Interesting Facts about Russia and its Revolution

Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

Legend has it that St. Basil’s Cathedral’s beauty cost its architect his eyes. The Moscow monument was built between 1555 and 1561 by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate a victory over the Mongols, and he’s said to have blinded the architect so that he couldn’t create a rival masterpiece. The Russian St. Basil the Blessed lies interred within the church.

Interesting Facts about Russia:

Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country that extends over a large part of northern Eurasia. Its government is a semi-presidential republic, and it comprises of 83 federal subjects. The Russian Federation, in fact, was established after the termination of the Soviet Union, which occurred in 1991; however, it continues to be recognized as the legal personality of the Soviet Union. Here are some more interesting facts about Russia.

Comprising of 6,592,800 square miles, or 17,075,400 square kilometres, and extending over an eighth of the land area of the Earth, Russia is the world’s largest country. It also is the 9th largest in the world in terms of population, with 142 million people. It stretches across 40 percent of Europe and the entire region of northern Asia. Russia spans 11 time zones and contains a wide range of landforms and environments.

Russia is bordered by a number of countries, namely: North Korea, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Norway. Russia is also not very far from Japan, Turkey, Denmark, Sweden, and the US state of Alaska, separated by fairly small water stretches, such as La Pérouse Strait, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Bering Strait.

From the north of the country to its south, Russia contains a variety of biospheres which occur sequentially, reflecting the changes in the climate: in the northernmost part is the tundra belt, followed by the taiga or the coniferous forest, then comes the broad-leaf and mixed forests, followed by the steppe or grassland, and then the semi-desert which fringes the Caspian Sea. Siberia too has a sequence of environments, but comprises of taiga. Russia has 40 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and 23 World Heritage Sites. 

Moscow, the capital of Russia, which is populated by 11 million people, is Europe’s largest city. St. Petersburg, known formerly as Leningrad, has a population of 5 million people. About two-thirds of the population of Russia live in cities now. The size of the population of the country is now in decline.

The official language of the country is Russian, which is written with the Cyrillic alphabet, instead of the Latin that most Western countries use. However, there are 48 other languages spoken by the 120 or so nationalities of the Commonwealth of Independent States. About 75 percent of the population of Russia is made up of people of Slavic origin, such as Russians, Belorussians, Ukrainians, and so on.

In the previous Soviet system, people were provided with low-rent accommodations, subsidized factory canteens, sports facilities, shops, and even vacations. Hardly any of these remain today. Plus, before the liberalization of the economy, public transport, utilities, cigarettes, drink, and food were also cheap.

The recent economic reforms have resulted in pushing a significant portion of the population below the poverty line, particularly pensioners. This is because inflation has overtaken the increases in benefits provided by the state. However, there is a growing middle class these days who are increasingly becoming prosperous by involving themselves in legitimate business, with a few of them becoming very wealthy. They are known commonly as ‘novye Russkie.’

The main religion of Russia is the Russian Orthodoxy, with a few people following other religions like Judaism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Islam. Over the last few years, there has been a revival of religion in Russia, which was strongly suppressed during the Soviet era. This revival is symbolized by the Christ the Saviour Cathedral being rebuilt in Moscow.

Russia is known as the ‘lungs of Europe’ since it has the largest forest reserves in the world, and the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by it is second only to the rainforests in the Amazon. These forests of Russia provide large amounts of oxygen not only to Europe but also to the world.

Russia also has the largest energy and mineral resources in the world, including large deposits of timber, coal, natural gas, and petroleum.

There are also thousands of inland water bodies and rivers in Russia, which makes it one of the largest surface water resources in the world. Amongst these, Lake Baikal is the most prominent, being the most capacious, purest, and deepest freshwater lake in the world. It alone contains more than one-fifth of the surface fresh water of the world. The River Volga is the most prominent and famous amongst the 100,000 rivers of Russia. Apart from it being Europe’s longest river, the Volga has played a major role in the history of Russia.

These facts about Russia are proof of how interesting this vast country is. Some would say that this slumbering giant is just beginning to come awake now.

Interesting Facts about Russian Revolution:

The term Russian revolution is used to refer to a series of revolutions which were initiated in Russia against the Tsarist autocracy in 1917. The historical significance of the Russian revolution of 1917 was that it paved the way for the creation of a separate nation of the Soviet Union. Though we refer to the revolutions in 1917 as the Russian revolution, in broad sense, the term is also used to refer to the revolution of 1905 and the third Russian revolution in 1918. The Russian revolution of 1905 was against Nicholas II, while the third Russian revolution was against the Bolsheviks. The information given below will predominantly stress on 1917 Russian revolution facts, with a passing reference to other revolutions witnessed by this nation.

Russian Revolution Causes

When we talk about Russian revolution facts, we can't ignore the various causes of the Russian revolution. These causes can be broadly categorized into economic causes, social causes and political causes. World War I had left Russia in dire state as several individuals joined the army, thus leaving the other sectors with insufficient number of workers. Working in rather miserable conditions, workers working in industries put forth some demands through their union. However, the Tsar was in no mood to pay heed to them, and the workers were left with no option but to go on a strike. Social oppression was at its peak during the beginning of the 20th century, and participation in the World War just made the things worse. Several peasants moved to the industrial areas as these industries were looking to fill manpower they lost heavily during the war. Tsar Nicholas II and his autocratic rule became quite infamous as time elapsed. Things worsened further when Nicholas II decided to bring army under his direct control. At this point of time the State Duma came into the picture, and issued a warning to the Tsar. It was this inept handling on the situation by Nicholas II that brought Russia to the verge of an uprising.

Russian Revolution Timeline

Given below is the timeline of the events that took place in Russia during the revolution. These events highlight several Russian revolution facts, which marked the history of this nation.

22nd February: The beginning of the February revolution marked by the strike of the workers at the Putilov Plant in Petrograd.

23rd February: Series of demonstrations demanding an end to autocracy in Russia and withdrawal from the World War I.

25th - 27th February: An army battalion was sent to Petrograd to end the rebellion, however, the disgruntled army personnel themselves joined the rebellion.

27th February: Petrograd Soviet is formed as Menshevik leaders are released from the Peter and Paul Fortress, in St. Petersburg.

2nd March: Nicholas II gives up the throne.

15th March: Provisional Government takes the reins of the nation in its own hands.

3rd July: An unplanned pro-soviet demonstration takes place in Petrograd.

6th July: The rebellion is crushed and several Bolshevik leaders are arrested.

27th August: The Provisional Government prepares for the attack after General Lavr Kornilov orders the army crops to take on Petrograd.

31st August: General Lavr Kornilov is arrested by the orders of Provisional Government.

4th September: Under tremendous public pressure, the Provisional Government is forced to release the Bolshevik leaders.

25th October: The rule of the Russian Provisional Government comes to an end as the Military Revolutionary Committee troops capture the Winter palace. This date which marked the end of October revolution, also marked the proclamation of Soviet Russia.

26th October: The Decree on Peace issued by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets brings an end to Russian participation in the war.

Russian Revolution Summary

The 1905 Russian revolution was a mass unrest in several parts of the Russian Empire, which was, though not entirely, directed at the then government. It resulted in constitutional monarchy and multi-party system in Russia. Almost a decade later, the Russian revolution of 1917 created a similar picture of social unrest in the nation. Two of the most prominent incidents of Russian revolution of 1917 came in March and October respectively. In March 1917, the Russian Provisional Government took the reins in its own hand after the Tsar was deposed. In October the same year, the Provisional government was replaced by the Bolsheviks. What we refer to as the third Russian revolution was in fact a failed attempt to overthrow the Bolsheviks in 1918.

Moscow

A walk on snowy streets near Red Square reveals two very different faces of Russia. The stately Historical Museum, which faces St. Basil’s across Red Square, exhibits the glories of Russia’s past. But the hot new styles at Dior may be a bigger draw for newly wealthy Russians.

Garden Ring, Moscow

Moscow’s Garden Ring road was laid out in the early 1800s, but the view in those days was nothing like this one from the top of the Peking Hotel. The original ring was a tree-lined boulevard that traced the path of the city’s ancient outer wall. Today central Moscow lies inside the ring, but the city stretches well beyond.

Krasheninnikov Volcano

Krasheninnikov Volcano boasts two stunning, snowcapped summit cones. Located on the Pacific shore of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, it last erupted some 400 years ago. One indication of how big Russia is: The peninsula is as far from Moscow as Moscow is from Boston.

Brown Bear

A brown bear in Kurilskoye Lake shows its fishing prowess—and he won’t be practicing catch and release. This Kamchatka Peninsula lake is home to hundreds of bears, and visitors can see them tuck into a feast during the wild salmon run, one of Earth’s greatest. The bears share the fish with white-tailed eagles, golden eagles, and Steller’s sea eagles.

Soldiers at Kremlin, Moscow

Troops line up at one of the gates to the Kremlin. A walled fortress has stood on this Moscow site for the better part of a thousand years. Today the Kremlin is the home of Russia’s president, but on its grounds are public attractions such as the Patriarch’s Palace, the State Armory, and several churches.

Reindeer Herder

A man herds reindeer in Bystrinsky Park on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. He’s one of the region’s indigenous Even people, who cherish their traditional herding culture even as they welcome increasing numbers of tourists to the high peaks, sprawling forests, and lush tundra and meadows of their homeland—one of the world’s truly wild places.

Easter Midnight Mass, Vorkuta

A congregation in Vorkuta gathers to celebrate Easter at a midnight Mass. This coal-mining town, north of the Arctic Circle, was founded as a labor camp. Partly because it was a notorious gulag, partly because of the antichurch positions of the Soviet Union, the town didn’t have a dedicated church building until 2007.

Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

The Hermitage houses one of the world’s greatest art collections in one of the world’s most impressive groups of buildings. A famous former occupant of the palace, Catherine the Great, acquired the core of the collection during her 18th-century reign. Later, new treasures and buildings were added for the enjoyment of other royals and, eventually, the public.

Alexander Column, St. Petersburg

The Alexander Column, celebrating Russia’s victory over Napoleon, seems small when framed by an arch of the General Staff Building. But at 165 feet (50 meters) and 660 tons (599 metric tons), it’s one of the world’s largest freestanding monuments. The column fronts the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg’s Palace Square, the scene of the 1905 Bloody Sunday and the 1917 Bolshevik storming of the palace.

Russian Orthodox Priest

Father Sevastyan meditates on the Gospels at Svyato-Kazansky hermitage, one of many Russian Orthodox communities resurrecting across the country. Driven underground for 75 years, the faith of the Russian tsars now enjoys favored status.

Ballet Dancers, Moscow

Perhaps dreaming of the legendary Bolshoi, young dancers prepare for class at their academy in Moscow. Ballet has long been a Russian passion.

Country House, Mandrogy

Wildflowers add color to a dacha, or country home, in Mandrogy, between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Mandrogy is a re-created village, an idealization of traditional country life that’s popular with tourists taking cruises on the nearby Svir River.

Oil Pipeline, Siberia

Much of Russia’s economic might depends on its vast reserves of fossil fuels, which account for some 60 percent of the nation’s export revenues. This man, constructing an oil feeder pipeline in western Siberia, is one of some 71,000 employees of the Russian oil giant TNK-BP.

Lake Baikal

Siberia’s Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world—at over a mile (1,700 meters)—and holds an incredible 20 percent of Earth’s unfrozen fresh water. Formed some 25 million years ago, it’s also the world’s oldest lake. Because of its age and isolation, hundreds of aquatic species evolved here that are found nowhere else on the planet.

Source: National Geographic & Buzzle