Country Info

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has been an independent republic. The largest country in the world, Russia's population is over 145 million people. Spanning both Europe and Asia, Russia's population reflects a broad range of cultural groups, including Russian, Tartar, Ukranian, Chuvash, Bashkir, Belo Russian, Kazak, Uzbek, and Moldovan heritages.

Russian culture has a long history and tradition, with a lot of diversity. The many ethnic groups each have their own forms of folk music, languages and religions. Although the majority of Russians consider themselves as Christians, and belong to Russian Orthodox Churches. Each of the 9 regions in which we work has its own culture and identity.

	Moscow Moscow is the capital of Russia as well as its largest city. It is well known for its museums, galleries, and collections which are among the largest, most well-known, and most important in the world. No trip to Moscow would be complete without a visit of Red Square, which separates the Kremlin from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitay-gorod.
	Saint Petersburg St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city. was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than 200 years. It is often described as the most Western European styled city in Russia.
	Ufa The discovery of oil made Ufa one of the centers of Russian oil extracting and oil refining industries, and it is known as one of the industrial centers in the Western Urals. Industries here include electrical and mining equipment, oil refining, petrochemicals, synthetic rubber, and processed foods.
	Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg became known as the center for all ironworks of the Ural Mountains region, and its importance increased with the building of a highway in 1783 and the Trans-Siberian Railroad. It is also the site of notable historic events such as the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.
	Bryansk The name of Bryansk is derived from a Slavic word for "dense woodland," very little of which remains today. Bryansk is an important center for steel and machinery manufacturing.
	Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don is a modern industrial and technology rich hub of Russia. The Don River connects southwestern Russia with regions to the north, creating an important port for passenger-oriented and industrial shipping.
	Ivanovo Ivanovo is traditionally referred to as the textile capital of Russia. Russians half-jokingly call it "the city of brides", because there are more women than men working at the city's textile productions.
	Tyumen Tyumen is an important center for gas and oil industries, and has a standard of living that is second only to Moscow in Russia. The town center is a mix of newer buildings combined with old log houses.
	Voronezh Voronezh is an important scientific, industrial, educational, and cultural center of Russia. It is known for its many literary inhabitants, as well as musicians and artists.