For the first time, Russia is becoming a budget destination thanks to Easyjet’s Moscow routes from Manchester and London. While seeing more of the country takes a lot of time and commitment, the Golden Ring is a great way to see a glimpse of traditional Russia. Made of up several traditional towns in a loop near Moscow, the ring is full of kremlins, monasteries and beautiful buildings in varying stages of preservation, repair or decay.
I spent four months living in Yaroslavl, which serves as a good base for exploring other towns, though many closer to Moscow are easy day trips. The below photos were taken in Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Rostov Veliky and Sergiev Posad.