Things to see and do in Russia

If you’re in St Petersburg at the height of summer, don’t expect too much kip. By dint of its northerly location, the city experiences some three weeks of 24-hour daylight from mid-June, a time at which the streets and riverbanks never sleep.

A common stop-off for those tackling the Trans-Siberian Railway, Irkutsk is worthy of a day or two’s exploration, particularly for those interested in learning more about Siberian culture. Try and catch a bandy match – a kind of al fresco ice hockey.

Krasnaya Ploschad, usually referred to as Red Square, is bordered by some of Russia’s best known monuments - the Kremlin, St Basil's Cathedral and the GUM department store. This enormous, 700m-long (2,300ft) public space was used for patriotic May Day parades back in the Soviet era, but nowadays serves as a major tourist attraction. The GUM (Gosudarstvenny Universalny Magazin) department store now functions as an extremely upmarket shopping mall – a metaphor for Russia’s recent enthusiasm for capitalism. In contrast, the square’s west side has Lenin's Mausoleum. In 1990, Red Square and the Kremlin were designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. The square is sometimes closed for state functions.

The embalmed body of revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin has been on public display almost continuously since his death in 1924. Filing past the regularly moisturised corpse – still in a smart dark suit – is an odd experience, but one not easily forgotten.

Mount Elbrus is the tallest mountain in the Caucusus and, indeed, Europe itself. Standing 5,642m (18,510 ft) high, it makes for a strenuous but not overly technical climb. Six-day trekking circuits are available for those who fancy looking down on the rest of the continent.

The size and grandeur of imperial city of St Petersburg has a tendency to amaze first-time visitors, and there are few better ways of appreciating the architecture of the centre than in the comfort of a leisurely canal cruise through its heart.

Some visitors are surprised that there’s any access at all to the Kremlin – there’s actually enough to see to warrant more than one visit. Most famous of its attractions is the Armoury Museum, a treasure-trove of Fabergé eggs and imperial bling.

If you’ve made it this far east, congratulations. Fringed by hills and overlooking the Golden Horn Bay, Vladivostok is actually one of the country’s most attractive cities. There’s a number of diverting historical sights, as well as good access to beaches.

Your jaw will no doubt drop at St Petersburg's gorgeously decorated Yusupov Palace (www.yusupov-palace.ru). Its rooms are sumptuously decorated in 19th-century style and include a gorgeous mini-theatre. A waxwork exhibition also commemorates Rasputin, who was murdered here.