Russia and Central Asia Culture WS

1. What is the dominant religion in Russia? Christian (Eastern Orthodox)

2. Name a city in Siberia that grew because of its location on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Novosibirsk (Central Russia) & Vladivostok (Eastern Russia)

3. Which former Soviet republics still produce oriental carpets?Turkmenistan and the Caucasus Region (Georgia, Armenia, &

Azerbaijan)

4. What is a minaret? Mosque tower from which prayer time is called

5. What is the dominant religion in Central Asia? Islam

6. What are the dominant ethnic groups in central Asia? Turkic and Mongol

7. Where is Red Square? Moscow, Russia

8. What is a Faberge egg? Illustrate“Easter Eggs” created as gifts for the Russian czars; ornate, jewel-

encrusted; open to reveal a surprise

9. What types of images do Russian Icons depict? Christian religious figures (Jesus, Mother Mary, the Saints)

10. What is a Matrioshka doll? How many usually come in a set? Illustrate.

Russian “nesting dolls”; usually 6+ to a set; traditional maternal “Matriarch” images; hand-painted; may also depict political image

11. What is a difference between the dominant religions in Russia and the United States?

Both are Christian-based (teachings of Christ) religions!!! The U.S. is predominantly Protestant while Russia is predominantly Eastern

Orthodox. **Remember though most Russians do not practice a religion.12. What is a samovar? Illustrate

Russian teapot; often the central item in a Russian home

13. Where is St. Petersburg? Northwestern border of Russia, centered on a narrow inlet of the

Baltic Sea14. What strange decision was made by Ivan the Terrible after the

completion of St. Basil’s Cathedral? He blinded the architects to keep them from ever

designing/building anything of such beauty

15. Name three former Soviet republics where you would probably find a mosque.

Central Asia in the “Stans”: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan

16. How was music is Russia different during the Soviet era than it is today?

Until the fall of Communism there was only traditional music (like folk music, remember the balalaika); after 1991, western music (rock, country) became popular 17. What is the dominant religion in the Ukraine?

Christian, primarily Eastern Orthodox

18. The tundra areas of Siberia are too cold to include inhabitants; in what climate region(s) of Siberia might you find small villages?

Small villages may be found in the subarctic region; but, most Siberian villages would be found the southern most regions of Siberia

19. What is the capital city of Russia? Moscow

20. What is the dominant ethnic group in Russia? Slavic

21. Where is Russia would you find a world-famous ballet? Moscow – the Bolshoi/Bolshoy Ballet and Theatre

22. What was the capital city of Russia before it was moved back to Moscow?

St. Petersburg, but it was moved following the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of the Communist government (Lenin changed the name to “Leningrad”

23. What type of religious structure is likely to include a minaret? A mosque – an Islamic house of worship; a minaret is the tower

from which prayer time is called

24. What is the name for the fortified Russia citadel in the heart of Moscow?

The Kremlin (the seat of the Russian government)

25. Who works in the Kremlin? Russian government officials and workers

26. In large Russian cities, you can still see old Soviet-style apartment blocks. What do they look like?

Dorm-style or hotel-style apartments (very small, uniform, and poorly constructed)

27. Where did “Red Square” get its name? Slavic word for “beautiful”

28. What types of people were often portrayed on Russian Matrioshka dolls?

Usually the matriarch or mother figure from the peasant family; sometimes political figures

29. St. Basil’s Cathedral is a famous church in Moscow built by followers of which religion?

Eastern Orthodox

30. List three things that you can find inside the Kremlin’s walls. Palaces, museums, churches and an armory

31. Why is St. Petersburg an important city for trade? Although St. Petersburg sits on the Baltic Sea, it is a port that is

open all year, it is connected by canals to the White Sea, the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea

32. Whose tomb can be found in Red Square? Vladimir Lenin – the “Father” of the Bolshevik party and the first

Communist premier of the Soviet Union

33. Whose tomb was removed from Red Square?Joseph Stalin, the successor to Lenin, however he was a cruel

dictator and was found responsible for the death of millions of Soviet people; his tomb was removed in the 1970’s

34. What was St. Petersburg called during the Soviet era? Leningrad

35. Which city in Uzbekistan grew because of its location along ancient trade routes (Great Silk Road)?

Samarqand/Samarkand Uzbekistan