Sergiev Posad and its gorgeous monastery are an easy day trip from Moscow, and if you like bringing home some authentic souvenirs there’s another reason to go there – it’s claimed that the matryoshka (or nesting) dolls originate from this town. When I visited, there was an outdoor market selling table after table full of hand-painted matryoshkas, and they were also a lot cheaper than those you could find in Moscow.

And there’s an even better reason to head to Sergiev Posad now for your souvenir purchases – the matryoshka industry is suffering from the economic downturn, according to an article I read recently in the Washington Post newspaper. Apparently orders from souvenir shops have been cut and the tourist numbers are way down, and Sergiev Posad has asked the Russian government to help them with a “bailout” measure – buying up US$30 million worth of matryoshka dolls for officials to give away as gifts. For me, this is reason alone to add Sergiev Posad to your Moscow trip – and it’s a pretty town to visit as well.

Tips for Things to do in Russia

We’ve lots more travel tips for what to do in Russia.