Introduction

Central Russia

Volga River

Southern Russia

Russia’s prairies: the steppe

Russia’s Black Sea coast Russia’s Black Sea Coast

The Russian Caucasus: Mount Elbrus

Russian winter

The Russian Arctic

Altai Mountains: foothills of the Himalayas

Siberian taiga

Lake Baikal

The Russian Far East: Kamchatka Peninsula

Russia’s Pacific Coast

Population density in Russia

Ksenia Sukhinina from Tyumen’, Siberia - Miss Russia 2010

Moscow Kremlin Moscow, Kremlin: the center of Russian state power

Winter Palace, St. Petersburg: Russia’s “second capital”

The Kremlin in Kazan, Tatarstan: Russia’s “Third Capital”

The State Emblem of the Russian Federation

RUSSIA’S ASSETS World’s largest territory (1/7 of the planet’s dry land) Over 1/3 of global natural resources World’s 5 th in arable land acreage World’s 9 th most populated country (142 mln. people) World’s 8th biggest economy A nuclear superpower A space superpower One of the 5 permanent members of UN Security Council A member of G8 and G20 A key international actor across Eurasia (involved in more international organizations and projects than any other state except US)

Recommended readings for the course: Nicholas Riasanovsky, A History of Russia. Oxford U. Press, Riasanovsky/dp/ /ref=pd_sim_b_2 Riasanovsky/dp/ /ref=pd_sim_b_2 Philip Longworth, Russia: The Once and Future Empire. St. Martin’s Press, Putin/dp/ X/ref=sid_dp_dp Putin/dp/ X/ref=sid_dp_dp Robert Service, A History of Modern Russia, from Nicholas II to Vladimir Putin. Harvard U. Press, Vladimir/dp/ X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b Vladimir/dp/ X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b Suzanne Massie, Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia. Hearttree Press, Russia/dp/ X/ref=pd_sim_b_1 Russia/dp/ X/ref=pd_sim_b_1 Orlando Figes, Natasha’s Dance: A Cultural History of Russia. Picador, Russia/dp/ /ref=pd_sim_b_4 Russia/dp/ /ref=pd_sim_b_4

Alexander Borodin, Symphony No.2, 1 st Movement: PLBZWI&feature=related PLBZWI&feature=related