Facts about Russia Day

Russia is the largest country in the world by area. With a total area of 17,075,400 square kilometers, it covers more than a ninth of the Earth's land area. The land area of Russia is 1.8 times larger than the United States. Russia Day Facts

Russia shares a border with 14 countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Norway, North Korea, Poland and Ukraine; more than any other country in the world. Russia Day Facts

Russia has nine time zones, more than any other country in the world. It used to have 11, but this was reduced in 2010. Russia Day Facts

Until 2011, any drink with less than 10% alcohol, such as beer, was considered a foodstuff - and not alcohol. Russia Day Facts

Here is an 'odd' fact - In Russia, men never give an even amount of flowers to a women. It is considered bad luck and is associated with funerals. Russia Day Facts

The Trans-Siberian Railway that spans almost all the way across the county is the single longest railway in the world. The 9200 kilometre journey departs in Moscow and makes its way to the Pacific Ocean port of Vladivostok. Making the entire journey non-stop will take over 152 hours. Russia Day Facts

Moscow has more billionaire residents than any other city in the world. There are a total of 74 billionaires living in the city, about three times the number in the second-place city, New York. Russia Day Facts

Lake Baikal is the deepest in the world and contains about 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. Russia Day Facts

Oymyakon in Siberia is the coldest inhabited place on Earth. In February 1933, its weather station recorded a temperature of -67.8 °C. Russia Day Facts

Former Soviet Union leader, Mikhail Gorbachev recorded an album of romantic ballads. Russia Day Facts

St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow was created by Postnik Yakovlev. Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible blinded him afterwards, so that he could never again build anything that would rival it. Russia Day Facts

In 1908, the Russian Olympic team arrived in London 12 days late because it was still using the Julian calendar. Russia Day Facts

At 100m deep, the Metro of St. Petersburg is also the deepest subway in the world. Russia Day Facts

Russia lies in both Europe and Asia: one quarter of its territory is in Europe and three quarters in Asia, yet only one-fifth of the population lives in the Asian part. Russia Day Facts