10 Interesting Facts About Russia You Should Read

The List Love is offering 10 interesting facts about Russia that are about to blow your mind! There’s so much more to know about semi-presidential republic, and our facts will provide a little bit more information than what the capital city of Russia is (it’s Moscow, if you don’t know). So, let’s get going…

1. Russia’s Population

Russian Population

image via avaxnews.net

Russia is really big, right? Well, it’s becoming a whole lot smaller, as its population has fallen by a hefty 6.6 million since 1993. To put that into perspective for you, that’s the equivalent of Massachusetts.

Back in 2010, Russia’s population was 141.9 million, but that figure is projected to fall by 10.7% by 2050, and so will stand at 126.6 million.

There are also 10 million more women than there are men in Russia, and the imbalance was initially due to the death of so many Russian soldiers during World War II.

2. 9 Time Zones

lots of clocks

image via pixgood.com

Russia once had an amazing 11 time zones. Not to be greedy, they cut it down to 9 in 2010. The reason they cut it down? To improve transport and communication issues, whilst strengthening Russia’s position as an important chain in the world’s global infrastructure.

3. Bundle of Billionaires

Roman Abramovich

image via www.telegraph.co.uk

Moscow is the home to the most billionaires in the world, as 74 live in the capital city. That’s 3 more Billionaires than New York, which has bagged second place!

4. Lake Baikal

lake baikal

image via billpfeiffer.org

Lake Baikal in Russia is the world’s deepest lake and is a thousand times older than any other lake on Earth. If that’s not impressive enough, you might be interested to learn that if the rest of the planet’s fresh water supply was to disappear, there would be enough fresh water left in Lake Baikal to supply humanity for up to 50 years.

5. Fresh Milk

frog milk

image via discovermagazine.com

Before fridges were invented, both Russians and Finns would keep their milk fresh by placing live brown frogs in it, as they secrete antimicrobial substances.

6. Chewbacca

Chewbacca

image via www.empireonline.com

We bet you didn’t know the name for Chewbacca in Star Wars stems from saboka, the Russian word for dog.

7. Adler-Krasnaya Polyana Road

Adler-Krasnaya Polyana Road

image via www.survincity.com

The Adler-Krasnaya Polyana Road was the host at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, and cost Russia an incredible $8.6 billion.

To put that into perspective for you, it would have cost less to pave the road in foie gras at 8.6 inches thick, which would have cost $88 per kilogram.

8. The Moscow Metro

Moscow Metro

image via travelscapism.com

Approximately nine million commuters ride the Moscow Metro every single day – that’s more than the combined commuters of both New York and London.

The Moscow Metro is also the fastest means of transport in the world, and the Metro of St. Petersburg is also the deepest subway in the world at 100m deep. The Metro is also very efficient, as trains are scheduled every 90 seconds during rush hour.

9. Wedding Ring Traditions

wedding ring right hand

image via www.elizabethannedesigns.com

It is traditional for many Russian wives to wear their wedding ring on their right hand. The same tradition is also common in Greece, Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Poland, India, Georgia and Spain.

10. Russian Superstitions

flowers

image via www.pinterest.com

Russians are quite superstitious. For example, Russians will never shake hands over a doorway, as they believe it to be an omen, with many believing the act would most likely result in an argument.

Russian men would also never present their partner with flowers, as it is considered bad luck and associated with funerals

Would you like to learn more about the wonderful world around us? Have a gander at the 10 Best Movie Themed Hotels in the World. Follow The List Love on Facebook, G+ and Twitter.

 

The List Love

The List Love is the home of high quality top 10 lists on everything from movies and TV to history and science. We offer interesting, entertaining posts to broaden your mind and smile. Follow us today on Facebook and Twitter for more amazing listicles!

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