24 interesting facts about Russia

24 interesting facts about Russia

We share the most interesting facts about Russia, collected over the course of two trips to this mammoth country

Russia was described as many things: a mother, a winner, a force and a fighter. It is, as Churchill famously put it, a riddle wrapped in a mystery in an enigma.

Russia is both literally and metaphorically oversized. Beyond its physical size, it has loomed as a specter over the West for decades.

On Peter's recent trip to this land of mystery, he collected a wealth of interesting facts about Russia - some well-known, others less so. As is tradition, we've rounded up the best of them below.

Interesting facts about Russia

1. Russland ist flächenmäßig das größte Land der Welt. Es umfasst 17 Millionen Quadratkilometer (6,6 Millionen Quadratmeilen) und macht mehr als ein Neuntel der Landfläche der Erde aus. (Quelle: BBC)
2. Russland hat die längste Eisenbahn der Welt. Die Transsibirische überspannt fast das ganze Land, verlässt Moskau im Westen und fährt im Osten nach Wladiwostok. Die gesamte Reise ist 9.200 km lang (5.700 Meilen) und würde 152 Stunden und 27 Minuten ohne Unterbrechung dauern. (Quelle: The Telegraph)

alt="The Trans-Siberians in Russia">Fair useThe Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia is the longest railway in the world (Fair use)

1. Russland liegt sowohl in Europa als auch in Asien: Ein Viertel seines Territoriums liegt in Europa und drei Viertel in Asien. Bemerkenswerterweise leben nur 22 % der Bevölkerung im asiatischen Teil. (Quelle: Weltatlas)

2. Russians are the fourth-biggest drinkers in the world after Belarus, Moldova and Lithuania. This may explain why one in five male deaths in Russia is alcohol-related. (Source: The Telegraph)

3. Until 2011, anything with less than 10% alcohol was considered food – and not alcohol. (Source: BBC)

alt=““>Moscow is home to 73 billionaires and counting…

1. In Moskau leben mehr Milliardäre als in fast jeder anderen Stadt. Es hat 73 Milliardäre und rangiert nur hinter New York (82) und Hongkong (75). (Quelle: Forbes)

2. In the vault beneath the monument to the heroic defenders of Leningrad, a metronome ticks continuously. It is the sound that was played on local radio during the siege to reassure residents that the city was still alive. (Source: Lonely Planet)

3. One of our most interesting facts about Russia is that there is a restaurant in Moscow staffed entirely by twins. Twin Stars Diner employs siblings dressed alike and is inspired by the 1964 Soviet film Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors. (Source: BBC)

alt="St. Basil Cathedral">DreamtimeSt. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow (Dreamtime)

1. Die Basilius-Kathedrale in Moskau wurde von Postnik Jakowlew geschaffen. Der Legende nach hat Iwan der Schreckliche ihn danach geblendet, sodass er nichts Vergleichbares bauen konnte. (Quelle: Lonely Planet)

2. Russia has more time zones than any other country in the world. There used to be 11, but that number was reduced to “just” nine in 2010. (Source: Reuters)

3. Russia's Lake Baikal is the deepest in the world and contains about 20% of the world's unfrozen freshwater. (Source: Britannica)

alt=“The shores of Lake Baikal”>Nikitin Victor/ShutterstockThe shores of Lake Baikal

1. Russische Führer haben einige interessante kreative Beschäftigungen. Michail Gorbatschow hat ein Album mit romantischen Balladen aufgenommen, während der derzeitige Führer Wladimir Putin eine Judo-DVD hat. (Quelle: The Guardian, The Guardian)

2. Putin once saved a television crew from a Siberian tiger...but later admitted the rescue was staged. Other of his documented publicity stunts include tagging whales and frolicking with a rare snow leopard. (Source: BBC)

3. Russia is home to Oymyakon, the coldest inhabited place on earth. On February 6, 1933, his weather station recorded a temperature of -67.8 °C. (Source: The Telegraph)

alt="Interesting facts about Russia: coldest place">Creative CommonsRussia is home to Oymyakon, the coldest inhabited place on Earth (Creative Commons 2.0)

1. 1908 kam die russische Olympiamannschaft mit 12 Tagen Verspätung in London an, weil sie noch den Julianischen Kalender verwendete. (Quelle: The Human Organization of Time)

2. Russia has one of the deadliest lakes in the world. Lake Karachay, near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in the Urals, is a dumping ground for nuclear waste and is so radioactive that you would almost certainly die if you stood next to it for an hour. (Source: BBC)

3. Russia borders 14 countries: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, China, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and North Korea. No other country has so many borders. (Source: The Telegraph)

4. The highest point in Europe is in Russia. Mount Elbrus stands at 5,642 m (18,510 ft) above sea level and was climbed earlier this year by Atlas & Boots employee Peter Watson. (Source: BBC)

alt="interesting facts about Russia: Elbrus is the highest point in Europe">Atlas & BootsPeter Watson on the summit of Elbrus (Atlas & Boots)

1. Russland ist fast so groß wie Pluto: 17 Millionen Quadratkilometer im Vergleich zu Pluto mit 17,6 Millionen Quadratkilometern. (Quelle: NASA)

2. Russia and Japan have yet to sign a peace treaty ending World War II thanks to a dispute over the Kuril Islands, which stretch from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. (Source: BBC)

3. Sputnik, the world's first satellite, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. (Source: NASA)

4. One of the most interesting facts about Russia is that Russia and the US are only 4 km (2.5 miles) apart at their closest point. Big Diomede Island belongs to Russia, while Little Diomede Island belongs to the American state of Alaska. (Source: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Encyclopedia)

alt="interesting facts about Russia: we and Russia are only 4 lm apart">Creative CommonsAt their closest point, Russia and the USA are only 4 km apart (Creative Commons)

1. In Russland befindet sich die älteste Anlage, die jemals regeneriert wurde. Es wurde aus 32.000 Jahre alten Samen gezüchtet! (Quelle: National Geographic)

2. The area code for Russia is 007. (Source: country code)

Lonely Planet Russia is a comprehensive travel guide to Russia, ideal for those who want to both explore the top attractions and take the roads less traveled.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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