Russia is the largest country in the world with an area of more than 17 million square kilometers. Russia has a long and complicated history that has seen significant events such as the reign of the Tsars, the Bolshevik Revolution and the Cold War. The country has a rich cultural heritage with literature, art, music and dance that has influenced the world. The Russian language is also widely spoken, and the country has unique cuisine and traditions that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
This country is located in Northern Asia and Eastern Europe and has a blue border with the North Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. Russia has a land border with 14 Asian and European countries and a water border with the countries around the Bering Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. The time difference from the westernmost region to the easternmost point of Russia is about 9 hours.
Most of the territory of Russia is made up of uninhabited areas. This country is located in high latitudes and most of the country’s regions are cold. For this reason, agricultural conditions are not available in most regions of Russia (especially the vast land of Siberia). The word Russia is an original Russian word and it means a land where Russian-speaking people live a lot.
This country is the 9th most populous country in the world with about 146 million people. Moscow, the capital of Russia, has a population of about 12 million.
The rate of population growth in this country is slightly below zero. Most of the population of Russia lives in the west of this country (European part). According to the 2010 census, about 81% of the people of this country are of Russian ethnicity. A total of 160 ethnic groups live in this country. Tatars make up 3.9% of Russia’s population and are considered the country’s largest ethnic minority. The Ukrainian, Chuvash, Bashkir, Daghi, Chechen, and Armenian ethnic groups each have more than one million people, and the Caucasian Avars, Belarusians, Asians, Azerbaijanis, and Kazakhs are among the other most populous ethnic groups in Russia.
The climate of Russia varies depending on the region, and due to its large size and northern location, it is mostly cold and harsh. This country has long and cold winters and short and mild summers, although the climate is subtropical in some southern regions.
Russia is known in the world for three things: literature, ballet and classical music. Russian literature not only reflects aesthetic values, ideas, morals and spirituality, but actually reflects Russian philosophy. Until the 18th century, there was practically no secular literature in Russia, and literary texts were based on the history, nature and life of the Russian people.
After that, from the 18th century, secular literature penetrated among Russian poets and writers. Among the poets of this period, we can mention Vasily Terdiakovsky, Gavriel Romanovich Derzhavin, Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov, and writers such as Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin and Alexander Nikolayevich Radyshev. After that, among the famous Russian poets, we can mention Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, Anna Andreevna Akhmatova and Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky, Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov and Ivan Alexandrovich Bunin are world-famous among the Russian classic authors.
Music is an integral part of Russian life, and music and ballet have been two integral parts of the culture of the people of this vast country for a long time.
Matryoshka doll is one of the symbols of Russia. Matryoshka dolls are a number of wooden dolls that are divided into two parts in the middle, and the next doll is placed inside each doll. The image of a woman’s face is designed on these dolls. These dolls are usually handmade and have a very high spiritual value among Russians. The cultural importance of these dolls is not limited to Russia, and many politicians and philosophers have mentioned these dolls as symbols in their books and articles.
Russia has many tourist attractions ranging from historical monuments to stunning natural wonders.
Red Square
Located in Moscow, Red Square is the historical and cultural center of the city, with iconic buildings such as St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, and Lenin’s Mausoleum. This square is one of the symbols of Russia and Moscow tourists usually go to this square on their first visit.
The Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum, located in St. Petersburg, is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world, housing more than 3 million works. Visitors can see a huge collection of art, antiquities and cultural artifacts up close.
Pushkin Art Museum
The Pushkin Museum of Art is located in the heart of Moscow, adjacent to the Kremlin Palace. This museum was established in 1912 and since then it has become a place for holding world exhibitions. It should be mentioned that this museum has exquisite collections of artistic masterpieces and has more than one million visitors throughout the year.
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal, which is located in Siberia, is the deepest and oldest lake in the world, which has stunning natural beauty and unique wildlife.
Kazan Cathedral
According to historical documents, the people of Poland and Lithuania had attacked Moscow and the Russian people managed to defeat them under the command of their prince. At that time, the prince believed that a holy lady named Kazan accompanied them in the war. Therefore, he built this church to express his devotion to this holy lady.
Trans-Siberian Railway
The longest railway in the world with more than 9000 km from Moscow to Vladivostok is one of the special attractions of Russia. Visitors can experience the unique culture and scenery of Russia while enjoying the train journey.
Diamond Fund Museum
If you love jewels and precious stones, you must visit the Diamond Box Museum. This museum was opened in the 18th century by order of King Peter I. A rare collection of jewelry is kept in this museum.
Kizhi Island
Kizhi Island, located in Lake Onega, houses a collection of 18th-century wooden churches and traditional Russian architecture, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Astronautical Museum
The space war, or in other words, the competition to travel to space and step on the moon, is one of the most important stories of the last hundred years. In this museum, you can see all the achievements and works of great astronauts such as Gagarin.
Tverskaya Street
Tverskaya Street is one of the most important sights in Russia, which welcomes many tourists from all over the world every year. This street, located in the northern part of Red Square, is full of modern and expensive shops.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church
One of the must-see places in Moscow is the St. Mary’s Catholic Church. This church can be considered the largest religious place in Russia. This church was built in Moscow between 1901 and 1911. The architecture used in this church is inspired by the style of Milan and Westminster, London.
Valley of geysers
This valley, which is located in the Kamchatka Peninsula, contains a series of natural geysers. Its number of geysers reaches 90, each of which is 6 kilometers long. In addition, there are many hot springs in this valley. This valley was discovered in 1941 by a scientist named Tatiana Ustinova. The way to this valley is very difficult and you have to ride a helicopter to go there.
Gulag Museum
One of the modern Russian museums is the Gulag Museum, which was opened in 2004. The Gulag Museum is a full-fledged historical museum that preserves the works of Stalin’s dictatorship. This museum narrates the ups and downs of Russia’s history from the construction of concentration camps to the implementation of the Gulag system, the expulsion and deportation of Germans.
Russia is a fascinating country with history, culture and stunning natural scenery. By understanding the history and culture, climate, population and region of this country, you can have a memorable trip to Russia and discover all that this amazing country has to offer.
To plan your trip better than before, stay with Benyamin Marco website. We have prepared a unique collection of everything you need for travel on this site. Travel with us to the heart of history and civilization of Russia.