Any western man who wants to meet Russian ladies and who is serious about doing what
it takes to make that happen will naturally need to make plans to travel to Russia. Traveling
to Russia is not only the means by which men will be able to meet Russian ladies but it also
represents is an opportunity to become better acquainted with Russian history and culture.
Russia spans eleven time zones and two continents and is one of the most beautiful countries
in the world. Below are sa few particulars about Russia and some of its major cities.
According to the published results of the 2002 Russian census, the total Russian population
is 145.2 million. 73% of Russian residents, or 73% of the total population lives in cities,
while 27% live in rural areas. Russian is seventh worldwide in terms of total population
behind China, India, US, Indonesia, Brazil and Pakistan.
Compared to the last census, which was taken in 1989, Russia's total population shrunk
by 1.8 million people. 1.6 million of those people lived in cities and 200 thousand lived
in rural areas. Like most developed countries, urbanization - or the process where people
move to cities - has stopped. Almost 20% of the population lives in 13 cities with a
population of one million or more: Moscow,
Saint Petersburg,
Novosibirsk,
Nizhny_Novgorod,
Yekaterinburg,
Samara, Omsk,
Kazan,
Chelyabinsk,
Rostov, Ufa,
Volgograd and
Perm. The two largest cities -
Moscow and
Saint Petersburg have a population of
10.4 million and 4.7 million, respectively. Moscow is one of the world's 20
most populated cities.
More than 160 nationalities reside in Russia. Seven nationalities have populations
of more than one million: Tatars, Ukrainians, Bashkurs, Chuvashes, Chechens and
Armenians. Russians make up the largest percent of the population with 116 million
or 80% of the total residents.
The country is composed of 67.6 million men and 77.6 million women. For every
thousand men, there are 1147 women. For the past 30 years now, women have been
increasing their numbers compared to men. The medium age for a resident of
Russia is 37.7 years or three years older than in 1989. Goskomstat will
continue publishing results of the 2002 Russian census in the months to come
with reports on economic activity, migration, birthrates and living conditions
of the Russia population.
Moscow (Russian Moskva),
capital and largest city of Russia, capital of Moscow Oblast, and the country's
leading political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. Moscow lies
on the Moscow River in the west central European part of Russia. The Russian
emperors, or tsars, made Moscow their base of rule until 1712, when the capital
was moved to Saint Petersburg. Moscow was restored as Russia's capital in 1918,
and it served as the capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
from 1922 until 1991. Population 10.4 million.
Saint Petersburg (Russian Sankt Peterburg), second largest city and largest
seaport in Russia, located in the northwestern part of the country, at the head
of the Gulf of Finland (an arm of the Baltic Sea). The capital of Russia for two
centuries (1712-1918), Saint Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in
Europe, noted for its lavish palaces and grand cathedrals. It is also a major rail
junction and an industrial, cultural, and scientific center. The city is located
on both banks of the Neva River and on a number of river islands. Saint Petersburg
has been renamed three times since its founding. Construction of the city began in
1703, ordered by Russian tsar (later emperor) Peter the Great, who named it Saint
Petersburg after his patron saint. After World War I broke out in 1914, the city's
Germanic name was changed to Petrograd. In 1924, upon the death of Soviet leader
Vladimir Lenin, its name was changed to Leningrad. Finally, in June 1991, six
months before the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) officially dissolved
and Russia emerged as an independent country, the city reverted to its original
name. Population 4.7 million.
Novosibirsk, formerly Novonikolayevsk, city, capital of Novosibirsk Oblast, in
southern Siberia Russia, located on the Ob' River. Novosibirsk is the largest city
and one of the chief industrial centers of Siberia. Manufactures include mining
equipment, turbines, textiles, chemicals, and heavy machine tools. It is the
seat of a university and a scientific research center and has opera and ballet
companies. The city, founded in 1893 as a stop on the Trans-Siberian Railroad,
received its current name in 1925. During World War II (1939-45) many industries
were moved to Novosibirsk from the combat areas of European USSR. Population
(1999 estimate) 1,402,100.
Nizhniy Novgorod, city in western Russia, at the confluence of the Oka and Volga
rivers. Nizhniy Novgorod is a major river port, railroad hub, and industrial center.
The city is the site of one of the largest automobile factories in Russia, and its
manufactures also include aircraft, textiles, and railroad and electric equipment.
Nizhniy Novgorod has libraries, museums, a large university, and several technical
schools. Historical structures include a stone kremlin (citadel) built in the 13th
century, two 13th-century churches, and a 17th-century palace. Nizhniy Novgorod
was founded in 1221. In the late 14th century the city was plundered by the Tatars
before being annexed by Moscow in 1392. Important for its trade with Asia, the city
became famous for its trade fairs, held annually from 1817 until 1917. From 1932 to
1991 it was named Gorky (also spelled Gorki or Gor'kiy) in honor of the Russian
writer Maksim Gorky, who was born in the city. Population (1999 estimate)
1,361,500.
Yekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk, city, administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast,
Russia, on the Iset River. Located on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains in a
mineral-rich region, Yekaterinburg is a major industrial center and a station on the
Trans-Siberian Railroad. Among the large industrial works located in the city are
platinum refineries, copper and iron smelters, and factories producing electrical
equipment, chemicals, and heavy machinery. Yekaterinburg's educational institutes
include the Urals A. M. Gorky State University (1920) and the Yekaterinburg State
Medical Institute (1931). The city was founded in 1721 by Tsar (later Emperor) Peter
the Great as an ironworking center and was named Yekaterinburg for his wife, who was
later proclaimed Empress Catherine I. Industrial development was spurred by the
construction of the Great Siberian Highway in the late 18th century and the
Trans-Siberian Railroad in the late 19th century. Emperor Nicholas II and his
family were held captive in the city by the Bolsheviks after the Russian
Revolution and were killed here in 1918. The city was renamed Sverdlovsk in
1924 in honor of Bolshevik and Soviet leader Yakov M. Sverdlov. During World War
II (1939-1945) industry from threatened European areas of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (USSR) was transferred here. Following the disintegration of
the USSR at the end of 1991, the city's name was changed back to Yekaterinburg.
Population (1999 estimate) 1,270,700.
Samara, formerly Kuybyshev,
city, capital of Samara Oblast, south central European Russia. Located at the
confluence of the Volga and Samara rivers, the city is an important port and a
railroad and industrial center. Manufactures include motor vehicles, railroad
equipment, chemicals, and machinery. Samara is the primary refining center for
the Volga-Urals oil fields. Founded in 1586 as a defense outpost, Samara developed
into a grain-trade center for the Volga River region. Major industrial growth
began in the early 20th century. From 1935 to 1991 the city was known as Kuybyshev
in honor of the Soviet leader V. V. Kuybyshev. When Moscow was threatened by the
Germans during World War II, the city served (1941-1943) as an administrative center
of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Population (1999 estimate)
1,170,800.
Omsk, city, southwestern Siberia
Russia, capital of Omsk Oblast, at the confluence of the Irtysh and Om' rivers.
The city is a major commercial and industrial center of the steppe region and is
served by the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Manufactures include processed grain, refined
petroleum, forest products, agricultural machinery, and textiles. Omsk was founded
in 1716 as a Russian fortress. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the
headquarters of the forces of Admiral Alexander V. Kolchak, the anti-Bolshevik
leader, were located here. Population (1999 estimate) 1,157,600.
Kazan, city in central European
Russia, capital of the republic of Tatarstan, and a port at the confluence of the
Volga and Kazanka rivers. Kazan' is a major industrial, commercial, and cultural
center. Manufactured products include machinery, refined petroleum, chemicals,
building materials, processed food, footwear, soap, and textiles. Once a prominent
Muslim city, Kazan'' remains a center of Tatar culture. It is the site of Kazan'
State University (founded in 1804), where Leo Tolstoy and Vladimir Ilich Lenin
studied, and several technical schools. Notable structures include the kremlin
(citadel), the oldest part of which dates from the 15th century; a 16th-century
church; and two 18th-century mosques. Kazan'' was founded in the late 14th century
and soon became the capital of a powerful Tatar khanate. In 1552 the city was
annexed by Russia under Ivan IV Vasilyevich. It was largely destroyed in 1774
during a revolt by troops under the leadership of the Cossack soldier Yemelyan
Pugachev, but was rebuilt soon thereafter, during the reign of Catherine the
Great. Population (1999 estimate) 1,091,500.
Chelyabinsk, city,
southwestern Siberian Russia, on the Miass River, in the foothills of the
Ural Mountains. Situated on the Trans-Siberian Railroad in a rich coal-mining
region, it is one of the chief industrial centers of Russia. Manufactures include
iron and steel, tractors and other agricultural machinery, aircraft, and chemicals.
Chelyabinsk was founded (1736) as a fortress on the Russian frontier. Large-scale
industrialization began in the 1890s. Population (1999 estimate) 1,085,800.
Rostov-na-Donu, also
Rostov-on-Don, or Rostov, city, southwestern European Russia, capital of Rostov
Oblast. Situated on a high bank of the Don River near its mouth on the Sea of
Azov, the city is an important commercial, industrial, and transportation center.
It is connected by a deepwater canal to the Sea of Azov, and by the Volga-Don Canal
to the Caspian, Baltic, and White seas. The city is also linked by pipeline with
the petroleum fields of the Caucasus region. Manufactures include ships, chemicals,
agricultural machinery, electric equipment, and building materials. Several
institutions of higher learning, including a university, are in Rostov-na-Donu. In
1749 a customs office was established on the site of present-day Rostov-na-Donu. A
fortress was built here in 1761, and in 1797 the settlement achieved city status.
In the 19th century it grew as an important trading port. During World War II the
city was held twice (1941, 1942-1943) by German forces and was damaged considerably.
Population (1999 estimate) 1,005,800.
Ufa, city in southeastern European
Russia, administrative center of the republic of Bashkortostan, situated at the
confluence of the Ufa and Belaya rivers. Located on the western slopes of the Ural
Mountains, Ufa is an industrial city in which mining and electrical equipment,
refined petroleum, forest products, chemicals, synthetic rubber, and processed
foods are manufactured. Founded in 1574 as a fortress, it became the first Russian
town in the area called Bashkiria in 1586. From 1922 to 1991, Ufa was the capital
of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) of Soviet Russia. In 1991
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) broke apart, and Bashkortostan became
a constituent republic of Russia. Population (1999 estimate) 1,086,600.
Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad,
city, capital of Volgograd Oblast, southwestern Russia, on the Volga River. Volgograd,
an important industrial, commercial, and transshipment center of Russia, is a railroad
hub and a major Volga River port. It is linked to the Don River by the Volga-Don Canal,
constructed between 1950 and 1957. A large hydroelectric power dam is just north of the
city. Among the main industries in Volgograd are petroleum refining, shipbuilding, and
the manufacture of aluminum, chemicals, processed food, farm machinery, iron and steel,
and forest products. The University of Volgograd (1980) is located in the city. Volgograd
was founded in 1589 as Tsaritsyn, a fortress on the southeastern frontier of Russia. It
was taken by Cossack rebels twice: in 1670 by Stenka Razin and in 1774 by Yemelyan
Pugachev. With the expansion of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, Tsaritsyn became
an important port for products shipped down the Volga River. Early in the Russian
Revolution, in 1917, the city was taken by the Bolsheviks. During the civil war that
followed it was occupied by White Russian troops for three months in 1919. In 1925 the
city was renamed Stalingrad, for Joseph Stalin, who had been notable in the defense of
the city against the White Russians.
Perm, formerly Molotov, city in eastern
European Russia, on the Kama River. It is the capital of Perm' Oblast. Located in a
region rich in mineral resources, the city is an important industrial and transportation
center. Manufactures include chemicals, agricultural machinery, and metal products.
Perm' is the seat of a university and several professional and technical colleges. The
site of the city was settled in ancient times. In 1568 Russian traders established the
town of Yegoshikha here, and in 1780 the community achieved city status as Perm' and was
made a district capital. Perm' was merged with Molotovo in 1938, and the name Molotov
was adopted two years later. In 1957 the name Perm' was readopted. Population (1999
estimate) 1,018,100.
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