Russia Basic Info

Russia – short info

• Language: Russian
• Capital City: Moscow
• Population: 143.4 million
• Area: 6,592,771 square miles
• Area comparative: approximately 1.8 times the size of the US
• Telephone Calling Code(s): 7
• Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz
• As of Jul 17, 2006:
  1 Russia Rubles = $0.04 US
• To find out about visas click here

"Wide spaces for dreams and for living Are opened for us by the coming years"
Hymn of the Russian Federation A.V. Alexandrov S. Mikhalkov

Russia is the world’s largest country. It covers more than eight and a half square miles (22 million square kilometers), or over a seventh of all land on Earth. The country spreads across Europe and Asia, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

Russia borders North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belorussia, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Norway.

Russia is a land of huge steppes (grassy plains), thick forests, high mountains, and rugged plateaus. The country has six main land regions: (1) the European Plain, (2) the Ural Mountains, (3) the Aral-Caspian Lowland, (4) the West Siberian Plain, (5) the Central Siberian Plateau, and (6) the East Siberian Uplands.

The longest river entirely within Russia is the 2,734-mile (4,400-kilometer) Lena in Siberia. Other long rivers in Siberia include the Amur, Ob, and Yenisey. They are frozen seven to nine months a year. The Volga River is the longest river in Europe. It flows 2,194 miles (3,531 kilometers) from the Valdai Hills, northwest of Moscow, to the Caspian Sea. Other rivers of the European Plain include Dnepr, Don, Neman, and Northern and Western Dvina.

The Caspian Sea, a salt lake 92 feet (28 meters) below sea level, is the world’s largest inland body of water. It covers 143,630 square miles (372,000 square kilometers) in the south of Russia, between Europe and Asia. Lake Ladoga covers 6,835 square miles (17,703 square kilometers). Is the largest lake entirely in Europe. Lake Baikal in Siberia measures 5,315 feet (1,620 meters) deep. It is the deepest lake in the world. The salty Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash both lay in Russian Central Asia.

Climate

Russia is famous for its long, bitter winters. Napoleon and Adolf Hitler, both of whom set out to conquer the country, were defeated partly by the icy winds that roar across its plains. Snow covers more than half of Russia six months a year. Almost half the country has permafrost (permanently frozen soil) beneath the ground surface. Most of Russian coastal waters, lakes, and rivers are frozen most of the year.
Northern Siberia is the coldest region of Russia. January temperatures there average below -50F (-46C) and have dropped below -90F (-68C). The temperature averages 60F (16C) in July, but it sometimes reaches nearly 100F (38C). This great range between temperature highs and lows is the widest in the world. Summers in Russia are hot or warm, but short. Only the southern deserts have long summers. July temperatures there average about 90F (32C) and may rise above 120F (49C).
The heaviest rainfall in Russia occurs in the Caucasus region. There, some foothills get more than 100 inches (250 centimeters) of rain a year. Parts of western and central Siberia receives the heaviest snowfall, up to 4 feet (120 centimeters) a year.

Time zones

Russia is a vast country spanning 11 time zones from GMT+2 to GMT+12.
The Moscow Standard Time Zone is 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time: GMT+3 (+1 hour for DST)
St Petersburg has the same GMT: means +3 hour, except for daytime saving time (DTS in use +1 hour); Current Time Zone offset: GMT/UTC + 4:00
Daytime Saving Time started on Sunday, March 26, 2006 at 2:00 AM local standard time and ends on Sunday, October 29, 2006 at 3:00 AM local daylight time

Time zones in other Russian cities

• Samara GMT +4
• Yekaterinburg GMT +5
• Novosibirsk GMT+6
• Krasnoyarsk GMT +7
• Irkutsk GMT +8
• Chita GMT +9
• Vladivostok GMT +10

Visas

All foreigners need a visa to visit Russia. Read more on this.

Health

Since the old Soviet Union health has improved in Russia, but visitors are advised to check local conditions for the area they wish to visit. Water quality varies in Russia. It is better to avoid raw foods, and bring any medications you may need.

Important telephone numbers

• 01 --fire (EDINAJA SPASATEL'NAJA SLUZHBA MCHS), 24h
• 02 – police (MILICIJA), 24h
• 03 – ambulance (SKORAJA POMOSHH') , 24h
• 04 – emergency gas supply network (AVARIJJNAJA GAZOVAJA SLUZHBA)
• 09 -- telephone information service (SPRAVOCHNAJA) 07.00-22.00
• Emergency help for children (SKORAJA POMOSHH' DETJAM) ph +7(495) 1052112 (Moscow) 24h

Russian Holidays

Russian holidays are a combination of new and old, official and unofficial, professional and private, religious and secular. Here will list official Russian holidays.

• The New Year is first on the calendar, on January 1 and 13 (which corresponds to January 1 in the Julian calendar, used in Russia before 1918).
• January 7- Russian Orthodox Christmas-primary religious holiday in Russia
• February 23, day known until recently as Soviet Army Day, viewed as holiday for all men and closely followed by Women's Day, March 8, when women receive flowers, presents and are given the day off from work.
• Easter is celebrated nationwide. Easter (in Russian "Paskha" ) always falls from 4 April to 8 May.
• Mayday, until recently officially termed International Workers' Solidarity Day, is now known as Spring and Labor Day. On some years, it occurs on or close to with Russian Orthodox Easter, so some people celebrate in church while some attend customary demonstrations.
• Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9 to commemorate the millions fallen in World War II. Flowers and wreaths are laid on wartime graves on this day, and veterans come out into the streets wearing their military orders and medals.
• June 12 is Russia's Independence Day, which commemorates the adoption in 1991 of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation.
• November 4 - Day of the National Unity is the newest Russian holiday.