Facts about Russia and Its People Name: conventional long form: Russian Federation conventional short form: Russia local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya local short form: Rossiya former names: Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Population: 138,739,892 (July 2011 est.) Population Comparison to the World: ranked number 9 Form of Government: Federation Capital City: Moscow Official language: Russian Currency: Russian ruble Interesting Country Facts: Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area, covering almost twice as much area of the next-largest country, Canada. In fact, part of Russia is in Asia and part of it is in Europe. The country also has nine time zones. It is approximately 1.8 times larger than the U.S. Despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture. Mount El'brus, located in Russia, is Europe's tallest peak.* Long ago, two missionaries, Cyril and Methodius, took Christianity to the Slavic people who settled Russia. These people didn’t have a written language, so these early missionaries created an alphabet for them. It was named for Cyril and the Russian language is based on this Cyrillian alphabet. Russia Religion 1 Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 estimate). Note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non- practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule. Sports 2 Among the most popular sports in Russia are soccer and ice hockey. Basketball is also popular. In fact, there are currently two Russian players in the NBA: forward Andrei Kirilenko and center Timofey Mozgov. Russia has also been selected to host the World Cup (soccer) in 2018, which is the first time this country has hosted this event. Russia also does well in figure skating at international events like the Winter Olympics. Life in Russia 3 Children and youth in Russia usually wear jeans and cotton sweaters. Dresses are also okay. People in Russia dress a lot like people in the United States and Canada. Although many wear plainer clothing and of course they have to wear warm clothing since Russia is known for its long, cold winters. Children in Russia go to school from ages 6 to 17. Elementary education lasts for nine grades. After ninth grade, students can go to a secondary school (where they learn a lot of math, science, history and languages) or a vocational school (where they learn a career). Popular foods include blintzes (thin pancakes) and pirozhkises (pastries filled with meat). Russians also like to eat borscht, which is soup made from beets. Shchi (cabbage soup) and tea are also yummy. Most Russians eat their main meal at midday and have a lighter meal in the evening. Holidays in Russia are very important to the Russian culture. Here are just a few of the holidays celebrated in Russia. 4 • New Year’s Day – January 1. New Year is one of the most anticipated holidays in Russia. It is celebrated with a Christmas tree which is called a New Year tree as well as gifts. This is a holiday that is usually celebrated with friends. It is a tradition to stay awake during New Year’s night, and even children try not to go to bed as long as they can. People go out into the streets at night, gather around huge lit up New Year’s trees put up all over town, visit friends and relatives. Sometimes they do not even give them a call beforehand - New Year’s is a holiday when you can show up unexpectedly. • Easter – April 24 (in 2011). This is the main religious holiday in Russia, especially for the Russian Orthodox Church. It is usually not celebrated on the same date as Easter in North America. Some people are very religious, and this holiday is full of sacred meaning to them. Others pay tribute to their Orthodox upbringing, and dye eggs and cook special foods. Easter is not an official holiday. It is always celebrated on Sunday, but people do not have a day off to observe it. • Russian Independence Day – June 12. • Constitution Day, December 12. Camp participants can learn these facts throughout their camp experience and then have a trivia game at the end of their time at camp. Below are some sample questions. Sample Trivia Questions - What is the name of the largest country in the world? - Can you tell me the official name of Russia (the long one)? - The most popular sport in Russia is baseball. True or False? - What is the name of Russia’s capital city? - Kids in Russia dress like kids in the U.S. True or False. - Which is the main religion in Russia? - The official language of Russia is Spanish. True or False? - What are blintzes? - What are pirozhkises? - What is the name of the soup made of beets? - Which is the main meal eaten in the day in Russia? - Can you name one holiday that is celebrated in Russia? - If I wanted to buy a candy bar, what kind of money would I use in Russia? - What do Russians do to celebrate Easter? 1 The World Factbook:Russia. [Online] Available https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/rs.html, April 1, 2011. 2 Sports in Russia. [Online] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_Russia , April 1,2011. 3 A Kid’s Life in…Russia. [Online] Available http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0212302/russia.html , April 1, 2011. 4 Holidays in Russia. [Online] Available www.stranslation.com/Russian_Translation/holidays_in_russia.htm , April 1, 2011. .