Russia

Russia -Attractions- St. Basil's Cathedral St. Basil's Cathedral with its multicolored domes is the most famous image of Russia, standing on the edge of Moscow's Red Square, a beautiful design that was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate his victorious military campaign. Legend has it that Ivan was so overwhelmed by the cathedral's beauty that he had the architect blinded to prevent him from creating anything to better it. It comprises a central chapel surrounded by eight red brick tower-like chapels, each crowned with a different colored and patterned onion-shaped dome. The church escaped demolition many times during the city's turbulent history and with the beginning of the Soviet regime the cathedral was closed and later turned into a museum. The interior is a dimly lit maze of corridors and delicately decorated chapels, one of them housing a priceless 16th century screen decorated with icons that shield the inner sanctuary. In comparison to the colorful exterior, the interior can seem disappointing. The Pillars of Weathering An amazing natural attraction, Pillars of the Weathering is found in the Komi Republic of Russia. The Pillars of Weathering are wonderful geographical attractions. The seven pillars, all between thirty and forty meters high, have natural, cultural, and historical importance to many of the native Russian people. It is one of the historical and Archeological monuments which were found in1950 in the territories of Troitsko and Pechersk in Russia. Some recorded history reveals that these pillars were constructed by the Mansi community, but it was appeared to them as a wonderful attraction in the earth. One of the mysterious parts of the earth, the Pillars of Weathering offers an intrinsic attraction that has become the major destination for the visitors. Natural Russia offers wonderful territories for visitors that add fun during their trip.

The Bronze Horseman The Bronze Horseman, an impressive monument to the founder of St. Petersburg, Peter the Great, stands on Senatskaia Ploschad' (Square), facing the Neva River. The monument was built by order of the Empress Catherine the Great as a tribute to her famous predecessor on the Russian throne, Peter the Great. She was eager to establish a line of continuity with the earlier Russian monarchs, and for that reason an inscription on the monument reads in Latin and Russian: //Petro// Primo Catharina Secunda - To Peter the First from Catherine the Second. The statue of Peter the Great was created by the French sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet. The pedestal is made of a single piece of red granite molded into the shape of a cliff. From the top of this "cliff" Peter gallantly leads Russia forward, while his horse steps on a snake, which depects Peter's enimies. According to a 19th century legend, enemy forces will never take St. Petersburg while the "Bronze Horseman" stands in the middle of the city. During the Second World War the statue was not taken down, but was protected with sand bags and a wooden shelter. In that way, the monument survived the 900-day Siege of Leningrad virtually untouched.

-Historical Site- Peter and Paul Fortress The history of Peter and Paul fortress dates back to the very beginning of the 18th century. Peter the Great decided to launch a military campaign against Sweden which came into history as a Northern War. The battle scene shifted to the banks of the Neva River, the small island Janis saari (“Hare island”) in the wide estuary of the Neva river was chosen by Peter the Great deliberately becauase any structure on this island could be protected from any side. The forced laborers constructed the fortress in just seven months of the year 1703. But these earthen ramparts were an insufficient defense and subsequently the crude earthworks were replaced by brick walls under the direction of Trezzini and later faced with granite slabs. Work proceeded on a section-by-section basis so as not to weaken the defenses. Though the Fortress was built for the sake of protection and gained the reputation of a flawless fortress it happened so that it had never been attacked and never performed any military duties. The Fortress is shaped as an elongated hexagon with 6 bastions at the corners, each of them named after Peter’s close associates who were responsible for their construction. The Fortress is often referred to as “Russian Bastille”, for in 1718 it was converted into a political prison. Similar to the Bastille in France that was destroyed during the French Revolution. -Lodging- Hotels In Moscow there is a wide variety of hotel choices. If you are one with a lot of extra money lying around, then I would recommend one of the superior deluxe hotels. They are fully accommodating and are located near many tourist attractions. Some have rail system stops inside the building If you are, like many Americans these days, a little tight on cash; there are economy class hotels, which are very nice but a little smaller, are a great choice for you. For the hardcore tourists, there are hotels specially designed for you. They are beautiful old buildings that have been refurbished and are located in gorgeous sightseeing areas. Saint Petersburg has many hotels for every class. From the rich to the poor, you can find a hotel in your price range. All of them are very nice and located in nice areas. They all have slightly different architecture and interior design. The most expensive hotels are classified as deluxe while the least expensive are budget. The mid-level hotels are in the most abundance.

-Sports- Soccer The transitional season will consist of 30 head-to-head game weeks with 16 teams followed by separation into two groups of 8 teams each. Group A will define a winner and Champions League/Europa League delegates; group B will host relegation battle. Most of the decisive games will be played by spring 2012, so for the first time in its history, Russian Premier League will crown the champion in May, just before Euro 2012. 2011-12 season formula seems established now, but the real deal lies within the subject of transfers. Don’t let them fool you; Russian football is still more about money than business. Russian clubs can buy good players but they could be up to their necks in debt at the same time. One of the most popular reasons for the financial mess is ‘cut’, a form of bribe from the club or player to agent who makes a deal. Obviously, a longer season (of 3 parts) means more transfer windows – which means more deals, thus cuts – and that’s the part Russian football is going to love. There seems to be only one problem – FIFA doesn’t allow more than one transfer window during the season, but as it’s transitional, Russian Football Union is keeping hope to help FIFA change their mind. There is one good way to do it, and it always works here. Soccer, or football as it is usally called, is a very popular sport in Russian culture. They're not as passionate about it as people from Brazil, or other South American countries, but many children and adults play for fun in the park or on the street. -Transportation- Airlines (Miles) || Number of Stops || -Currency-  The Russian Ruble
 * Departure City || Price || Airline Name || Length of Flight (Time) || Distance
 * Seattle || $859 || Air France || 10hrs. 52min. || 5233.3 Miles || One Stop ||
 * Fargo || $791 || United Airlines || 10hrs. 10min. || 4897.3 Miles || Two Stops ||
 * Boston || $778 || Delta || 9hrs. 21min. || 4500.7 Miles || Two Stops ||

- The Republic of Russia uses the Russian Ruble. One Russian ruble = 0.0325 US dollars.

-Food- Borshch Borshch is beet soup, and one of the most famous Russian traditional foods that you can find around. Beets seem like a strange base for soup to many Westerners, but there are plenty of reasons that this hearty soup is one of Russia’s most famous dishes. Borshch is usually full of vegetables and meat, the layered flavors in this soup are especially nice with a dollop of fresh sour cream.

Ikra Ikra, or fish eggs, is really something to get worked up about in Russia. Briny and sharp, it is often served on dark, crusty bread Caviar on buttered bread is a popular zakuska.

-Climate- Ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast.

-Weather- Russia has much of the same weather patterns all over its vast landmass. Winters - are long as in most areas of Russia. Temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celcius are normal, and - 20 degrees celcius is not unusual. The average winter temperature is -6.9 degrees celsius. The Neva River freezes between November 25 and December 5 and the ice is gone only by mid-April. Springs - can be quite long. From early April temperatures are above freezing and by April 15 all the snow normally melts. One should be prepared for some chilly rainy days, but it can get rather warm mid-May onwards. Summers - vary from year to year, but generally temperatures are somewhere near 20-25 degrees celius. You ought to have some clear days to enjoy the White Nights. Hot sunny days are not rare, but you never know when it is going to rain. July is the hottest month of the year. It usually starts getting a bit cooler in mid-August. The highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 33.6 degrees celsius. Autumns - (feel free to call it fall) start with reasonably warm days in mid-September, but by mid-October it is often chilly. The average September temperature is 10.8 degrees celcius, and the average October temperature is 4.9 degrees celius. In November it might start to snow, but sometimes it does not snow until mid-December. Clothes. . . What should I take with me to be prepared for any weather? Whatever the season, it is wise to bring your umbrella and a windproof raincoat or jacket. You will do a lot of walking in St. Petersburg, so think carefully about what shoes to wear. Depending on the time of year, you will need warm boots with non-slip sole, waterproof boots/shoes, or comfortable sandals. In winter it can get very cold outside, but hotels and homes are reasonably well heated, which makes it a good idea to dress in layers. In spring it might be chilly at times, but in mid-May it gets warmer. You can wear shorts in summer, though shorts might prevent you from entering churches. Bring a sweater or light jacket for those chilly evenings. It is in autumn that you are most likely to use your umbrella and waterproof boots, though a Russian version of an Indian summer (around mid-September) can be mild and fairly dry.