Modern Russia

oligarchy 1. a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few. 2. a state or organization so ruled. 3. the persons or class so ruling. Now, Russia is on the verge of becoming a "soft" Oligarchy. Political descent receives harassment. Dissenters that break laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent, if not more, of the law. Mass media shows that deal with opposing political view points are harassed and dealt crippling regulation. Reporters are roughed up, sometimes killed. This all helps to keep an alternative political viewpoint from being disseminated to the public. This, when the Russian people have a culture of knuckling under to strong leaders, this helps keep the same kind of people in power.

Government The Government of the Russian Federation exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the Prime Minister of Russia (Chairman of the Government), the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers. It has its legal basis in the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the federal constitutional law "On the Government of the Russian Federation". The two most powerful positions in the Russian government are that of the President (Putin) and the Prime Minister (Medvedey). Both holders of these offices also sit on Russia’s Security Council.

Russian Economy Russia’s economy still exists with state ownership in strategic areas, despite the privatization of several major industries. In 2014, the Russian economy was the sixth largest in the world in GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) and tenth largest at market exchange rates. Between 2000 and 2012, the Russian population's disposable income increased by 160% on the back of energy exports. However, these gains were not evenly distributed, with approximately 110 individuals controlling 35% of all financial assets held by Russian households.

Population About 75% of all Russians live in the cities like Moscow (Pictured). Many richer Russians own “dachas” or Russian country houses. In 2005, Russia had more billionaires than any other European country.

Moscow Cultural Region The Moscow Region can offer a lot to see as it is closely connected with Russian capital in historical and economic senses. Monasteries and churches, as well as estates of aristocracy, have preserved the brightest artistic and cultural achievements of Russia. Old towns of the Moscow Region have always been in the center of tourism and warm hospitality has become a good tradition here. Moscow Region is one of Central Russia's most industrialized regions with a well-developed agricultural industry and high scientific potential. More than 40 research and educational institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences, more than 70 specialized agricultural institutions, and more than 100 institutions of other sectors are concentrated in the Moscow Region. Twenty percent of all Russian scientific organizations are located in the Moscow Region.

St. Petersburg Cultural Region St. Petersburg is the nation’s second major industrial, research and cultural center after Moscow. In 1914 the city was renamed Petrograd, and from 1924 to 1991 it was named Leningrad. Its population stands at about 4,500 thousand. St. Petersburg became Russia’s capital in 1712, during which time all government organizations were relocated there. The population grew quickly, as the city continued to develop. St. Petersburg had a population of 95,000 by By 1853 over 500,000 people inhabited the city.

Volga and Urals Region While the Russian state and society have grown accustomed to the religious and political radicalism that has plagued the North Caucasus since the end of the 1980s, the growing trend toward radicalism in Russia’s other predominantly Muslim regions, and in areas with Muslim minorities, was entirely unexpected. According to the 2002 Russian census, there were 14.5 million ethnic Muslims in Russia. The country’s Muslim population has grown over the past 12 years since then and is likely to be approaching (if not already exceeding) 16 million. But in the first decade of the 21st century, the situation there and in some other regions where Muslims live began to change: radical views gained currency, and radical groups and study circles became active. Volga Ural

Siberia Siberia is also known as place of exile. After the Decembrist Uprising of 1825, officers were arrested and imprisoned in Peter and Paul fortress in Saint Petersburg. Some were executed, but 120 of them were sent to Siberia. When a Westerner hears "Siberia", images of frozen tundra and prison camps come to mind. But things are changing even in this lost region. Tundra and prison camps are still there but people go to concerts of organ music and dig ground out of pure curiosity. Prior to Russian colonization of Siberia, local ethnic groups of various origins populated the region, including Turkic, Finnic, Mongolic, and other tribes. Some of these peoples intermarried with Europeans and some ethnic groups remained discrete, but in any case, colonists adopted many local food traditions through mixed marriages or through daily contact.

Russian Far East The Russian Far East is the Russian part of the Far East, i.e. the extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean. The Far Eastern Federal District, which covers this area, borders with the Siberian Federal District to the west. The Far Eastern Federal District borders People's Republic of China & North Korea to the south west.