View source for Russia

{{Very long}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Russian Federation
| common_name            = Russia
| linking_name           = Russia
| native_name            = {{native name|ru|Российская Федерация}}
| image_flag             = Flag of Russia.svg
| image_coat             = Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation.svg
| national_anthem        = <br />{{nowrap|{{lang|ru|Государственный гимн Российской Федерации}}}}<br />{{transliteration|ru|Gosudarstvennyy gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii}}<br />"[[State Anthem of the Russian Federation]]"{{parabr}}{{center|[[File:National Anthem of Russia (2000), instrumental, one verse.ogg]]}}
| image_map              = Russian Federation (orthographic projection) - All Territorial Disputes.svg
| map_width              = 250px
| map_caption            = Russia on the globe. Disputed lands are shown in light green.{{Efn|[[Crimea]] was [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed by Russia]] in 2014. However, it is still [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262|internationally seen]] as a part of Ukraine.<ref name="dispute">{{cite web |last=Pifer |first=Steven |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/03/17/crimea-six-years-after-illegal-annexation/ |title=Crimea: Six years after illegal annexation |publisher=[[Brookings Institute]] |date=17 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2021 |archive-date=14 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414045104/https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/03/17/crimea-six-years-after-illegal-annexation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts were also [[Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts|annexed]] (but only partly controlled) in 2022. They are [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/4|internationally seen]] as a part of Ukraine. The southernmost [[Kuril Islands]] are claimed by both Japan and Russia after the Soviet occupation of the islands at the end of World War II.<ref name="chapple-2019">{{cite web |last=Chapple |first=Amos |title=The Kurile Islands: Why Russia And Japan Never Made Peace After World War II |date=4 January 2019 |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/the-disputed-islands-where-world-war-2-never-ended/28402307.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |publisher=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] |archive-date=8 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408173647/https://www.rferl.org/a/the-disputed-islands-where-world-war-2-never-ended/28402307.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| capital                = [[Moscow]]
| coordinates            = {{Coord|55|45|21|N|37|37|02|E|type:city}}
| largest_city           = capital
| languages_type         = Official<br />{{nobold|and national language}}
| languages              = [[Russian language|Russian]]<ref name="Russian">{{cite journal |last=Chevalier |first=Joan F. |title=Russian as the National Language: An Overview of Language Planning in the Russian Federation |jstor=43669126 |journal=Russian Language Journal |pages=25–36 |volume=56 |year=2006 |publisher=American Councils for International Education ACTR / ACCELS}}</ref>
| languages2_type        = {{nobold|Recognised}} {{nowrap|[[national language]]s}}
| languages2             = See [[Languages of Russia]]
| ethnic_groups          = {{unbulleted list
 | 71.7% [[Russians|Russian]]
 | 3.2% [[Tatars|Tatar]]
 | 1.1% [[Chechens|Chechen]]
 | 1.1% [[Bashkirs|Bashkir]]
 | 22.9% [[Ethnic groups in Russia|other]] or not reported
 }}
| ethnic_groups_year     = 2021, including Russia and Crimea
| ethnic_groups_ref      = <ref name=EthnicGroups2021>{{cite web|title=Национальный состав населения|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Tom5_tab1_VPN-2020.xlsx|publisher=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service]]|accessdate=30 December 2022|archive-date=30 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230204643/https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Tom5_tab1_VPN-2020.xlsx|url-status=live}}</ref>
| demonym                = Russian
| government_type        = [[Federal republic|Federal]] [[semi-presidential]] [[republic]] 
| leader_title1          = [[President of Russia|President]]
| leader_name1           = [[Vladimir Putin]]
| leader_title2          = [[Prime Minister of Russia|Prime Minister]]
| leader_name2           = [[Mikhail Mishustin]]
| leader_title3          = [[Chairman of the Federation Council (Russia)|Speaker of the<br />Federation Council]]
| leader_name3           = [[Valentina Matviyenko]]
| leader_title4          = [[Chairman of the State Duma|Speaker of the<br />State Duma]]
| leader_name4           = [[Vyacheslav Volodin]]
| leader_title5          = [[Chief Justice of the Russian Federation|Chief Justice]]
| leader_name5           = [[Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev|Vyacheslav Lebedev]]
| legislature            = [[Federal Assembly (Russia)|Federal Assembly]]
| upper_house            = [[Federation Council (Russia)|Federation Council]]
| lower_house            = [[State Duma]]
| sovereignty_type       = [[History of Russia|Formation]]
| established_event1     = {{nowrap|[[Kievan Rus']]}}
| established_date1      = 879
| established_event2     = {{nowrap|[[Vladimir-Suzdal]]}}
| established_date2      = 1157
| established_event3     = [[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Grand Duchy of<br>Moscow]]
| established_date3      = 1263
| established_event4     = [[Tsardom of Russia]]
| established_date4      = 16 January 1547
| established_event5     = [[Russian Empire]]
| established_date5      = 2 November 1721
| established_event6     = {{nowrap|[[February Revolution|Monarchy abolished]]}}
| established_date6      = 15 March 1917
| established_event7     = {{nowrap|[[:en:Treaty on the Creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]]}}
| established_date7      = 30 December 1922
| established_event8     = {{nowrap|[[:en:Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Declaration of State<br>Sovereignty]]}}
| established_date8      = 12 June 1990
| established_event9     = {{nowrap|[[Belovezha Accords|Russian Federation]]}}
| established_date9      = 12 December 1991
| established_event10    = [[Constitution of Russia|Current constitution]]
| established_date10     = 12 December 1993
| established_event11    = [[Union State|Union State formed]]
| established_date11     = 8 December 1999
| area_km2               = 17,098,246
| area_footnote          = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/publications/pocketbook/files/world-stats-pocketbook-2016.pdf#page=182 |title=World Statistics Pocketbook 2016 edition |publisher=United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Statistics Division |access-date=24 April 2018 |archive-date=4 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804041700/https://unstats.un.org/unsd/publications/pocketbook/files/world-stats-pocketbook-2016.pdf#page=182 |url-status=live }}</ref> (within internationally recognised borders)
{{Convert|17,234,028|km2|abbr=on}} (including disputed territories)
| area_rank              = 1st
| percent_water          = 13<ref name=gen>{{cite web |title=The Russian federation: general characteristics |url=http://www.gks.ru/scripts/free/1c.exe?XXXX09F.2.1/010000R |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728064121/http://www.gks.ru/scripts/free/1c.exe?XXXX09F.2.1%2F010000R |archive-date=28 July 2011 |website=Federal State Statistics Service |access-date=5 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> (including swamps)
| population_estimate    = {{plainlist|
* {{IncreaseNeutral}} 147,182,123 ([[Russian Census (2021)|2021 Census]])<ref name="census2021">Including 2,482,450 people living on the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed]] [[Crimea|Crimean Peninsula]] {{cite web |url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/vpn_popul |script-title=ru:Том 1. Численность и размещение населения |language=ru |work=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Russian Federal State Statistics Service]] |access-date=3 September 2022 |archive-date=24 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124160257/http://rosstat.gov.ru/vpn_popul |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{nowrap|(including Crimea)<ref name="gks.ru-popul">{{cite web |url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/PrPopul2022_Site.xls |format=XLS |script-title=ru:Предварительная оценка численности постоянного населения на 1 января 2022 года и в среднем за 2021 год |trans-title=Preliminary estimated population as of 1 January 2022 and on the average for 2021 |language=ru |work=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Russian Federal State Statistics Service]] |access-date=30 January 2022 |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324230246/https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/PrPopul2022_Site.xls |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
* {{IncreaseNeutral}} 144,699,673
* (excluding Crimea)<ref name="gks.ru-popul"/>}}
| population_estimate_year = 2022
| population_estimate_rank = 9th
| population_density_km2 = 8.4
| population_density_sq_mi = 21.5
| population_density_rank = 181st
| GDP_PPP                = {{IncreaseNeutral}} $4.771 trillion<ref name="IMFWEORU">{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/weo-report?c=922,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2022&ey=2022&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1|title=World Economic Outlook Database, April 2023|publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]|access-date=2023-05-05|archive-date=2023-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425152149/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April/weo-report?c=922,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2022&ey=2022&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1|url-status=live}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2022
| GDP_PPP_rank           = 
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = {{IncreaseNeutral}} $33,263<ref name="IMFWEORU"/>
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 
| GDP_nominal            = {{IncreaseNeutral}} $2.240 trillion<ref name="IMFWEORU"/>
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2022
| GDP_nominal_rank       = 
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{IncreaseNeutral}} $15,480<ref name="IMFWEORU"/>
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 
| Gini                   = 36.0 <!--number only-->
| Gini_year              = 2020
| Gini_change            = decrease <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini_ref               = <ref name="WBgini">{{cite web |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=RU |title=GINI index (World Bank estimate) – Russian Federation |publisher=World Bank |access-date=23 June 2022 |archive-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513214250/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=RU |url-status=live }}</ref>
| HDI                    = 0.822<!--number only-->
| HDI_year               = 2021<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change             = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI_ref                = <ref name="HDI">{{cite web|url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2021/2022|language=en|publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]|date=8 September 2022|access-date=8 September 2022|archive-date=9 October 2022|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
| HDI_rank               = 52nd
| currency               = [[Russian ruble|Ruble]] ([[₽]])
| currency_code          = RUB
| utc_offset             = +2 to +12
| drives_on              = right
| calling_code           = [[Telephone numbers in Russia|+7]]
| cctld                  = {{unbulleted list |[[.ru]]|[[.рф]]}}
| religion_year          = 2023
| religion_ref           = <ref name="Передача иконы «Троица» Русской православной церкви">{{cite web|title=Передача иконы «Троица» Русской православной церкви|url=https://fom.ru/TSennosti/14888|publisher=Фонд Общественное Мнение, ФОМ (Public Opinion Foundation)|language=ru|date=22 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="Передача иконы «Троица» Русской православной церкви–Tables">{{cite web|title=Передача иконы «Троица» Русской православной церкви|url=https://fom.ru/posts/download/14888|publisher=Фонд Общественное Мнение, ФОМ (Public Opinion Foundation)|language=ru|date=22 June 2023}}</ref>
| religion               = {{ublist|item_style=white-space;|{{Tree list}}
* 62% [[Christianity in Russia|Christianity]]
** 61% [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]]
** 1% other [[List of Christian denominations|Christian]]
{{Tree list/end}}| 24% [[Irreligion|no religion]]|5%  [[Islam in Russia|Islam]]<ref>{{Cite news|title=Regional Division of Muslim population in Russia|work=Research Gate|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348448272|access-date=22 February 2024}}</ref>|2% [[Religion in Russia|other]] (including [[Buddhism in Russia|Buddhism]])|4% unanswered}}
}}

'''Russia''' ({{Lang-ru|Россия|Rossiya}}, {{IPA-ru|rɐˈsʲijə| }}), or the '''Russian Federation''',{{Efn|{{lang-rus|Российская Федерация|r=Rossiyskaya Federatsiya|p=rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə|links=yes}}}}<ref>"The names Russian Federation and Russia shall be equal". {{cite web |title=The Constitution of the Russian Federation |work=(Article 1) |url=http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-02.htm |accessdate=25 June 2009 |archive-date=1 March 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020301184936/http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-02.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> is a [[country]] in [[Eastern Europe]] and [[North Asia]]. 

It has land from the [[Baltic Sea]] to the [[Bering Strait]]. It is the [[List of countries by area|largest country in the world]], followed by [[Canada]], and the [[United States]] or [[China]]. Russia's [[population]] is about 146.7 million people. It is the most populous country in [[Europe]]. [[Moscow]] is its [[capital city]]. It is also the largest city in [[Europe]] by area. Other big [[List of cities and towns in Russia by population|cities]] include [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Novosibirsk]], [[Yekaterinburg]], [[Nizhny Novgorod]], and [[Kazan]]. Russia's [[official language]] is [[Russian language|Russian]]. Russian is the most spoken language in Europe. It is also the most widely spoken [[Slavic language]]. Many regions of Russia have their own official languages alongside Russian.

Russia has land [[border]]s with 14 (16, if counting [[Quasi-state|unrecognized]]) countries, in both Europe and [[Asia]]. These countries are [[Norway]], [[Finland]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Poland]], [[Belarus]], [[Ukraine]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[China]], [[Mongolia]], and [[North Korea]].{{Efn|Also has [[Maritime border|maritime borders]] with the [[United States]] and [[Japan]].}} It borders Lithuania and Poland through [[Kaliningrad Oblast]]. It also borders the unrecognized countries of [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]] to the south. It is next to 16 [[sea]]s, and 3 [[ocean]]s. It is the country with the most land borders in the world. Russia is made up of 89 [[Federal subjects of Russia|federal subjects]]. This includes [[Republic of Crimea|Crimea]], [[Luhansk People's Republic|LPR]], [[Donetsk People's Republic|DPR]], [[Kherson Oblast]] and [[Zaporizhzhia Oblast]] and [[Sevastopol]], which are [[Border dispute|claimed]] by both Russia and Ukraine. There are many different types of federal subjects. There are 48 [[Oblasts of Russia|oblasts]], 24 [[Republics of Russia|republics]], 9 [[Krais of Russia|krais]], 4 [[Autonomous okrugs of Russia|autonomous okrugs]], 3 [[Federal cities of Russia|federal cities]], and 1 [[Jewish Autonomous Oblast|autonomous oblast]] in Russia.

The [[economy]] of Russia is one of the largest in the world. It ranks [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|11th in the world]] for highest [[nominal GDP]]. This is mainly because of the large amount of [[Natural resource|natural resources]] found in Russia. However, much of the land is either infertile or covered by [[permafrost]]. 
The [[Russian ruble|ruble]] is the official [[currency]] of Russia. 

The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] is the largest [[religion]] in Russia. Russia has the most [[Worship|followers]] of Eastern Orthodoxy out of any other country. About 75% of Russians are followers of Eastern Orthodoxy.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-24|title=ВЦИОМ: Православными себя считают 75% россиян. :: Общество :: РБК|url=https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/20100330161117.shtml|access-date=2023-05-05|language=Russian|archive-date=2018-07-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724002708/https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/20100330161117.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Russia is a very large and [[wikt:diverse|diverse]] country. From 1922 to 1991, it was the largest [[Republics of the Soviet Union|republic]] of the [[Soviet Union]]. The [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] (RSFSR) was based on [[communism]]. Today the government of Russia is a [[Federation|federal]] [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] [[republic]]. The [[President of Russia|President]] is chosen by [[direct election]]. Challenging [[candidate]]s do not have [[wikt:access|access]] to the [[mass media]]. They do have full access to [[social media]], [[internet]] [[news]] [[website]]s, and international media. [[Election]] results match [[wikt:domestic|domestic]], [[wikt:international|international]], and [[Exit poll|exit polling]]. The current President of Russia is [[Vladimir Putin]]. The country has turned towards an [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] [[dictatorship]] under Putin's rule.<ref name="Krzywdzinski"/><ref>{{cite web | title=Russia: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report | website=Freedom House | date=2019-07-20 | url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/russia/freedom-world/2023 | access-date=2023-04-17 | archive-date=2023-04-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418072852/https://freedomhouse.org/country/russia/freedom-world/2023 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cia"/><ref name="authoritarianness"/> The President rules the country, and the [[Federal Assembly (Russia)|Russian Parliament]] plays a [[wikt:secondary|secondary]] role. Russia ranks low in [[Measurement|measurements]] of [[Human rights in Russia|human rights]] and [[freedom of the press]]. [[Corruption in Russia|Corruption]] is also seen as a big issue.<ref name="VOA">{{cite web |title=New Reports Highlight Russia's Deep-Seated Culture of Corruption |url=https://www.voanews.com/europe/new-reports-highlight-russias-deep-seated-culture-corruption |work=[[Voice of America]] |date=26 January 2020 |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-date=27 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127020812/https://www.voanews.com/europe/new-reports-highlight-russias-deep-seated-culture-corruption |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The name ''Russia'' comes from a [[Medieval Latin]] name for the [[Kievan Rus']].<ref>{{cite book|title=Webster's II New College Dictionary.|date=1999|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Co|isbn=978-0395962145|location=Boston|pages=970}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=|last=Kuchkin|first=V. A.|publisher=Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Ladomir|year=2014|editor-last=Melnikova|editor-first=E. A.|location=Moscow|pages=700–701|language=ru|script-title=ru:Древняя Русь в средневековом мире|trans-title=Old Rus' in the medieval world|script-chapter=ru:Русская земля|trans-chapter=Russian land|editor-last2=Petrukhina|editor-first2=V. Ya.}}</ref> ''Rus''' comes from the name of the [[Rus' people]]. They were [[Norsemen|Norse]] [[Merchant|merchants]] who settled in northern Russia.<ref>{{cite book|title=Viking Rus|last=Duczko|first=Wladyslaw|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|year=2004|isbn=978-90-04-13874-2|pages=10–11}}</ref> Another Medieval Latin name for Rus' was [[Ruthenia]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Nazarenko|first=Aleksandr Vasilevich|publisher=Languages of the Rus' culture|year=2001|isbn=978-5-7859-0085-1|pages=40, 42–45, 49–50|language=ru|script-title=ru:Древняя Русь на международных путях: междисциплинарные очерки культурных, торговых, политических связей IX-XII веков|trans-title=Old Rus' on international routes: interdisciplinary essays on cultural, trade, and political ties in the 9th-12th centuries|chapter=1. Имя "Русь" в древнейшей западноевропейской языковой традиции (XI-XII века)|trans-chapter=The name Rus' in the old tradition of Western European language (XI-XII centuries)|author-link=Aleksandr Nazarenko|chapter-url=http://dgve.csu.ru/download/Nazarenko_2001_01.djvu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814143443/http://dgve.csu.ru/download/Nazarenko_2001_01.djvu|archive-date=14 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[wikt:current|current]] [[Russian language|Russian]] name for Russia ({{Lang|rus|Россия|italic=no}} / {{Lang|rus-latn|Rossiya}}) comes from the [[Byzantine Greek]] name for Rus' ({{Lang|grc|Ρωσία|italic=no}} / {{Lang|grc-latn|Rosía}}).<ref>{{cite book|title=The Russians: The People of Europe|url=https://archive.org/details/russians0000miln|last=Milner-Gulland|first=R. R.|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=1997|isbn=978-0-631-21849-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/russians0000miln/page/n22 1]–4}}</ref>

== History ==
{{main|History of Russia}}

=== Prehistory ===
{{See also|Proto-Indo-Europeans}}
The first humans went to Russia in the [[Oldowan]] period of the [[Lower Paleolithic]]. ''Homo erectus'' [[Migration|migrated]] to the [[Taman Peninsula]] of [[Southern Russia]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Shchelinsky|first1=V.E.|last2=Gurova|first2=M.|last3=Tesakov|first3=A.S.|last4=Titov|first4=V.V.|last5=Frolov|first5=P.D.|last6=Simakova|first6=A.N.|date=30 January 2016|title=The Early Pleistocene site of Kermek in western Ciscaucasia (southern Russia): Stratigraphy, biotic record and lithic industry (preliminary results)|journal=[[Quaternary International]]|volume=393|pages=51–69|bibcode=2016QuInt.393...51S|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2015.10.032}}</ref> [[Flint]] [[Stone tool|tools]] have been found in [[Dagestan]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Chepalyga|first1=A.L.|last2=Amirkhanov|first2=Kh.A.|last3=Trubikhin|first3=V.M.|last4=Sadchikova|first4=T.A.|last5=Pirogov|first5=A.N.|last6=Taimazov|first6=A.I.|year=2011|title=Geoarchaeology of the earliest paleolithic sites (Oldowan) in the North Caucasus and the East Europe|url=http://paleogeo.org/article3.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520090413/http://paleogeo.org/article3.html|archive-date=20 May 2013|access-date=18 December 2013}}</ref> Some of them were over 1.5 million years old. Many [[Fossil|fossils]] of [[Archaic human|ancient humans]] were found in [[Denisova Cave]] in the [[Altai Mountains]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Douka|first1=K.|year=2019|title=Age estimates for hominin fossils and the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic at Denisova Cave|url=https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1559&context=smhpapers1|journal=Nature|volume=565|issue=7741|pages=640–644|bibcode=2019Natur.565..640D|doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0870-z|pmid=30700871|s2cid=59525455|access-date=2023-05-25|archive-date=2020-05-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506140551/https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1559&context=smhpapers1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Warren|first=Matthew|date=22 August 2018|title=Mum's a Neanderthal, Dad's a Denisovan: First discovery of an ancient-human hybrid|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=560|issue=7719|pages=417–418|bibcode=2018Natur.560..417W|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-06004-0|pmid=30135540|doi-access=free}}</ref> Russia had some of the last living [[Neanderthal|Neanderthals]] around 45,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Igor V. Ovchinnikov|last2=Anders Götherström|last3=Galina P. Romanova|last4=Vitaliy M. Kharitonov|last5=Kerstin Lidén|last6=William Goodwin|date=30 March 2000|title=Molecular analysis of Neanderthal DNA from the northern Caucasus|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_nature-uk_2000-03-30_404_6777/page/490|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=404|issue=6777|pages=490–493|bibcode=2000Natur.404..490O|doi=10.1038/35006625|pmid=10761915|s2cid=3101375}}</ref> They were found in [[Mezmaiskaya cave|Mezmaiskaya Cave]] in [[Adygea]].

[[File:Ethnic map of Russia 2010.png|thumb|300px|left| Ethnic map of Russia (2010), with brown as Russians, green as [[Turkic peoples]].]]

The first known ''[[Homo sapiens]]'' ([[Ust'-Ishim man]]) in Russia lived around 45,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Fu Q, Li H, Moorjani P, Jay F, Slepchenko SM, Bondarev AA, Johnson PL, Aximu-Petri A, Prüfer K, de Filippo C, Meyer M, Zwyns N, Salazar-García DC, Kuzmin YV, Keates SG, Kosintsev PA, Razhev DI, Richards MP, Peristov NV, Lachmann M, Douka K, Higham TF, Slatkin M, Hublin JJ, Reich D, Kelso J, Viola TB, Pääbo S|date=23 October 2014|title=Genome sequence of a 45,000-year-old modern human from western Siberia|journal=Nature|volume=514|issue=7523|pages=445–449|bibcode=2014Natur.514..445F|doi=10.1038/nature13810|pmc=4753769|pmid=25341783|hdl=10550/42071}}</ref> They lived in [[Western Siberia]]. Fossils of [[Human|humans]] from around 40,000 years ago were found at the [[Archaeological site|archaeological sites]] of [[Kostyonki–Borshchyovo]] and [[Sungir]].<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Sikora, Martin ''et al.''|year=2017|title=Ancient genomes show social and reproductive behavior of early Upper Paleolithic foragers|journal=Science|volume=358|issue=6363|pages=659–662|bibcode=2017Sci...358..659S|doi=10.1126/science.aao1807|pmid=28982795|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dinnis|first1=Rob|last2=Bessudnov|first2=Alexander|last3=Reynolds|first3=Natasha|last4=Devièse|first4=Thibaut|last5=Pate|first5=Abi|last6=Sablin|first6=Mikhail|last7=Sinitsyn|first7=Andrei|last8=Higham|first8=Thomas|year=2019|title=New data for the Early Upper Paleolithic of Kostenki (Russia)|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01982049/file/Dinnis%20et%20al%202019%20New%20data%20for%20the%20EUP%20of%20Kostenki%20%28green%20open-access%20post-print%29.pdf|journal=[[Journal of Human Evolution]]|volume=127|pages=21–40|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.11.012|pmid=30777356|s2cid=73486830|access-date=2023-05-25|archive-date=2022-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405163036/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01982049/file/Dinnis%20et%20al%202019%20New%20data%20for%20the%20EUP%20of%20Kostenki%20%28green%20open-access%20post-print%29.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Both of these places are in [[European Russia]]. Humans got to [[Arctic Russia]] at least 40,000 years ago. Fossils and [[Artifact (culture)|artifacts]] were found at [[Mamontovaya Kurya]] in the [[Komi Republic]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Pavlov|first=Pavel|author2=John Inge Svendsen|author3=Svein Indrelid|date=6 September 2001|title=Human presence in the European Arctic nearly 40,000 years ago|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_nature-uk_2001-09-06_413_6851/page/64|journal=Nature|volume=413|issue=6851|pages=64–67|bibcode=2001Natur.413...64P|doi=10.1038/35092552|pmid=11544525|s2cid=1986562}}</ref>

The [[Kurgan hypothesis]] says that the [[Volga]]-[[Dnieper]] region of southern Russia and [[Ukraine]] is the [[homeland]] of the [[Proto-Indo-Europeans]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Anthony|first1=David W.|last2=Ringe|first2=Don|date=1 January 2015|title=The Indo-European Homeland from Linguistic and Archaeological Perspectives|journal=Annual Review of Linguistics|volume=1|issue=1|pages=199–219|doi=10.1146/annurev-linguist-030514-124812|issn=2333-9683}}</ref> The Indo-Europeans moved across many parts of [[Eurasia]] and spread the [[Indo-European languages]] and [[Yamnaya]] [[ancestry]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Haak|first1=Wolfgang|last2=Lazaridis|first2=Iosif|last3=Patterson|first3=Nick|last4=Rohland|first4=Nadin|last5=Mallick|first5=Swapan|last6=Llamas|first6=Bastien|last7=Brandt|first7=Guido|last8=Nordenfelt|first8=Susanne|last9=Harney|first9=Eadaoin|last10=Stewardson|first10=Kristin|last11=Fu|first11=Qiaomei|date=2015-06-11|title=Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe|journal=Nature|volume=522|issue=7555|pages=207–211|arxiv=1502.02783|bibcode=2015Natur.522..207H|doi=10.1038/nature14317|issn=0028-0836|pmc=5048219|pmid=25731166}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Gibbons|first=Ann|date=10 June 2015|title=Nomadic herders left a strong genetic mark on Europeans and Asians|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/nomadic-herders-left-strong-genetic-mark-europeans-and-asians|journal=Science|publisher=AAAS|access-date=25 May 2023|archive-date=2 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902191050/https://www.science.org/content/article/nomadic-herders-left-strong-genetic-mark-europeans-and-asians|url-status=live}}</ref> Artifacts from these [[Civilization|civilizations]] were found in [[Ipatovo kurgan|Ipatovo]],<ref name="Belinskij">{{Cite journal |last1=Belinskij |first1=Andrej |last2=Härke |first2=Heinrich |title=The 'Princess' of Ipatovo |journal=Archeology |volume=52 |issue=2 |year=1999 |url=http://cat.he.net/~archaeol/9903/newsbriefs/ipatovo.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610043326/http://cat.he.net/~archaeol/9903/newsbriefs/ipatovo.html |archive-date=10 June 2008 |access-date=26 December 2007}}</ref> [[Sintashta]],<ref name="mounted">{{Cite book|title=Early Riders: The beginnings of mounted warfare in Asia and Europe|author=Drews, Robert|publisher=Routledge|year=2004|isbn=978-0-415-32624-7|location=New York|page=50}}</ref> [[Arkaim]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Koryakova, L.|title=Sintashta-Arkaim Culture|url=http://www.csen.org/koryakova2/Korya.Sin.Ark.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228104055/http://www.csen.org/koryakova2/Korya.Sin.Ark.html|archive-date=28 February 2019|access-date=13 May 2021|publisher=The Center for the Study of the Eurasian Nomads (CSEN)}}</ref> and [[Pazyryk burials|Pazyryk]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1998 NOVA documentary: "Ice Mummies: Siberian Ice Maiden"|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2517siberian.html|access-date=13 May 2021|work=Transcript|archive-date=4 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204101907/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2517siberian.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The earliest known use of [[Horses in warfare|horses in war]] was found in these places as well.<ref name="mounted" /> This region is known as the [[Pontic–Caspian steppe]]. It was named [[Scythia]] in [[classical antiquity]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Rostovtsev|first=M.|date=January 1921|title=South Russia in the Prehistoric and Classical Period|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_american-historical-review_1921-01_26_2/page/203|journal=[[The American Historical Review]]|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|volume=26|pages=203–224|doi=10.2307/1835935|jstor=1835935|number=2}}</ref>

=== Antiquity ===
{{See also|Scythia|Goths|Huns|Khazars}}
In the late [[8th century]], [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] traders [[Settler|settled]] Scythia.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Art of the Scythians: The Interpenetration of Cultures at the Edge of the Hellenic World|author=Jacobson, E.|publisher=Brill|year=1995|isbn=978-90-04-09856-5|page=38}}</ref><ref name="CUP1">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Hind|first=John|title=The Bosporan Kingdom|encyclopedia=The Cambridge Ancient History|volume=VI - The 4th Century BC|pages=476–511|editor1-last=Lewis|editor1-first=D. M.|editor2-last=Boardman|editor2-first=J.|editor3-last=Hornblower|editor3-first=S.|editor4-last=Ostwald|editor4-first=M.|publisher=CUP|location=Cambridge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Greek Colonisation of the Black Sea Area: Historical Interpretation of Archaeology|author=Tsetskhladze, G. R.|publisher=F. Steiner|year=1998|isbn=978-3-515-07302-8|page=48}}</ref> It became part of the [[Kingdom of Pontus]] in 107 BC until Pontus was conquered by the [[Roman Empire]]. The Bosporan Kingdom became a [[client state]] of the Roman Empire until the Bosporan Kingdom was conquered by the [[Nomad|nomadic]] [[Huns]] and [[Pannonian Avars]].<ref>Peter Turchin, ''Historical Dynamics: Why States Rise and Fall'', Princeton University Press, 2003, pp. 185–186. {{ISBN|0-691-11669-5}}.</ref> The [[Khazars]] ruled the lower [[Volga]] [[River basin|basin]] [[Steppe|steppes]] until the [[8th century|8th century AD]].<ref name="Christian">David Christian, ''A History of Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia'', Blackwell Publishing, 1998, pp. 286–288. {{ISBN|0-631-20814-3}}.</ref> They were important [[Alliance|allies]] of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]].<ref>András Róna-Tas, ''Hungarians and Europe in the Early Middle Ages: An Introduction to Early Hungarian History'', Central European University Press, 1999, p. 257. {{ISBN|963-9116-48-3}}.</ref>

=== Kievan Rus' ===
{{Main|Kievan Rus'|East Slavs}}
Russia's history began when the [[Slavic peoples|East Slavs]] settled Western Russia between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD.<ref name="britannica">{{cite web|title=Russia|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109504/Russia|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|accessdate=2008-01-31|archive-date=2008-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722203739/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109504/Russia|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Varangians]] and their [[Generation|descendants]] made the first East Slavic [[state]] of [[Kievan Rus']] in the 9th century. They adopted [[Christianity]] from the [[Byzantine Empire]] in 988.<ref name="Curtis">{{cite web|year=1998|editor=Glenn E. Curtis|title=Russia: A Country Study: Kievan Rus' and Mongol Periods|url=http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Kievan.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230631/http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Kievan.html|archive-date=2007-09-27|publisher=Washington, DC: Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress|accessdate=2007-07-20}}</ref> This form of Christianity influenced Russian culture greatly.<ref name="Curtis" /> Kievan Rus' eventually broke up and the lands were divided into many small [[Feudalism|feudal states]]. The most powerful successor state to Kievan Rus' was the [[Grand Duchy of Moscow]].<ref>Mick C. (8 March 2022) [https://theconversation.com/how-moscow-has-long-used-the-historic-kyivan-rus-state-to-justify-expansionism-178092 How Moscow has long used the historic Kyivan Rus state to justify expansionism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229192022/https://theconversation.com/how-moscow-has-long-used-the-historic-kyivan-rus-state-to-justify-expansionism-178092 |date=2022-12-29 }}. ''The Conversation''</ref> This area served as the main force in later Russian unification and the fight against the [[Golden Horde]] from Asia. Moscow slowly gained control of the regions around it and took over the cultural and political life of Kievan Rus'.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kievian Russia|url=https://www.expresstorussia.com/experience-russia/kievian-russia.html|access-date=2022-12-29|website=Express to Russia|archive-date=2022-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229192025/https://www.expresstorussia.com/experience-russia/kievian-russia.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Tsardom of Russia ===
Tsardom of Russia existed from 1547 to 1721. [[Ivan the Terrible]] was the main ruler of the Tsardom of Russia. He created [[oprichnina]] and annexed many lands ([[Astrakhan]], [[Siberia]]).

=== Russian Empire ===
[[File:Peter der-Grosse 1838.jpg|upright|thumbnail|[[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] proclaimed the [[Russian Empire]] in 1721]]
In the 18th century, the nation had expanded through conquest, [[annexation]] and [[exploration]]. So [[Russian Empire]], the third-largest empire in history, was formed. It stretched from the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]] eastward to the [[Pacific Ocean]] and [[Alaska]]. The empire was ruled by an [[emperor]] called the [[Tsar]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=tsar {{!}} title {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/tsar|access-date=2022-12-29|website=www.britannica.com|language=en|archive-date=2023-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226161343/https://www.britannica.com/topic/tsar|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Peter the Great]] ruled Russia from 1689 until 1725.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Peter I {{!}} Biography, Accomplishments, Reforms, Facts, Significance, & Death {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-the-Great|access-date=2022-12-29|website=www.britannica.com|language=en|archive-date=2019-10-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011215025/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Peter-the-Great|url-status=live}}</ref> Peter moved the capital from [[Moscow]] to a new city named [[Saint Petersburg]]. He made Russian society more modern in many ways. For example, his inspectors shaved off the beards of [[passers-by]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Winterhalter|first=Elizabeth|date=2021-07-22|title=Peter the Great's Beard Tax|url=https://daily.jstor.org/peter-the-greats-beard-tax/|access-date=2022-12-29|website=JSTOR Daily|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229194015/https://daily.jstor.org/peter-the-greats-beard-tax/|url-status=live}}</ref> The government began building ships for the Russian navy.<ref name=":1" />

The [[Russo-Japanese War]] started in 1904 and ended in 1905 with Japan winning the war.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russo-Japanese War {{!}} Causes, Summary, Maps, & Significance {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Russo-Japanese-War|access-date=2022-12-29|website=www.britannica.com|language=en|archive-date=2022-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230070745/https://www.britannica.com/event/Russo-Japanese-War|url-status=live}}</ref> The Russian defeat was one of the reasons for later [[revolution]]s.

=== Russian Republic ===
{{main|Russian Republic}}
1917 was a period of [[Russian Revolution|revolutions]] in Russia. The Government was dissolved after [[October Revolution]] in 1917.  The [[Bolshevik]]s (later called "[[Communism|Communists]]") took over the country. They murdered the [[Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar Nicholas II]], as well as other people who stood against them.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uBfnjdxFUkUC&pg=PA29|title=The Russian Revolution, 1917|last1=Wade|first1=Rex A.|last2=Wade|first2=Rex A.|date=2005-04-21|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-84155-9|language=en|access-date=2023-02-04|archive-date=2023-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122071934/https://books.google.com/books?id=uBfnjdxFUkUC&pg=PA29|url-status=live}}</ref> The Bolsheviks, led by [[Vladimir Lenin]] and [[Leon Trotsky]], created the first [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[communist]] state. The Duma declared a [[Russian Provisional Government|Provisional Government]]. It was better known as the [[:en:Russian Republic|Russian Republic]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927175125/http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=221104 The Russian Revolution] in the [[History (TV channel)|History Channel]] Encyclopedia.</ref> Vladimir Lenin was the [[Premier of the Soviet Union|head of government]] of [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Soviet Russia]] from 1917 to 1924. The Russian Republic existed from 1917 to 1918.

=== USSR ===

From 1924 to 1953, [[Joseph Stalin]] ruled as the absolute dictator of [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Joseph Stalin: Death, Quotes & Facts|url=https://www.history.com/topics/russia/joseph-stalin|access-date=2022-12-31|website=HISTORY|language=en|archive-date=2018-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912144422/https://www.history.com/topics/russia/joseph-stalin|url-status=live}}</ref> He destroyed anything and anyone that was against his rule. For example, he took the property of farmers and shopkeepers.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Volin|first=Lazar|date=1937|title=Agrarian Collectivism in the Soviet Union: I|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1825998|journal=Journal of Political Economy|volume=45|issue=5|pages=606–633|doi=10.1086/255112|jstor=1825998|s2cid=153383788|issn=0022-3808|access-date=2023-01-03|archive-date=2023-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103152446/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1825998|url-status=live}}</ref> Many millions of people starved and died in [[famine]]s because of this.<ref>McCauley, Martin (2013). ''Stalin and Stalinism''. Routledge. p. 43.</ref> Stalin also removed, or "purged", all military members who were not loyal to him.  Many people were killed or sent to prison camps, or [[gulag]]s, for many years.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Gulag|url=https://www.history.com/topics/russia/gulag|access-date=2023-01-03|website=HISTORY|language=en|archive-date=2020-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201234837/https://www.history.com/topics/russia/gulag|url-status=live}}</ref> Many prisoners died in gulags.<ref name=":2" />

Soviet Russia and [[Nazi Germany]] agreed not to attack each other in 1939.<ref>{{Cite web|title=German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact {{!}} History, Facts, & Significance {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/German-Soviet-Nonaggression-Pact|access-date=2023-01-03|website=www.britannica.com|language=en|archive-date=2009-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826044040/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/230972/German-Soviet-Nonaggression-Pact|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 1941, Germany broke the agreement and attacked in [[Operation Barbarossa]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Invasion of the Soviet Union, June 1941|url=https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-the-soviet-union-june-1941|access-date=2023-01-03|website=encyclopedia.ushmm.org|language=en|archive-date=2023-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102194251/https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-the-soviet-union-june-1941|url-status=live}}</ref> The attack was part of [[World War II]].<ref name=":3" /> The war lasted in Europe until May 1945, and Russia lost more than 20 million people during that time. In spite of this large loss, Russia was one of the winners of the war and became a world [[superpower]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Is Russia a superpower? Very doubtful|url=https://voxukraine.org/en/is-russia-a-superpower-very-doubtful|access-date=2023-01-03|website=voxukraine.org|language=en-US|archive-date=2023-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103153502/https://voxukraine.org/en/is-russia-a-superpower-very-doubtful|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1961, [[Yuri Gagarin]] flew into [[Outer space|space]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/vostok1firsthuma0000cole|title=Vostok 1 : first human in space|last=Cole|first=Michael D.|date=1995|publisher=Springfield, N.J. : Enslow Publishers|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-89490-541-4}}</ref> He was the first man who was in space.<ref name=":4" /> Since this period USSR was considered to be a space power.  It was during the [[Space Race|space race]] between USSR and USA.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Space Race|url=https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/space-race|access-date=2023-01-03|website=HISTORY|language=en|archive-date=2022-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330020539/https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/space-race|url-status=live}}</ref>

From 1922 to 1991, Russia was the largest part of the [[Soviet Union]], or the ''Union of Soviet Socialist Republics'' (USSR). People sometimes used the name "Russia" for the whole Soviet Union, or sometimes "Soviet Russia".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2002-09-04|title=Article One: Declaration of Rights of the Laboring and Exploited People|url=http://russiannewsnetwork.com/article1.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020904232218/http://russiannewsnetwork.com/article1.html|archive-date=2002-09-04|access-date=2023-01-03}}</ref> Russia was only one of 15 [[Soviet Socialist Republic]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Klein|first=Christopher|title=What Countries Were Part of the Soviet Union?|url=https://www.history.com/news/what-countries-were-in-soviet-union|access-date=2023-01-03|website=HISTORY|language=en|archive-date=2023-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103153503/https://www.history.com/news/what-countries-were-in-soviet-union|url-status=live}}</ref> The republic was in fact named the "Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" (RSFSR).

The Soviet Union fell apart in 1991.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kramer|first=Mark|date=2003|title=Introduction|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26925259|journal=Journal of Cold War Studies|volume=5|issue=1|pages=3–16|doi=10.1162/152039703322483747|jstor=26925259|issn=1520-3972|access-date=2023-01-03|archive-date=2023-01-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103153502/https://www.jstor.org/stable/26925259|url-status=live}}</ref> Russia took over the place of the USSR in the [[United Nations]] (UN).

=== History of present Russian Federation ===
[[File:Moscow, City May 2010 03.JPG|thumb|[[Moscow International Business Center]] under construction]]
[[Boris Yeltsin]] was made the President of Russia in June 1991, in the first direct presidential election in Russian history. Wide-ranging reforms took place, for example [[privatization]] and [[free trade]] laws.<ref name="OECD">{{cite web|title=Russian Federation|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/7/50/2452793.pdf|publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)|accessdate=24 February 2008|archive-date=26 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226203432/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/7/50/2452793.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Radical changes ([[shock therapy]]) were recommended by the United States and [[International Monetary Fund]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=Sciolino, E.|date=21 December 1993|title=U.S. is abandoning 'shock therapy' for the Russians|work=The New York Times|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEED91F39F932A15751C1A965958260|accessdate=20 January 2008|archive-date=19 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919021034/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEED91F39F932A15751C1A965958260|url-status=live}}</ref> A major economic crisis followed. There was 50% decline in [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] and industrial output between 1990 and 1995.<ref name="OECD" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Russia: Economic Conditions in Mid-1996|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ru0119)|publisher=Library of Congress|accessdate=4 March 2011|archive-date=26 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726090900/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd%2Fcstdy%3A%40field%28DOCID+ru0119%29|url-status=live}}</ref>

The privatization largely shifted control of enterprises from state agencies to individuals with inside connections in the government system. Many of the newly rich business people took billions in cash and assets outside of the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russia: Clawing Its Way Back to Life (int'l edition)|url=http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_48/b3657252.htm|work=BusinessWeek|accessdate=27 December 2007|archive-date=31 August 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000831004712/http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_48/b3657252.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The depression of state and economy led to the collapse of social services. Millions went into poverty, from 1.5% of people being in poverty in the late Soviet era to 39–49% by mid-1993.<ref name="worldbank">{{Cite book|title=Income, Inequality, and Poverty During the Transformation from Planned to Market Economy|author=Branko Milanovic|publisher=The World Bank|year=1998|pages=186–189}}</ref> The 1990s had extreme corruption and lawlessness, and the rise of criminal gangs and violent crime.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Jason Bush|date=19 October 2006|title=What's Behind Russia's Crime Wave?|url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2006/gb20061019_110749_page_2.htm|journal=BusinessWeek Journal|access-date=13 December 2012|archive-date=20 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220105050/http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2006/gb20061019_110749_page_2.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 1990s had many armed conflicts in the [[North Caucasus]]. There were both local ethnic battles and [[separatist]] [[Islamist]] insurrections. Because the [[Chechnya|Chechen]] separatists declared independence in the early 1990s, a Chechen War was fought between the rebel groups and the Russian military. [[Terrorist]] attacks against [[civilian]]s caused hundreds of deaths. The most notable of these were the [[Moscow theater hostage crisis]] and [[Beslan school siege]].

Russia took responsibility for settling the USSR's external debts, even though its population made up just half of the population of the USSR at the time of its dissolution.<ref>{{cite web|date=22 August 2006|title=Russia pays off USSR's entire debt, sets to become crediting country|url=http://english.pravda.ru/russia/economics/22-08-2006/84038-paris-club-0|publisher=Pravda.ru|accessdate=27 December 2007|archive-date=19 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819095949/http://english.pravda.ru/russia/economics/22-08-2006/84038-paris-club-0|url-status=live}}</ref> High budget [[Economic deficit|deficits]] caused the [[1998 Russian financial crisis]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Aslund A|title=Russia's Capitalist Revolution|url=http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/aslund0108.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030126/http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/aslund0108.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|accessdate=28 March 2008}}</ref> and resulted in more GDP decline.<ref name="OECD" />

On 31 December 1999, President Yeltsin [[Resignation|resigned]] (quit being the president). The job of president was given to the recently [[Appointment|appointed]] Prime Minister, [[Vladimir Putin]]. Putin then won the 2000 presidential election. Putin stopped the Chechen rebellion quickly, but violence still occurs in the Northern Caucasus at times.

High oil prices and initially weak [[currency]] followed by increasing [[Demand|domestic demand]], [[Consumption (economics)|consumption]] and [[investment]]s has helped the economy grow for nine straight years. This improved the standard of living and increased Russia's influence on the world stage. While many reforms made during the Putin presidency have been criticized by Western nations as un-democratic,<ref>{{cite web|author=Treisman, D|title=Is Russia's Experiment with Democracy Over?|url=http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=16294|publisher=UCLA International Institute|accessdate=31 December 2007|archive-date=11 November 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041111074502/http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=16294|url-status=live}}</ref> Putin's leadership led to [[stability]] and progress. This won him widespread popularity in Russia.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Stone, N|date=4 December 2007|title=No wonder they like Putin|work=The Times|location=UK|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2994651.ece|accessdate=31 December 2007|archive-date=25 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525073652/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2994651.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 2 March 2008, [[Dmitry Medvedev]] was elected [[President of Russia]], whilst Putin became [[Prime Minister of Russia|Prime Minister]]. Putin went back to being the president after the 2012 presidential elections, and Medvedev was made the Prime Minister.

On 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine, starting the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Osborn|first1=Andrew|last2=Nikolskaya|first2=Polina|last3=Nikolskaya|first3=Polina|date=2022-02-24|title=Russia's Putin authorises 'special military operation' against Ukraine|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-putin-authorises-military-operations-donbass-domestic-media-2022-02-24/|access-date=2022-12-31|archive-date=2022-02-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224032217/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-putin-authorises-military-operations-donbass-domestic-media-2022-02-24/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 23 June 2023, [[Wagner Group|the Wagner Group]], a Russian [[paramilitary]] organization, initiated a [[rebellion]] against the government of Russia. The revolt arose amidst escalating tensions between the [[:en:Ministry_of_Defence_(Russia)|Russian Ministry of Defense]] and [[Yevgeny Prigozhin]], the leader of [[Wagner Group|Wagner]].

== Size and resources ==
At {{convert|17075400|km2|mi2}}, Russia is the [[largest country in the world]]. It covers more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the world's eighth [[List of countries by population|most populous nation]] with 140&nbsp;million people as of 2022. Russia produces a lot of energy made from [[oil]] and [[natural gas]].<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/4883,news-comment,news-politics,beware-russia-energy-superpower
|title=Beware Russia, energy superpower
|work=thefirstpost.co.uk
|accessdate=14 April 2010
|archive-date=11 October 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011081110/http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/4883,news-comment,news-politics,beware-russia-energy-superpower
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

Russia extends from eastern [[Europe]] across the whole of [[Asia|northern Asia]]. Russia spans eleven [[time zones]] and has a wide range of [[environments]] and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unesco.ru/en/?module=pages&action=view&id=1|title=Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO: Panorama of Russia|publisher=Unesco.ru|accessdate=29 October 2010|archive-date=23 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323113010/http://www.unesco.ru/en/?module=pages&action=view&id=1|url-status=live}}</ref> and is the largest producer of [[oil]] and [[natural gas]] in the world.<ref name=IEA-Oil>{{Cite web |url=http://omrpublic.iea.org/omrarchive/18jan12sup.pdf |title=Supply of oil: IEA archive |access-date=2012-12-13 |archive-date=2012-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518015934/http://omrpublic.iea.org/omrarchive/18jan12sup.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=cia-gas>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2180rank.html |title=CIA World Factbook |access-date=2012-12-13 |archive-date=2012-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129080858/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2180rank.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Russia has the world's largest [[forest]] reserves,<ref name="fao.org">{{Cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1757e/i1757e.pdf |title=FAO. 2010. Global Forest Resources Assesment 2010. Main Report. FAO Forestry Working Paper 163, Rome, Italy |access-date=2012-12-13 |archive-date=2015-05-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501011053/http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1757e/i1757e.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="FAO 2010">[http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i1757r/i1757r.pdf FAO. 2010. Global Forest Resources Assesment 2010. Main Report. FAO Forestry Working Paper 163, Rome, Italy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018091350/http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i1757r/i1757r.pdf |date=2012-10-18 }} {{in lang|ru}}</ref> and its [[lakes]] contain about one-quarter of the world's [[fresh water]].<ref name=loc>{{cite web|last=Library of Congress|title=Topography and drainage|url=http://countrystudies.us/russia/23.htm|accessdate=26 December 2007|archive-date=27 September 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927170546/http://countrystudies.us/russia/23.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Constitution ==
Russia is a federal semi-presidential republic. It has a president and a [[parliament]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Constitution of the Russian Federation|work=(Article 80, §1)|url=http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-05.htm|accessdate=27 December 2007|archive-date=12 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212183338/http://www.constitution.ru/en/10003000-05.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Russia has 85 federal subjects (territorial units). All subjects of the [[federation]] shall be equal. All entities are subject to uniform federal law. Subjects of the federation have two representatives in the parliament. Subjects of the Russian Federation do not have the right to [[secession|secede]] from it. Important issues are decided by the Federation President. Lesser powers are given to the member republics.

At the end of the twentieth century, Russia experienced many political changes. Some people fought to leave the federation.

Elections are held at all levels. According to Steve White, the present government made it clear that they had no plans of making a "second edition" of the American or British political system. Instead they wanted a system that was closer to Russia's own traditions.<ref>{{cite book|last1=White|first1=Stephen|editor1-first=Stephen|editor1-last=White|title=Developments in Russian Politics 7|year=2010|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|location=New York|isbn=978-0-230-22449-0|chapter=Classifying Russia's Politics}}</ref> Richard Sakwa wrote that the [[Government of Russia|Russian government]] is considered legitimate by the majority of the Russian people. It seeks to deliver a set of public goods without trying to fit to extra-democratic logic to achieve them. Whether the system is becoming less [[autocratic]] ([[dictator]]ial) is debatable.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sakwa|first1=Richard|editor1-first=Stephen|editor1-last=White|title=Developments in Russian Politics 7|year=2010|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|location=New York|isbn=978-0-230-22449-0|chapter=Politics in Russia}}</ref>

=== Politics ===
There are four big political parties in Russia. [[United Russia]] (Единая Россия) is the biggest party.<ref name=":0">Reuter, Ora John (March 2010). "[https://ojreuter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Reuter_EAStudies.pdf The Politics of Dominant Party Formation: United Russia and Russia's Governors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324085847/https://ojreuter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Reuter_EAStudies.pdf |date=2023-03-24 }}". ''Europe-Asia Studies''. Taylor & Francis. '''62''' (2): 293–327</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=1 | Name
! Ideology
! Leader
! [[Member of Parliament|MPs]]<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/russia/#government Russia.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109173026/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/russia/#government |date=2021-01-09 }} The World Factbook.</ref>
|-
| [[United Russia]]<br><small>''Единая Россия''</small>
| [[Conservatism]], [[Centrism]]
| [[Dmitry Medvedev]]
| align="right"| 324
|-
| [[Communist Party of the Russian Federation]]<br><small>''Коммунистическая партия Российской Федерации''</small>
| [[Communism]], [[Marxism-Leninism]]
| [[Gennady Zyuganov]]
| align="right"| 57
|-
| [[A Just Russia]]<br><small>''Справедливая Россия''</small>
| [[Social democracy]], [[Democratic socialism]]
| [[Sergei Mironov]]
| align="right" | 27
|-
| [[Liberal Democratic Party of Russia]]<br><small>''Либерально-Демократическая Партия России''</small>
| [[Nationalism]], Authoritarian conservatism
| Leonid Slutsky
| align="right" | 21
|-
| New People<br><small>''Новые люди''</small>
| [[Liberalism]]<ref name="parties-and-elections.eu"/>
| Alexey Nechayev
| align="right" | 13
|-
|[[Civic Platform (Russia)|Civic Platform]]
''<small>Гражданская платформа</small>''
|[[Conservatism]], [[Economic liberalism]]
[[Liberal conservatism]]
|[[Rifat Shaykhutdinov]]
|align="right" |1
|-
| Party of Growth<br><small>''Партия роста''</small>
| [[Liberal conservatism]]<ref name="parties-and-elections.eu">{{Cite web |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/russia.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |access-date=2022-07-01 |archive-date=2017-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322072643/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/russia.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Boris Titov<ref>[https://www.orfonline.org/research/political-opposition-russia-2018-composition-challenges-prospects/ Political opposition in Russia in 2018: Composition, challenges and prospects.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220712224759/https://www.orfonline.org/research/political-opposition-russia-2018-composition-challenges-prospects/ |date=2022-07-12 }} ORF</ref>
| align="right" | 1
|-
|[[Rodina (political party)|Rodina]]
<small>''Родина''</small>
|[[Russian nationalism]]
[[National conservatism]]
|[[Aleksey Zhuravlyov (politician)|Alexey Zhuravlyov]]
|align="right" |1
|-
|Independent
|
|
|align="right" |5
|-
|'''''<big>Total</big>'''''
|
|
|align="right" | '''''450'''''
|}

The United Russia is the ruling party, which supports the government.<ref name=":0" /> The other parties in the Duma (Russian parliament) do not criticize the government strongly, for fear of losing their places in the [[Duma]]. Many [[Opposition party|opposition parties]], for the ''People's Freedom Party'' and the ''Other Russia,'' have been unable to register due to the strict rules. In the 2000s, the government led a war in [[Chechnya]], and in the process, [[civil liberties]] and independent media were restricted. Corruption is widespread and human rights, especially in the [[North Caucasus]], are frequently violated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.assembly.coe.int/committeedocs/2010/20100531_caucasus_e.pdf |title=Legal remedies for human rights violations in the NorthCaucasus Region |access-date=2022-12-29 |archive-date=2022-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229190716/http://www.assembly.coe.int/committeedocs/2010/20100531_caucasus_e.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2008, Putin's government was in a [[2008 South Ossetia war|war with Georgia]] in a dispute over a region with many ethnic Russians.

== Geography ==
The most western point of Russia is near [[Kaliningrad]], formerly named [[Königsberg]]. The most eastern point of Russia is Diomid Island, 35&nbsp;km from mainland [[Chukotka Autonomous Okrug|Chukotka]] (Russia) and {{convert|35|km|mi}} from [[Alaska]] ([[USA]]). The most southern point is in [[Caucasus]], on the border with [[Azerbaijan]]. The most northern point is on the [[Franz Josef Land]] [[archipelago]] in [[Arctic Ocean]], {{convert|900|km|mi}} from the [[North Pole]].

=== Cities and towns ===
{{Main|List of cities and towns in Russia by population|List of cities and towns in Russia}}

Russia's capital and biggest city is [[Moscow]]. The second biggest city is [[Saint Petersburg]], which was the capital of Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries.

=== Administrative divisions ===
{{Main|Federal subjects of Russia}}
Russia is divided into many different types of [[administrative division]]s. Some of these are called [[Federal subjects of Russia|federal subjects]]. They are the top-level subdivision of Russia. Other types of Russian subdivisions include [[Federal districts of Russia|federal districts]] and [[Economic regions of Russia|economic regions]].[[File:Map_of_federal_subjects_of_Russia_(2012).svg|thumb|center|500px|Federal subjects of the Russian Federation]]

== Demographics ==
<div style="font-size: 90%">
{| class="wikitable" border="1" table cellspacing="0" style="border:1px black; float:left; margin-left:1em;"
! style="background-color: #F99;" colspan="2"|Ethnic composition (2010)
|-
|[[Russians]]||80.90%
|-
|[[Tatars]]||3.87%
|-
|[[Ukrainians]]||1.40%
|-
|[[Bashkirs]]||1.15%
|-
|[[Chuvash people|Chuvash]]||1.05%
|-
|[[Chechen people|Chechen]]||1.04%
|-
|[[Armenians]]||0.86%
|-
|Other/unspecified||9.73%
|}

{{clear}}
</div>
[[File:Population of Russia.PNG|thumbnail|right|Population (in millions) 1950–January 2009.]]

Russia has a [[population]] of 142 million people. Most people (73.7%) live in cities. The population decreased by 5 million people after the fall of the [[Soviet Union]]. The current population growth is close to zero, and the population went down by 0.085% in 2008.

Russia's area is about 17 million square kilometers (6.5 million sq. mi.). It is the largest country in the world.<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/largest.html Largest Countries in the World] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903114350/http://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/largest.html |date=2011-09-03 }} Infoplease - Accessed 7 September 2011</ref> Its [[population density]] is about 8.3 people per square kilometre (21.5 per sq. mi.). This is one of the lowest country densities in the world. The population is most dense in the European part of the country, centering around [[Moscow]] and [[Saint Petersburg]]. [[Siberia]] has a very low density.

=== Religion ===
[[File:Moscow - Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.jpg|thumbnail|upright|[[Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Moscow)|Cathedral of Christ the Saviour]], demolished during the Soviet period, was reconstructed from 1990 to 2000.]]

The main [[religion]] in Russia is the [[Russian Orthodox Church]]. It is one of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es.<ref>"[https://docviewer.yandex.com/view/0/?*=rvAv5PGTc%2Fw%2BBFV6QOUZtaf5gYF7InVybCI6InlhLWRpc2stcHVibGljOi8vMWV1aDl5RDFpcnZKeVZNNSswWWFaZktqRFhoOXZDNWhldUlGTU5uQU4zQT0iLCJ0aXRsZSI6IlNyZWRhX2Jsb2tfcHJlc3Nfc20yLnBkZiIsInVpZCI6IjAiLCJub2lmcmFtZSI6ZmFsc2UsInRzIjoxNTI0NDg3NTUzMTcwfQ%3D%3D&page=1 Арена: Атлас религий и национальностей] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508195328/https://docviewer.yandex.com/view/0/?*=rvAv5PGTc%2Fw%2BBFV6QOUZtaf5gYF7InVybCI6InlhLWRpc2stcHVibGljOi8vMWV1aDl5RDFpcnZKeVZNNSswWWFaZktqRFhoOXZDNWhldUlGTU5uQU4zQT0iLCJ0aXRsZSI6IlNyZWRhX2Jsb2tfcHJlc3Nfc20yLnBkZiIsInVpZCI6IjAiLCJub2lmcmFtZSI6ZmFsc2UsInRzIjoxNTI0NDg3NTUzMTcwfQ%3D%3D&page=1 |date=2019-05-08 }}" [Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities] (PDF). Среда (Sreda). 2012.</ref> 
{{clear}}

== Culture ==
=== Music and ballet ===
[[File:Peter Tschaikowski.jpg|thumbnail|[[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]] (1840–1893), composer.|243x243px]]
Some very famous [[composer]]s that were born in Russia during the 20th century were [[Alexander Scriabin]], [[Igor Stravinsky]], [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]], [[Sergei Prokofiev]], and [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]. Russia has produced some of the greatest [[pianists]]: [[Anton Rubinstein]], [[Vladimir Horowitz]] and [[Vladimir Ashkenazy]] are among the all-time greats.

Russian composer [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky]] created famous ballets, for example [[The Nutcracker]]. The impressario [[Sergei Diaghilev]] was responsible for the development of ballet in the early 20th century with the [[Ballets Russes]]. Dance companies at the [[Mariinsky Theatre]] and the [[Bolshoi Theatre|Bolshoi Ballet]] produced many famous [[dancer]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://petersburgcity.com/news/culture/2005/11/18/theatre/|title=A Tale of Two Operas|publisher=Petersburg City|accessdate=2008-01-11|archive-date=2020-05-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507180340/http://petersburgcity.com/news/culture/2005/11/18/theatre/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Literature ===
[[File:L.N.Tolstoy Prokudin-Gorsky.jpg|thumbnail|right|258x258px|[[Leo Tolstoy]] wrote ''[[War and Peace]]''.]]

Russians have made many famous works of [[literature]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761564269/Russian_Literature.html|title=Russian Literature|last=Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2007|accessdate=2008-01-07|archive-date=2009-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820090445/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761564269/Russian_Literature.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Alexander Pushkin]] is considered a founder of modern Russian literature. He was a poet from the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kelly|first=Catriona|title=Russian Literature: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)|url=https://archive.org/details/russianliteratur00kell_0|date=23 August 2001|publisher=Oxford Paperbacks|isbn=0192801449}}</ref>

Other famous poets and writers of the 19th century were [[Anton Chekhov]], [[Mikhail Lermontov]], [[Leo Tolstoy]], [[Nikolai Gogol]] (he was born in what is now [[Ukraine]], but during his lifetime Ukraine was a part of Russia), [[Ivan Turgenev]] and [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]]. Many people think Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky are two of the greatest novelists ever.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-29157/Russian-literature|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|accessdate=2008-04-11|title=Russian literature; Leo Tolstoy|archive-date=2008-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519042015/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-29157/Russian-literature|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Time Magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943893,00.html?promoid=googlep|accessdate=2008-04-10|title=Freaking-Out with Fyodor|author=Otto Friedrich|archive-date=2012-11-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103141539/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943893,00.html?promoid=googlep|url-status=dead}}</ref> Three Russians won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the 20th century: [[Boris Pasternak]] (1958), [[Mikhail Sholokhov]] (1965) and [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] (1980).<ref>{{Cite web|title=All Nobel Prizes in Literature|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes-in-literature|access-date=2023-01-29|website=NobelPrize.org|language=en-US|archive-date=2019-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008053237/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lists/all-nobel-prizes-in-literature/|url-status=live}}</ref>  [[Mikhail Bulgakov]] was one of the most popular writers of the 20th century.<ref>Lovell, Stephen (1998). "Bulgakov as Soviet Culture". ''The Slavonic and East European Review''. Modern Humanities Research Association. '''76''' (1): 28–48. JSTOR 4212557.</ref>

=== Sports ===
[[Soccer]], [[ice hockey]] and [[basketball]] are some of the most popular sports in Russia. Boxing, gymnastics, weightlifting, and [[tennis]] are also popular sports. Track suits are popular clothing items for many Russians. Some examples of famous Russian sports people are former tennis world number one [[Maria Sharapova]], who has won three Grand Slam titles, and was the world's highest paid female athlete in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/07/22/women-athletes-endorsements-biz-sports-cx_tvr_kb_0722athletes.html|accessdate=2008-08-01|author=Tom Van Riper and Kurt Badenhausen|title=Top-Earning Female Athletes|work=Forbes|archive-date=2018-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704010408/https://www.forbes.com/2008/07/22/women-athletes-endorsements-biz-sports-cx_tvr_kb_0722athletes.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Olympic Games]], Soviet and later Russian athletes have been third place in gold medals collected at the Summer Olympics. The [[1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Summer Olympic Games]] were hosted in Moscow, while the [[2014 Winter Olympics]] were hosted in [[Sochi]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Russia – Sochi|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/information.russia-sochi-autodrom.3nDdZPizsnPEtlHysv115Y.html|access-date=31 May 2021|publisher=[[Formula One]]|archive-date=21 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321211802/https://www.formula1.com/en/information.russia-sochi-autodrom.3nDdZPizsnPEtlHysv115Y.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Benson|first=Andrew|date=3 March 2022|title=Formula 1 terminates contract with Russian Grand Prix|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/60601632|access-date=7 July 2022|work=[[BBC]]|archive-date=5 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605081246/https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/60601632|url-status=live}}</ref>

For the [[2018 Winter Olympics]], which were held in [[Pyeongchang]], [[South Korea]], a lot of athletes could not compete because the [[International Olympic Committee]] found out they had been [[Doping in sport|doping]]. Those who were not caught doping were able to play in the 2018 Olympics as "Olympic Athletes from Russia". They won two gold medals, and one in ice hockey.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-sports/42242007|title=Russian doping: IOC bans Russia from 2018 Winter Olympics|date=2017-12-05|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2018-03-07|language=en-GB|archive-date=2017-12-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215071324/http://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-sports/42242007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Emily|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2018/02/25/588597882/after-going-shot-for-shot-olympic-athletes-from-russia-win-mens-hockey-gold|title=After Going Shot For Shot, Olympic Athletes From Russia Win Men's Hockey Gold|work=National Public Radio|date=2018-02-25|access-date=2018-03-07|language=en|archive-date=2018-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306232941/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2018/02/25/588597882/after-going-shot-for-shot-olympic-athletes-from-russia-win-mens-hockey-gold|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 6 appearances, Russian athletes have won a total of 425 medals at the [[summer Olympics]] and 121 at the [[winter Olympics]]. However, more than 30% of these medals were taken from Russia and its teams.

==== Chess ====
[[Chess]] is the main intellectual sport in Russia.<ref>{{cite web|last=Beam|first=Christopher|date=25 September 2009|title=Why are the Russians so good at chess?|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2009/09/how-did-russians-get-so-good-at-chess.html|access-date=21 June 2021|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|archive-date=31 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331071732/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2009/09/how-did-russians-get-so-good-at-chess.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 20th century, there were nine Russian [[List of World Chess Champions|World Chess Champions]], more than all other nations combined.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=160YAAAAIAAJ|title=The Oxford Companion to Chess|last1=Hooper|first1=David|last2=Whyld|first2=Ken|date=1992|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-866164-1|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PQBpr6KAdHkC|title=A Short History of Chess|last=Davidson|first=Henry A.|date=2012-10-10|publisher=Crown|isbn=978-0-307-82829-3|language=en|access-date=2023-02-04|archive-date=2021-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826010239/https://books.google.com/books?id=PQBpr6KAdHkC|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Food ===
[[File:Russian Food 01.jpg|thumb|249x249px|Typical Russian food]]
Russian cuisine is one of the most famous in the world. It was divided: Old Russian cuisine, Old Moscow cuisine, Petersburg cuisine. The main thing of Russian food is variety of products used for cooking.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Russian cuisine|url=https://bridgetomoscow.com/russian-cuisine|access-date=2022-12-30|website=bridgetomoscow.com|language=en|archive-date=2022-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230110832/https://bridgetomoscow.com/russian-cuisine|url-status=live}}</ref>

Typical Russian food includes: [https://bridgetomoscow.com/bliny bliny], [https://bridgetomoscow.com/pelmeni pelmeni], [https://bridgetomoscow.com/salad-olivier olivier salad], [[pie]]s (called ''[[pirog]]i'') etc. Russians have many [[soup]]s such as okroshka, shchi, borsch, ukha, rassolnik. Russian traditional drinks are [[kvass]], [https://bridgetomoscow.com/mors mors], [https://bridgetomoscow.com/sbiten sbiten], medovukha, [[vodka]], birch sap.

==Related pages==
{{commons}}
* [[Crime in Russia]]
* [[List of rivers of Russia]]
* [[Russia at the Olympics]]
* [[Russia national football team]]
* [[Soviet Union]]
* [[Russia at the Olympics]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

=== Notes ===
<references group="note"/>

<references group="lower-alpha"/>

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|3}}
* Bartlett, Roger P. ''A history of Russia''  (2005) [https://archive.org/details/historyofrussia00bart online]
* Breslauer, George W. and Colton, Timothy J. 2017.  ''Russia Beyond Putin'' ([[Daedalus (journal)|Daedalus]]) [https://www.amacad.org/daedalus/russia-beyond-putin online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121032944/https://www.amacad.org/daedalus/russia-beyond-putin |date=2022-01-21 }}
* Brown, Archie, ed. ''The Cambridge encyclopedia of Russia and the Soviet Union'' (1982) [https://archive.org/details/cambridgeencyclo00brow online]
* {{cite book | last1=Dutkiewicz | first1=P. | last2=Richard | first2=S. | last3=Vladimir | first3=K. | title=The Social History of Post-Communist Russia | publisher=Taylor & Francis | series=Routledge Contemporary Russia and Eastern Europe Series | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-317-32846-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vo7DCwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1 | access-date=11 April 2022 }}
* Florinsky, Michael T. ed. ''McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Russia and the Soviet Union'' (1961).
* Frye, Timothy. ''Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin's Russia'' (2021) [https://www.amazon.com/Weak-Strongman-Limits-Putins-Russia/dp/0691212465/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331074724/https://www.amazon.com/Weak-Strongman-Limits-Putins-Russia/dp/0691212465 |date=2022-03-31 }}
* Greene, by Samuel A. and Graeme B. Robertson. ''Putin v. the People: the Perilous Politics of a Divided Russia'' (Yale UP, 2019) [https://www.amazon.com/Putin-v-People-Perilous-Politics/dp/0300238398/ excerpt]
* Hosking, Geoffrey A. ''Russia and the Russians: a history'' (2011) [https://archive.org/details/russiarussianshi2ndehosk online]
* Kort, Michael. ''A Brief History of Russia'' (2008) [https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofru0000kort online]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Russia | volume= 23 |last1= Kropotkin |first1= Peter Alexeivitch |author1-link=Peter Kropotkin|last2= Bealby |first2=John Thomas|last3=Phillips|first3=Walter Alison |author3-link=Walter Alison Phillips|pages = 869&ndash;912}}
* Lowe, Norman. ''Mastering Twentieth Century Russian History'' (2002) [https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Twentieth-Century-Russian-History/dp/0333963075/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701182928/http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Twentieth-Century-Russian-History/dp/0333963075 |date=2013-07-01 }}
* Millar, James R. ed. ''Encyclopedia of Russian History'' (4 vol 2003). [https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofru0001unse online]
* Riasanovsky, Nicholas V., and Mark D. Steinberg. ''A History of Russia'' (9th ed. 2018) [https://archive.org/details/historyofrussia0000rias 9th edition 1993 online]
* Rosefielde, Steven. ''Putin's Russia: Economy, Defence and Foreign Policy'' (2020) [https://www.amazon.com/Putins-Russia-Economy-Defense-Foreign/dp/9811212678/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527160046/https://www.amazon.com/Putins-Russia-Economy-Defense-Foreign/dp/9811212678/ |date=2021-05-27 }}
* Service, Robert. ''A History of Modern Russia: From Tsarism to the Twenty-First Century'' (Harvard UP, 3rd ed., 2009) [https://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Russia-Tsarism-Twenty-First/dp/0674034937/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329235818/https://www.amazon.com/History-Modern-Russia-Tsarism-Twenty-First/dp/0674034937 |date=2022-03-29 }}
* Smorodinskaya, Tatiana, and Karen Evans-Romaine, eds. ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture'' (2014) [https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Contemporary-Russian-Culture-Encyclopedias/dp/0415758629/ excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330023255/https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Contemporary-Russian-Culture-Encyclopedias/dp/0415758629 |date=2022-03-30 }}; 800 pp covering art, literature, music, film, media, crime, politics, business, and economics.
* Walker, Shauin. ''The Long Hangover: Putin's New Russia and the Ghosts Of the Past'' (2018, Oxford UP) [https://www.amazon.com/Long-Hangover-Putins-Russia-Ghosts/dp/0190659246 excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408020656/https://www.amazon.com/Long-Hangover-Putins-Russia-Ghosts/dp/0190659246/ |date=2022-04-08 }}
{{refend}}

== Other websites ==
{{Sister project links|voy=Russia}}
'''Government'''
* [http://www.gov.ru/index_en.html Official Russian governmental portal]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131004223744/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/RS.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members]

'''General information'''
* {{curlie|Regional/Europe/Russia}}{{wikiatlas|Russia}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|60189}}
* [https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/russia/ Russia]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081022164202/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/russia.htm Russia] at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17839672 Russia] from [[BBC News]]
* [https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513251/Russia Russia] at ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''
* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=RU Key Development Forecasts for Russia] from [[International Futures]]

'''Other'''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121215070149/http://repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/552653 Post-Soviet Problems] from the [https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/552494/browse?type=title Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives]

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{{asia}}
{{G8}}
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