Country Information on Russia

Terrain Russia's landscape is predominantly flat. In the west of the country, the mountain range of the Ural Mountains rises up to 1,900 m, marking the boundary between Europe and Asia. Even higher mountain ranges are found in eastern Siberia and in the south of Russia. The highest peak of the Caucasus, situated in the extreme south-west, measures 5,633 m. The most important rivers of the country west of the Urals are the Dnepr, Don and Volga, all of which flow south into the Black and Caspian seas. Climate Owing to the country's high geographical latitudes as well as the absence of moderating currents, a harsh climate predominates. Winters are long and cold, summers short and relatively cool in the north. High mountains along the southern borders of Russia and Central Asia block most maritime tropical air masses from penetrating Russia. In winter, the Arctic Ocean is frozen, with the icy cover extending as far as the coastline. Since most of the territory lies in a zone of westerly weather patterns, warm influences from the Pacific Ocean do not reach far inland. Fauna/Flora More than two fifths of the Russian territory are covered with forest, the major part of which is situated in the Asian portion of the country. In many regions vast steppes are characteristic. Wildlife in the tundra, which lies in the north, includes polar bears, seals, and reindeer. The Siberian waters teem with fish. The forests of the taiga provide a habitat for many animals, too. In the deciduous woods wild boars, deer, wolves, minks, and many bird species live. The forests in the southern part of Far East Russia are known for the Siberian tiger (threatened by extinction), leopards, bears, and deer. History/Politics In the 7th century BC, nomadic Scythians migrated north into fertile Russian territories. The numerous tribes were united in the 8th and 9th centuries, when Scandinavians, known as Varangians, migrated south and began establishing trade settlements with the Slavs. When the Norseman Rurik defeated the strongest Slavic settlement, Novgorod, in 862 AD, the Varangians became the rulers of Northern Russia. In the south, the Slavic Prince Kii had formed the Kievan territory. In 880, Rurik's successor, Oleg, conquered Kiev and made the city his capital two years later. The State of Rus became one of the largest kingdoms in the world. Prince Vladimir succeeded to the throne in 978, and introduced Byzantine Christianity in 988. The Mongols, (headed by Batu Khan) sacked Kiev in 1240. The same year saw the Scandinavians again invading from the north, but Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod, defeated the Swedes on the banks of the Neva River. In 1328, the prince of Moscovy, Ivan I, was appointed grand-prince by the Khan. During the rule of Ivan II (1353-59), Mongolian rule was weakened, and under Ivan II's son, Dmitri, the Mongols suffered defeat in the Battle of Kulikovo on the Don in 1380. In 1547, Ivan IV, grandson of Ivan the Great, was crowned the first Czar of all Russia. The Council of All Russia elected Mikhail Romanov their new czar in 1613. The Romanov Dynasty would rule over Russia for the next 150 years. Peter the Great, who would introduce Western culture, commerce, and technology in Russia, declared himself Emperor of all Russia in 1721. When Tsar Nicholas I died in 1855, his son Alexander II succeeded him to the throne. The reign of Alexander was a time of reforms, and in 1861, he decreed that serfdom should be ended. In 1881, Alexander II was assassinated by the bomb of a revolutionary, and his son Alexander III ascended the throne. Nicholas II, eldest son of Alexander III, succeeded his father to the throne in 1894. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 ended the revolutionary activities of the radicals for a short time. Calls for changes in the government finally led to the abdication of Nicholas II and his son on 15 March 1917. On 7 November 1917 members of the Communist Party led by Vladimir Lenin seized control during the October Revolution. In 1927 and 1928 Stalin introduced planned economy, agriculture was collectivized. During World War II, Russia's non-agression pact with Germany was violated by the invasion of German troops in 1941. After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev succeeded him as party secretary. In 1964 Khrushchev was overthrown, the plot being led amongst others by Leonid Brezhnev, who, as first secretary of the party, carried on the principle of collective leadership. After Brezhnev's death in late 1982, Yury Andropov succeeded him as general secretary. He died in February 1984, and was succeeded by Chernenko, who died after only thirteen months in office. In March 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was appointed general secretary, who introduced an extensive reform programme. All attempts by Gorbachev to prevent the disintegration of the Soviet Union failed. In 1991, the republics of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine together formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). With eight more republics joining the CIS, the USSR ceased to exist. Gorbachev resigned as president of state, and shortly after the collapse of the USSR, a power struggle broke out in Russia. Finally, Boris Yeltsin was elected president. In March 2000, Vladimir Putin succeeded Yeltsin as president. Economy As in other former Soviet republics, Russia's economy was hit hard by the disintegration of the USSR. The reasons for the Russian economic crisis can be found in the destruction of traditional trade patterns and the slow implementation of economic reforms. Russia's real gross domestic product was 3.2% in 1999, and unemployment rate amounted to 11.9% in 2000. Culture The 19th century was the golden age of Russian art. This was the time when e.g. the writers Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, and Tolstoy lived. This century was also the heyday of theatre, ballet, symphonic music, and opera. World famous Russian composers include Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, and Igor Stravinsky. In the 20th century, Russian film directors like Sergey Eisenstein gained world-wide acclaim. Further, Russia is famous for Fabergé designs, and works of art made of porcelain and silver.