The competition took place in three stages from 1 October 2007 through 1 June 2008, with the final results declared in Moscow’s Red Square on 12 June 2008.
1 Lake Baikal (Irkutsk Oblast)
2 Valley of Geysers (Kamchatka Krai)
3 Mamayev Kurgan / Mother Motherland (Volgograd Oblast)
4 Peterhof (Saint Petersburg)
5 Saint Basil’s Cathedral (Moscow)
6 Manpupuner Rock Formations (Komi)
7 Mount Elbrus (Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia)

The brilliant palace and park ensemble of Peterhof, concieved and created at the will of Peter the Great as a counterpart of Versailles, is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, 29 kilometres from St. Petersburg. It served as a summer residence of the Russian monarchs. The Peterhof ensemble includes the Upper and Lower Parks with 150 fountains spurting upwards powerful jets if water and foir resplendent cascades. The palaces of Peterhof are accessible by sea via hydrofoils based near the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The palace is also easily accessed by road. Public transit and private van services make regular trips from Saint Petersburg…