Russia

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Kola-Karelian region
  - The Russian Plain
  - The Ural Mountains
  - The West Siberian Plain
  - The Central Siberian Plateau
  - The mountains of the south and east
- Drainage
  - Rivers
  - Lakes
- Climate
  - Atmospheric pressure and winds
  - Temperature
  - Precipitation
- Soils and plant and animal life
  - Arctic desert
  - Tundra
  - Taiga
  - Mixed and deciduous forest
  - Wooded steppe and steppe
People
- Ethnic groups and languages
  - The Indo-European group
  - The Altaic group
  - The Uralic group
  - The Caucasian group
  - Other groups
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry
  - Fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
  - Machine building
  - Chemicals
  - Light industry
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Regional and local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- The development of Russian culture
  - The Kievan period
  - The Muscovite period
  - The emergence of modern Russian culture
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Literature
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - Music
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - The visual arts
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - The performing arts
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - Motion pictures
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- From the beginnings to c. 1700
  - Prehistory and the rise of the Rus
  - Kiev
    - The rise of Kiev
    - The decline of Kiev
    - Social and political institutions
  - The lands of Rus
    - Novgorod
    - The northwest
    - The northeast
    - The southwest
  - The Mongol period
    - The Mongol invasion
    - Tatar rule
    - The rise of Muscovy
    - Cultural life and the “Tatar influence”
    - The post-Sarai period
  - Rurikid Muscovy
    - Ivan III
    - Vasily III
    - Ivan IV (the Terrible)
    - Boris Godunov
    - The Time of Troubles
    - Social and economic conditions
    - Cultural trends
  - Romanov Muscovy
    - Michael
    - Alexis
    - Trends in the 17th century
      Cultural life
      The great schism
- The 18th century
  - The reign of Peter I (the Great; 1689–1725)
    - Peter’s youth and early reign
    - The Petrine state
    - Assessment of Peter’s reign
  - Peter I’s successors (1725–62)
    - Anna (1730–40)
    - Elizabeth (1741–62)
  - The reign of Catherine II (the Great; 1762–96)
    - Expansion of the empire
    - Government administration under Catherine
  - Education and social change in the 18th century
  - The reign of Paul I (1796–1801)
- Russia from 1801 to 1917
  - The reigns of Alexander I and Nicholas I
    - General survey
    - Government
    - Social classes
    - Education and intellectual life
    - The Russian Empire
    - Foreign policy
  - From Alexander II to Nicholas II
    - Emancipation and reform
    - Revolutionary activities
    - Economic and social development
    - Education and ideas
    - Russification policies
    - Foreign policy
  - The last years of tsardom
    - The revolution of 1905–06
    - The State Duma
    - Agrarian reforms
    - War and the fall of the monarchy
- Soviet Russia
  - After the monarchy
  - The October (November) Revolution
  - The Civil War and War Communism (1918–21)
    - The Civil War
    - War Communism
  - New Economic Policy (1921–28)
  - The Stalin era (1928–53)
  - The Khrushchev era (1953–64)
  - The Brezhnev era (1964–82)
  - The Gorbachev era: perestroika and glasnost
  - Collapse of the Soviet Union
- Post-Soviet Russia
  - The Yeltsin presidency (1991–99)
    - Economic reforms
    - Political and social changes
    - Ethnic relations and Russia’s “near-abroad”
    - Foreign affairs
    - Rewriting history
  - The Putin presidency
    - Separatism
    - Foreign affairs
    - The oligarchs
    - Political and economic reforms
  - The Medvedev presidency
  - The second Putin presidency
    - The Ukraine crisis
    - Consolidation of power, Syria, and campaign against the West
    - Putin’s fourth term as president, novichok attacks, and military action against Ukraine
Leaders of Russia from 1276

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Political map of Russia showing national boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries across Europe and Asia. The map highlights Russia's extensive borders with countries such as Finland, China, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, and includes a locator inset in the upper left corner indicating Russia's position on a world map. Major Russian cities like Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, and Yekaterinburg are labeled, along with surrounding seas such as the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,

western Greater Caucasus range

Map highlighting Russia in orange, spanning Eastern Europe and northern Asia from the borders of Europe to the Pacific Ocean. Surrounding countries such as Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and Japan are labeled, as well as nearby bodies of water including the Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. An inset globe in the upper right shows Russia's location within the northern hemisphere.

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, Russia

Map of Russia showing its administrative divisions, including oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs, and autonomous oblasts, each color-coded. The map labels major regions and federal districts, with an inset highlighting Russia's location in Eurasia. A legend and list below the map provide the names and numbers of all administrative divisions by federal district.

Physical map of Russia showing major landforms such as the Ural Mountains, Siberian Plain, Central Siberian Plateau, and key rivers and lakes. Neighboring countries and surrounding seas are labeled, and a small locator map in the top left highlights Russia's position within Eurasia.

Map of western Russia showing major cities, rivers, lakes, mountain ranges, and neighboring countries including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The map highlights physical features such as the Ural Mountains, Volga River, and Caspian Sea, as well as political boundaries. An inset locator map in the lower left shows the position of the main map area within Europe and western Russia.

At a Glance

default image

Russia: Media

country, Europe and Asia

Videos

Lake Baikal: The world's deepest and oldest lake

Lake Baikal: The world's deepest and oldest lake

Overview of Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, the deepest and oldest lake in the world.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Why is the village of Shoyna sinking in sand?

Why is the village of Shoyna sinking in sand?

Learn about Shoyna, a former port on the White Sea that is sinking into the sand...

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

What made Russian Tsar Ivan IV so terrible?

What made Russian Tsar Ivan IV so terrible?

Overview of Ivan IV's reign.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

The rise and fall of the Russian tsars

The rise and fall of the Russian tsars

Overview of tsarist rule in Russia.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps

The rise and reign of Catherine the Great

The rise and reign of Catherine the Great

Overview of Catherine II's early life and reign.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Georgios Kollidas/Dreamstime.com; © Wizreist/Dreamstime.com

The historical significance of the Kremlin

The historical significance of the Kremlin

Overview of the Kremlin, Moscow.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Learn about the different types of North poles on Earth: the geographic North Pole, the magnetic North Pole, and the geomagnetic North Pole

Learn about the different types of North poles on Earth: the geographic North Pole, the magnetic North Pole, and the geomagnetic North Pole

The multiple north poles that exist on Earth: the geographic North Pole, the magnetic...

Video: © MinutePhysics (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

See a desperately hungry polar bear hunting for fish due to scarcity of food in the Russian Arctic

See a desperately hungry polar bear hunting for fish due to scarcity of food in the Russian Arctic

With food in short supply, a polar bear hunting for fish in the Russian Arctic.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz

Visit St. Petersburg and its landmark buildings

Visit St. Petersburg and its landmark buildings

Time-lapse video of St. Petersburg.

Video: Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com; original music by Vincent Jacq (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Images

Russia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of Russia showing national boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries across Europe and Asia. The map highlights Russia's extensive borders with countries such as Finland, China, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, and includes a locator inset in the upper left corner indicating Russia's position on a world map. Major Russian cities like Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, and Yekaterinburg are labeled, along with surrounding seas such as the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,

Map showing the major cities of Russia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

western Greater Caucasus range

western Greater Caucasus range

The western Greater Caucasus range near Mount Dombay-Ulgen, Stavropol kray...

B. Loginov and A. Markelov/© Novosti Information Agency

Map highlighting Russia in orange, spanning Eastern Europe and northern Asia from the borders of Europe to the Pacific Ocean. Surrounding countries such as Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and Japan are labeled, as well as nearby bodies of water including the Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. An inset globe in the upper right shows Russia's location within the northern hemisphere.

Russia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Russia.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, Russia

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, Russia

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (commonly known as the Church of the...

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Map of Russia showing its administrative divisions, including oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs, and autonomous oblasts, each color-coded. The map labels major regions and federal districts, with an inset highlighting Russia's location in Eurasia. A legend and list below the map provide the names and numbers of all administrative divisions by federal district.

Russia: administrative divisions

Administrative divisions of Russia.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Physical map of Russia showing major landforms such as the Ural Mountains, Siberian Plain, Central Siberian Plateau, and key rivers and lakes. Neighboring countries and surrounding seas are labeled, and a small locator map in the top left highlights Russia's position within Eurasia.

Map showing the physical features of Russia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of western Russia showing major cities, rivers, lakes, mountain ranges, and neighboring countries including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. The map highlights physical features such as the Ural Mountains, Volga River, and Caspian Sea, as well as political boundaries. An inset locator map in the lower left shows the position of the main map area within Europe and western Russia.

Western Russia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

typical Russian rural buildings

typical Russian rural buildings

Typical wooden buildings in a village in the Central Ural Mountains near Kungur,...

© Wolfgang Kaehler

Snow-covered peaks and ridges of the Caucasus Mountains in Russia stretch across the landscape under a pale sky.

Caucasus Mountains

Caucasus Mountains in Russia.

© WaD/Shutterstock.com

Nurgush Range

Nurgush Range

Nurgush Range, Southern Ural Mountains, Russia

Tass/Sovfoto

Kraternaya Bay

Kraternaya Bay

The summit of a partially submerged volcano forms the outline of Kraternaya Bay,...

Michael V. Propp

Wide view of the Angara River at Irkutsk, Russia, with a tree-lined embankment on the left and city buildings in the distance across the water.

Angara River

The Angara River at Irkutsk, Russia.

© Rechitan Sorin/stock.adobe.com

Bolshiye Koty on Lake Baikal

Bolshiye Koty on Lake Baikal

Harbor of Bolshiye Koty on Lake Baikal, southeastern Siberia.

© tilpich/stock.adobe.com

birch trees and conifers, West Siberian Plain

birch trees and conifers, West Siberian Plain

A stand of birch trees and conifers in the taiga of the West Siberian Plain, near...

N. Gyngazov/© TRIP

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, Moscow, Russia.

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

Trinity–St. Sergius monastery

Trinity–St. Sergius monastery

Church officials being greeted outside the Trinity–St. Sergius monastery, the centre...

© Boyd Norton

A Buddhist monk in maroon robes strikes a large drum while other monks pray inside the ornate, colorful Ivolginski Datsan temple in Buryatiya, eastern Siberia.

monks praying at the Ivolginsky Datsan temple

A Buddhist monk beating a drum as other monks pray in the Ivolginsky Datsan temple,...

Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk

Street scene in Khabarovsk, a major transportation hub in the Russian Far East.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander

sturgeon fishing

sturgeon fishing

Fishing for beluga sturgeon in the Volga River, Volgograd, Russia.

Jonathan Wright/Bruce Coleman Inc.

Large white cylindrical tanks with attached yellow and blue pipes at a gas-compressor station in Siberia, set outdoors under a partly cloudy sky.

natural gas facility

Natural gas facility near Kursk, Russia.

© Pisotckii/Dreamstime.com

Oil pumpjack with a red counterweight operating in a snowy field in western Siberia, Russia, with industrial equipment and trees in the background.

Siberia, Russia: oil well

Crude oil is pumped from a well in western Siberia, Russia.

© George Spade/Shutterstock.com

Map of Europe showing the extent to which each country was supplied by Russian gas in 2012, using shades of purple to indicate percentage levels, with darkest purple for 100% dependence and lighter shades for lower percentages. Orange lines mark major gas pipelines from Russia into Europe, with high dependency in Eastern and Central European countries and lower or no dependency in Western Europe and the British Isles.

gas pipelines from Russia to Europe

Major gas pipelines from Russia to Europe.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Group of Eight

Group of Eight

The Group of Eight leaders at Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Russia, for the...

Paul Morse/The White House

Rails and snow

Rails and snow

The Baikal-Amur railway running through Siberia, Russia.

© Tass/Sovfoto

Russian White House, Moscow

Russian White House, Moscow

Russian White House, Moscow.

© sachkov/stock.adobe.com

Dmitri Mendeleev

Dmitri Mendeleev

© Photos.com/Thinkstock

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed

Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed in Moscow, Russia.

© Corbis

Zaporozhian Cossacks

Zaporozhian Cossacks

Zaporozhian Cossacks, oil painting by Ilya Repin, 1891; in the State Russian...

Novosti Press Agency

“Monument to the Third International” model

“Monument to the Third International” model

“Monument to the Third International,” model designed by Vladimir Tatlin, 1920, reconstruction...

© Tatlin; photograph © Moderna Museet, Stockholm

Visitors view paintings, ornate sculptures, and large decorative vases in a grand gallery with red walls and an elaborately decorated ceiling at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Hermitage Museum

Gallery in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

© Popova Valeriya/Shutterstock.com

Vasily Alexeyev of the Soviet Union lifts a loaded barbell overhead during the super heavyweight weightlifting competition at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Vasily Ivanovich Alekseyev

Soviet athlete Vasily Alexeyev making a successful lift during the super heavyweight...

© Getty Images

Lev Yashin holds the Golden Ball trophy above his head while standing with Soviet soccer teammates in uniforms marked CCCP, in a stadium, 1964.

Lev Yashin

Goalkeeper Lev Ivanovich Yashin with the Ballon d'Or trophy he won as the European...

© artnana/Shutterstock.com

Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin reading Pravda, 1918.

© Photos.com/Getty Images

Historical map showing the extent of Kievan Rus in the 11th century, shaded in pink, covering parts of modern-day Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. The map also marks the neighboring Byzantine Empire in purple to the south, with major cities such as Kyiv, Novgorod, and Smolensk labeled, along with surrounding peoples and regions including the Volga Bulgars, Khazars, and Kipchaks. Major rivers, seas, and adjacent territories like Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria are also depicted.

Kyivan Rus in the 11th century

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ivan III

Ivan III

Ivan III, portrait from A. Thenet, La Cosmographie universelle, Paris, 1575.

Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co. Ltd.

Map showing the territorial expansion of Russia from 1300 to 1796, with regions color-coded by the ruler or period of acquisition. The map highlights the principality of Moscow around 1300, its growth by 1462, and subsequent expansions under rulers such as Ivan III, Ivan IV, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great, extending Russian territory across Eastern Europe and into Siberia. Major rivers, neighboring countries, and cities are labeled for geographic context.

Expansion of Russia, 1300–1796

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Vasily III

Vasily III

Vasily III, detail from an engraving

© adoc-photos—Corbis/Getty Images

Ivan IV

Ivan IV, icon, late 16th century; in the National Museum, Copenhagen.

The National Museum of Denmark, Department of Ethnography

Tsar Michael Romanov

Tsar Michael Romanov

Michael, detail of a mid-19th-century colored lithograph by Peter Borel based on...

Novosti Press Agency

Alexis

Alexis

Tsar Alexis, detail of a portrait by an unknown artist, c. 1670; in the State Historical...

Courtesy of the State Historical Museum, Moscow

Historical map showing Russian expansion in Asia, with different colors representing territories acquired during specific periods and under various rulers from 1533 to 1894. The map highlights the original Russian territory in 1533 and subsequent acquisitions stretching eastward across Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, and southward toward Central Asia. Major cities, rivers, and neighboring countries are labeled for geographic context.

Russian Empire

Map of Russian expansion in Asia, 1533–1894.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Oil painting of Peter the Great, emperor of Russia, shown from the waist up wearing armor and a sash, with one hand resting on a cane, against a dark background.

Peter I

Peter I.

Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum; object no. SK-A-116

Anna Ivanovna

Anna Ivanovna

Anna Ivanovna, enameled miniature by an unknown artist, 18th century; in the collection...

Courtesy of Hillwood, Washington, D.C.

Painting by Georg-Christoph Grooth of Empress Elizabeth of Russia seated in an ornate gown with lace, a blue sash, and a crown resting on a red cushion beside her.

Empress Elizabeth of Russia

Portrait by Georg Christoph Grooth.

© Fine Art Images—Heritage Images/Getty Images

Portrait of Catherine the Great of Russia by Richard Brompton, showing her in regal attire with a jeweled crown and fur-trimmed robe, set in an ornate oval frame.

Catherine II

Oil on canvas by Richard Brompton, 1782; in the collection of the State Hermitage...

Pictures from History—Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Grigory Potemkin

Grigory Potemkin

Engraving by James Walker, 1789, after a portrait by Johann Baptist Lampi.

Reproduced by courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co., Ltd.

Alexander I

Alexander I

Alexander I, portrait by Domenico Scotti, 1883.

The New York Public Library Digital Collections (1225394)

Alexander II

Alexander II

Alexander II, color-printed wood engraving.

© Photos.com/Thinkstock

Alexander III

Alexander III

Alexander III, detail of a portrait by an unknown artist, 19th century; in the collection...

Courtesy of Hillwood, Washington, D.C.

Russo-Japanese War

Russo-Japanese War

Russian officer during the Russo-Japanese War.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Large crowd of men, women, and children fill a city street during a protest in the Russian Revolution, mid to late 1910s, with banners held above the crowd.

Russian Revolution

A protest during the Russian Revolution.

© Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com

Vladimir Lenin stands in the foreground, gesturing with his right arm and holding a cap, as he addresses a large crowd gathered outside a grand building during the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Lenin during the Russian Revolution, 1917.

© Photos.com/Getty Images

Painting by Georgi Konstantinovich Savitsky showing an armed Russian soldier on a white horse and two sailors with rifles standing guard on a wet street corner during the October Revolution.

October Revolution

First Days of the October Revolution, painting by Georgy Konstantinovich...

© PHOTOS.com/ Getty Images

Red Army

Red Army

Red Army soldiers.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Joseph Stalin in a head and shoulders portrait wearing a decorated military uniform and cap, circa 1945.

Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin.

© Photos.com/Getty Images

Nikita Khrushchev smiling and wearing a suit with medals on the lapel, shown from the chest up in a black and white photograph.

Nikita Khrushchev

Russian politician Nikita Khrushchev, 1960.

© Keystone/Getty Images

Khrushchev, Nikita

Khrushchev, Nikita

Nikita Khrushchev, 1961.

© Sovfoto—Universal Images Group/age fotostock

Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Brezhnev

Undated photo of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

World History Archive/age fotostock

Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet politician Mikhail Gorbachev, 1991.

Boris Yurchenko/AP Images

Russian President Boris Yeltsin stands at a podium with microphones, smiling, in front of a U.S. flag during a news conference at the White House.

Boris Yeltsin, 1994

Russian President Boris Yeltsin at a news conference in the White House, Washington,...

© mark reinstein/Shutterstock.com

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin.

President of Russia, The Kremlin Moscow

Dmitry Medvedev and Manmohan Singh

Dmitry Medvedev and Manmohan Singh

Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev (left) is received by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan...

© Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images

Pussy Riot

Pussy Riot

Members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot in a Moscow courtroom, August 2012.

Misha Japaridze—AP/Shutterstock.com

Alexei Navalny

Alexei Navalny

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny during his election campaign for mayor of...

Nikolay Vinokurov/Alamy

Igor Strelkov, wearing camouflage, stands behind a desk with maps and speaks to journalists holding notepads and cameras in a room with blue walls in Donetsk, Ukraine.

Igor Strelkov

Pro-Russian separatist leader Igor Girkin (byname Igor Strelkov) holding a media...

© Bulent Kilic—AFP/Getty Images

Memorial for Boris Nemtsov on Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge in Moscow, with flowers, candles, and a large black-and-white portrait of Nemtsov placed against a stone wall.

Boris Nemtsov

Flowers, condolence messages, and a memorial photograph marking the spot near Moscow's...

© Geovien So/Pacific Press—LightRocket/Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with U.S. President Barack Obama indoors in Hangzhou, China, as aides and officials stand nearby.

Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama

Vladimir Putin (left) and Barack Obama at a G20 meeting in Hangzhou, China, 2016.

© Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik—AFP/Getty Images

Ukrainian soldiers in camouflage walk through debris and rubble at the site of a rocket strike in Kyiv, with damaged buildings and construction cranes in the background.

Russia-Ukraine War

Ukrainian troops responding to a Russian rocket attack on a shopping mall in Kyiv,...

© Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images

Mount Belukha

Mount Belukha

Mount Belukha, Altai Mountains, southwestern Siberia, Russia.

© Maxim Toporskiy/Fotolia

Caucasus: Prielbrusye National Park

Caucasus: Prielbrusye National Park

Peaks in Prielbrusye National Park, central Caucasus, southwestern Russia.

© Sergey Mostovoy/Fotolia

Valley with green hills and rocky slopes, multiple geysers emitting steam along a winding river in Kamchatka Peninsula, Siberia.

Kamchatka Peninsula

Valley of Geysers in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.

© Sergey Mayorov/Dreamstime.com

Topographic map of the Amur River basin and its drainage network, covering parts of northeastern China, eastern Russia, Mongolia, and North Korea. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation, shows major rivers and tributaries, surrounding mountain ranges, swamps, marshes, and lakes, and includes a locator inset of the region within Asia. Major cities, railways, and dams are also marked.

The Amur River basin and its drainage network.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Caucasus Mountains

Caucasus Mountains

The Caucasus Mountains.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The Dnieper, Don, and Volga river basins and their drainage network.

The Dnieper, Don, and Volga river basins and their drainage network.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The Lena River basin and its drainage network.

The Lena River basin and its drainage network.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Physical map highlighting the Ob and Yenisey river basins in western and central Siberia, Russia. The map shows river networks, major tributaries, swamps, and marshes, along with elevation changes from lowland plains to mountain and plateau regions. Political boundaries, key towns, and a locator inset for regional context are also included.

Ob and Yenisey river basins

The Ob and Yenisey river basins and their drainage networks.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains

The Ural Mountains.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Thematic map of Europe, Russia, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia highlighting major sedimentary basins in purple and marking the locations of major oil and gas fields, with triangles indicating supergiant and selected giant fields. The map shows regional seas, geographic features, and the distribution of hydrocarbon resources across northern Eurasia.

northern Eurasian oil and gas fields

Sedimentary basins and major oil and gas fields of Europe, Russia, Transcaucasia,...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Russia

Russia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Russia

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Russia.

Interactives

Russia: Ethnic composition

Russia: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Russia: Religious affiliation

Russia: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Russia: Urban-rural

Russia: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Russia: Age breakdown

Russia: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Russia: Breakdown of renewable energy by source

Russia: Breakdown of renewable energy by source

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Russia: Major import sources

Russia: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Russia: Major export destinations

Russia: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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