Host Cities

Kaliningrad is a seaport city in the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea with a population of 430,000 inhabitants. Founded in 1255 by Prussians and Germans under the name of Königsberg, the city has a dramatic history due to its strategic location between East and West. Kaliningrad offers easy access with flights to Western Europe, while the port in Baltiysk provides ferry service to Denmark, Germany, Latvia and St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg is Russia’s second largest city with more than 4.5 million residents. Extending across more than 40 islands formed by the Neva River, St. Petersburg, former imperial capital of Russia, is, together with Moscow, Russia’s best known city. Located in the northwestern part of Russia, it is a favorite tourist destination due to its unsurpassed beauty and elegance.

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the largest city in Europe with more than 10 million residents and more than 130 nationalities residing in its confines. Located on and around the shores of river Moskva, the capital is the epicenter of the Russian Federation with the presidential residence in the Kremlin, a world heritage site.

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan with more than 1 million residents. It also is an academic hotbed with 30 of Russia’s largest universities and more than 180,000 students. More than 100 nationalities live in this diverse city. 

Nizhny Novgorod is a city situated at the confluence of the Volga and Oka Rivers and has a population of more than 1.3 million. It is recognized by UNESCO on a list of 100 cities of great history and culture. By the mid-19th century, the city on the Volga was firmly established as the trade capital of the Russian Empire, and remains today as an economic, transport and cultural centre.

Yaroslavl is located 250 kilometres northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl Rivers. The city has more than 600,000 residents. Its pre-eminent position at the intersection of several major highways, railways and waterways makes Yaroslavl an important industrial center.

Samara is the capital of Samara Oblast region with a population of 1.1 million people. In 2007 the city hosted a European Union-Russia Summit. Samara is a major transport hub with an international airport, a major railway station and a major river port.

Volgograd is situated alongside the Volga River and has 1.1 million residents. Modern Volgograd remains an important industrial city, including shipbuilding, oil refining, steel and aluminum production, as well as other manufacturing. The city also is a transportation hub with a major railway junction and rail links to Moscow, as well as numerous regions. Volgograd International Airport provides air links to major Russian cities and several destinations abroad.

Saransk is the capital of the Republic of Mordovia and located in central European Russia, in the Volga basin at the confluence of the Saranka and Insar Rivers, about 630 kilometres east of Moscow. It currently has a population of more than 300,000 residents.

Krasnodar is located along the Kuban River with a population of more than 600,000. The city’s name translates into “beautiful gift” or “Catherine’s Gift” simultaneously in recognition of Catherine the Great’s grant of land in the Kuban region to the Black Sea Cossacks and in recognition of Saint Catherine, the Martyr, who is considered to be the patron of the city. Famous Russian soprano Anna Netrebko was born in Krasnodar.

Rostov-on-Don has a population of more than 1 million people and is home to several influential environmental organizations. Located some 1,000 km southeast of Moscow, the city also is a transport hub with flights to Europe, Africa and Asia.

Sochi has risen to global prominence after having been awarded the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Situated on the shore of the Black Sea, extending over more than 140 km (thus making its claim as the longest city in Europe) and against the backdrop of the Caucasus Mountains, this resort has long been one of the most popular Russian tourist destinations and is being hailed as the “Russian Riviera”.

Yekaterinburg is an Asian city on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains and with a population of 1.3 million residents, it is Russia’s fifth largest. The city’s foundation dates back to1723. It is surrounded by forests, mainly taiga, and small lakes. With its 16 state-owned universities and educational academies, as well as a number of private higher education institutions, Yekaterinburg is considered the leading educational and scientific center of the Urals. Public transport features a metro system, and the airport is serviced by several major Western European airlines.