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About Russia - Online Travel Guide

ABOUT RUSSIA
RUSSIAN PEOPLE AND THEIR LIFESTYLE
WHAT IS WEATHER LIKE IN RUSSIA?
RUSSIAN CUISINE

Russia is beyond comprehension; it can only be felt. And to do so you have to come to Russia…

For most westerners, Russia is associated with its European cities - Moscow and St. Petersburg. This is the heartland of Imperial Russia, and these great and ancient cities are the focus for most tourists. However there is much more to this country that stretches over a vast expanse of Europe and Asia. As the earth’s largest country, Russia covers more than 17 million square kilometres or 11% of the land surface of our planet. It takes about a week to cross the country’s ten time zones by train and ten hours by air. Within this vast expanse lies the deepest freshwater lake in the world (Baikal), Europe’s highest mountain peak (Elbrus), the largest river in Europe (the Volga) and the world’s largest lake (the Caspian Sea). The country abounds with rivers and forests teeming with fish and wildlife, awe inspiring volcanoes, and towering mountains. For those with a taste for adventure, Russia is a real find. No other country can offer such a great variety of nature and wildlife, or so many diverse people and cultures.

As well as vast areas of untouched wilderness, Russia has countless historical and cultural monuments, more than 30 nature reserves and national parks, and about 2,000 museums. Over the last ten years. twelve cultural and natural treasures across Russia have been included in the UNESCO world cultural heritage list. These include not only the world-famous Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, but also less well known attractions such as the wooden architecture in Karelia, Lake Baikal, the virgin forests of the taiga, the tundra of the Northern Komi region, the magic volcanoes of Kamchatka, and the golden mountains of Altai. You can experience many of these unique natural and cultural highlights yourself on our tours.

Russia’s population is about 150 million, of which eighty percent is Slavic (the original Russians). There are more than 100 different languages spoken by different ethnic groups but everyone also speaks Russian. The main religion is Orthodox Christianity. Russia is the coldest country in the world: winter lasts up to ten months in the north. Even in Moscow, temperatures regularly reach minus 25 degrees centigrade. This is why Russians wear their famous fur hats (“shapka”). The bitter climate presents serious problems: huge efforts and expenses go to heating and snow-clearing. In summer, however, most of Russia is warm and sunny.

Foreigners who have visited Russia sometimes tell the old joke that, in Russia, there are no roads, only directions. Certainly there are areas without roads, and even without people. But much has changed in Russia’s regions: roads continue to be built even in the most remote areas.

“The Russians are slow to harness up, but once they have, they go fast”. These words from Otto von Bismarck more than 150 years ago still accurately reflect Russia today. The Russians are a talented and proud people. Russia gave the world Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov. Five Russians have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The music of composers such as Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich is performed worldwide, while the painters Malevich and Kandinsky are famous for their avant-garde art.

Throwing off the blanket of communist uniformity, modern Russia is a nation of enormous diversity and tremendous vitality. It is as if the cultural traditions of a century ago have re-awakened with a newfound strength - ancient cathedrals are being rebuilt and restored, colourful markets hum with activity once again and literature and the arts are quickly regaining the creative renown they enjoyed decades ago. A new Russia is now in full bloom.

Just as Russia’s rich cultural heritage has once more come to life, its natural heritage too is a new country waiting to be discovered. With our “Russian discovery” tours, we offer our guests something special - something which inspires us: a unique and diverse cultural experience within the framework of a magnificent and unspoilt wilderness. Challenging rivers and beautiful lakes, steep mountains and roaring volcanoes, dense forests, endless steppes and, most important of all, world-renowned hospitality, await travellers from across the world… Come along!

RUSSIAN PEOPLE AND THEIR LIFESTYLE

Russians consider themselves a well-educated nation. They read a lot, and will be very surprised if you tell them you have not read Pushkin or Tolstoy! Books in Russia are cheap, and most people can afford to buy 5-10 books a month without serious damage to the family budget. Russians are also very fond of live performances at the theatre, and since tickets are affordable (the prices in cinemas and theatres are comparable), a stunning range of options is available to everyone, including opera, symphony concerts, musicals, ballet, drama, etc.

Every city has at least one theatre. The theatre culture was developed during Soviet times when tickets were sold through schools and businesses: cities were divided into neighbourhoods and there was a theatre agent responsible for each particular neighbourhood. The agent would distribute tickets to every business and school in his area, and the person responsible for the "culture sector" would organize collective visit to the theatre. Also, attending performances in a group is always much more fun, which contributed to the popularity of theatres. This is how most Russian people developed their taste for live performances. Nowadays, there is a growing variety in the types of theatre performances available, extending from Russian plays and Shakespeare, to gypsies and contemporary interpretations, and everything imaginable in between.

Cinemas are becoming more and more popular in Russia and today they are equipped with the latest sound systems.

During Soviet times, there was a well-developed system of community work, and in every group (class at school, department at work, etc.) there was a person responsible for sports, education, political information, etc. People that performed these tasks were given benefits (free or discounted travel, ability to buy rare goods, a better apartment, etc). In this period, everything belonged to the State, and the State controlled distribution and awarded the most active citizens. Only after Perestroika did property become privatised. The system of volunteering was largely broken with Perestroika, but Russians still have an unwavering community spirit (which sometimes goes to lengths a westerner would consider as infringement).

Russian culture is non-individualistic. The power of an individual in Russia is much less than in the west and most deals are pushed through family, friends and acquaintances. A famous Russian saying is, "One is not a soldier in the battlefield." In Russia, it is necessary to know people in power to make things work. This is why Russians maintain more friendships than an average westerner. If you know the right people, you can arrange the most difficult things with little effort.  

The majority of Russians consider themselves Christians, and belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. This is a great achievement for a country where atheism was the official state religion for more than 70 years. Religion, however, is not a real part of their life. Russians pay more attention to horoscopes than to the Bible. People usually attend church just to "light a candle" and quickly pray. They do it to ask for something to happen (a business deal, an exam) or to remember a close person who is dead. People do not have to be a member of the church to do it and they do not make monthly contributions to the church. The church survives by selling candles and reminder notes and charging for services such as baptisms, weddings and funerals. A church marriage is not official in Russia. A couple has to register their marriage with government authorities before they are allowed to have a church ceremony performed.

Health care and education are free in Russia, though Russians joke that education becomes less and less free with every year. It is still possible to get a university education for free by passing the entrance exams, but the universities are decreasing the number of students that study on a free basis because of poor state financing.

Since both education and cultural facilities used to be widely available, Russians can be considered a highly cultured nation. Their general knowledge is very good: they know a little bit about virtually everything. Primary and secondary school is mandatory for 11 years, and includes a programme of History, Literature, Music and Geography. A foreign language, usually English, is studied for 6 years, although French, German and Spanish are also available. The history courses taught include Russian, European and American History. The literature read includes a variety of foreign literatures, including many European Classics – in between a strong base of Tolstoy, Pushkin and Dostoyevski. The standard Russian curriculum is the same in all of Russia, and only recently have some optional courses been allowed.

On the entrance exams at universities and colleges, only questions from the general secondary school curriculum can be asked. Universities and colleges accept students according to the results of these entrance tests, and not according to their marks at school, although having excellent marks can help (for example, you may only have to pass 1 or 2 exams instead of the regular 4).

Having a university or college degree is common. Russia has the highest education level in the world (more than 40% of the total population have college or university degree). Since Perestroika, the system of higher (university) education is slowly deteriorating along with the health care system, which used to be among the world's best. The problem with the Russian education system is that it was always rather theoretical and unrelated to practice. Therefore, it's common for a person with an engineering degree to work in sales, or one with a chemical background to find himself in marketing. Nor is it a surprise if a woman with a university degree works as a secretary. Having a Ph.D. is also not a big deal, and doesn't give you a big advantage; good knowledge of English will provide you with a better competitive edge. The position that one has in a company is not as important as the company itself. Foreign companies and even foreign public/charity organizations are considered to be the best employment.

Intellectually, Russians are interesting people to talk to and enjoy deep subjects. Philosophy is still a mandatory subject in university and one of the 3 compulsory subjects for the PhD qualifying exam (the other 2 are a foreign language and the specialty itself). Russians are also very clever. They have so many difficulties and problems in life, and have learned to find a roundabout way for anything. They don't have a deep respect for the law, especially traffic rules. Russians are some of the most reckless, but at the same time skilful, drivers, and the most careless pedestrians in the world.

The majority of Russians don't have what you call in the west "good manners." Russia is a tough country and Russians usually do not hesitate to say what they think in a way that doesn't leave room for any misunderstandings. During the Soviet period, having "good manners" was considered a bourgeois survival tactic. Russians are very straightforward. When they meet or phone each other, they seldom spend time on questions like "How are you?" but go straight to the point. They are not rude, it's just their way of doing things.

Russians are used to situations where everything is unpredictable and unstable. They have to adapt to new rules and laws quickly. Russians had to make the long journey from the total control of Soviet times to the total uncertainty of the current situation. Their lives have changed dramatically, and if happiness is the yardstick, life definitely changed for the worse. The older people are very nostalgic for Soviet times, when everything was understandable, predictable and stable. No matter what your talents or how hard you worked, you couldn’t get ahead of other people. Everyone was assured of all the basic necessities of life: a home, a job, free and effective health care, and affordable goods. Education for children was free, as was access to sport and cultural facilities.

Nowadays, people have lost the advantages of the socialist state, and they have yet to receive the advantages of Western capitalism. The majority of Russian people do not really understand the huge difference between life in Russia and in the West. Russians do not consider their life miserable. They feel that things are changing for the better and "everything's starting to work out" for their country.

Russians like to emphasize their different attitude towards material values and consider themselves as sincere, cordial, understanding, and unselfish. They like to talk about the "specifics of Russian soul" or the "mysterious Russian soul," and repeat the famous phrase of a Russian poet, "You can't understand Russia with your mind."

Russians love their country. They may criticise it severely, but if you try to do the same they will defend it furiously. They are citizens of the largest county in the world, which has a rich history and deep cultural roots, and they are proud of it.

WHAT IS WEATHER LIKE IN RUSSIA?

Most of the country has a continental climate, with long, cold winters and brief summers. There is a wide range of summer and winter temperatures and relatively low precipitation. January temperatures are in the range of 6°C (45 °F) on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea. A record low temperature of -71°C (-96 °F) was recorded in 1974 at the northeast Siberian village of Oymyakon, the lowest temperature ever recorded anywhere in the world for an inhabited region. In many areas of Siberia the soil never thaws for more than a foot.

Annual precipitation decreases from about 64–76 cm (25–30 in) in the European region to less than 5 cm (2 in) a year in parts of Central Asia. The tundra has long winters, with summers lasting one or two months, and receives from 8 to 12 months of snow or rain. The far northern forest, like most of the country, has long severe winters, short summers, and extremely short springs and autumns. Precipitation is low but falls throughout the year, varying from 53 cm (21 in) at Moscow to between 20 and 25 cm (8–10 in) in eastern Siberia. The steppes have very cold winters and hot, dry summers.

For city-breaks the best time to visit is May-September, when the day temperatures are in the 23-35 C, and nights are in the 10-23 C. Spring and even early fall, however, are unpredictable: Snow flurries and temperatures in the mid -5 C are possible in May and September. Be sure to take waterproof shoes for spring or fall visits - there's a lot of mud. There are a few reasons someone might want to go during the winter: In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the leaves have fallen and the striking architecture can be seen much more clearly; it's also easier to get tickets to see the Bolshoi and Kirov (Mariinsky) ballets and operas, and there are no crowds at other tourist attractions. Those visiting in winter will want to take along their warmest clothes, boots and hats: It's bitterly cold (Moscow is as far north as southern Alaska) and quite dry. We recommend a long, insulated coat - the best you can afford.

RUSSIAN CUISINE

Russian cuisine has a rich history. The country offers a wide variety of soups, dishes made from fish, cereal based products and drinks. Vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, berries and herbs have always been important as well.

In imperial Russia, grain - that is rye, barley, oats, millet and wheat - was always the main food product. Even since this time the Russian people have been known as wheat farmers. That is why bread remains their major national food. Pies have always been a part of the holiday fare. The pies are customarily filled with different kinds of meat, fish, and berries. As for the grain,, millet was most often used since it was the main agricultural product. They also made various kinds of kashas (cereals), round loaves, baked puddings and all sorts of pancakes.

Russians have always eaten vegetables, such as turnips, cabbage, radish, and cucumbers. Since the 18th century, the potato began to play an ever more important role as one of the most loved ingredients in Russian dishes. At the beginning of the 19th century, Russian cooks started to derive sauces and dressings in the manner that French cuisine had long been famous for. These innovations became an important addition to the traditional Russian spices of horse-radish and mustard. All of this undoubtedly enriched Russian cooking.

Berries, mushroom, and honey abound in Russian cuisine because of the great expanses of wilderness, especially in the north.

One more important thing should be mentioned to better understand Russian cooking traditions. Russia is an Orthodox country and all the religious feasts were strictly followed. Totally there are more than 200 days in the year in which the Orthodox Christians are supposed to avoid eating meat, milk and milk products (including butter), and eggs. That is why Russian cuisine widely uses vegetables, fish, berries, and mushrooms. In order to cook tasty dishes using just vegetables it is necessary to use a variety of spices, such as dill, parsley and celery. As the country began to open trade routes to the east and south, more exotic spices become common - pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Nearly all dishes include onion.

And, we must not forget Russian’s famous fish dishes. Russian cuisine is renowned for its diverse delicacies made from fish. Russian rivers, lakes and seas are teaming with this tasty foodstuff.