The Guardian has published the list of places to visit in Russia, suggested by its readers. They were courageous enough to travel up to the Solovetsky  Islands, visit remote Lake Baikal, take a literary tour in St. Petersburg and go clubbing in Moscow.  The Transsiberian railway has not been left unnoticed. Along the Transsiberian railway they have spotted several places for a visit and shared their experiences.

Mafia graves in Yekaterinburg

Amy Wolfe recommends to visit the Mafia graves in Yekaterinburg. Even though it will take a while to spot all the graves, it is worth the effort.
"They are in two cemeteries, one for each of the rival gangs that terrorised the area in the 1990s. Shirokorechenskoe cemetery, in the south-west of the city, is where members of the Central gang were laid to rest. Their graves are easy to spot, although you will need a while to wander around and find them all. They feature full-sized portraits of the deceased, many adorned in gold chains, leather jackets or holding Mercedes car keys."

Utulik

The picturesque nature of Lake Baikal, relaxing sauna, local food were the highlights of the Jeffery Lambert's trip to the village Utulik.

"Utulik, a traditional Siberian village on the southern shores of Lake Baikal, has rustic architecture, scenic birch forests and a mountainous backdrop. To stay, I recommend Fedor’s House, a cosy wooden guesthouse, built and furnished by the owners. For an additional fee you can relax in its banya (Russian sauna). If you visit in spring you can try fresh birch water, tapped from the surrounding woodland. For local food, there’s smoked omul (fish from the salmon family endemic to Baikal) from the fish market at nearby Baykalsk and low-cost but delicious traditional dishes across the road at Cafe Polina."

Sarma

Helena Karnen has visited the western shore of the Lake Baikal, and here what she shares about her experience:

"Shaman shrines, Buddhist stupas, Siberian cowboys and stone burial mounds litter the mountainous landscape, and a fishing excursion with resident sailor and former Soviet pilot Captain Andrei is available for just a few thousand rubles. We learned Russian songs, sat outside at night with stars and bonfires and experienced the delights of rural Russian cuisine, with daily meals of salted kasha (buckwheat porridge) with jam and shashlik kebabs. A day trip to the island of Olkhon (the fourth-largest island in a lake in the world), organised by the Sarminskaya holiday park, offers a terrifying but exhilarating ride in a rickety old school bus (manned by a one-eyed driver) and a journey into the heart of the Pribaikalsky national park."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/oct/20/readers-russia-st-petersburg-baikal-kazan-holiday