Travel
This monarch is widely credited as having invented the model for the modern passport.
Who is King Henry V of England?
This ruler, who gave his name to a major Russian city, made it his goal to modernize and westernize Russia, drawing inspiration from other European nations. Under his reign, art and culture flourished, although it mostly reflected the European style, rather than a uniquely Russian one.
Who was Peter the Great?
This fort in St. Petersburg is the oldest structure in the city and contains the tombs of many Russian monarchs.
What is the Peter and Paul Fortress?
What is The Mother of the God of Vladimir?
This fearsome witch with iron teeth is a staple of Russian folklore. She lives in a hut in the forest that is said to have a personality of its own and can move around on chicken legs. Usually the hut is spinning and the only way to stop it is to repeat a secret incantation.
Who is Baba Yaga?
To enter Russia, you will need this document, IN ADDITION to your passport.
What is a visa?
This monarch was not born into the Romanov dynasty, but rather married into it. She then had her Romanov husband arrested and murdered, so that she could ascend the throne.
Who was Catherine the Great?
This bronze statue was commissioned by Catherine the Great in an effort to legitimize her rule in the eyes of the Russian people and connect her forever with Peter the Great, one of the most beloved Russian leaders.
What is The Bronze Horseman?
This type of painting, unlike an icon painting, is intended to be a realistic version of an individual. The artist would convey the individual's social status through his use of setting, jewelry, objects, and clothing.
What is a portrait?
A popular Russian dish, known as blini in Russian, is often served with meat, jam, or sour cream, and it most closely resembles this American breakfast food.
What are pancakes?
What is the ruble?
This leader was the founder of the Soviet Union, which dissolved the Russian monarchy. The city of St. Petersburg was renamed after him for most of the 20th century.
Who was Vladimir Lenin?
Peter the Great began construction on this palace in St. Petersburg between 1711 and 1712. Even after his death, monarchs continued to enlarge and modify the luxurious and elegant home. It now has over 1,057 rooms!
What is the Winter Palace?
This famous Russian composer wrote many pieces of music based on ancient Russian songs or Russian fairy tales. Some of his most famous works include The Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake, and Firebird.
Who was Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky?
This very popular Russian holiday celebrates the arrival of spring and bids farewell to winter.
What is Maslenitsa?
This is the common name for the extreme tiredness and other physical effects one might experience after a long flight across several time zones.
What is jet lag?
In 1547, after his grandfather had consolidated the power of the Russian princes, this leader became the first czar over all the lands of Russia and established Moscow as its capital.
Who was Ivan the Terrible?
This landmark is in the heart of Moscow and serves as the center of Russian government to this day. The name comes from the Russian word "kreml," meaning "fortress."
What is the Kremlin?
This school, founded in 1738 in St. Petersburg, became the first dance school in Russia to teach ballet to its students. Russia now boasts world-renowned ballet schools and companies.
What is The Imperial Theater School?
This Russian word means "little matron" and describes a set of Russian nesting dolls very popular among tourists.
What is martryoshka?
This is the imaginary line down the Earth that marks the starting point for every time zone in the world.
What is the Greenwich Meridian or Prime Meridian?
Who was Nicholas II?
This beautiful and uniquely Russian structure was commissioned first by Ivan the Terrible and completed in 1560. Its distinctive paint colors are not original, but because of a number of fires that devastated Moscow throughout the centuries, they have been repainted.
What is St. Basil's Cathedral?
Who is Odette?
This landmark was once Moscow's main marketplace and is now the central plaza for the city, lying just outside the Kremlin. This site is a popular space for festivals, ceremonies, and political rallies and is featured in Breaking Stalin's Nose.