Underground monastery and fortress.

Siberian ghost town built by gulag prisoners.

Five mile wide circular ring of rock in the Russian Far East is a curious geological oddity.

The giant Siberian crater known locally as the "doorway to the underworld" is expanding every year.

The world's second-largest excavated hole.

Site of the largest impact event to occur over land in Earth's recorded history.

Stalin's prisoner-built rail line sits in ruin, never having a single car ride its tracks.

Church built on the site where the last tsar of Russia and his family were killed.

It's hard to believe the dizzying patterns covering this abandoned mine are completely natural.

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

A former military outpost of Ivan the Terrible, the 16th-century church contains some of the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings.

The world's tallest statue of a woman wields the world's tallest sword and is at risk of toppling over.

Propped high atop the peak of Mount Gamsutlmeer, this abandoned village is one of the oldest settlements in the region.

This ancient village and its adjoining cemetery have a beautiful history of death and remembrance.

An abandoned mansion is now a haven for urban explorers.

This cypress grove is a unique site considering these trees are not native to the region.

Abandoned castle was once a grand example of Russian privilege, built exclusively to win a frivolous bet between noblemen.

An abandoned town of skeletal wooden homes.

Legends of time travel and magical woodland creatures bolster the natural charm of this verdant sanctuary in the midst of Moscow.

A magnificent, Disneyesque chateau built for 150 lucky kindergarteners.

A Marxist summer camp full of fantastical statues lies tucked away and forgotten in the forests of Moscow.

An unusual abandoned church damaged in World War II sits in a small village outside Moscow.

One of the most well-preserved mammoth specimens in the world.

Dark, eerie exhibits make for a surreal exploration of the subconscious.