While it may seem like an obvious query, it can at times be difficult to find a definitive answer to this question. While Russia is such a massive country it spans both continents but where does its capital city fit in to all of this?

The Border Between Europe and Asia

It’s accepted that the… Read the rest

As we’ve already seen, Siberia is a region of huge contrasts and far from being an entirely barren wasteland, there is a rich and fertile landscape that houses some spectacular natural attractions including Lake Baikal and some impressive mountain ranges.

The geographical split

Essentially, Siberia can be divided into two main regions, the western Siberian… Read the rest

Whenever you think of Siberia, your mind inevitably turns to thoughts of a barren wasteland with hostile terrain and freezing temperatures. And, while there are some pretty inhospitable parts of Siberia, overall this is a fascinating region. If you’d like to know more, here are some interesting facts.

No-one knows how it came to be… Read the rest

While we are all aware that the Russian Revolution of 1917 changed the face of the country’s history, how much do we really know about these dramatic events? If you’ve ever wanted to know more about this pivotal part of Russia’s past, here are some interesting facts.

Was the Russian Revolution in 1905 or 1917?… Read the rest

While all history students will be well aware of the events in Russia of 1917 that saw the Royal Family overthrown, how much do we really know about the last Tsar and Tsarina? It’s a shame in many ways that the only part of their history that is generally understood is the period leading up… Read the rest

Russia is such a vast country that it spans two continents – Asia and Russia – and there is a clearly defined border between the two in the shape of the Ural Mountains. The Urals are a spectacular range of mountains that run in a spine from the north to the south of the country,… Read the rest

The national animal of Russia is the Russian Bear which is a derivation of the brown bears that are indigenous to the country as a whole. Over the years, the bear has come to symbolise the good and bad aspects of the Russian people and that comparison has been taken with a mixture of fondness… Read the rest

When you consider the history of Russia it can be tempting to concentrate so much on the bleak periods of the past that it’s easy to forget some of the other aspects of this fascinating country. Here are some fun facts about Russia that you may not know.

Small to Large

These days, Russia is… Read the rest

While we all know that Russia was a member state of the communist former Soviet Union, what else have we learned about this particular area of politics? How did it originate and why was it so widely embraced in the 20^th century? If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about communism then please read on.… Read the rest

For those outside of Russia, little is known about Chechnya other than an awareness of an on-going Russia-Chechnya conflict. But how did this all originate and what is the history of Chechnya itself?

Where is Chechnya?

Chechnya is a republic of Russia and it is located at the very south western tip of the country.… Read the rest

When you consider the controversial life of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, it’s perhaps no surprise that his death itself is shrouded in myth and mystery. Was Stalin murdered, or did he die of natural causes? There is evidence to suggest both and while historians lean towards the explanation that foul play was involved and… Read the rest

While many Russia enthusiasts are drawn to the country because of its fascinating history or its man made landmarks, there is plenty of natural beauty here as well. The Taiga is a curious area of forest that covers much of the country and if you’d like to know more, here are some interesting Taiga Facts.… Read the rest

The Chernobyl disaster is known all across the world and the events of 26^th April 1986 have made a permanent mark on history. The events surrounding the explosion and fire at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine are well known, but the official death toll is open to some conjecture and a great… Read the rest

Over the centuries, Russia has produced some of the most famous leaders, historians, artists, composers and many more who have influenced the world as we know it. There are far too many brilliant Russians to list in just one article but here are just some of the more well-known names.

Russian Authors

No list of… Read the rest

The events of 1917 marked the end of a Royal Family in Russia and the fate of the last Tsar has been well documented ever since. But what do we know about the last Tsarina, Alexandra Romanov? It is often said that she played a major part in the downfall of the Royal Family because… Read the rest

Anybody who lived through the Cold War years will remember a continuing state of tension between the Soviet Union and the West but how and when did it all start? Historians may differ on this point to some extent and when you ask them what year did the cold war start, some will say 1945… Read the rest

While we’ve often argued that Siberia is a land rich in natural beauty, it is hard sometimes to get away from the image of a harsh, frozen landscape. In fact, there are many fine examples of flora and fauna in the region and the Siberian spruce is typical of some of the magnificent trees that… Read the rest

While the cruel reign of Josef Stalin marked a grim period in Russian and Soviet history, the story of his daughter Svetlana is, in many ways, no less fascinating. In cold war Russia, she caused a major furore when in 1967, at the height of the Cold War, she defected to the United States.

But… Read the rest

Russia as a whole and Siberia in particular are home to some fascinating species of wildlife but for many there is nothing as beautiful as the sight of a Siberian Tiger in the wild. These stunning creatures were all but wiped out during the final days of the Soviet Union and while the Siberian tiger… Read the rest