Russian Federation

European regions of Russia in travel priority order (Asiatic regions of Russia follows this list):

St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow — St. Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow (Photo: holeinthedonut.com)

1. Central Russia

Moscow Federal City, plus Bryansk, Kaluga, Moscow, Oryol, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula, and Vladimir Oblasts

- - Moscow (national capital) – Kremlin, Red Square, and Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral, and Admiralty building along Neva River — Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and Admiralty building along Neva River (Photo: www.viagemcomcharme.com)

2. Northwest Russia

Saint Petersburg Federal City, plus Leningrad, Novgorod, and Pskov Oblasts

- - Saint Petersburg (national second city) – Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum, Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
  - Peterhof – Grand Palace
  - Pushkin – Catherine Palace
  - Velikiy Novgorod – Saint Sophia Cathedral

Kizhi Pogost, Lake Onega (Photo: Laban66 wikimedia user)

3. Northern Russia

Karelia Republic, Komi Republic, and Nenets Autonomous Okrug, plus Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Oblasts

- - Karelia (Kizhi Island)
  - Komi Republic (Manpupuner rock formations)
  - Nenetsia
  - Murmansk
  - Arkhangelsk

4. Middle Volga Republics

Republics of Bashkortostan, Chuvash, Mari El, Mordovia, Tatarstan, and Udmurt

- - Kazan (sixth largest city in nation; capital of Tatarstan) – Kazan Kremlin and Qolşärif Mosque

5. Lower Volga

Astrakhan, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, and Volgograd Oblasts

- - Volgograd – The Motherland Calls statue on Mamayev Kurgan
  - Astrakhan

6. Upper Volga

Perm Krai plus Ivanovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Vologda, and Yaroslavl Oblasts

- - Nizhny Novgorod (fifth largest city in nation)

Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, Elista (Photo: hague6185.wordpress.com)

7. Kalmykia Republic

Kalmykia Republic

- - Elista – Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni and Pagoda of Seven Days

Mount Elbrus, Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria (Photo: russiatrek.org)

Dargavs, North Ossetia-Alania - "City of the Dead" (Photo: ancient-origins.net) — Dargavs, North Ossetia-Alania – “City of the Dead” (Photo: ancient-origins.net)

8. North Caucasus Republics

Republics of Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkar, Karachay-Cherkess, and North Ossetia-Alania

- - Mount Elbrus
  - Dagestan

Sochi National Park (Photo: Sergei Kazantsev wikimedia user)

9. Southern Russia

Adygea Republic, Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai, and Rostov Oblast

- - Sochi, Krasnodar Krai – Black Sea coast and Sochi National Park

Divnogorye Museum-Reserve (Photo: GAlexandrova – Wikimedia.org user)

10. Chernozemye (Black Earth)

Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, Tambov, and Voronezh Oblasts

- - Divnogorye Museum-Reserve

Fishing Village, Kaliningrad (Photo: markbakerprague.com)

11. Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad Oblast

- - Kaliningrad – Fishing Village

Swallow's Nest in Gaspra, near Yalta — Swallow’s Nest in Gaspra, near Yalta (Photo: futuristrendcast.wordpress.com)

12. Crimea

Crimea Republic and Sevastopol Federal City

- - Gaspra – Swallow’s Nest

(Note: Technically still part of Ukraine, but it is controlled by Russia.)

Asiatic regions of Russia, west to east:

1. Urals

Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg, and Sverdlovsk Oblasts

- - Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk (fourth largest city in nation)
  - Taganay National Park, Chelyabinsk

2. West Siberia

Tyumen Oblast, Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

- - Tobolsk, Tyumen Oblast – St. Sophia-Assumption Cathedral, Tobolsk Kremlin (the only stone Kremlin in Siberia)

Novosibirsk Railway Station (Photo: projects21.wordpress.com)

3. Novosibirsk Siberia

Novosibirsk, Omsk, and Tomsk Oblasts

- - Novosibirsk (third largest city in nation)

Altai Mountains (Photo: circlingthegoldenmountains.wordpress.com)

4. Altai Mountains

Altai Republic, Altai Krai, and Kemerovo Oblast

- - Altai Mountains

Natural Park Ergaki (Photo: russiatrek.org)

5. Central Siberia

Krasnoyarsk Krai, Khakassia Republic, and Tuva Republic

- - Natural Park Ergaki, Krasnoyarsk Krai
  - Stolby Nature Sanctuary, Krasnoyarsk Krai

6. Irkutsk-Baikal

Buryatia Republic, Zabaykalsky Krai, and Irkutsk Oblast

- - Irkutsk
  - Lake Baikal
  - Ulan-Ude, Buryatia Republic

7. Yakutsk

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Amur Oblast

- - Yakutsk
  - Lena Pillars Nature Park
  - Siberian brown bears, Amur tigers, and Amur leopards

8. Khabarovsk-Birobidzhan

Khabarovsk Krai and Jewish Autonomous Oblast

- - Birobidzhan, Jewish Autonomous Oblast
  - Durminskoye Reserve, Khabarovsk Krai – Amur tigers and Amur leopards
  - Land of the Leopard National Park, Khabarovsk Krai

Zolotoy Bridge, Vladivostok (Photo: russiatrek.org)

9. Primorsky-Sakhalin

Primorsky Krai and Sakhalin Oblast

- - Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai – Zolotoy Bridge

Valley of Geysers (Photo: en.spbrossitour.com)

10. Kamchatka

Magadan Oblast, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, and Kamchatka Krai

- - Valley of Geysers, Kamchatka Krai
  - Kolyma Highway, Magadan (“Road of Bones”)