Russia

At a Glance

Russia is the world's largest country by area, spanning eleven time zones from the Baltic coast to the Pacific, with a cultural heritage of extraordinary depth in literature, music, architecture, and ballet centred on the imperial cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The landscape ranges from Arctic tundra and the taiga forests of Siberia to the Caucasus mountains and the Central Asian steppe. Those who engage with Russian culture on its own terms will find it one of the most complex and rewarding in the world.

• Spans 11 time zones — flying from one end to the other takes longer than London to New York.
• Has 9 of the world's 25 coldest inhabited cities.
• Largest country on earth, yet most of the population lives west of the Urals.