Russia

Russia does everything at full volume—its history is epic, its culture is legendary, and its architecture? Straight out of a dream sequence. Sometimes, it’s a really dark dream sequence. But the sheer scale of it all! Palaces glitter under winter skies, metro stations look like art museums, and no one throws a holiday celebration like the Russians. But beyond the grandeur, there’s quiet poetry in birch forests, deep conversations over steaming samovars, and a national anthem that hits harder than your favorite movie soundtrack. Russia doesn’t do subtle—and that’s exactly why it leaves a mark.