Russia, the largest country in the world, straddles two continents, a vast land where Europe meets Asia in an intricate dance of contrasts. Its landscapes range from the frozen tundras of Siberia to the golden domes of Moscow, a city that shimmers with both imperial grandeur and modern vitality. Russia's history is a tapestry woven with threads of triumph and tragedy, from the rise of the Tsars to the revolution that shook the world.
In its literature you can hear the echoes of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, masters of plumbing the depths of the human soul. The Russian spirit is a mixture of resilience and mystery, an enigmatic force that has endured through the ages. Today Russia stands as a powerful nation, its heart beating with a rich cultural heritage and a future as vast and complex as the land it rules.
Ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast
Russian 77.7%, Tatar 3.7%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Bashkir 1.1%, Chuvash 1%, Chechen 1%, other 10.2%
Leaving a small amount of food on your plate indicates that your host has provided ample hospitality.
Pelmeni — bite-sized dough dumplings filled with a variety of ingredients including pork, beef, fish, spices, mushrooms, onions, and other vegetables and boiled; typically served with sour cream
Natural resource-rich Eurasian economy; leading energy exporter to Europe and Asia; decreased oil export reliance