The LN Team arrived in Russia as autumn set in. The natural scenery in autumn was wonderfully beautiful. Endless forests stretched out, filled with various kinds of trees, with birch trees being the most abundant. Green leaves mingled with red maple and yellow leaves. The sky was a deep blue, with the occasional drifting white cloud and sudden autumn showers.

In Moscow, we were all captivated by the magnificent structures such as the Kremlin, Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the historic Arbat Street, Sparrow Hills with the Lomonosov Moscow State University building, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Victory Park, the WWII Museum, the underground Metro system, and the Ostankino TV Tower, one of the tallest in the world.

Meanwhile, Saint Petersburg, known as the northern capital of Russia, is the country’s second-largest economic, cultural, and scientific center, but surpasses Moscow in terms of tourism. This historic city, interwoven with canals on the Neva River delta, is renowned for its many longstanding cultural landmarks such as the Winter Palace, Summer Palace, Autumn Palace, the Hermitage Museum, Peter & Paul Fortress, St. John’s Church, and more.

Compared to Moscow, this former capital is also more closely associated with the lives of major literary figures such as Leo Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Nabokov, Pushkin, Lermontov, Yesenin, Brodsky, Olga Berggoltz, and others.

With its rich natural beauty, immense cultural heritage, and poetic charm, Russia has become a profound love and great pride for its people, enchanting and winning the hearts of many visitors, including us. It’s no wonder that in his poem Hello, My Dear Russia, Yesenin expressed this devotion:

“Oh, if an angel calls out, To leave Russia for paradise! I would answer, ‘Save paradise for another And let me stay with my beloved homeland.’” – (Translated by Thuy Toan)