Yaroslavl is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located 250 kilometers (160 mi) northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city, a World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. It is one of the Golden Ring cities, a group of historic cities northeast of Moscow that has played an important role in Russian history. 

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject (a federal city) of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. In Russian literature, informal documents and discourse, the word "Saint" is usually omitted, leaving "Petersburg". The city is often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. It is the northernmost city in the world with a population of over one million. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is home to The Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world. A large number of foreign consulates, international corporations, banks, and businesses have offices in Saint Petersburg. Talking of churches, Church of the Savior on the Blood is said to be the most beautiful church in St. Petersburg. Built of beautiful mosaic and stonework, the church gives you an indication of how ancient Russia looked like. The church is built at an equally historic spot. This is where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in the year 1881.

Russia, also officially known as the Russian Federation - the world’s largest nation, borders European and Asian countries as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans. The name Russia is derived from Rus, a medieval state populated mostly by the East Slavs. However, this proper name became more prominent in the later history, and the country typically was called by its inhabitants "Русская Земля" (russkaja zemlja), which can be translated as "Russian Land" or "Land of Rus''.  Its landscape ranges from tundra and forests to subtropical beaches. It’s famous for novelists Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, plus the Bolshoi and Mariinsky ballet companies.

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world. A global city, Moscow is the most populous city on the continent of Europe and the seventh largest city proper in the world. Its population, as of 1 January 2010, is 10,563,038. For many, the sight of the Kremlin complex in the centre of the city is still loaded with symbolism and history. It was the capital of the former Soviet Union and signs of its previous life are very visible even now. Yet, there's more to Russia and its capital than just memories of the USSR.