Russian Federation
Eastern Europe
Vast · Stoic · Powerful
Russia (officially Russian Federation) is a country located in Eastern Europe. Its capital city is Moscow, with other major cities including Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk. With a population of approximately 145M, the main language spoken is Russian. The country covers an area of 17,098,246 km². The official currency is the Russian ruble (₽). Traffic drives on the right side.
Russia spans 11 time zones — when it's Monday morning in Moscow, it's already Tuesday on Kamchatka Peninsula.
Moscow serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Russia, positioned in Eastern Europe. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Moscow's seven Stalinist skyscrapers — the so-called Seven Sisters built between 1947 and 1953 — still dominate the skyline with their wedding-cake silhouettes and spired towers, a deliberate architectural intimidation that Soviet planners designed to outscale any Western capital.
With a population of approximately 145M, Russia is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The official language is Russian, which reflects the country's cultural heritage and connects it with a wide international community. Internationally, Russia is reached via the dialling code +7. Russians maintain a sharp distinction between public behaviour — reserved, formal, avoiding eye contact with strangers — and the intense warmth extended to those admitted to the domestic circle, a duality shaped by centuries of navigating surveillance and collective mistrust of institutions.
Russia spans 17,098,246 km², in the Eastern Europe subregion of Europe. Geographically centred around 60.0°N, 100.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Europe convention.
The official currency is the Russian ruble (₽), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Russia's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+03:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
The emblematic dish of Russia is Beef Stroganoff. Food culture in Russia is deeply tied to local identity — shared meals and markets are central to daily life and social gatherings across the country.
Ice Hockey / Football holds a special place in the heart of Russia's national identity. Soviet and Russian ice hockey produced the Red Machine: between 1954 and 1991 the USSR won seven Olympic gold medals and dominated the World Championship, and the 1972 Summit Series against Canada — won by the Soviets in points terms — remains the sport's defining ideological confrontation.
The highest point in Russia is Mount Elbrus, rising to 5,642 metres above sea level. Lake Baikal contains 20 percent of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water, reaches 1,642 metres deep, and hosts the nerpa — the world's only exclusively freshwater seal species — a geological relic so ancient that it functions as a separate evolutionary laboratory.