Let’s be honest: Russia doesn’t have the best reputation in my home country. And I know that (subconsciously, at least) this influenced the fact that it was never very high up on my travel bucket list.

But if travel has taught me anything, it’s that stereotypes (and especially stereotypes perpetuated by the news media) don’t usually reflect the reality of any place. And so I decided to go to Russia and see it for myself.

Needless to say, Russia was entirely different than I was expecting it to be. I spent two weeks traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg via various waterways, getting a taste for both its iconic cities and some of its smaller towns.

Before I went, Russia was just a vast, gray place in my mind. I didn’t know much of its history beyond the Cold War, and could only picture the drab apartment blocks that I’ve seen in other former-Soviet countries.

To be fair, the skies were gray during my entire trip. But I found so much more than just gray. I was blown away by intricate churches, opulent palaces, and Russia’s rich history. I found life in Moscow’s bustling Metro stations and along St. Petersburg’s canals. And I learned that many of the things I thought I knew about present-day Russia were just wrong.

These 20 postcards show a glimpse of what Russia is really like between Moscow and St. Petersburg.