Throughout history, the Russian weather has gained fame like an old general, stopping armies and would-be conquerors in their tracks without so much as a shot fired in anger. Napoleon famously struggled with temperatures of between -20 and -30 near the Dnieper River but, contrary to popular belief, this was long after he’d fallen to defeat in the conventional wartime way back in 1812.

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Why do you need this old stuff?

It is important to note that this is by no means a question of furnishing the renovated room with completely old furniture – let this remain the prerogative of themed quests and nostalgic restaurants. This is a conversation about a few carefully selected things in good condition that can dissolve into a new space.

The result, with a healthy dose of irony, can be called “Soviet minimalism” (by analogy with Scandinavian). But in fact, it will turn out, rather, a light fusion, strongly inspired by the Scandinavian style, – however, quite organic.

These things are undoubtedly memory. This point can become simultaneously decisive both for those who decided to throw everything away and for those who are inclined to leave something behind, depending on their personal perception of the Soviet period.

In an apartment passed down from generation to generation, the preservation of certain pieces of furniture will gracefully emphasize continuity and family history. And the new fashionable upholstery will change the usual furniture silhouettes beyond recognition.

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If you haven’t walked the streets of Russia on a cold winter night, then you’re missing out. You’ll see a few Russians walking in sneakers and T-shirts or heels and short dresses, but don’t let that fool you. Unless you’re born with the Russian genes, you’ll definitely need to arm up for the upcoming winter.

After all, there’s a popular joke that Russians love to laugh about whenever a foreigner visits their land. They’ll be sure to tell you about the transfer student who sent a letter to their relatives, describing how the “green winter” was manageable until the “white winter” hit and everything went south. If this is your first time visiting Russia, here’s everything you need to keep warm during their freezing winter.

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Russia is the world’s largest country. It covers an incredible one-tenth of the earth’s land and spans 11 different time zones. Here are seven more interesting facts about one of the greatest countries on earth.

The Biggest Big Cat in the World Lives in Russia

Seeing as Russia is so massive, it is no surprise to learn the country is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including snow leopards, small rabbit-like mammals known as pikas, and Asiatic black bears. But by far, the most exciting animal to find in the country is the Siberian tiger. Indigenous to eastern Russia’s forests, the endangered big cat is the largest in the world. It can weigh up to around 660 pounds and reach nearly 10 feet in length!

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The Russian Federation shares its borders with China, Ukraine, North Korea, and Norway. It is known as the largest country in the world in terms of its land area. Russia is also a member of the UN Security Council, together with four other countries, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and France. Moscow is the capital city of the country, and this is also the largest city.

These facts are widely known, but the things listed below may pique your interest in this amazing country.

interesting facts about Russia

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On the Russian coat of arms, you can see the image of a two-headed eagle. However, in Russia, one can meet eagles with three heads, legs and wings. Especially often you can see them in the former capital of the country – St. Petersburg.

The fact is that the symbol of Russia is often placed on the highest points – spiers and roofs. If you install a two-headed eagle, then from many angles it will look quite different from the coat of arms. Therefore, an eagle with three heads, wings, and legs was designed (angled at 120 °). From a distance these eagles from any point seem to be two-headed as on the coat of arms. Photos by: Alexander Nikulin.

unique Russian eagles

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Vasilyevo is an urban-type settlement with a population of about 17 thousand people located on the bank of the Volga River, about 25 km west of the center of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The following photos taken in January 2019 give an idea of how winter looks in a large village of today’s Russia. And here are Proven Ways to Keep Warm During Russian Winter. Vasilyevo on Google Maps. Photos by: Anatoly Shcherbak.

snowy winter in the village

Tags: Kazan city · Tatarstan Republic

The Soviet Union ceased to exist for more than two decades ago, but Vladimir Lenin is still in the mausoleum on the Red Square in Moscow, and a large number of streets in Russia are still called after him. But how many?

Russian streets in numbers

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The second part of pictures showing the great variety of Russian landscapes, cities and towns. The first part can be found here: Toy-like Russia – Part 1. Photos by: Stepanov Slava.

Mirniy city in Yakutia

explore Russia

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Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of land area and length. The distance from Kaliningrad to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is about 7500 km, the time difference – 10 hours.

But if you go up in the air, big cities, endless fields, high mountains, powerful plants all of a sudden become like toys. The photos were taken by Stepanov Slava.

Red Square in Moscow

explore Russia

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