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Russia
EuropeEastern Europe
17.1 Million km²
Quick Facts
Capital
Moscow
Area
17,098,246 km²
Language
Russian
Currency
Russian Ruble (RUB)
Calling Code
+7
Drives On
Right
Internet
.ru
Timezone
MSK (UTC+3) + 10 more zones
Script
Cyrillic
Government
Federal Semi-presidential Republic
Independence
1991
Map tiles by CARTO. Data by OpenStreetMap.
Russia is the largest country on Earth by a margin so absurd it barely makes sense - 17.1 million square kilometers spanning 11 time zones, two continents, and climates from Arctic tundra to subtropical Black Sea beaches. When it's midnight in Kaliningrad on the Baltic, it's already lunchtime the next day in Kamchatka on the Pacific. The country contains the deepest lake (Baikal), the longest railway (Trans-Siberian), and some of the coldest inhabited places on the planet.
The cultural output is equally oversized. Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Pushkin - Russian literature essentially invented the modern novel. Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninoff transformed classical music. The Bolshoi Ballet, the Hermitage Museum, the architecture of Saint Petersburg - Russia built on a scale designed to overwhelm. Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. The chess tradition produced more world champions than any other country. And through all the upheavals - tsars, revolutions, world wars, the Soviet experiment, and its collapse - the Russian cultural spirit has proven remarkably resilient.
Largest Cities in Russia
1
Moscow
Capital and megacity, home to the Kremlin, Red Square, the Bolshoi Theatre, and some of the world's most ornate metro stations
13,000,000
2
Saint Petersburg
Peter the Great's masterpiece on the Neva River, a city of canals, palaces, and the Hermitage Museum's 3 million artworks
5,600,000
3
Novosibirsk
Largest city in Siberia and Russia's third largest, a scientific hub on the Trans-Siberian Railway
1,600,000
4
Yekaterinburg
Gateway between Europe and Asia on the Ural Mountains, where the last tsar met his end in 1918
1,500,000
5
Kazan
Capital of Tatarstan where Orthodox churches and mosques stand side by side, a stunning blend of Russian and Tatar culture
1,300,000
6
Vladivostok
Pacific port city and eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, closer to Tokyo than to Moscow
600,000
Famous People from Russia
Leo Tolstoy
LiteratureAuthor of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, widely regarded as the greatest novelist who ever lived
Fyodor Dostoevsky
LiteratureAuthor of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, whose psychological depth transformed the modern novel
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
MusicComposer of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and the 1812 Overture, among the most performed works in classical music
Yuri Gagarin
ScienceFirst human in space on April 12, 1961, orbiting the Earth in Vostok 1 and becoming a global icon of exploration
Dmitri Mendeleev
ScienceCreated the periodic table of elements in 1869, one of the most important achievements in the history of science
Garry Kasparov
SportYoungest ever undisputed World Chess Champion at 22, dominated chess for two decades and famously played against IBM's Deep Blue
Andrei Tarkovsky
FilmVisionary filmmaker of Stalker and Solaris, widely considered one of the greatest and most influential directors in cinema history
Maria Sharapova
SportFive-time Grand Slam tennis champion who became one of the highest-earning female athletes in history
Traditional Cuisine of Russia
Borscht
Iconic beetroot soup served hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream, a staple across Russia and Eastern Europe
Pelmeni
Siberian dumplings filled with minced meat, wrapped in thin dough and boiled, served with sour cream or vinegar
Blini
Thin buckwheat pancakes served with caviar, smoked salmon, sour cream, or jam - the Russian answer to crepes
Beef Stroganoff
Sauteed beef in a rich sour cream and mushroom sauce, invented in 19th century Russia and now known worldwide
Olivier Salad
Russia's most beloved salad of diced potatoes, eggs, pickles, peas, and bologna in mayonnaise, essential at every New Year's table
Pirozhki
Baked or fried stuffed buns filled with meat, cabbage, potato, or egg, the quintessential Russian street food
Shchi
Traditional cabbage soup that has been the backbone of Russian cuisine for a thousand years, from peasant huts to palace kitchens
Kvass
Fermented bread drink with a slightly sour taste, sold from street tanks in summer and used as a base for cold soups
Nature & Landmarks in Russia
Lake Baikal
LakeThe deepest lake on Earth at 1,642 meters, holding 20% of the world's fresh surface water, over 25 million years old
Kamchatka Peninsula
MountainRemote volcanic peninsula in the far east with 160 volcanoes, geysers, brown bears, and some of the wildest terrain on Earth
Trans-Siberian Railway
LandmarkThe longest railway in the world at 9,289 km from Moscow to Vladivostok, crossing seven time zones in six days
Ural Mountains
MountainThe traditional boundary between Europe and Asia, stretching 2,500 km from the Arctic to Kazakhstan
Altai Mountains
MountainUNESCO World Heritage wilderness where Russia meets Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan, with pristine alpine lakes and glaciers
Caucasus Mountains
MountainHome to Mount Elbrus at 5,642 meters, the highest peak in Europe, with dramatic gorges and ancient villages
Golden Ring
LandmarkCircle of ancient towns northeast of Moscow with onion-domed churches and kremlins predating the capital itself
Valley of Geysers
National ParkSecond largest concentration of geysers in the world, hidden in a remote Kamchatka canyon accessible only by helicopter
Sports in Russia
Ice Hockey
Multiple Olympic gold medals and World Championship titles, ice hockey is Russia's most passionate winter sport
Chess
Dominated world chess for most of the 20th century, producing more World Champions than any other country
Figure Skating
Perennial Olympic and World Championship power in singles, pairs, and ice dance, with legendary coaches and skaters
Football
Hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Soviet team won the first European Championship in 1960 and Olympic gold in 1956 and 1988
Tennis
Produced Grand Slam champions including Sharapova, Safin, and Medvedev, and won the Davis Cup multiple times
Did You Know?
1
Russia spans 11 time zones - when people in Kaliningrad eat breakfast, people in Kamchatka are already in bed
2
Lake Baikal contains more water than all five of North America's Great Lakes combined
3
The Moscow Metro is famous for its palatial stations decorated with chandeliers, mosaics, and marble, often called underground palaces
4
Russia sent the first satellite (Sputnik), the first animal (Laika), and the first human (Gagarin) into space
5
The Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg has over 3 million items - you would need 11 years to view each exhibit for 30 seconds
6
Oymyakon in Siberia recorded minus 67.7 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever measured in an inhabited place
7
The Trans-Siberian Railway crosses 3,901 bridges on its 9,289-kilometer journey from Moscow to Vladivostok
8
Russia has the world's largest forest reserves, with its boreal taiga covering an area larger than the continental United States
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