home to 2500 animal species it is the perfect destination for those who enjoy nature and crave it.
o Trans-Siberian Railway – seen by some as the longest train track in the world, a tour aboard the train means going all around Asia as well as a good part of Europe.

Several of the travel restrictions imposed specially during the Cold war were lifted in the 1990s making it possible to get a true flavor of the picturesque country. The Siberian town of Ulan Ude is a must see. The restored Tibetan Buddhist Monastery is located here.

Traveling to Russia is quite easy. With over 70 international airports, getting a flight that matches your schedule is no problem. Due to the competition between airlines, cheap airfare is easily available. Daily flights are available to Moscow and St. Petersburg from all over Europe as well as North America and the U.A.E.

There has been a new trend in the behaviour and approach of modern Russia towards foreign tourism. Once hostile to the curious visitors, it now accepts them with open arms.