RUSSIA !!!

RUSSIA !!!

{Russia,or theRussian Federation, is thelargest country in the world.

GeographyLargest country in the globe (7,075,400 km2).

Shares borderswithNorway,Finland,Estonia,Latvia,LithuaniaandPoland,Belarus,Ukraine,Georgia,Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China,Mongolia, andNorth Korea.

Russia has the world's largest reserves of forest, mineral and energy resources.

Its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world'sfresh water.

Vast plains, steppeto the south, forests to the north, tundraalong the northern coast.

Russia possesses 10% of the world'sarable land.

Russia has thousands of rivers. TheVolga, Ob,Yenisey,LenaandAmurare among thelongest rivers in the world.

Mountains: Caucasus, Mount Elbrus (5,642m, the highestpoint in both Russia and Europe).

CaucasusPoliticsThe country is afederationandsemi-presidentialrepublic.

The President is thehead of state; Dmitry Medvedev.

ThePrime Ministeris thehead of government; Vladimir Putin.

DemographicsPopulation of 142,905,208 (9th in the world).

Ethnic composition: Russians 79.8%, Tatars 3.8%, Ukrainians 2.0%, Other.

Though Russia's population is comparatively large,its density is lowbecause of the country's enormous size.

Largest citiesMoscowSaint PetersburgNovosibirskYekaterinburg

EconomyThe10th largesteconomy in the world by nominal GDP(), $1.465trillion.

The6th largestbypurchasing power parity(PPP), $2.222trillion.

Moscow, now has the highest billionaire population of any city in the world.

Unemployment of 6.7%.

Average net salary 700 $.

CurrencyTherubleis the currency of theRussian Federation.

The ruble is subdivided into 100 kopeks.

TheISO 4217code is RUB (.)

1 . = 0.024

1 = 41

Coins: (1, 5, 10) 50 kopeks

1, 2, 5, 10 rubles

Banknotes: (5, 10), 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 rubles

ReligionRussian Orthodoxyis the dominantreligion in Russia. However, the vast majority of Orthodox believers do not attend church on a regular basis.

Religion Percentages: Russian Orthodox 63%Non-believers 16%Believe in God, but do not practice any religion 12%Muslim 6%Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant or Jewish less than 1%

LanguageRussian is the only official state language, but the Constitution gives the individualrepublicsthe right to make their native language co-official next to Russian.

27 different languages are consideredofficial languagesin various regions of Russia, along with Russian.

There are over 100 minority languages spoken in Russia today.

Languages in numbers :Russian, 142.6million speakers Tatar, 5.3millionspeakersUkrainian,1.8million speakers

Russian Phrases

CultureRussian culture has a rich history and can boast a long tradition of excellence in every aspect of the arts.

Russian culture started from that of theEast Slavs, got influenced by neighboringFinno-Ugric tribes, ScandinavianVikings and later Christianity.

Nowadays, Russian cultural heritage is ranked 7th in the Nation Brands Index.

Music and DanceRussia has a long legacy in music.

Many world famous classical music composers: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and many others. ModernRussian rockmusic is very famous.

Russian ballet dancers, such as Anna Pavlova and Rudolf Nureyev, are renowned all around the globe.

TheBolshoi and Mariinsky Balletare some of the best in the world.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8KMRXMgNpY

TchaikovskyLiterature and other forms of artRussia has offered the world an abundance of writers, poets, philosophers and novelists; Alexander Pushkin, Anton Chekhov, Ivan Turgenev,Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Russian architecturehas a long tradition still producing masterpieces.

Cinema, animation and visual arts are fields where russia has exceled.

DostoyevskyCuisineRussian cuisineis diverse, asRussiais the largest country in the world.

Its foundations were laid by thepeasant food with a combination of plentifulfish,poultry,game,mushrooms,berries, andhoney.

Famous DishesSoups: they have always played an important role in the Russian meal.

Okrshka: a mix of mostly raw vegetables boiled potatoes, eggs, and a cooked meat, usually garnished withsour cream.

Shchi:soupwithcabbageas the primary ingredient. Its primary distinction is its sour taste.

Meat

Kholodets: Jellied chopped pieces of pork or veal meat with some spices added.

Pelmeni: dumplings; the dough is made fromflourand water (or eggs sometimes). The filling can bemincedmeat, fish, or mushrooms.

Shashlyk:is a form ofShish kebab.

Pies and pancakes

Pirozhki: individual-sized baked or fried buns stuffed with a variety of fillings.

Blini: thin pancakes made of yeasted batter; often served in connection with a religious event.

Vatrushka: pastry with a ring of dough andcottage cheesein the middle, often with raisins or bits of fruit.

Beverages

Medovukha: the most ancient Russian alcoholic drink; sweet, low-alcohol drink, made with fermented-honey.

Vodka: can be either grain or potato based and is frequently flavored with a great variety of ingredients.

Kvass: afermentedbeverage made from black or regular ryebread (classified as a non-alcoholic drink, 1.2 % alcohol).

Health and SafetyThe Russian Constitution guarantees free,universal health carefor all citizens. However, you should avoid hospitals.

Don't Drink the Tap Water, it may be unhealthy.

Don't Drink Unlabeled Vodka, it may be bootleg vodka, made from dangerous ingredients.

Watch Yourself On Trains.

Keep Your Passport On You.

Useful Site: http://goeasteurope.about.com/od/russia/tp/healthandsafetyrussia.htm

Mobile ServicesThere are three major mobile network providers in Russia: MTS, BeeLine, and Megafon ( all quite similar).Russian mobile companies use two standards GSM 900/1800 and CDMA, so check your phones compatibility.You should pay for your incoming calls; some operators provide free incoming calls inside their networks only or no charge for incoming calls after the 1st minute.The price of the phone call depends on where from and where to you are calling. So, it is better to subscribe in the city where you will spend the most of your time in Russia.

Useful Site:http://www.waytorussia.net/Practicalities/Business/Mobile.htmlCustoms, Etiquette and Things to KnowThe typical greeting is a firm, almost bone-crushing handshake while maintaining direct eye contact and giving the appropriate greeting for the time of day.When invited to a Russian's house: bring a small gift; male guests are expected to bring flowers (not yellow),remove your outdoor shoes,arrive on time or no more than 15 minutes later than invited,leaving a small amount of food on your plate indicates that your hosts have provided ample hospitality.

Useful Site:http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/russia-country-profile.html

ChelyabinskChelyabinsk is the 9th biggest city in Russia.

Population of more than a million.

Located just to the east of theUral Mountains, on Miass River.

It is one of the most polluted cities in Russia.

City Map

Climate

Chelyabinsk has dry periods in January to December.

Cold season / winter is in the months November to March.

Time Zone

Standard time zone: +5 hours

Daylight saving time: +1 hour

So, 3 hours ahead of Greece.

Living CostAverage prices in Chelyabinsk.

Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant =3Water (0.33 liter bottle)=0.30Milk, 1 liter= 0.75Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g)= 0.40One-way Ticket (local transport)= 0.34Monthly Pass= 10 Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat= 5

Useful Site:http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Russia&city=Chelyabinsk

TransportationChelyabinsk metro started construction in early 1980s, but, due to financial difficulties the opening of the first section is scheduled for 2017.Chelyabinsk has a tram/streetcar (since 1932) and trolley bus (since 1942).Chelyabinsk also has an airport.

Tips: To get to the city center from the airport get No. 82 Marshrutka (shared taxi-minibus) .It costs 25 rubles per passenger and baggage.If you want to catch a Marshrutka (especially in the city), you have to raise your hand to show a signal to get on it, otherwise it could pass over a bus stop!http://chel.rusavtobus.ru/en/

Tram mapRailway HubSightseeingChelyabinsk Circus

St Simeon Cathedral: built in 1883, curious exterior featuring lion and dragon ceramics and a lovely interior.

Local Studies MuseumFine Arts GalleryMosqueGeology MuseumBook MarketGlinka Opera & Ballet Theatre

Nightlife and food ! , : the best place with live music in Chelyabinsk.

Fox & Goose: amiable Irish pub.

The Wall Street Caf: a modern cafe on Arbat Street.

Robin Bobbin: good place for food

Useful link:http://www.russia-ukraine-travel.com/chelyabinsk-restaurants.html

Chelyabinsk Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MfFTZpldG4Thank YOU

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