Suzdal Rusia, Anillo de Oro
Suzdal Rusia, es una ciudad de la óblast de Vladímir, a orillas del río Kámenka, declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad por sus “Monumentos Blancos” de monasterios e iglesias construidos con piedra caliza que le otorgan un destacado color blanco que forman parte del conocido Anillo de Oro de Rusia un conjunto de ciudades que muestran las tradiciones arquitectónicas de Rusia central, Al igual que Moscú, Suzdal también posee un Kremlin, una ciudadela fortificada datada en el siglo X fue prision, monasterio y campo de concentración. Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, los oficiales alemanes e italianos que capturaron en la batalla de Stalingrado fueron encerrados en él este contiene en su interior monumentos históricos de gran belleza y valor artístico. Catedral de la Natividad,templo ortodoxo es uno de los más importantes del país, en el interior de la catedral de frescos bizantino fechados entre el siglo XIII y el XV. Además, no podrá quitar sus ojos de las magníficas puertas doradas, decoradas con imágenes de la vida de Cristo y que son una verdadera maravilla. Monasterio del Salvador y San Eutimio de Suzdal, Rusia. Este complejo monástico de los siglos XVI y XVII cuenta con su propia catedral, la de la Transfiguración del Salvador ya unos 5 kilómetros, se podrá descubrir la Iglesia de los Santos Boris y Gleb
Suzdal Russia, is a city in the Vladimir Oblast, on the banks of the Kamenka River, declared a World Heritage Site for its White Monuments of monasteries and churches built with limestone that give it a prominent white color that are part of the well-known Ring Golden of Russia a set of cities that show the architectural traditions of central Russia, Like Moscow, Suzdal also possesses a Kremlin, a fortified citadel dated in the tenth century was prison, monastery and concentration camp. During the Second World War, the German and Italian officers captured in the Battle of Stalingrad were locked in it, it contains inside historical monuments of great beauty and artistic value. Cathedral of the Nativity, Orthodox temple is one of the most important in the country, inside the cathedral of Byzantine frescoes dated between the thirteenth and the fifteenth centuries. In addition, you can not take your eyes off the magnificent golden doors, decorated with images of the life of Christ and that are a true wonder. Monastery of the Savior and Saint Euthymius of Suzdal, Russia. This monastic complex of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries has its own cathedral, the Transfiguration of the Savior and about 5 kilometers, you can discover the Church of Saints Boris and Gleb
Turismo de Rusia Suzdal, la Perla del Anillo de Oro de Rusia - Туризм Суздаль Россия #anillodeoro #suzdal #suzdalrussia #SuzdalRusia
Церковь Бориса и Глеба | The Church of Boris and Gleb
Россия, Владимирская область, село Кидекша
Russia, Vladimir oblast, the village of Kideksha
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По краю земли | Экспедиция
At the edge of the earth | Expedition
ВКонтакте - vk.com/attheedgeoftheearth
Facebook - facebook.com/attheedgeoftheearth
Instagram - instagram.com/expedition.pkz
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#story_pkz #GoldenRing_pkz #location_pkz #Александр_Коломиец #Экспедиции #По_Краю_Земли #Приключения #Путешествия #Adventure #Travel #Showreel #ЗолотоеКольцо #GoldenRingOfRussia
Kideksha. 04.07.2011
Kideksha (Russian: Кидекша) is a village (selo) in Suzdalsky District of Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kamenka and Nerl Rivers, 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) east of Suzdal.
The settlement was founded before the Church of Boris and Gleb was built in 1152 by Yuri Dolgoruky.
Kideksha used to be a town, but, after having been destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Rus, it degraded to a small village.
Kideksha is a part of the Golden Ring of Russia and, since 1992, is one of Russia's World Heritage Sites.
More information -
Suzdal - Cathedrals and Monastery
Suzdal is a town and the administrative center of Suzdalsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Kamenka River, 26 kilometers (16 mi) north of the city of Vladimir, the administrative center of the oblast. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 10,535.
Suzdal is one of the oldest Russian towns. In the 12th century it became the capital of the principality, while Moscow was merely one of its subordinate settlements.
Currently, Suzdal is the smallest of the Russian Golden Ring towns with a population of approximately 10,000, but it is a major tourist attraction.
Several of its monuments are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[
The Saviour Monastery of St. Euthymius was founded in the 14th century, and grew in importance in the 16th and 17th centuries after donations by Vasili III, Ivan IV and the Pozharsky family, a noble dynasty of the region. Among the buildings erected during this period were the Assumption Church, the bell tower, the surrounding walls and towers, and the seven-domed Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour. The cathedral was built in the style of the Grand Duchy of Vladimir-Suzdal. Its interior contains restored frescoes by the school of Gury Nikitin of Kostroma, dating from 1689. The tomb of Dmitry Pozharsky lies by the cathedral wall.
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The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Suzdal, Russia, is a World Heritage Site. It is one of the eight White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal., and one of the most complex monuments of Russian medieval architecture.
It was originally constructed during the reign of Vladimir II Monomakh during the late 11th century. The Cathedral of the Nativity is surrounded by a ring of earthen walls in an oxbow of Kamenka River. It is notable for being the first city cathedral not built for the exclusive use of the knyaz or his relatives. The cathedral contains the remains of a son of Yuri Dolgoruki, knyazes of the Shuisky family and others.[
La cathédrale de la Transfiguration ou cathédrale de la Transfiguration-du-Sauveur-Saint-Euthyme est un édifice situé à l'intérieur de l'enceinte du Monastère du Sauveur-Saint-Euthyme à Souzdal, dont l'architecture date de la fin du XVIe siècle. Actuellement elle est devenue une église-musée qui fait partie du musée-réserve de Vladimir et Souzdal. Elle est dédiée à la fête de la Transfiguration qui est un épisode de la vie de Jésus Christ décrite dans les évangiles.
L'espace intérieur de la cathédrale est divisé par les quatre puissants piliers et s'élargit grâce au volume des profondes absides. La peinture des fresques murales fut réalisée au XVIIe siècle par un artel d'artistes, sous la direction de Goury Nikitine. Durant la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle, les fresques de Nikitine furent restaurées, mais ce n'est qu'à la fin des années 1970 que grâce à un travail minutieux les fresques primitives furent redécouvertes.
La coupole centrale est décorée de la composition traditionnelle des artistes de Kostroma : une fresque de la Sainte-Trinité appelée en russe « Otetchestvo ». La peinture des murs et des piliers recouvre l'ensemble des surfaces. Au bas de murs et piliers sont représentés les apôtres. Quant aux autres surfaces, elles racontent les évangiles et la biographie de Jésus-Christ. Le reste du décor est composé de nombreux personnages sur fond de paysages et de constructions architecturales en tout genre. Sur la partie inférieure des piliers, du côté de l'autel, sont représentés les tsars de la première dynastie des Romanov : Michel Ier (tsar de Russie) et Alexis Ier de Russie. Ils ont la tête entourée d'une nimbe lumineuse parmi les rois bibliques : le roi David et le roi Salomon, et les princes russes canonisés : Vladimir Ier, Boris et Gleb et Vsevolod III Vladimirski.
Les murs de la chapelle Saint-Euthyme sont recouverts de scènes de la vie du saint parmi lesquelles : le choix de l'emplacement de la construction, le début de la construction du monastère. [
Dmytri Stepanovych Bortniansky (1751–1825) was a composer and conductor of Ukrainian origin, contemporary of Ludwig van Beethoven in Western Europe. Bortniansky is best known for his liturgical works and his prolific contributions to the genre of choral concertos. He was one of the Golden Three of his era, along with Artemy Vedel and Maksym Berezovsky. Bortniansky composed in many different musical styles, including choral compositions in French, Italian, Latin, German and Church Slavonic.
Песнопения Великого поста / Chants of Lent
Песнопения Великого поста
Хор Соловецкого монастыря
Chants of Lent
Sung here by the Choir of the Solovetsky Monastery
Photographs:
The Church of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha on the Nerl River, 4 km east of Suzdal. The church was built in 1152, on the orders of Prince Yuri Dolgorukii, where the encampment of Saint Boris had been and was probably part of a princely (wooden) palace complex used by the Prince before he left to become Grand prince of Kiev in 1155.
The limesgtone church is one of the oldest in the district and one of the few churches built by Dolgorukii that is still extant. During medieval times, the church formed part of a monastery and later became a parish church.
The church has been much altered over the centurties, loosing its original vaulting and dome and the porch was added in the nineteenth century. Today the church is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal
В поисках Души России
Вы еще не знаете как провести свои выходные дни? Подписывайтесь на мой канал и смотрите мои фильмы из Проекта: Путешествия выходного дня:
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В один из выходных дней августа 2017 г. мы отправились на озеро Селигер в поисках Души России...
В этом фильме я рассказываю о тех краях, где река Волга протекает еще речкой малой и даже ручейком.., где живут своей жизнью городки малые, возрастом старше чем Москва.
А может там живет она - Душа России?
Мой маршрут был таков: Москва - Иосифо-Волоколамский Успенский монастырь - город Старица и Свято-Успенский монастырь - село Красное и Церковь Спаса Преображения - город Торжок и Борисоглебский монастырь - озеро Селигер и монастырь Нило-Столобенская пустынь.
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В своих фильмах я уже рассказывал Вам о Ярославле и Костроме, Плёсе и Тутаеве, Санкт-Петербурге и Москве, Тарусе и Константиново, Поленово и Абрамцево...
Где живёт Душа России?
Сложный вопрос и однозначно ответить невозможно! Давайте вместе попытаемся рассказать о самых красивых и интересных местах, где живет Душа России!
Пишите Ваши варианты!
Не уходите далеко - наши путешествия продолжаются!
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Как я часто люблю говорить:
- Жизнь измеряется не числом вздохов, а числом мест и мгновений, когда у вас перехватывает дыхание!
* * *
P.S. Данный фильм является сборником из дюжины частей, многие из которых уже выставлены мной с соответствующим описанием и рассказом!
✅ Богослужение в Успенской церкви. Суздаль Full HD Worship in the Church
Это богослужение в суздальской успенской церкви 1667 года постройки мы случайно засняли на видео летом 2016 года.
Храм успения божией матери Суздаль
Видео храма и вид с колокольни
Владимир, Суздаль И Кидекша
Суздаль | Съёмка с квадрокоптера 4K
Замечательный Суздаль с высоты птичьего полёта.
The Life And Death Of Andrey Bogolyubsky
Andrei I Yuryevich, commonly known under his sobriquet Andrei Bogolyubsky (Russian: Андрей Боголюбский, Andrei the God-Loving) (c. 1111 – June 28, 1174) was Grand prince of Vladimir-Suzdal from 1157 till his death. His reign saw a complete decline of Kiev's rule over northeastern Rus, and rise of Vladimir as the new capital city. Andrei was known in the West as Scythian Caesar, and is beatified as a saint in Russian Orthodox Church.
He was the son of Yuri Dolgoruki, who proclaimed Andrei a prince in Vyshhorod (near Kiev). His mother was a Polovtsian (Cuman) princess, khan Aepa's/Ayepa's daughter.
Andrei left Vyshhorod in 1155 and moved to Vladimir. Promoting development of feudal relations, he relied on a team and on Vladimir’s townspeople; he connected to trading-craft business of Rostov and Suzdal. After his father’s death (1157), he became Knyaz (prince) of Vladimir, Rostov and Suzdal.
Andrei Bogolyubsky tried to unite Rus' lands under his authority. From 1159 he persistently struggled for submission of Novgorod to his authority and conducted a complex military and diplomatic game in South Rus. In 1169 his troops sacked Kiev. After plundering the city, stealing much religious artwork, which included the Byzantine Mother of God icon. Andrei appointed his brother Gleb as prince of Kiev, in an attempt to unify his lands with Kiev. Following his brother's death in 1171, Andrei became embroiled in a two year war to maintain control over Kiev, which ended in his defeat.
Andrei achieved the right to receive a tribute from the population of the Northern Dvina land. Becoming ruler of all Suzdal land, Andrei Bogolyubsky transferred his capital to Vladimir, strengthened it and constructed the magnificent Assumption Cathedral, the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, and other churches and monasteries. Under his leadership Vladimir was much enlarged, and fortifications were built around the city.
At the same time the castle Bogolyubovo was built next to Vladimir, and was a favorite residence of his. In fact he received his nickname Bogolyubsky in honor of this place. It was he who brought the Theotokos of Vladimir to the city whose name it now bears. During Andrei Bogolyubsky’s reign Vladimir-Suzdal principality attained significant power and was the strongest among the Rus' principalities.
Amplification of princely authority and conflict with outstanding boyars was the cause of a plot against Andrei Bogolyubsky, as a result of which he was killed on the night of June 28 to June 29, 1174. Twenty of his disgruntled retainers burst into his chambers and slew Andrei in his bed. His silver-inlaid war axe can now be viewed at the State Historical Museum in Moscow.
His son, Yuri Bogolyubsky, was the first husband of Queen Tamar of Georgia. An ancient icon, Theotokos of Bogolyubovo is associated with him.
До монгольские храмы России/ Pre Mongolian cathedrals of Russia
До монгольские храмы России: Георгиевский собор. XIII век, 1234, Владимирская область, город Юрьев-Польский, Дмитриевский собор. XII век, 1197, город Владимир, Надвратная церковь Ризположения в Золотых воротах. XII век, 1164, г. Владимир, Рождественский собор Свято-Боголюбского монастыря. XII век, Владимирская обл., село Боголюбово, Собор Рождества Богородицы. XIII век, 1225, Владимирская обл., город Суздаль, Спасо-Преображенский собор. XII век, 1152-1160, Ярославская обл.
Спасо-Преображенский собор. XII век, 1152-1160, Ярославская обл., город Переславль-Залесский, Успенский собор. XII век, 1160, г. Владимир, Церковь Бориса и Глеба. XII век, 1152, Владимирская обл., село Кидекша, 4 км от Суздаля. Самый древний сохранившийся храм средней полосы России. Церковь Покрова на Нерли. XII век, 1165, Владимирская область, около села Боголюбово
Pre-Mongolian cathedrals of Russia: St. George's Cathedral. XIII century, in 1234, Vladimir region, the city of Yuriev-Polsky, Demetrius Cathedral. XII century, in 1197, the city of Vladimir, Gate Church of Deposition of the Robe in Golden Gate. XII century, in 1164, Vladimir, Cathedral of the Nativity of the Holy Monastery Bogolyubsky. XII century, Vladimir region., The village Bogolyubovo, Church of the Nativity of the Virgin. XIII Century, 1225, Vladimir region., The city of Suzdal, Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral. XII century, 1152-1160, Yaroslavl region.
Pre-Mongolian cathedrals of Russia: Transfiguration Cathedral. XII century, 1152-1160, Yaroslavl region., City Pereslavl, Cathedral of the Assumption. XII century, 1160, Vladimir, Boris and Gleb Church. XII century, in 1152, Vladimir region., Kideksha village, 4 km from Suzdal. The oldest preserved temple of central Russia. Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. XII century, 1165, Vladimir region, near the village of Bogolyubovo
Russia 2020
Welcome to Soul Safar’s guided group story-travel to Royal Russia. Immerse in to the fascinating stories from the life of the Czars & Czarinas and the modern-day Oligarchs as you travel with us. Explore Russian art, culture, history and food for 10 days and 9 nights with like-minded travelers. We will help you discover the soul of Russia, not through the eyes of a tourist but through the experience of an explorer. Let’s embark into an unforgettable journey to the land of Czars.
Where we will visit
Moscow:
Moscow is the capital and most heavily populated city in Russia, as well as being the largest city on the European continent. It is an iconic and global city and is the key political, economic, cultural and scientific centre of not only Russia but of Eastern Europe as well. It is a city renowned for the Red Square, the Kremlin and St. Basil’s cathedral and furthermore, should be on your travel bucket list. So, join us to explore this mysterious but enticing city.
You will explore:
Kremlin: Cathedral Tour, Armoury Chamber; Diamond Museum (Entry tickets not provided); Red Square: Lenin’s Mausoleum; St Basils Cathedral (Entry tickets not provided); GUM; Church of the Christ the Saviour; Tretyakov Gallery; Zaryadey Park; Moscow Metro tour, Ballet show at Kremlin Theatre
St. Petersburg
One of the world's most beautiful cities, St. Petersburg has all the ingredients for an unforgettable travel experience: high art, lavish architecture, wild nightlife, an extraordinary history and rich cultural traditions that have inspired and nurtured some of the modern world's greatest literature, music, and visual art. From the mysterious twilight of the White Nights to world-beating opera and ballet productions on magical winter evenings, St. Petersburg charms and entices in every season.
You will explore:
Winter Palace & Hermitage Museum; Peterhoff Garden; Peterhoff Grand Palace (Entry tickets not provided); Peter & Paul Fortress; Catherine Palace with Amber room (Pushkin District); Kazan Cathedral; Church of the Spilled Blood; St Issacs Cathedral; Neva River Cruize.
Vladimir
Common tendency of regular tourists visiting Russia is to gravitate towards cities like Moscow & St Petersburg, but there are many hidden treasures spread all over the country that many don’t even realise. Vladimir is one such town and is part of the Golden Ring of ancient Russian cities.
Located about 200 km east of Moscow, Vladimir is within the Vladimir Oblast administrative center and has a population of almost 400,000. Steeped in history, in the 12th and 13 centuries, Vladimir was the capital city of Russia.
You will explore:
Pushkin Park, The Golden Gate Military Monument, Vodonapornaya Bashnya Museum, The Cathedral of St. Demetrius, Chamber Official Palace.
Suzdal
Suzdal is called the jewel in the golden ring and is the 3rd most visited city after Moscow & St. Petersburg. The town dates back to 1024. In its early history it was the capital of several principalities and later on became an important religious centre. The town is full of churches and at one point in its history had 40 churches for approximately 400 families. The atmosphere is extremely pleasant due to its rustic, country feel combined with its medieval monuments. It’s as if old paintings by Russian artists have been brought to life. And a night stay here will take you back in time to the golden days of Russia.
You will explore:
Spaso-Evfimiyev Monastery Museum Complex, Museum Of Wooden Architecture & Peasant Life, Suzdal Kremlin, The Convent of the Intercession (Pokrovsky Monastery), Church of Saints Boris and Gleb in Kideksha, Prepodobenskaya Bell Tower and many more.
Local Experience
Vodka making & Tasting, Moscova River Cruise, Petersburg River Cruise, Gala Night Party with Russian friends, Local market visit,
Кидекша и Суздаль. Масленичные празднования. 2003 год
Кидекша (Владимирская область)
Информация содержится в титрах клипа
Борисоглебский собор (Кидекша)
Описание содержится в титрах клипа
Суздаль. Резиденция Юрия Долгорукого.
Церковь Бориса и Глеба 1152 года в селе Кидекша. Самый древний сохранившийся белокаменный храм. Местечко близ Суздаля.
The Life And Death Of Vsevolod the Big Nest
Vsevolod III Yuryevich, or Vsevolod the Big Nest (Russian: Все́волод III Ю́рьевич Большо́е Гнездо́) (1154–1212), was the Grand Prince of Vladimir during whose long reign (1177–1212) the city reached the zenith of its glory.
Vsevolod was the tenth or eleventh son of Yuri Dolgoruky (c. 1099 – 1157), who founded the town Dmitrov to commemorate the site of Vsevolod's birth. Nikolai Karamzin (1766 - 1826) initiated the speculation identifying Vsevolod's mother Helene as a Greek princess, because after her husband's death she took Vsevolod with her to Constantinople.
Vsevolod spent his youth at the chivalric court of the Komnenoi. On his return from the Byzantine Empire to Rus' in 1170, Vsevolod supposedly visited Tbilisi, as a local chronicle records that that year the Georgian king entertained his nephew from Constantinople and married him to his relative, an Ossetian princess.
Reign
In 1173 two Smolensk princes captured Kiev, captured Vsevolod and briefly installed him on the throne. Ransomed a year later, Vsevolod took his brother Mikhalko's side in his struggle against the powerful boyars of Rostov and Suzdal. Upon Mikhalko's death in 1176, Vsevolod succeeded him in Vladimir. He promptly subjugated the boyars and systematically raided the Volga peoples, notably Volga Bulgaria. He installed puppet rulers on the throne of Novgorod and married his daughters to princes of Chernigov and Kiev.
Vsevolod showed little mercy to those who disobeyed his commands. In 1180 and 1187 he punished the princes of Ryazan by ousting them from their lands. In 1207 he burnt to the ground both Ryazan and Belgorod. His military fame spread quickly. The Tale of Igor's Campaign, thought to be written during Vsevolod's reign, addresses him thus: Great prince Vsevolod! Don't you think of flying here from afar to safeguard the paternal golden throne of Kiev? For you can with your oars scatter in drops the Volga, and with your helmets scoop dry the Don.
But Kievan matters concerned Vsevolod little in the latter part of his reign. He concentrated on building up his own capital, Vladimir. His Ossetian wife, Maria Shvarnovna, who devoted herself to works of piety and founded several convents, was glorified by the Russian church as a saint. By her Vsevolod had no fewer than fourteen children, thus earning for himself the sobriquet Big Nest. Four of them—Konstantin, George, Yaroslav and Sviatoslav—succeeded him as Grand Dukes of Vladimir. He died on April 12, 1212 and was buried at the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir.
Marriage and children
Vsevolod married first Maria, whose origins are disputed. She has been variously identified as Ossetian, Alan and Moravian. They had at least fourteen children:
Sbyslava (Pelaghea) Vsevolodovna (born 26 October 1178).
Vseslava Vsevolodovna. Married Rostislav Yaroslavich, Prince of Snov. He was a son of Yaroslav II Vsevolodovich, Prince of Chernigov. His paternal grandfather was Vsevolod II of Kiev.
Verchoslava Vsevolodovna. Married Rostislav II of Kiev.
Konstantin of Rostov (18 May 1186 – 2 February 1218).
Boris Vsevolodovich. (c. 1187–1238).
Gleb Vsevolodovich (d. 29 September 1189).
Yuri II of Vladimir (1189 – 4 March 1238).
Yaroslav II of Vladimir (8 February 1191 – 30 September 1246).
Helena Vsevolodovna (d. 1204).
Vladimir Vsevolodovich, Prince of Yuryev-Polsky (25 October 1192 – 6 January 1227).
Sviatoslav III of Vladimir (27 March 1196 – 3 February 1252).
Ivan Vsevolodovich, Prince of Starodub (28 November 1197 – after 1247).
Anna Vsevolodovna. Married Vladimir, Prince of Belgorod (d. 1239).
Maria died in 1205 or 1206. Vsevolod married Liubov Vasilkovna in 1209. She was a daughter of Vasilko Bryacheslavich, Prince of Vitebsk. They had no known children.
Russia | Wikipedia audio article
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Russia
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
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Russia (Russian: Росси́я, tr. Rossiya, IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə]), officially the Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə]), is a country in Eurasia. At 17,125,200 square kilometres (6,612,100 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world by area, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area, and the ninth most populous, with about 144.5 million people as of 2018, excluding Crimea. About 77% of the population live in the western, European part of the country. Russia's capital, Moscow, is the largest metropolitan area in Europe proper and one of the largest cities in the world; other major cities include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod. Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a wide range of environments and landforms. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both with Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the U.S. state of Alaska across the Bering Strait.
The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century. In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus' ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states; most of the Rus' lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion and became tributaries of the nomadic Golden Horde in the 13th century. The Grand Duchy of Moscow gradually reunified the surrounding Russian principalities, achieved independence from the Golden Horde. By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history, stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east.Following the Russian Revolution, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the world's first constitutionally socialist state. The Soviet Union played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II, and emerged as a recognized superpower and rival to the United States during the Cold War. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the world's first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the world's second largest economy, largest standing military in the world and the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, twelve independent republics emerged from the USSR: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Baltic states regained independence: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania; the Russian SFSR reconstituted itself as the Russian Federation and is recognized as the continuing legal personality and a successor of the Soviet Union. It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic.
Russia's economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015. Russia's extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the leading producers of oil and natural gas globally. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons ...
43 The Rise of Russian Christendom II - Fr. John Strickland