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- Russian men were forced to shave off their beards or pay a beard tax when Peter the Great ruled the country during the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Because of a Russian tradition, if someone steps on your toes accidentally, you have to step on theirs as well, or you’ll get in a fight.
- Valentina Tereshkova, from Russia, was the first woman to travel in space.
- It’s unlucky in Russia to shake hands through a doorway.
- St. Petersburg was built on top of a marsh, so more than three hundred bridges had to be made.
- Nerpas, which live in Lake Baikal, are one of just a few kinds of freshwater seals in the world.
- Russia is important to the world’s energy supply because it has the world’s largest natural gas reserves, the second largest coal reserves, and the eighth largest oil reserves.
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View detail map as PDF
View outline map as PDF |
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Red stands for bravery, blue for nobility, and white for purity. This flag wasn’t used when Russia was part of the Soviet Union. |
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The double-headed eagle, the state symbol of Russia, represents the European and Asian parts of the country. |
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