Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Golden Ring

As the symbolic heart of Russia, Moscow, with its 870th anniversary in 2017, is the centre of politics and culture, and has enjoyed a renaissance as one of the world's great cities. The capital's streets now buzz 24-hours a day, and offer a wealth of historic sites, plush new hotels, internationally-stocked shops and thousands of eating establishments. Her sister-city, St Petersburg, host of Russia's golden age and cradle of revolution, and surely Russia's soul, was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. One of the most graceful and well-proportioned cities in the world, filled with baroque and classical architecture, and known as the Venice of the North for its scenic canals, it is easy to see how St Petersburg became the inspiration for musicians, artists, poets and writers.

This 4th edition of the Odyssey guidebook contains a wealth of information on these two great cities and the regions surrounding them, including the Golden Ring, a series of ancient Russian towns set in the stunning countryside around Moscow. It provides a historical overview and is a guide to cultural sites of the two cities and the Golden Ring towns such as Yaroslavl, Vladimir, and Suzdal. There are literary excerpts from writers such as Pushkin, Dostoevsky, and Dumas, and a recommended reading list. The 784 pages include 200 colour photographs and 23 maps.

Masha Nordbye is a writer, photographer and TV producer who has visited more than 110 countries. She has travelled extensively throughout Russia and the republics of the former Soviet Union over the past 30 years, and studied in Moscow and St Petersburg. She has also produced numerous films about Russia for National Geographic, ABC, The Discovery Channel, Disney, PBS and 20th Century Fox. Nordbye also leads treks in Russia and is the author of other books and numerous magazine articles on Russia. She is a recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award for Excellence in Travel Journalism and resides in Los Angeles, California.