Russia is huge both literally and metaphorically. Aside from its physical bulk, it has loomed like a specter over the west for decades. Because of its size and history, people all over the world made up legends and myths about Russia.
It just steeped in history, so we decided to gather 10 true interesting facts about Russia and Russians which would help you understand this outsize land and maybe change the perception about Russia:
- Everyone knows that Russia is the largest country in the world. Its area is also known – 17,075,400 square kilometers. Just imagine how huge Russia is, here are some examples: the area of Russia is approximately equal to the surface area of the planet Pluto. It is twice larger than the USA.
- There is one of the most active volcanoes in Russia – Klyuchevskaya Sopka. It is the highest active volcano on the Eurasian continent. Its height is 4 kilometers 850 meters. Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the highest peak of Russia outside the Caucasus.
- St. Petersburg Underground is the deepest in the world. Its average depth is 100 meters. The underground in Leningrad was inaugurated in 1955. It is claimed to be the most beautiful metro system instantly spread throughout the world.
- Peter the Great wanted to build in the delta of the Neva “another Amsterdam”. It was Amsterdam with its canals that inspired Peter to build a maritime city. In the 18th century, rivers and canals had a practical purpose – small ships went along them. But, having built Amsterdam, the city increasingly resembled Venice – a city on water, famous throughout the world for its architecture and masterpieces of architecture, numerous canals, and bridges, for which the city received its second unofficial name – Venice of the North.
- Russia is the only state which territory is washed by one closed sea and 13 seas belonging to three oceans.
- Moscow Kremlin is the largest medieval fortress in the world. It is also the largest fortress in the whole territory of Russia, and the largest surviving and active fortress in Europe. The total length of the Kremlin walls is 2235 meters.
- The most famous weapon in the world is the Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK-47). It is the best weapon on the planet which is known for its “reliability and simplicity.”
- Russia occupies one of the leading positions in the ranking of the most unfriendly countries. Although, according to the Russians themselves, they have not been taught to smile since childhood, as they consider this a manifestation of frivolity. But in fact, the Russians are open enough and in most cases will not refuse to request help.
- Russian is one of the five most spoken languages in the world. Russians use the Cyrillic alphabet instead of the Latin alphabet.
- Russians are not the biggest drinkers in Europe despite their vodka-swilling image. Still, the annual consumption of alcohol is 15.76 liters per capita, the fourth highest volume in Europe. The countries with higher consumption are Moldova, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
