Russia does not have a long tradition as a destination for cultural travel. However, those who set out to explore the country beyond St. Petersburg and Moscow will find this art travel guide to be an interesting and important companion. As with all volumes in this series, the reader is introduced to the cultural and historical peculiarities of the destination in the introductory section: Russian history, architecture, painting and literature, music, film, and ballet are explored in individual chapters before the author Christine Hamel takes the reader on a journey through Western Russia. This journey begins in Moscow and continues through the cities and monasteries of the Golden Ring. Next, the route follows the Volga from Nizhny Novgorod to Astrakhan at the Volga Delta. A separate chapter is dedicated to St. Petersburg, and another to Karelia. The journey concludes with...