Where to go for May: 9 options are cheaper than 10,000 rubles

1. Tula

Budget

Tickets: train - from 927 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

It seems that it is simply unthinkable to visit Tula and not go to the gingerbread museum. Here you can see the smallest and largest gingerbread in Russia, and also stock up on delicious souvenirs at the local store. Next, take a look at the samovar museum - this is another visiting card of Tula. There is, for example, a sbitennik of the late 18th century (a special vessel for making a drink from honey and spices), a miniature samovar for three drops of water and a real giant - a samovar with a volume of 70 liters.

A must-see is the Weapons Museum, which contains rare exhibits, from medieval knightly armor to an experimental three-barreled machine gun. Then go to the Tula Kremlin. This is the oldest building in the city, built in the first half of the 16th century. Kazanskaya Embankment is located next to the Kremlin - until 2017 this territory belonged to an arms factory, and three years ago it was reconstructed and turned into a modern public space.

If you have time, you can go to the estate of Leo Tolstoy in Yasnaya Polyana - the road from the city will take about half an hour. It takes longer to get to the Kulikovo Pole Museum-Reserve - about two hours, so it is better to provide a separate day for this. Here, in the literal sense of the word, history comes to life: for example, on an interactive model you can see how the troops moved during the Battle of Kulikovo.

2. Smolensk

Where to go for the May holidays: Smolensk

Budget

Tickets: train - from 1,489 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

You can start your walk around the city by visiting the fortress wall, built at the beginning of the 17th century. Once it was of great defensive importance for the entire country - Smolensk was then even called the shield of Russia. Only 17 of 38 towers have survived to our times, but you can look at the fortress in its original form in the Thunder Tower, where the museum of the defensive history of Smolensk is located. Here is a model of the wall as of 1636, and also collected armor and weapons that were used by the Smolensk soldiers. A bonus is a great view of the historical part of the city from the third tier of the tower.

Another symbol of Smolensk is the Assumption Cathedral. It took almost 100 years to build, the construction was completed in 1772. The cathedral with an iconostasis 30 m high survived the war of 1812 and the Great Patriotic War. Local guides say that Napoleon, amazed at the beauty of the building, ordered security around it. When you are finished with the cultural program, take a walk along the Dnieper embankment and look into the Lopatinsky Garden - here you can also see the surviving fragments of the fortress wall.

The Gnezdovo Museum-Reserve is located 12 km from Smolensk. This complex of archaeological sites is one of the largest in Europe: more than 2,000 ancient burial mounds have survived to this day. Here, on the basis of the data obtained during the excavations, an ancient Russian settlement with residential and household buildings was reconstructed - there is even a historical tavern.

3. Pskov

Budget

Tickets: train - from 4 655 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

Be sure to take a walk around the Kremlin. It is located at the confluence of the Pskova and Velikaya rivers, so picturesque photographs are guaranteed to you. There are many ancient temples in Pskov.10 of them were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List - for example, the Transfiguration Cathedral with frescoes from the 12th century and the former burial vault of the Pskov princesses - the Cathedral of John the Baptist, dating from the 12th – 13th centuries.

Another World Heritage Site is the Gremyachaya Tower. This is the tallest stone tower of the Pskov Fortress, it offers an excellent view of the Pskov River. Not far from the Transfiguration Cathedral is the Mirozh arboretum. Here you can relax after walking and feed the ducks.

When you walk around the city, go to the Izborsk Museum-Reserve - 30 km from Pskov. The Izborsk fortress was built in the XIV century and played an important role in the defense of the north-western lands of Russia. For example, the Livonian knights did not manage to capture Izborsk - its walls turned out to be impregnable.

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4. Kazan

Budget

Tickets: train - from 3 806 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

You can start your acquaintance with the city with a walk along the pedestrian Bauman street. To look at Kazan from above, climb the bell tower of the Epiphany Cathedral - an impressive view opens up from there. Then go to the Kazan Kremlin. On its territory there is the Kul-Sharif mosque - one of the symbols of the city, which you will see more than once on souvenir magnets and postcards.

The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan is located literally a couple of steps from the Kremlin. Here you can see unique archaeological finds from the territory of the settlements of the times of the Volga Bulgaria and the Golden Horde, and the real pearl of the museum's collection is a collection of jewelry with products of Bulgar and Tatar masters. For more history, admire the old houses in the Old Tatar Quarter.

Be sure to walk along the Kaban Lake embankment - it was reconstructed in 2017 and turned into a pretty public space. Kazan also recently received the status of the gastronomic capital of Russia, so it's a sin not to try real chak-chak and gubadiya here. Cool bars are worth looking for on Profsoyuznaya Street. If time remains, visit the Sviyazhsk Island-City Museum-Reserve. You can get there by pleasure boat - summer navigation usually opens in time for the May holidays.

5. Voronezh

Where to go for the May holidays: Voronezh

Budget

Tickets: train - from 2,450 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

Despite the fact that Voronezh is located more than 600 km from the sea, under Peter I the city became the cradle of the Russian navy. Oaks and pines grew in the vicinity, from which ships were built, and nearby there were deposits of iron ore - the main raw material for cannons. You can start a walk around the city from Admiralteyskaya Square, located on Petrovskaya Embankment. The ship-museum “Goto Predestination” is moored here - it is a copy of the battleship built according to the project of Peter I.

In Voronezh, you can heal from greed and other vices - or at least try. Healing chair № 0001 (popularly called Zhlobsky) will help with this. Another amusing sculpture is a monument to the Kitten from Lizyukov Street. Oddly enough, it is located on Lizyukov Street.

The Divnogorie Museum-Reserve is located a couple of hours drive from the city. Here you can see churches carved into chalk rocks and a reconstructed medieval settlement. And in Divnogorye it is simply beautiful - you can stay here for a couple of days, since there is a hotel and a camping for tourists.

6. Yekaterinburg

Where to go for the May holidays: Yekaterinburg

Budget

Tickets: plane - from 5,505 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

In order not to get lost, a tourist in Yekaterinburg just needs to look at his feet. The main sights of the city are connected by the "red line" - a special marking on the asphalt. In addition to it, there are other lines in the city: the yellow one is a tourist route for cyclists; the blue line is laid between the places associated with the royal family. The freshest - purple - appeared in 2020 and connected urban street art objects.

A must-see is a museum of stone-cutting and jewelry art with a unique collection of products by Ural craftsmen. Not far from the museum is Sevastyanov's house - now here, in one of the most beautiful buildings in Yekaterinburg, is the residence of the President of Russia. The Church on the Blood is also located on the "red line" - it was built on the site of the Ipatiev house, in the basement of which Nicholas II, his family and servants were shot.

Even Yekaterinburg is full of unusual monuments. For example, there is a monument to The Beatles - these are the silhouettes of the band members against the background of a brick wall. Nearby there is a monument made of concrete to the Keyboard - the keys weigh from 100 to 500 kg.

7. St. Petersburg

Where to go for the May holidays: St. Petersburg

Budget

Tickets: train - from 2,534 rubles; plane - from 4 357 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

In fact, a trip to St. Petersburg does not need a clear plan: you can just walk around the city with breaks for sitting in a cafe. If you still want to relax culturally, numerous museums are at your service.

To get around the Hermitage as a whole, a week-long trip is not enough, so you can limit yourself to individual rooms and take a look at least at Madonna Litta, Danae and Return of the Prodigal Son. And if you are a lover of contemporary art, then go to Erarta - in May you will just find an exhibition of paintings made of paper flowers by the artist Zhuang Hongyi.

One day is definitely worth setting aside for a trip to Peterhof, on April 24 fountains will be launched here. You can also go to Pushkin to visit the Catherine Palace and see the very Amber Room.

8. Nizhny Novgorod

Budget

Tickets: train - from 2,088 rubles; plane - from 2 633 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

In Nizhny, you can walk along the walking Bolshaya Pokrovskaya street and try to count all the monuments along the way - for example, there is a Photographer with a dog, a cat hunting pigeons, a violinist, a shoe shiner and a goat. Along Bolshaya Pokrovskaya you will come to the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin - wander around the territory and look into the art museum or the center of contemporary art "Arsenal".

If you haven't walked up, then the Chkalovskaya Staircase is waiting for you, connecting the Upper Volga and Lower Volga embankments. From here you can just admire the river or try to count all the steps - it is better to do this on the descent, otherwise it will be difficult. Spoiler for those who are lazy: there are 560 steps. You can also look at the Volga from the cabin of the cable car connecting Nizhny and the city of Bor. The main thing is to be lucky with the weather - in a strong wind, the cable car does not work.

9. Yoshkar-Ola

Budget

Tickets: train - from 4,126 rubles.

Accommodation: from per day.

What to see

The main postcard view of Yoshkar-Ola is the Bruges embankment with houses in the Flemish style, a constant participant in collections from the series "You will never believe, but this is Russia!" Whether a walk along the waterfront can satisfy the nostalgia for the times of accessible travel is a moot point, but it's worth a try.

Another attraction of the city is the sculptural composition "Yoshkin Cat". According to the famous tourist bike, if you whisper a cherished desire in his ear, it will surely come true. Incidentally, this is not the only unusual monument in Yoshkar-Ola. There is a monument to the Hammer, a sculpture by Hans the Pied Piper and - suddenly - Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

Be sure to check out the cheese museum before leaving. Firstly, it is interesting - here they will tell you how to make a cheese plate, and also offer to make ricotta with your own hands. Secondly, there is a cheese shop at the museum - you won't be able to leave Yoshkar-Ola without tasty souvenirs.

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