Russia Is the Land of Unique Traditions, Holidays and Culture

Many foreigners think that Russia is a country of bears, vodka and frosts…But this opinion is mistaken…

Russian culture is one of the richest and colourful cultures in the world.
Russians have a rich cuisine. Russian art is considered to be very interesting and unique. Russians are also known for their sense of humour. Russian literature greatly influenced the world literature. The Russians also gave to the world of classical music a great number of famous composers.

Art

Icon painting

Cinema

Music

The most famous Russian composers:
M. I. Glinka
P. I. Chaikovsky
S. S. Prokofiev

Literature

Prior to the nineteenth century Russia produced very little, if any, internationally read literature, but in the nineteenth century Russian literature underwent an astounding golden age, beginning with the poet Pushkin and culminating in two of the greatest novelists in world literature, Lev Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky and in one of the greatest playwrights Anton Chekhov.

In the twentieth century leading figures of Russian literature included internationally recognised poets such as Vladimir Mayakovsky, Boris Pasternak, Anna Akhmatova or Joseph Brodsky, and prose writers Vladimir Nabokov, Mikhail Sholokhov, Mikhail Bulgakov or Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Architecture

Russian architecture was influenced predominantly by the Byzantine architecture until the Fall of Constantinople.

Saint basil's Cathedral

The Moscow Kremlin

The Petergof

Matryoshka doll and other handicraft

Many foreigners wish to get a piece of Russia - a matryoshka doll

Dymkov toys

Chochloma

Cuisine

Russia has a rich culinary history and offers a wide variety of soups, dishes made from fish, cereal based products and drinks. In addition to meat culinary, vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, berries and herbs also play a major part in the Russian diet. Primordial Russian products such as caviar, smetana (sour cream), buckwheat, rye flour, etc. have had a great influence on world-wide cuisine.

Pelmeni
Pelmeni is a traditional Eastern European (mainly Russian) dish usually made with minced meat filling, wrapped in thin dough (made out of flour and eggs, sometimes with milk or water added). For filling, pork, lamb, beef, or any other kind of meat can be used; mixing several kinds is popular. Traditional Ural recipe requires the filling be made with 45% of beef, 35% of lamb, and 20% of pork. Often various spices, such as pepper, onions, and garlic, are mixed into the filling.

Kholodets
Jellied chopped pieces of pork or veal meat with some spices added (pepper, parsley, garliс, bay leaf) and minor amounts of vegetables (carrots, onions). The meat is boiled in large pieces for long periods of time, then chopped, boiled a few times again and finally chilled for 3-4 hours (hence the name) forming a jelly mass, though gelatine is not used because young meat contains enough glue substances. It is served with horse radish, mustard or grinded garlic with smetana.

Ukha
Ukha is a hot watery fish dish, however calling it a fish soup would not be absolutely correct. "Ukha" as a name for fish broth was established only in the late 17th to early 18th centuries. In earlier times this name was first given to thick meat broths, and then later chicken. Beginning from the 15th century, fish was more and more often used to prepare ukha, thus creating a dish that had a distinctive taste among soups.

Okroshka
Okroshka is a cold soup based on kvas. The main ingredients are vegetables that can be mixed with cold boiled meat or fish with a proportion 1:1. Depending on this, okroshka is called vegetable, meat, or fish.
There must be two sorts of vegetables in okroshka. The first must have a neutral taste, such as boiled potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, or fresh cucumbers). Kvas that is most commonly used is white okroshka kvas, which is much more sour than drinking kvas. Spices used include mustard, black pepper and pickled cucumber (the water used), solely or in combination.
And for the final touch, boiled eggs and smetana (sour cream) are added.

Pancakes
Pancakes had a somewhat ritual significance for early Slavic peoples in pre-Christian times since they were a symbol of the sun, due to their round form. They were traditionally prepared at the end of the winter to honor the rebirth of the new sun during Maslinitsa (Pancake Week). This tradition was adopted by the Orthodox Church and is carried on to the present day. Pancakes were once also served at wakes, to commemorate the recently deceased. Pancakes can be made from wheat, buckwheat, or other grains, although wheat Pancakes are most popular in Russia. They are slathered with butter and may be topped with sour cream or caviar.

Holidays

New year
In many countries a favorite holiday is Christmas. The Russians love the New Year most of all. Usually people gather with all the family and give each other gifts. Then people visit their friends and go for a walk. Children in Russia like Grandpa Frost and Snegurochka.

Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa Pancake week is a Russian religious and folk holiday. It is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent—that is, the seventh week before Easter —though some of its traditions date back to the pagan times. The most characteristic element of Maslenitsa is pancakes, popularly taken to symbolize the sun.
Maslenitsa also includes masquerades, snowball fights, sledding, riding on swings and plenty of sleigh rides. As the culmination of the celebration, on Sunday evening, Lady Maslenitsa is stripped of her finery and put to the flames of a bonfire. Any remaining blintzes are also thrown on the fire, and Lady Maslenitsa's ashes are buried in the snow (to "fertilize the crops").

Easter
Easter, Pascha, or Resurrection Day, is an important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred on the third day after his crucifixion some time in the period AD 27 to 33. That day people painting eggs in different colors and give them each other.

The day of the Victory
Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day or VE Day) was May 7 and May 8, 1945, the dates when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolph Hitler's Third Reich. That day Russian usually go to meeting with colorful flowers, balloons etc.