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The political state of Russia emerged following the expansion of the principality of Muscovy - emerging from Mongol domination to conquer and absorb the surrounding principalities. The Romanov dynasty continued this expansionist policy. Peter I extended Muscovy's rule to the Baltic Sea, and the Russian Empire came into being. The dramatic fall of the Romanov dynasty, the formation of the USSR under Lenin, the brutal dictatorship of Stalin and the Cold War placed the USSR at the forefront of world politics. The USSR dissolved under Gorbachev, and 15 separate republics were formed in 1991. Although vastly reduced territorially, Russia remains a vast and powerful state, retaining political influence in the region and worldwide.To be updated

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By smatlanek
November 14th 2009

The Hermitage - First Floor - Room 26 Europe » Russia » Northwest » Saint Petersburg

Gate to the Square

The Hermitage is why I came to StPB and I will concentrate on just that. Anything else will be gilding the Lily. Have now been to the Hermitage three times and have successfully covered the first floor. The East Asian section was closed on my third visit. It may be that more 'guards' are needed in high traffic areas today. There were hordes of people coming into the place via the front entrance this Saturday . I did not see how many people came into the group entrance but the cloak room for The Friends of the Hermitage was quite full. [View Full Entry]

By Ekim
November 12th 2009

Irkutsk, the Decembrists and Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal

Saviours Church

Irkutsk! I've heard of that place somewhere before. But its not a country is it? Oh! Risk! Playing the board game Risk, way back when. It was a country or region or whatever - in Risk! Well, now I'm on a train. And going there! The open steppes of Mongolia have been morphing into gently rolling hills with more and more trees - the taiga ecosystem of Siberia is starting to pass by out the train windows. And not much else. Very few villages, very few houses, very few humans. And perhaps that is why the city of Irkutsk is such [View Full Entry]

By EdVallance
November 9th 2009

Metro Zombies Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow

Metro zombies at the escalator queue

The Moscow metro (underground / subway) takes up so much of my life here, represents such a vast cross-section of society and inspires such a mind-boggling mixture of awe, respect, pity, frustration, fury and disgust that it deserves, at the least, a mention. Approaching a metro station you must first walk past an area of crappy food stands selling such delightful specialities as dog, cat and rat shawarma, grease dripping down the mounds of meat and collecting at the bottom in pools while the white flesh being roasted pulsates with fat as it revolves next to the grill. Most of these [View Full Entry]

By saorrento
October 24th 2009

Russia in Retrospect Europe » Russia » Northwest

Our Russian experience has been incredible and happily concern free. Upon preparing for this trip, we did what many before us had done, we read numerous Travel blog entries of peoples experienced in Russia, visited the Trip Advisor website for the dos and don’ts and for the most part they all painted a similar picture, that Russia wasn't going to be easy. Various blogs warned of trouble with corrupt policemen, requesting bribes and falsifying reports. Our research also emphasized that non-Russian speaking people will struggle and that Moscow was very expensive to live in. Although [View Full Entry]

By Along the way
October 24th 2009

Irkutsk - Yekaterinburg Europe » Russia » Siberia » Irkutsk

Irkutsk to Yekaterinburg Packed and on the train shared open third class compartment with Alexander, @x Russian born in Kazakhstan, some sort of police work. and Licka 20? headed to Novosibirsk. No English, but it developed with time, and still no Russian on my side. Starting to recognize the sound of some words like "harashaw" good fine, all is well. Visited several hours and got off at stations where the stops were more than 20 minutes, as things progress it turn out I was the "iguana" a common bond between them, their project because they had not met before. Some [View Full Entry]

By ChellesFootsteps
October 20th 2009

From Russia with love Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow

We arrived in Moscow late, approximately 10pm after a 6hr train ride from St Petersburg. Luckily we’d manage to secure transfers before we left and there was our driver waiting at the end of the platform. It could’ve been very interesting trying to secure a taxi and also nerve-racking seeing the number of police and officials around and trying to get a taxi would’ve put the bright neon “tourist” sign over our heads. We arrived at our hotel the Aerostar, while in the middle of nowhere, was gorgeous, definitely the flashiest we’ve stayed in. After asking the p [View Full Entry]

By Sorry but we are not at home
October 19th 2009

recap: Ulaan Ude - Ulaanbaatar Europe » Russia » Siberia » Ulan-Ude

UU to UB bus
The bus from Ulaan Ude to Ulaan Baatar

Hello again, now from Beijing. Apparently this site is not blocked, but facebook is.... But ok, this posting should have been done in Ulaanbaatar (UB) - Mongolia, but this didn't happen due to a lack of time. So this posting is just a copy-paste from a e-mail draft that lingered in Agi's mail box for ~2 weeks.... Enjoy. Ulaan Ude - Ulaanbaatar After 13 hours on the bus we arrived to UB yesterday at local time 7.30 pm. The trip was OK except for the border crossing which took 3.5 hours. I love the European Union, just so easy. Here the [View Full Entry]

By Sorry but we are not at home
October 19th 2009

Baikal Lake backfill - pictures Europe » Russia » Siberia » Lake Baikal

P1000917

Hey All, we still owe you with some pictures from the Baikal Lake as that posting went without photos... sorry. So here you go, enjoy! Greets, C&A [View Full Entry]

By saorrento
October 19th 2009

End of an Era Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow

Kremlin Defense
A Larger than life Canon, with Larger than life balls that are too big? How did they win the war again???

Moscow Airport: Waiting on tarmac for take-off clearance We haven't even pulled out from the gate yet and already this flight has gone for long enough. Of course, the two hour delay at the gate hasn’t helped, and for the life of me still cannot fathem how a flight can be delayed for takeoff due to our ‘weather conditions’ as flight control over the intercom so put it. Looking out of the airport lounge window, at our aircraft which was sitting at its gate, not a cloud in sight, nor evidence of any wind, just sunny blue skies. Sitting immediately behind [View Full Entry]

By saorrento
October 18th 2009

From Russia with love Europe » Russia » Northwest » Moscow

Moscow Metro

So far Moscow has been equally as welcoming as its counterpart to the north, St Petersburg. The following morning after our arrival the night before we awoke early, today was going to be a long day; we had two tours booked. First was a metro tour, which involved the guide meeting us at our hotel and then walking from our hotel to the closest metro station and showing us about various station stops helping us become familiar with the key transport of the city. Later that evening the same tour guide will take us on a night city tour of Moscow. [View Full Entry]

Fuhrer Adolf Hitlers own autobiography â€˜Mein Kampfâ€™

1 Operation Barbarossa: the German invasion of the Soviet Union, 21 June 1941 to 5 December 1941:

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