Russia

Magic

The atmosphere of Saint Petersburg’s city center is magical, with its squares and avenues. However right outside the center, there was a stark urban contrast. The legacy of Le Corbusier is omnipresent through the rows of council housing. Even though the original idea had the best intentions, the result is sad.

Traveling through Russia is a life experience, but I didn’t have the chance to go beyond Saint Petersburg and Moscow. It remains in my future plans to cross Russia by the Trans-Siberian to have a more definite understanding of the country.

July 2009

Moments

Did you know

- In terms of land area, Russia is the largest country in the world.

- At the beginning of 2013, Russia was estimated to have a population of around 143 million.

- The world’s first satellite, named Sputnik, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

- The Soviet Union (USSR) was a socialist state that occupied much of northern Asia and eastern Europe from 1922 until it was dissolved in 1991. Former Soviet states include Lithuania, Georgia, Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others.

- Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world.

- Russia has over 40 national parks and 100 wildlife reserves.

- Russia’s Volga River is the longest in Europe, with a length of around 3690 kilometres.

- Russia has the world’s largest area of forests.

- Russia is located across 11 time zones.