To say that Russia is a big & diverse country is actually the understatement of the year. Officially named the Russian Federation, it is the largest country in the world, its total area is 17,075,200 square kilometres (making it larger than the continents of Oceania, Europe and Antarctica together), it covers more than one-eighth of Earth’s inhabited land area and spans over eleven time zones.
About 147 million people live in the country making it the largest by population in Europe and the 9th in the world. More than 100 different languages are spoken within its borders, 81% are ethnic Russians and the remaining 19% are made up of some 160 other different ethnic groups.
The name Russia is derived from Rus’, a medieval state mainly populated by the East Slavs who called it “Russian Land” or “Land of Rus'” in the local tongue. The name Rus itself comes from the early medieval Rus’ people, Swedish merchants and warriors who relocated from across the Baltic Sea and founded a state centered on Novgorod that later became Kievan Rus.
Russia’s history and its rulers are as diverse as the country and demographics are large, but let’s fast forward to what we can visit today. Short summary: in 1985, the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev begins to reform the Soviet system by introducing glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). In June 1991, Boris Yeltsin is elected (the first) President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. On 25 December 1991, the USSR was dissolved and the independent Russian Federation aka Russia, among other post-Soviet states, is founded.
The most visited destinations are Moscow and Saint Petersburg, featuring world-famous museums such as the Tretyakov Gallery and the Hermitage, beautiful churches like Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and Church of the Savior on Blood, impressive fortifications like the Kremlin and Peter and Paul Fortress, vast impressive squares and streets like Red Square, Palace Square, Tverskaya Street, Nevsky Prospect, and Arbat Street and, last but not least, grand palaces and lush parks that are found in the former regal residences in the suburbs of Moscow (Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno) and St Petersburg (Peterhof, Strelna, Oranienbaum, Gatchina, Pavlovsk and Tsarskoye Selo).
The currency used in Russia is the Russian ruble (RUB). Credit cards are welcome in nearly all Russian hotels and many restaurants, but many museums and public transport take only cash. Cards most commonly accepted are American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Eurocard.
To summarize: There’s more to do and experience in Russia than is possible to cover in a life time, but every journey begins with one step, so we wish you an amazing visit – regardless if it’s your first trip or you’ve been here before!