World Cultures: Russia
Visuals
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Dance
Barynya is a fast Russian folk dance and music. The word barynya (Russian: Барыня, landlady) was used by simple folk as a form of addressing to a woman of higher class, a feminine form for the word "barin", landlord. A number of Russian folkloric dance ensembles bear the name. The Barynya dance is an alternation of chastushkas and frenetic dancing. The dancing was without special choreography and consisted mainly of fancy stomping and traditional Russian squatwork - knee bending ("вприсядку", vprisyadku). There are a number of scenic, more refined versions of the dance. Kamarinskaya (Russian: камаринская) is a Russian traditional folk dance, which is mostly known today as the Russian composer Mikhail Glinka's composition of the same name. Glinka's Kamarinskaya, written in 1848, was the first orchestral work based entirely on Russian folk song and to use the compositional principles of that genre to dictate the form of the music. It became a touchstone for the following generation of Russian composers ranging from the Western-oriented Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to the group of nationalists known collectively as The Five and was also lauded abroad, most notably by French composer Hector Berlioz. The Tropak (Ukrainian: Трoпак; known in Russian as Трeпак - Trepak) is a traditional Ukrainian folk dance from the Slobozhan region of Ukraine (around the city of Kharkiv) settled primarily by descendants of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Also was popular in the Muscovy. The Tropak was one of the traditional instrumental dances played by blind itinerant musicians called kobzars on their banduras and kobzas. It was also one of the dances often included in the repertoire of village violinists in Eastern Ukraine. The tropak went out of fashion in the 1930s during the major transformations in Ukrainian village society and culture that happened in Soviet Ukraine at that time. One of its best known representations is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Trepak from The Nutcracker (which is also, confusingly, known as the "Russian Dance"). The dance music was also used in the last movement of his Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. The third of Modest Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death is named "Trepak". Troika is a Russian folk dance, where a man dances with two women.[1] The Russian word troika means three-horse team/gear. In the Russian dance the dancers imitate the prancing of horses pulling a sled or a carriage. This dance is included into repertoires of virtually all Russian ethnographic dance ensembles. Similar folk dances are known among other Slavic peoples, e.g., the Polish Trojak. Yablochko (Russian: Яблочко, literally, "little apple" ) is a Russian folk song of chastushka style and dance, traditionally presented as sailors' dance. Russian ballet is a form of ballet characteristic of or originating from Russia. This includes the Vaganova method, the Mariinsky Ballet (Kirov Ballet), and the Bolshoi Theatre, among others. This category is not restricted to individuals of Russian nationality or ethnicity, or to performances staged in Russia.
Art
This is a list of artists of the Russian Federation, Soviet Union, Russian Empire, Tsardom of Russia and Grand Duchy of Moscow, including ethnic Russians and people of other ethnicities living in Russia. This list also includes those who were born in Russia but later emigrated, and those who were born elsewhere but immigrated to the country and/or worked there for a significant period of time.
Literature
After the Revolution of 1917, Russian literature split into Soviet and white émigré parts. While the Soviet Union assured universal literacy and a highly developed book printing industry, it also enforced ideological censorship. In the 1930s Socialist realism became the predominant trend in Russia. Its leading figure was Maxim Gorky, who laid the foundations of this style. Nikolay Ostrovsky's novel How the Steel Was Tempered has been among the most successful works of Russian literature. Alexander Fadeyev achieved success in Russia. Various émigré writers, such as poets Vladislav Khodasevich, Georgy Ivanov and Vyacheslav Ivanov; novelists such as Mark Aldanov, Gaito Gazdanov and Vladimir Nabokov; and short story Nobel Prize-winning writer Ivan Bunin, continued to write in exile. Some writers dared to oppose Soviet ideology, like Nobel Prize-winning novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who wrote about life in the gulag camps. The Khrushchev Thaw brought some fresh wind to literature and poetry became a mass cultural phenomenon. This "thaw" did not last long; in the 1970s, some of the most prominent authors were banned from publishing and prosecuted for their anti-Soviet sentiments. The end of the 20th century was a difficult period for Russian literature, with few distinct voices. Among the most discussed authors of this period were Victor Pelevin, who gained popularity with short stories and novels, novelist and playwright Vladimir Sorokin, and the poet Dmitry Prigov. In the 21st century, a new generation of Russian authors appeared, differing greatly from the postmodernist Russian prose of the late 20th century, which lead critics to speak about "new realism". Leading "new realists" include Ilja Stogoff, Zakhar Prilepin, Alexander Karasyov, Arkadi Babchenko, Vladimir Lorchenkov, Alexander Snegiryov and the political author Sergej Shargunov. Russian authors significantly contributed almost to all known genres of the literature. Russia has five Nobel Prize in literature laureates. As of 2011, Russia was the fourth largest book producer in the world in terms of published titles.[1] A popular folk saying claims Russians are "the world's most reading nation".
Religion
Russia is a multi-ethnic and multi-faith nation. Orthodox Christianity is Russia's largest religion with 75% of the population belonging to the Orthodox Christian denomination. Islam is professed by 5% of the population. Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism and Buddhism are professed by 1% of the population each. Other religious denominations represent 1% of the population, while 8% consider themselves atheists.
Important historic events
Romanovs: 1877-78 - Russian-Turkish war sees Russia seize land from Turkey in the Caucasus and establish client states in the Balkans. 1897 - Social Democratic Party founded, and in 1903 splits into Menshevik and more radical Bolshevik factions. 1904-05 - Russian expansion in Manchuria leads to war with Japan - and the 1905 revolution, which forced Tsar Nicholas II to grant a constitution and establish a parliament, the Duma. Rise of the Soviet Union: 1917 March - Poor performance in the war and mismanagement of the economy at home prompt mutinies in the armed forces and street disturbances in major cities. Stalin Ascendant: 1941 - Soviet Union left reeling by surprise German attack in July. German advance only halted on outskirts of Moscow in December.Soviet Union forms alliance with Britain and United States, who provide it with military supplies throughout rest of war. 1942 - Soviet military steadily pushes back German forces after Battle of Stalingrad. 1945 - Allied victory over Nazi Germany followed by swift establishment of Soviet hegemony in Central and Eastern Europe, and Balkans. Cold War: 1947 - 'Cold War' with the West begins in earnest as Soviet Union consolidates power in Eastern Europe and promotes pro-Soviet revolution in China, the Middle and Near East, and Asia. 1949 - Soviets explode their first nuclear bomb; Cold War rivals begin nuclear arms race. 1953 - Death of Stalin 1957 - Soviet artificial satellite Sputnik becomes first to orbit Earth, spurring the Cold War beyond the atmosphere in a Space Race. 1961 - Yuri Gagarin becomes first person to orbit Earth in Vostok spacecraft. 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis brings world to brink of nuclear war; Olympics: 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the U.S. will boycott the Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Moscow that summer. The announcement came after the Soviet Union failed to comply with Carter's February 20, 1980, deadline to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. 1984 - Claiming that its athletes will not be safe from protests and possible physical attacks, the Soviet Union announces that it will not compete in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Despite the Soviet statement, it was obvious that the boycott was a response to the decision of the United States to boycott the 1980 games that were held in Moscow. Chernobyl: 1986 - Chernobyl is the name of a city situated in northern Ukraine near the border with Belarus. Chernobyl was largely abandoned following the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Ukraine was part of Russia on the 26th April 1986 when the disaster occurred. Yeltsin era: 1991 - Russia becomes independent as the Soviet Union collapses and, together with Ukraine and Belarus, forms the Commonwealth of Independent States, which is eventually joined by all former Soviet republics except the Baltic states. 1992 - Russia takes up the seat of the former Soviet Union on the United Nations Security Council, and retains control of its nuclear arsenal. Georgia tensions 2006 September-October - Amid tension over Georgia's breakaway regions and its ties with Nato, Moscow's relations deteriorate sharply when Georgia briefly detains four Russian army officers on suspicion of spying. Putin: 2007 December - President Putin's United Russia party wins landslide in parliamentary elections, which critics describe as neither free nor democratic. Ukraine Crisis: 2014 July - Following the downing of a Malaysian Airlines passenger plane over eastern Ukraine in a suspected missile strike, Russia comes in for international criticism amid claims - denied by Moscow - that it supplied rebels with heavy weaponry. The EU and US announce new sanctions against Russia. The IMF says Russian growth is slowing down to zero. 2015 November - Turkey shoots down Russian warplane on Syria bombing mission. Russia, Turkey's second-largest trading partner, imposes economic sanctions.
Capital and major cities
The capital of Russia is Moscow. Moscow is the largest city in Russia. The largest Russian cities with the population greater than 1 million are Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Kazan, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Rostov-on-Don, Ufa and Volgograd.
SOURCES
http://www.mapsofworld.com/russia/geography/ http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/russia-population/ http://masterrussian.com/russia/facts.htm http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17840446 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/carter-announces-olympic-boycott http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-announce-boycott-of-1984-olympics http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/countries/russia.shtml http://masterrussian.com/russia/facts.htm http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/sports/articles/russian-sports http://www.sras.org/essay_russian_cultural_values https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_traditions_and_superstitions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_culture
Sports
In the sports world, Russia is a country known for its continued strength and success. During the Soviet era, the USSR national team placed first in the total medals won at 14 of its 18 Olympic appearances. Carrying on the Soviet legacy, the Russian national team has never dropped below third place in those rankings. Discover the strong cultural background and rigorous traditions that form the powerhouse known as Russian sports. Ice Hockey Abroad, about 30 Russians play in the American NHL, and the Russian team consistently dominates the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) men's world championship. At home, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHF) is a Eurasian international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008, a successor to the Russian Super League. The KHL began its operations with 24 teams, 21 of which are based in the Russian Federation with the remaining 3 located in Belarus, Latvia and Kazakhstan. Figure Skating Figure skating in Russia has a long history filled with national and world titles. In 1908, Nikolai Panin-Kolomensky won gold at the London Olympics. In the 1950s, after the Soviet Union had developed into a political and athletic world power, figure skating boomed. In 1964, 56 years after Nikolai Panin-Kolomensky's gold, Soviet figure skaters Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov won the pairs title at the Innsbruck Olympics; a legacy had been born. In every Winter Olympics since 1964, a Soviet or Russian pair has won gold -- one of the longest winning streaks in the history of modern sports. One of the most famous couples in pairs skaters are Russians Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin, who have won four European championships, two World Championships and gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Elena Viktorovna Berezhnaya and partner Anton Sikharulidze are another favorite Russian couple awarded Olympic gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Language
Of Russia's estimated 150m population, it is thought that over 81% speak the official language of Russian as their first and only language. Most speakers of a minority language are also bilingual speakers of Russian. There are over 100 minority languages spoken in Russia today, the most popular of which is Tatar (Tartar), spoken by more than 3% of the country's population. Other minority languages include Ukrainian, Chuvash, Bashir, Mordvin, Circassian and Chechen. Although few of these populations make up even 1%
Proverbs
Pigs might fly. Literal: It was happening -- a goat was eating up a wolf. Draw not your bow till your arrow is fixed. Literal: Maybe and somehow won't make any good. You have to learn to walk before you can run. Literal: Alphabet is the step to wisdom. With a helper a thousand things are possible. Literal: An artel's pot boils denser. The devil rebuking sin. Literal: The uncle would better gasp looking at himself. With a helper a thousand things are possible. Literal: An artel's pot boils denser.
Values
Pravda is most often translated as "truth." Each Russian holds a certain belief in a personal "truth." Pravda represents what is just and fair; it serves as a moral guideline by which "non-truths" in the world may be evaluated and navigated. The film Brother 2 addressed the cross-cultural issue of pravda between Russians and Americans, claiming the American pravda was centered upon money. In contrast, the film claimed Russian pravda to be firmly grounded in morality, friendship and honoring one's fellow man. Russian friendship is another unique and deeply ingrained cultural value that can be defined in the exclusive title of "friend," or drug, as well as the inner complexities of the "in-group," or krug. The interactions of Russian friendships live and grow within the in-group, a close circle of friends that is not easily formed, nor easily broken.
Major Resources
Russia contains over 30% of all the natural resources in the world. Natural resources used by the economy of Russia account for 95.7% of national wealth. There are large deposits of fuel and energy resources: oil, natural gas, coal and uranium ore. Russia is ranked first in the world by gas reserves (32% of world's reserves, 30% of world production), the second in oil production (10% share of world production), the third - in coal reserves (22 coal basins, 115 fields, including those in European Russia - about 15.6% in Siberia - 66.8% in the Far East - 12.9%, in the Urals - 4.3%). In terms of reserves of iron ores Russia takes the first place, in tin - the second, lead - the third. Russia also occupies a leading position in the world in wood provision. In 2005 Russia was the richest country in gold reserves. In addition, metal ores are mined on the country's territory ores: iron, nickel, copper, aluminum, tin, polymetals, chromium, tungsten, gold, and silver. There is a great variety of non-metallic ores: phosphates, apatites, talc, asbestos, mica, potash and salt, diamonds, amber, precious and semiprecious stones. Very common are construction materials: sand, clay, limestone, marble, granite and other materials.
Geographic Location on Map
Russia located in Northern Asia lies between North Pacific Ocean and Europe. Russia is surrounded with countries like China, North Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Finland. Russia covers a total area of 17,075,200 sq km out of which 79,400 sq km is water and 16,995,800 sq km is land. Russia's coastlines extend to the Arctic and the Pacific oceans that include the Caspian, Baltic and Black sea.
Music
Russian music went through a long history, beginning from ritual folk song and the sacred music of the Russian Orthodox Church. The 19th century saw the rise of highly acclaimed Russian classical music, and in 20th century major contributions by various composers such as Igor Stravinsky as well as Soviet composers, while the modern styles of Russian popular music developed, including Russian rock, Russian hip hop and Russian pop. Russia was a late starter in developing a native tradition of classical music due to the proscription by the Orthodox Church against secular music.[4] Beginning in the reign of Ivan IV, the Imperial Court invited Western composers and musicians to fill this void. By the time of Peter I, these artists were a regular fixture at Court.[5] While not personally inclined toward music, Peter saw European music as a mark of civilization and a way of Westernizing the country; his establishment of the Western-style city of Saint Petersburg helped foster its spread to the rest of the upper classes.[6] A craze for Italian opera at Court during the reigns of Empresses Elisabeth and Catherine also helped spread interest in Western music among the aristocracy.[7] This craze became so pervasive that many were not even aware that Russian composers existed. Russian folk music became the primary source for the younger generation composers. A group that called itself "The Mighty Five", headed by Balakirev (1837-1910) and including Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), Mussorgsky (1839-81), Borodin (1833-87) and César Cui (1835-1918), proclaimed its purpose to compose and popularize Russian national traditions in classical music. Among the Mighty Five's most notable compositions were the operas The Snow Maiden (Snegurochka), Sadko, Boris Godunov, Prince Igor, Khovanshchina, and symphonic suite Scheherazade. Many of the works by Glinka and the Mighty Five were based on Russian history, folk tales and literature, and are regarded as masterpieces of romantic nationalism in music. This period also saw the foundation of the Russian Musical Society (RMS) in 1859, led by composer-pianists Anton (1829-94) and Nikolay Rubinstein (1835-81). The Mighty Five was often presented as the Russian Music Society's rival, with the Five embracing their Russian national identity and the RMS being musically more conservative. However the RMS founded Russia's first Conservatories in St Petersburg and in Moscow: the former trained the great Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-93), best known for ballets like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. He remains Russia's best-known composer outside Russia. Easily the most famous successor in his style is Sergey Rakhmaninov (1873-1943), who studied at the Moscow Conservatory (where Tchaikovsky himself taught). The late 19th and early 20th century saw the third wave of Russian classics: Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915), Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) and Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975). They were experimental in style and musical language. Stravinsky was particularly influential on his contemporaries and subsequent generations of composers, both in Russia and across Europe and the United States. Stravinsky permanently emigrated after the Russian revolution. Although Prokofiev also left Russia in 1918, he eventually returned and contributed to Soviet music. In the late 19th to early 20th centuries, the so-called "romance songs" became very popular. The greatest and most popular singers of the "romances" usually sang in operas at the same time. The most popular was Fyodor Shalyapin. Singers usually composed music and wrote the lyrics, as did Alexander Vertinsky, Konstantin Sokolsky, Pyotr Leshchenko.
Population
The current population of the Russian Federation is 143,441,516 as of Wednesday, May 25, 2016, based on the latest United Nations estimates. Russia population is equivalent to 1.95% of the total world population. Russia ranks number 9 in the list of countries by population.
Beliefs
With a helper a thousand things are possible. Literal: An artel's pot boils denser. Many Russians consider giving gifts of sharp objects, like knives or scissors, to be taboo. This taboo may be avoided by the donor taking a symbolic payment, for example one Russian ruble, in exchange as if it is a trade, not a gift. Talking about future success, especially boasting about it, is considered bad luck. It is considered better to be silent until the success has been achieved or to even sound pessimistic. It is often considered taboo to step over people, or parts of their body, who are on the ground. It is often said that it will prevent the person from growing (if they are not fully grown already). It is better to politely ask the person to move or to find a way around them. If one accidentally steps over a person (or people), it is sometimes standard to step backwards over them. Unmarried people should not sit at the corner of the table. Otherwise they will not marry. This mostly applies to girls, and often only young girls. Sometimes it is said that the affected individual will not marry for 7 years, making it all right for young children to sit there. A funeral procession brings good luck. But one should never cross its path or it is bad luck. Two or more people should never use one towel at the same time to dry their hands or bodies, or it is said to bring conflict.
