- Russia forces kill two suspected militants in Dagestan raid - Reuters May 20, 2012
- Russia Against Meddling - Manila Bulletin May 20, 2012
- Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk, Russia to play for world championship gold - Detroit Free Press May 20, 2012
- Joel Brinkley: Under Putin, Russia's relations with US turn icy again - Lincoln Journal Star May 20, 2012
- Russia plays Slovakia in hockey worlds final; Russia tops Finland 6-2 behind 3 ... - Washington Post May 20, 2012
Know More About Golden Ring of Russia
The route “Golden Ring of Russia” passes by ancient Russian cities that store unique, of special value monuments of Russian culture and history.
Recently tourist industry has been developing in the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia, so almost in any city you can find a suitable hotel, cafe or restaurant. For this reason, prices for these services are rather high, especially in Vladimir and Suzdal. It takes usually a day to see main places of interest in a city, but if you want to visit all museums and the neighborhood, feel free to stay in a city for a week.
There is no approved list of cities that comprise the Golden Ring of Russia, but certainly it includes Vladimir, Suzdal, Sergiev Posad, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Kostroma. The route covers parts of Moscow, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo regions.
There are represented all stages of development of ancient Russian architecture in towns and villages: majestic temples of white stone of 12-13 centuries, buildings with tented roofs of 6 th century, bright ornament of 17 th century, works of architecture and art school in Rostov, Yaroslavl, Suzdal.
The UNESCO World Heritage List includes: Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra; The Kremlin, Pokrovsky and Savior Euthymius monastries in Suzdal; Church of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha; Assumption and Demetrius Cathedrals in Vladimir. Numerous Orthodox shrines, monasteries and temples of Russia located in this region, attract pilgrims.
The area of the Golden Ring of Russia is famous for works of folk art. There are gathered samples of ancient crafts in museums: wood and bone carving, handiworks of killed lace-makers and jewelers, lacquer miniature and painting on enamel (enamel). The nature of central Russia is attractive in all seasons.
Scenic are the places of the Volga expanses, with quiet forest streams, pine and birch woods. It is most comfortable to travel by car by this route. Suzdal, Pereslavl-Zaleski can be reached only by car. The major cities can also be reached by rail. Suburban trains go to Vladimir from Moscow. A suburban train Moscow – Yaroslavl passes through Sergiev Posad, Alexandrov, Rostov Veliky.
Uglich, Rybinsk, Tutaev, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ples stand on the Volga, Moore is located on the banks of the Oka River. Visiting these cities is included in the program of river cruises. Not for nothing “Moscow Around the World” cruises are often confused with the Golden Ring of Russia route.
Know More About The Rich Russian Culture
When Russian novelist Fyodor Dostyoevsky stated, “It is beauty that is going to save the world”, he was talking not of a lady love but of his infatuation of Russia. When visiting Russia you will notice the old times from the Romanesque and Byzantine architecture and nearly all are open for viewing.
While virtually every place you might visit during your travels here lives and breathes this culture, it is often most easily absorbed while visiting several of the country’s attractions.
The Hermitage Museum and Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg are filled with brilliant art collections, while the many hamlets and small towns of the countryside exude a different sort of lifestyle. Old Cloisters and castles help visitors reflect on Russia’s past and give the history of the country and interesting perspective.
Russia is home of the longest river in Europe and has nine different time zones to pass through while traveling the Trans Siberian Railway. The Bolshoi Ballet, located in Moscow is a famous destination for those that bring their husband or wife. Moscow is also home to Russia’s biggest structure, St Basil’s Cathedral. Oh, and be sure to remember Russia’s answer to Shakespeare, Pushkin. Museums are always a way to escape the realities of life and explore new thoughts; this one is no different.
The more you travel the country, the more you will come to realize just how extensive the history and traditions of the country truly are. Russia is also a culturally diverse country, with dozens of ethnic groups each contributing their own languages, religious beliefs, customs and folk music. The rich blend that results from the cosmopolitan mixture is fascinating to discover and visitors will find that there is always something new to explore and learn about.Russia has a rich cultural heritage that is expressed in the cities, the countryside and the small towns of this striking and proud nation.
Another aspect of Russian culture that you may consider investigating is its performing arts. For centuries Russian theatres have been housing some of the top performances in the world in terms of ballet and opera. There are a variety of other theatrical productions worth seeing – such as drama and musicals – and visitors may even consider visiting a cinema during their stay to discover a more youthful form of theatrical expression.
So come to this exquisite country and discover the rich cultural heritage that it has to offer. Whether you enjoy art, theatre, history, architecture or local customs, Russia has it all. Make sure that you explore Russian culture the next time you visit this fascinating country!
Learn Russian In Russia
Russia is populated with a hundred fifty million people. Majority of its people speak the official language, Russian. The language uses an alphabet that is different from the English version. Russian uses Cyrillic alphabet, consisting of thirty three letters. Grammar structure, as with most languages around the world, is constructed differently from English. Learning Russian is easy and fun. Learning Russian in Russia makes it a lot easier and more enjoyable.
Studying the language at schools is often not enough. The beauty of learning a language is best seen by experiencing it. Most bustling Russian cities, such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, frequently use English to accommodate tourists from around the world. People visiting these cities would get through their activities without really needing to know the Russian language. On the other hand, in some places, like some Siberian cities, residents hardly use English and use Russian as their primary and only language. A person aspiring to learn Russian in Russia can benefit greatly from an environment which pushes you to use the language on everyday situations may it be while ordering food in restaurants or even the simple act of hailing a taxi.
Most languages are learned easiest through practice. Committing mistakes during the process is typical. Often, the mistakes that are committed help people to learn further. Locals are usually sympathetic of learning students and would happily help them in their quest of learning Russian. Thus, it is highly encouraged to talk to natives, preferably those who would choose not to converse in English. Conversing with people would train your ears to get accustomed with the language. Properly hearing words is a common problem for foreigners who are not familiar with Russian phonemes and pronunciation.
Russian Women Name Days
Russian culture and history is often celebrated with many holidays. Some are observed twice due to the Julian and Gregorian calendars such as Christmas and the New Year, although many more special dates are recognized which may be largely unknown to American culture. Residents of European and Latin American countries celebrate special holidays called name days all throughout the year and many residents of Russia still continue this long standing tradition.
The Orthodox calendar of saints was what first started the tradition of celebrating Russian name days as early as the 17th century. The dates of saints’ deaths were marked on calendars and the people who shared their names would honor the saints and themselves on those special days. Also known as saints’ feast days, or angel days, these dates were highly endorsed by the churches and became increasing more popular than birthdays.
Over the years, the custom of celebrating name days has decreased in popularity, although lots of Russian ladies, more often than men, still look forward to these days. Special calendars are usually kept to take note of whose days are when, since some dates honor multiple names and some names are celebrated many different days. For instance, January 19th is the name day for Lidia and Maria, but Maria is also celebrated on February 8th, March 31st, and many other dates throughout the year since there are many saints who share that name.
There are several references to name days in Russian literary works such as Anton Chekov’s play Three Sisters. The play opens with the youngest sister Irena celebrating her saint’s day and she receives a spinning top as a special gift. Another example is Alexander Pushkin’s novel Eugene Onegin where a large, formal gathering is held in honor of the female heroine Tatiana on her name day of January 25th. That date is also known as Student’s Day because Moscow University was established on that same day in 1775 so Russian students named Tatiana get an extra special celebration!
These days, many Russians still honor their angel days, or saint days, by attending sacred religious services, or just getting together with friends and family. Some congratulate each other by exchanging name day greeting cards and gifts. No matter how they celebrate, these name days are just another way that Russians show their strong admiration for their history and their culture.