RUSSIA

Capital: Moscow  |  Population: 143.5 million

Country Overview

Welcome to Russia, the largest country by area in the world, and an ethnically and culturally rich place to call home.

Home to over 140 nature reserves, Russia is teeming with wildlife and a wide range of geographic and areas. Its ballet companies are world-renowned. Composers like Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Stravinsky are household names and Russian literature (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Solzhenitsyn and Chekhov), is acclaimed world-wide.

The Russian government is a federation headed by a president, and its official currency is the Rouble.

The official language is Russian, but there are several regional dialects.

Daily Life

Because of Russia’s size, it enjoys a wide variety of cultures. Each province has its own language, religion, dress, and customs. Families tend to be small, tending towards having only one child, and though affection is rarely expressed aloud, the family is quite important. 

Russian students often comment on the different, hectic pace of American life and the abundance and large size of everything.

Russian meals tend to be simple and hearty, including bread, soup, potatoes, vegetables and meat. Specialty foods, fresh fruits and instant meals are often difficult to find.

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School

School is compulsory from age 7 to 18. After age 18, students may go on to university, vocational training, or into the workforce.

Russian schools are relatively formal. It is very important to treat teachers with respect. Students use the formal pronouns and methods of address.

The average class size is thirty students and students remain with the same classmates throughout the day. Most high school students continue to university. 

Teenagers

Most teenagers in Russia participate in sports or music. The most popular sports are soccer, volleyball, and soccer. Other popular activities include chess, badminton, boxing, table tennis, and karate.

Russian teenagers dress much like American teenagers. They wear sweatshirts, jeans, and T-shirts. Dress is slightly more formal, however, and girls often wear blouses and boys wear dress pants. 

Dating in Russia begins around age 17, and curfews vary greatly from family to family.