Smolensk

Smolensk is a city in western Russia. It's known for Lopatinsky Garden, with amusement rides, paths and a pond. Also in the park is the cast-iron Monument to Defenders of Smolensk in 1812, commemorating a key battle against the Napoleonic Army. Stretches of the city's 16th-century fortifications still stand, including a preserved wall in Pioneer Park. The hilltop turquoise Assumption Cathedral dates from the 1600s.