Letters from Karelia Filming Locations

Moscow, on the Moskva River in western Russia, is the nation’s cosmopolitan capital. In its historic core is the Kremlin, a complex that’s home to the president and tsarist treasures in the Armoury. Outside its walls is Red Square, Russia's symbolic center. It's home to Lenin’s Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum's comprehensive collection and St. Basil’s Cathedral, known for its colorful, onion-shaped domes.

Petrozavodsk is a city on the western shore of Lake Onega, in northwest Russia. It's known for the Museum of Fine Arts, which exhibits medieval icons alongside folk art and Russian paintings. Close to circular Lenin Square, the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia traces local history through archaeology and natural history displays. The 19th-century, gold-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral houses sacred icons.

Thunder Bay is a city on Lake Superior, in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The Fort William Historical Park recreates an 1816 fur trading post. A trail leads to the summit of Mount McKay. Offering panoramic views, the Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout features a statue of the athlete and cancer research activist. On Sibley Peninsula, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park has trails, plus wildlife like moose and wolves.