1. Russia’s People and Culture
Ch. 9
Sec. 2 Pp

2. Political Challenges
Democracy – government in which people freely elect their leaders
Federal republic – power is divided between national and state governments with a president who leads the nation
Russian president has stronger powers than ours
Learning how to function in a democracy
Former President Putin

3. Ethnic Challenges Slavs (80%) – Russians, Ukrainians, and Belorussians
Majority group – group that controls most of the wealth and power
Minority group – not the group that controls most of the wealth and power
About 100 minorities
Fighting among ethnic groups
Some minorities, like the Chechens, want independence

4. Daily Life 75% live in cities Hard to find housing in cities
Cramped apartments
People are leaving rural areas to find work in the cities

5. Religion in Russia
Under communism, they were forbidden from practicing religion
Russian Orthodox Church created Cyrillic alphabet
70% are Russian Orthodox
Many Muslims

6. Celebrations, Food, and Sports
New Year’s Eve – children decorate fir tree and family exchanges presents
May Day parade celebrates workers
Winter and indoor sports are popular

7. Rich Cultural Traditions
Skazki – orally storytelling that was passed down from generation to generation
Great writers like Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Solzhenitsyn
Ballet very popular