Area: 17 million sq km (world’s largest country)

Capital: Moscow

Population: 141,945,966 million (2010 census)

Ethnic groups: Russians 79,8%, Tatars 3,8%, Ukrainians 2%, Bashkirs 1,2 %, Chuvash 1,1 %, Chechens 0,9 %, Armenians 0,8%, Other 10,4 %

Language: Russian is official language throughout the country with about 27 co-official regional languages

Government: Federal semi-presidential republic

Currency: Russian Ruble (RUB)

Time zones: Russia has 9 time zones UTC +2 to +11 (exc. + 4) and UTC +3 to +12 (exc. +5) during summer daylight savings time. Moscow and St. Petersburg are in the same time zone UTC +3 (UTC +4 during summer daylight savings time).

National Holidays

New Year - January 01

Orthodox Christmas – January 07

Defender of the Fatherland Day - February 23

International Women’s Day - March 08

Spring and Labour Day - May 01

Victory Day - May 09

Russia Day - June 12

Unity Day - November 04

Other popular non-public holidays include:

Old New Year (New Year according to Julian calendar) - January 14

St. Tatiana Day (Student’s Day) - January 25

Cosmonautics Day (Yury Gagarin’s first ever human trip to space) - April 12

Maslenitsa (Shrovetide) – A week before Great Lent

Orthodox Easter – Celebrated according to Julian calendar 13 days after Catholic Easter.