Official Name: Russian Federation
Form of Government: Federation
Capital: Moscow
Population: 141,377,752
Official Language: Russian
Money: Ruble
Area: 6,592,772 sq mi (17,075,200 sq km)
Major Mountain Ranges: Ural, Altay
Major Rivers: Amur, Irtysh, Lena, Ob, Volga, Yenisey
As the world's largest country, Russian has a very
diverse geography. Northern Russian extends into the
Arctic Circle. This area is primarily tundra and forests,
with thousands of lakes. Russia has many mountain
areas. The Ural mountains cover 2,500 miles of
eastern Russia. The Caucasus mountains cross the
southern part of Russia, from the Black Sea to the
Caspian Sea. From the western boarder to the Ural
mountains is the North European Plain. This is a large
rolling plain with rich soil and grasslands.
Russia contains the planet's largest expanse of
forest, over eight million square kilometers of
mixed woodlands that are home to rare
carnivores such as tigers, bears and leopards.
The rest of Russia ranges from semi-desert to
cold tundra, from snowy mountain peaks to
open grasslands. The Himalayas and other
mountain ranges have cut Russia off from the
warmer southern climes, leaving most of the
country temperate to subarctic and
snowbound in winter, though the summers can
be surprisingly hot. Russia's easternmost parts
are the most biodiverse, though they also
experience the harshest winters.
Living conditions in Russia defer greatly depending on the
location. In the cities people live in apartments, in the
countryside everyone has a detached Russian house. A rich
family is likely to have a big modern Russian house in a city's
downtown (it is the most prestigious place to live), but
majority of population would not be able to afford such a
house. There are mainly 4 types of Russian housing.
•City Apartment- single family living
•Communal Apartment- shared family living
•Country House- typical home with land and private water,
heating/cooling
•Dacha- Summer home; vacationing, place for garden
With the long lasting cold weather, the essential
components of Russian cuisine are the ones, which
provide more carbohydrates and fat rather than
proteins. The top five components of a Russian meal are
potatoes, bread, eggs, meat (especially beef) and butter.
Other popular foods include cabbage, milk, sour cream,
curds, mushrooms, lard, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples,
berries, honey, sugar, salt, garlic, and onions. The most
popular Russian dish is Borscht, a vegetable soup.
Ingredients
8 cups beef broth*
1 pound slice of meaty bone-in beef shank
1 large onion, peeled, quartered
4 large beets, peeled, chopped
4 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
12 slices bacon, about 1/4-inch
thick
Finely ground black pepper
Honey
1/3 cup light brown sugar
The typical greeting is a firm, almost
bone-crushing handshake while
maintaining direct eye contact and giving
the appropriate greeting for the time of
day.
When men shake hands with women, the
handshake is less firm.
When female friends meet, they kiss on
the cheek three times, starting with the
left and then alternating.
When close male friends meet, they may
pat each other on the back and hug.
New Year’s Vacation
Christmas
Defender of the Motherland Day
International Women’s Day
Spring and Labor Celebration
Victory Day
Russia Day
Civil Unity Day
New Babies - When a new baby is born, it is
tradition for the father to plant a tree, wishing
the child to grow up strong and healthy just
like the tree.
Travel - Before departing on a long trip,
Russian people often sit in silence for a few
minutes, praying for good luck and fortune
during the journey.
Spring - At the beginning of spring, as the
weather warms, and the days become brighter,
children and young adults often play outside.
They play different Russian games.
Autumn - In Autumn, Russians try to prepare
for a long winter, so the harvests are prepared
and stored. Traditionally, Russians pick apples
and prepare them to last through the winter. A
large store of apples signifies a family that is
well-off, and ready to survive the winter.
Blessing - When a bride and groom are ready to go to the church for the wedding, the
oldest member in their family takes a religious icon from the wall. While the bride and
groom kneel, the family member crosses them both with the icon, as a sign that he/she
blesses their union, and wishes them a long and happy marriage.
The Loaf of Bread - At the wedding reception, the husband and wife take a big loaf of
bread and bite it at the same time, without the use of their hands. This tradition is a
playful game, and whoever gets the larger piece, it is said that they will be the leader
of their family.
The Threshold - The husband must carry his wife over the threshold in his arms. It is a
very old custom and began because people thought that a new wife would be a very
appealing item to evil spirits, and thus the husband should hold her tightly and shield
her from their mean eyes. Also, on the floor before the front door of the house, the
husband must place a new lock – to lock his happiness there and keep it safe for him
and his wife.
Performing arts in Russia have earned an esteemed reputation
around the world. From Russia's renowned classical music
composers, ballet dancers and opera singers, to Russian and
Soviet playwrights, directors and actors, many Russian and
Ukrainian names are synonymous with excellence in music and
theatre.
This nonfiction children’s book is full of
information all concerning the country of
Russia. This book is presented in an easy to
read format and is filled with colorful pictures.
It begins with fast facts about Russia, a
timeline, Russian history, geography, the
people, economy, holidays and festivals. This
is a great book for the use of introducing the
country of Russia to a class and would be a
great resource for the students as well.
The Keeping Quilt is a story about a family quilt that is
passed down through the generations. Patricia’s great
grandma, Anna came to America from Russia. The
only thing she brought with her was the dress she was
wearing. Anna outgrows this dress and her mother
decides to piece it into a quilt so that it can be passed
down to the family. The quilt is used as a tablecloth, a
wedding canopy, and a blanket to welcome new
babies into the family.
Orthodox Christianity
Popular Christianity
Holds that a "new Earth" will be
created, and here the "saved"
shall reside. The "damned" will be
flung into a lake of fire and be
destroyed.
Belief that the souls of the dead go
immediately to "heaven" upon death.
(Rev. chapters 20 and 21)
They hold that good deeds
without belief can still lead one to
an afterlife in "heaven."
Does not believe in a soul, therefore
an orthodox Christian does not
believe the dead can hear us, can
watch over us .
There is but one route to
"salvation," and that is to believe in
Jesus Christ. (John 14:6)
The dust of the earth and the breath of
life is what makes a soul. (Gen. 2:7)
Appreciate and accommodate the similarities and differences
among the students' cultures.
Build relationships with students
Focus on the ways students learn and observe students to
identify their task orientations
Teach students to match their behaviors to the setting
Italia, B. (2000). The Countries Russia . Edina, Minnesota
ABDO Publishing Company.
Polacco, P. (1988). The Keeping Quilt. New York, New York
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
http://argun.tripod.com/main41.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/places/Russia
http://www.rusconhouston.mid.ru/eng_rushol
idays.htm
http://www.russia-ukraine-travel.com/performing-arts-in-russia.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/russia-country-profile.html