Unusual, mushroom-like rock formations caused by weathering and water erosion, set to disappear, according to geologists.

Two islands just 4 km apart separated by an International Border and Date Line.

Church built on the site where the last tsar of Russia and his family were killed.

Former prison camp dedicated to the victims of political repression.

Stalin's prisoner-built rail line sits in ruin, never having a single car ride its tracks.

Gigantic natural towers in a Russian plateau.

Monastery, army base, and infamous Soviet Gulag in the far Russian north.

Specimens collected by the author of "Lolita" and self-taught lepidopterist are exhibited in his childhood home.

The coldest city in the world.

A man-made island fort that has housed soldiers, scientists, and ravers.

Legends of time travel and magical woodland creatures bolster the natural charm of this verdant sanctuary in the midst of Moscow.

A Marxist summer camp full of fantastical statues lies tucked away and forgotten in the forests of Moscow.

Siberian ghost town built by gulag prisoners.

A little church on a tiny island looks like something from a fairy tale.

Abandoned castle was once a grand example of Russian privilege, built exclusively to win a frivolous bet between noblemen.

Thirteen sculptures in central Moscow graphically depicting vices of the modern world.

This Russian religious complex is a Frankenstein's chapel that includes influence from almost all the major faiths.

Nightmarish example of the unintended consequences of weapons testing.

The world's second-largest excavated hole.

Dr. Strangelove-esque tours reveal the inside a bunker once reserved for Stalin himself.

Stunning examples of Russia's 18th-century wooden architecture.

This ancient village and its adjoining cemetery have a beautiful history of death and remembrance.

You can see three Irish counties from this Neolithic hillside fort, once the seat of the Kingdom of Ailech.

An Irish town has built a statue to a silent film actor simply thanks to the holidays he once spent there.