RUSSIA
Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of land area, and has a population of 144,978,573. Russia began as an empire ruled by Tsars such as Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. Then in 1917 there was a revolution and Communists gained political control, and people such and Lenin and Stalin emerged. Then again in 1991 another revolution took place and a democracy emerged in Russia for the first time. Today, Russia is a land with rich cultural traditions, a legacy of famous writers and poets, a nation with a long and impressive history that is now pushing its way into the 21st century.
Resources (and further
information):
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rs.html
WorldBoston's Community Connections has hosted groups from the following cities in Russia:
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a unique part of Russia in that it is completely separated from “mainland” Russia, and borders all foreign countries. It is located between Lithuania and Poland, and is the youngest region of Russia. The population of Kaliningrad City is 419,000, while the population of the region is 1 million, it is 78% Russian, 10% Belarusian, 6% Ukrainian, 4% Lithuanian, and 0.8% of German origin. Kaliningrad is one of the smallest of Russian territories but has the third highest population density. Kaliningrad has one of the largest deposits of amber in the world. 400-800 tons of raw amber is produced annually. Along with the production of amber, tourism is a large source of revenue for the Kaliningrad economy.
Resources (and further information):
http://www.inyourpocket.com/russia/kaliningrad/en/
http://www.gov.kaliningrad.ru/en_intro.php3
Komi
Republic
The Komi Republic is located in the North East part of Russia and has a population of approximately 1.2 million, of which 23% are Komi. The Komi Republic is in the Russian Federation but is a democratic legal state, under control of the Head of Komi Republic, the State Council of Komi Republic, and the Constitutional Court of Komi Republic. The capital city is Syktyvkar, with a population of 243,000. Around half of the oil and gas “stock of Russia European North” is located in the Komi Republic, and that stock is estimated to be more than 213 billion tons. The Komi Republic has various other natural resources, and its territory is 65% covered by forest.
Resources (and further information):
http://www.parma.ru/~emin/brief.html
http://www.cspp.strath.ac.uk/R-Level2-In-Komi-Republic.html
Magadan
Magadan (pop. 122,000) is a seaport and industrial city located in the Russian Far East on the northern shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. The city was founded in 1933 near the fishing village of Nagaevo, developing into a large port and center for mining activities in the mountains in the Kolyma Basin. A young town with a troubled history, Magadan lies in a picturesque spot among the misty grayness on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Many visitors associate the name of the town with the GULAGs which earned the region a reputation of being a vast concentration camp named "Dalstroy", where thousands upon thousands of people worked in gold mines of Kolyma. These prisoners also laid the first streets of the future town. Today's modern Magadan is a memorial to those who met untimely deaths from the back-breaking work. Magadan is a gateway and support base for the vast gold mining region of the Kolyma mountain range to the north. Other industries include a shipyard and manufacturing plants for glass, building materials, mining equipment, clothing, metal and leather. The city can offer much of what is becoming to a regional center: museums, theaters, educational institutions, hotels, shops, various enterprises and establishments.
St.
Petersburg
St. Petersburg is the northernmost major city in the world. It has a population of 4.7 million. The Neva River is the main river that runs though St. Petersburg. The city was built on 44 separate islands that are connected by bridges. There are 308 bridges in the city proper alone and another 534 more if one counts suburbs. St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia for more than 200 years. Peter the Great moved the capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg calling it Russia’s “Window to the West.” Since then the name of the city has changed from St. Petersburg to Leningrad (during Communism) and is now back to St. Petersburg. The capital has also moved back to Moscow, but St. Petersburg is still the culture capital of Russia. It is the home of the Hermitage Museum, the Winter Palace, and many famous poets and writers called St. Petersburg home. St. Pete’s is also knows for its “white nights.” Since the city is located so far north during the summer the sun is out for almost 24 hours during certain weeks. During this time people are out and about during all hours of the day, and many tourists are drawn to the city during this time of the year.
References and further Information:
http://petersburgcity.com/for-tourists/guides/crossroad/
Nizhny Novgorod
Set on the Volga River, Nizhny Novgorod is the 3rd largest city in Russia.
References and further information:
http://www.russianamericanchamber.org/regions/Nizhny_Novgorod.html
http://www.admcity.nnov.ru/english/index.html