History & Culture in Russia

Russian history is very intriguing and interesting to learn. During A.D. 500, the first human crowd started to settle in Russia, and the people from Scandinavia moved towards the southern areas near the upper Volga River. These human settlers within a period mixed with settlers of Slavs from the west and together started to build a fortress. Today, this fortress is known as the Ukrainian city of Kiev. 

For more than 200 years, the European Russian was ruled by the empire evolved by the Kiev, which later broke into Belarus, Muscovy, and Ukraine. Until the 13th century, Moscow- the capital city of Muscovy served as a trading post, later the Mongol invasions in the south lead people to move to Moscow.

Ivan IV became the first Russian emperor in the year 1550, he was a Muscovite ruler. He was the one who forced the Mongols to leave Kiev and united the region. Later in the year 1682, Peter became the Russian emperor and at that time his age was only 10 years. He stretched his emperorship till the next 42 years and is the one who worked day and night to develop a modern Russia. 

The Russians slowly started being unhappy with the present government, and then in the year 1917, they forced the emperor to withdraw his leadership and formed a new election committee. But Bolsheviks- a communist group seized the power of the committee after a few months. And a new committee named- the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics (U.S.S.R) from Russia and 11 different countries was formed by their leader Vladimir Lenin.

In World War II, the U.S.S.R. fought on the side of the USA. But soon after 1945, the relation between Russia and the United States got strained and gave birth to the Cold War between the two powers. In 1991, the Cold War finally came to an end with an end to the Soviet Union. 

Culture of Russia

In Russia, more than 120 ethnic groups are speaking around 100 different languages. 80% of the Russians have their ancestors settled here 1,500 years ago and are majorly Slavs. Other ethnic groups found here are Tatars- settled with the Mongol invaders and Ukrainians. 

Today, Russia is known for its artists and thinkers such as famous writers Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, ballet dancers like Rudolf Nureyev, and composers like PyotrIlyich Tchaikovsky.

One of the famous symbols of the country is the Russian nesting dolls, also known asmatrioshka dolls, and are made out of wood. Mostly six or more dolls are nested into each other, as you keep removing one doll, the size of the other doll keeps on becoming smaller. The painting of the dolls symbolizes the traditional costume of a Russian peasant girl. 

The traditional Russian food may seem awkward to the tourists but can be extremely delicious. The must-try traditional Russian food is borshch (a beetroot soup prepared with vegetables and meat, served with sour cream, Caviar (made up of eggs of sturgeon served with crusty bread or blini), blini similar to crepes or pancakes, Pirozhkis- baked buns smaller in size and filled with meat, cabbage, potatoes, or cheese, and Vodka- the famous alcoholic drink of Russia.