bystrov's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Places visited in Ypres, Belgium
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Places visited in Maastricht, Netherlands
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Rotterdam, Netherlands

Cube Houses

These slanted cubic abodes are a creative if odd solution to a zoning pickle.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

De Waag

Amsterdam's former hotspot for public executions and dissections.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Kleine Trippenhuis

One of Amsterdam's narrowest houses is located right across the canal from its widest.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Oudekerksplein

This city square is home to Amsterdam's oldest church and a statue honoring Dutch sex workers.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Oudemanhuispoort

An ancient passage filled with stalls selling used books, once frequented by Vincent Van Gogh.
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Pizzeria San Marco

Sail in for a ’dam good slice.
Maastricht, Netherlands

St. Pietersberg Caves

Incredible labyrinth of man made caves.
Maastricht, Netherlands

Kruisherenhotel

A luxury hotel housed in a former 15th century Gothic church.
Maastricht, Netherlands

Fort Saint Pieter

This historical Netherlands fortress still bears the marks of its single siege.
Maastricht, Netherlands

Selexyz Dominicanen

This centuries-old gothic monster has been converted into a sprawling, glossy bookstore.
Brest, Belarus

Brest Hero-Fortress

Thanks to its heroic service during WWII this Soviet castle has been turned into a monument towered over by a brutalist titan.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Medeu

This Soviet-era athletic and recreation facility is the highest ice skating rink in the world.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Statue of Panfilov's 28 Guardsmen

This Soviet statue is based on a piece of propaganda that's been elevated to national myth.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Beatles Statue of Almaty

Beatlemania is still going strong... at least in Kazakhstan.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Zelionyj Bazaar

This sprawling market is a one-stop shop for traditional Kazakh foods, from mare’s milk to sheep’s head.
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Ascension Cathedral

In Kazakhstan, a colorful cathedral with many lives once survived the most powerful earthquake in the region.
Moscow, Russia

Institute of Russian Realist Art

One of the largest collections of socialist realist art shows the surprising depth of the official art of the Soviet Union.
Moscow, Russia

'Worker and Kolkhoz Woman'

An iconic Soviet statue of working-class people.
Moscow, Russia

Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy

This newly renovated Soviet-era outdoor exhibition center is bigger than the principality of Monaco.
Moscow, Russia

Moscow State University

Gargantuan home of Russian science.
Moscow, Russia

Monument to Yuri Gagarin

This massive monument honors the first human in space.
Moscow, Russia

Peter the Great Statue

One of the world's tallest statues is also one of its most hated.
Moscow, Russia

Red Gates skyscraper

Stalinist skyscraper built with help of cryotechnology.
Moscow, Russia

The 'Golden Brains'

Some Moscow residents once claimed the bizarre, contorted mass of metal on top of the building was used to manipulate minds.