The country of Russia is perhaps one of the most diverse in terms of terrain that you can ever find.
There are areas of tundra as well as places abounding in rich, lush landscape.
An example of this is St.
Petersburg.
This is a beautiful city with a blend of Russian culture and current technology and it is located in the heart of a very harsh environment.
Second only to Moscow in size, St.
Petersburg is certainly one of the jewels of Russia but you can only travel there if you have a passport.
Getting one has been revolutionized by passport websites and filling out a U.
S.
passport application form has never been easier.
The procedure for getting a passport has been totally changed by these online sites and waiting in long lines can now be a thing of the past.
Getting quick passports has been made no only possible but efficient and secure by using one of these companies found online and you can actually get your passport in as little as one day.
A large part of Russian culture is imbedded in love of the arts.
This is made obvious if you consider the number of Russian composers, artists and authors.
This also comes as no surprise if you have ever enjoyed the world famous Russian Ballet Company.
This artistic love is quite evident in St.
Petersburg as there are over fifty theatres in this beautiful city including the Mariinsky Theatre.
Home of the world famous Mariinsky Ballet Company, this city is known for some of the best known ballet stars of the entire world.
Among the most popular places to visit in St.
Petersburg is the Winter Palace.
This is home to the Hermitage Museum and is located in Palace Square.
A visit here will reveal over 3 million masterpieces of art; many produced by some of the best known and loved artists such as Ruebens, Michelangelo and Da Vinci.
In contrast to the harsh surroundings, the gardens of St.
Petersburg are beautiful and stand in stark contrast to the desolate land that surrounds this magnificent city.
One of the most favorite of these gardens is Summer Gardens.
This beautiful array of foliage presents shaded sidewalks, flowers and waterways that create the perfect opportunity to relax and recharge from a long day's sightseeing.
There are many sights and spectacles to be enjoyed in and around St.
Petersburg.
One such area and perhaps the most popular is Vasilevsky Island.
The famous Andrevevsky Cathedral can be found here and stands as a testament to Russian architecture as well as Russian art.
Also found here is the Russian counterpart to Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
It is called Kunstkamera which means "Room of Curiosities" and is a great place to spend a day enjoying items that are unusual and sometimes strange and are from places all around the world.
The Rostral Columns, Rumvantsevsky Park and the Mershikov Palace can also be found here.