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Moscow
The capital city of the Russian
Federation is Moscow. It was
founded during the 12th
century. At the city’s heart,
on the banks of the Moscow
River, lies the Kremlin. This is a walled fortress housing
all the government buildings. within these walls lies
the impressive Red square. The stunning saint Basil’s
cathedral stands at the southern end of the square. It was
built in the 16th century to celebrate a military victory.Nevsky Prospect is Saint Petersburg’s
busiest shopping street.RussIAn oRThodox chuRch
The chief religion in Russia is
the Russian orthodox church.
under communism, all religions
were persecuted. In the late 1980s,
freedom of worship returned to
Russia, and today millions of
people worship without fearRussian Federation 446-
also contains many Muslims, Jews,
and Buddhists.sAInT peTeRsBuRg
The second-largest city in the
Russian Federation, saint
petersburg has a population
of about 5 million. Before 1917,
saint petersburg (called Leningrad
from 1924 to 1991) was the capital
of Russia. It still contains many
beautiful, historical buildings, such
as the hermitage Art gallery, once
the summer palace of the czars.The LARgesT nATIon in the world is the
Russian Federation. Also called Russia, it consists
of 21 autonomous (self-governing) republics and
more than 50 other regions. It covers one-tenth of
earth’s land area—one-third of Asia and two-fifths
of europe. Russia has a very varied climate and a
landscape that ranges from mountains in the south
and east to vast lowlands and rivers in the north
and west. The population is varied, too, although
most of the 142 million people are of Russian
origin and speak the Russian language. The
Russian Federation came into being in 1991
after the breakup of the soviet union, or u.s.s.R. After 1991,
the Russian people experienced greater political freedom but
also economic hardship as their country changed from a state-
planned to a free-market economy. The Russian Federation
has vast agricultural resources. It is also rich in minerals and has
considerable industry. Although many people in Russia are very
poor, the country now has some of the world’s richest billionaires.ModeRn RussIA
Large Russian cities look similar
to cities elsewhere in the world,
but the bright lights hide
economic problems. Both luxury
and essential goods are often in
short supply. Lining up for food
(above) is a daily occupation, and
clothes and consumer goods are
scarce and often of poor quality.
Most homes are rented from the
government, but housing is in
limited supply, which means that
overcrowding is common.Russian fedeRation
The Russian Federation stretches
from eastern europe in the west
across the entire width of Asia to
the pacific ocean in the east, and
from the Arctic circle in the north
to central Asia in the south.US_446_Russian_Federation_1.indd 446 22/01/16 4:47 pm