Russia

Russia, also officially known as the Russian Federation, his capital is the federal city of
Moscow, is a sovereign transcontinental state in northern Eurasia. At 17,075,200 square
kilometres, Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of
Earth's inhabited land area and the ninth most populous, with over 146.6 million people at
the end of March 2016.

HISTORY
Situated on the great Eurasian plane, Russia has been vulnerable to invasions from both East and
West (Mongols, 13-14th cent.; French, 1812; Germans, 1941) but was also well-placed to expand
laterally

RELIGION
With nearly 5,000 religious associations the Russian Orthodox Church accounts for over a half of
the total number registered in Russia, about 3,000, Baptists, 450, Evangelicals, 120, Old Believers,
over 200, Roman Catholics, 200, Krishnaites, 68, Buddhists, 80, Judaists, 50, and Unified
Evangelical Lutherans, 39.

Food
Traditional Russian cooking relied on a pech' or oven, rather than a burner as a heat source.
The oven had two compartments—one for slow cooking and the other for quick baking.

The pech' also heated the homes of the peasants, and therefore occupied a central spot in
the main room of the house. Traditional dishes include roasted meats, vegetables, soups,
and stews. A staple of the Russian diet is dark, heavy bread. It is not uncommon for a
family of four to eat three or four loaves of bread a day. Also popular are bliny (thin
pancakes), and a variety of savory and sweet pies called either piroghi (large pies) or
chopped hard-cooked eggs, or meat. The possibilities are unlimited. These pies are served
alone or with soup at lunch. Hot sweetened tea, called chai, is served frequently from a
samovar (large brass boiler) that heats water and steeps the tea leaves to form a
concentrated mixture.

TOURISM
Saint Basil's Cathedral
Built between 1554 and 1561 and situated in the heart of Moscow, St. Basil’s Cathedral has
been among the top tourist attractions in Russia. It is not the building’s interior artifacts that
attract visitors, but rather the cathedral’s distinctive architecture.
Lake Baikal
Many travelers on the Trans-Siberian railway make plans to stop at Lake Baikal, the deepest and
oldest lake on Earth.Lake Baikal holds around 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. Located
in Siberia, the 25-million-year-old lake is surrounded by mountain ranges.

Mikhail Lomonosov
Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made
important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries was the
atmosphere of Venus and the Law of Mass Conservation in chemical reactions.

Russian Traditions
Easter

Easter is the day of the resurrection of Christ. The holiday came to Russia from Byzantium
together with Russia’s christening in the end of the 10th century. Since then, this Christian
holiday has been widely celebrated all over Russia.

Christmas

Christmas is the holiday of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, whose advent
gave people hope for mercy, kindness, truth and eternal life. The Orthodox Church
observes Christmas according to the Julian Calendar, on January 7, while Western churches
celebrate it on December 25, in accordance with the Gregorian Calendar.

Flag of Russia
The flag of Russia is a tricolor flag consisting of three equal horizontal fields: white on the
top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. The flag was first used as an ensign for
Russian merchant ships and became official as the flag of the Tsardom of Russia in 1696.
People believe that white represents Belo Russian people, blue represents Ukrainians and
red symbolizes Russians. Another theory is that white represents God at the top, red
symbolizes peasants at the bottom and blue stands for the emperor.