Virtual 360-Degree Tours Are Attracting Tourists to Transbaikalia
A unique historical museum in Siberia’s Transbaikalia region can now be visited without leaving home. The Decembrists Museum in Chita has gone digital, offering a full 360-degree virtual tour — the first step toward a complete VR mapping of the region’s cultural landmarks.
Inside the Church Where the Decembrists Married
The virtual tour of the Decembrists Museum is available via the Go and Guide 360 app and platform. It’s part of the larger project 'Transbaikalia: Routes and Landmarks 360,' developed by the Transbaikalia Off-Road Club with support from a regional grant and the Transbaikalia Development Fund. The project’s goal is to make the region’s cultural and natural treasures accessible to anyone — not just visitors on site but also those exploring remotely.
“Now, through the Go and Guide app, anyone can visit the Decembrists Museum in Chita,” said project creator Yevgeny Virtuozov. “It’s housed inside the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Church, a rare 18th-century wooden structure built entirely of larch and pine without a single nail. The atmosphere there is incredible.”
The church once served as a spiritual refuge for 85 Decembrists — Russian nobles exiled for their role in the 1825 uprising. It witnessed their most important moments: weddings, funerals, and community gatherings. Among them were the marriages of Ivan Annenkov and Polina Göbl, as well as Dmitry Zavalishin and local resident Apollinaria Smolyaninova.
The digital version of the museum first appeared at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, where visitors experienced it in VR. The project was made possible through a collaboration between the Transbaikalia Regional Museum, the Decembrists Museum, and the Chita School of Creative Industries.
From Local Heritage to Global Access
Today, users can explore the Decembrists Museum and other regional landmarks through the interactive guide at https://goguide.ru/. The platform allows travelers to design personal routes and visit virtual replicas of destinations such as the Bagulovaya Line, Sukhotiyno Tract, Mount Aracha, the 'Gates of Genghis Khan' rock formations, and Alkhanaï National Park.
The 'Transbaikalia: Routes and Landmarks 360' project uses VR360 technology to create panoramic video with a full 360-degree field of view, placing viewers at the center of the scene. The system provides comprehensive information about each site — an essential feature for independent travelers. Through these virtual experiences and augmented-reality elements, the project encourages visitors to explore the real locations in person.
The team’s mission is not only to preserve cultural heritage but to make it accessible and engaging. Virtual tours also help schools enrich their curriculums, offering students remote access to historic and cultural sites they might never see otherwise.
Virtual Tourism as a National Trend
Virtual tours have become increasingly common across Russia — from major museums like the Hermitage and the Tretyakov Gallery to smaller regional collections such as the Tula State Arms Museum, which now offers multiple 3D and online tour formats.
By digitizing landmarks, regions are turning cultural heritage into an engine for education and tourism. The Transbaikalia experience shows that immersive technologies can expand access, drive real-world tourism, and support local economies.
In the near future, project organizers plan to integrate VR museum content into educational platforms and regional quiz programs, and to showcase local digital tourism projects internationally. For niche cultural tourism and edtech collaborations, the Decembrists Museum project stands as a replicable model — both technically and culturally.
