The avant-garde design was able to bypass strict Soviet regulations on architecture.

This massive glowering Lenin head gazes out over eastern Siberia.

This iconic Russian space museum sits on a landmark space production facility and houses the Vostok 1, the first manned spacecraft, that was also built here.

No one knows why ancient labyrinths were built on this tiny northern island.

This Russian religious complex is a Frankenstein's chapel that includes influence from almost all the major faiths.

A dormant lightning machine equal to all the power in Russia.

During the Soviet era, the medieval capital of Volga Bulgaria served as a substitute for Mecca.

Slather on the history at an exhibition dedicated to this Russian luxury.

Home of the future Emperors of Russia.

One of the notorious Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's many summer retreats.

A surreal pile of colorful junk fills a small yard in an otherwise gray neighborhood.

Two islands just 4 km apart separated by an International Border and Date Line.

Some of the clearest water anywhere in the world.

A bronze kitty adorns the grave of the polar explorer who brought the original feline to the Antarctic.

This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public.

This tribute to the 16th-century composer is now an unusual shrine to Michael Jackson.

This sprawling Jewish cemetery is one of the largest in Europe.

This water-tower-turned-high-end-apartment building was once the site of an early Nazi concentration camp.

Strolling through these vintage locomotives offers a surprising amount of insight into the history of Kenya.

This extremely remote border crossing was closed to prevent smuggling and looting.

The oldest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia has survived centuries of invasions, political shifts, and religious purges.

A public park off the beaten path with a beautiful waterfall and 13th century Cistercian abbey.

The historic Masonic Lodge in which the first-ever female Mason was initiated.

A humble garage, world-famous for being the epicenter of a technology revolution.