/countries/show/russian-federation/1.rss en-us The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia, and has been nicknamed the Polar Olympics. It will be the second time that Russia is hosting such an event, and this time the three mascots of the Winter Olympics are a snowboarding leopard, a bunny that is figure skating, and a polar bear wearing a scarf. These three animals are literally the symbols of Russia’s self image. While there will be hundreds of athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi will also attract thousands of spectators from across the world. As a first-time spectator, it’s likely to be the biggest spectator event you’ve ever experienced. While attending the 21 days of the 2014 Winter Olympics, also remember that Russia has a rich wealth of wildlife and culture to see outside of the Olympic arenas. Sochi is a city that is located on the Black Sea, surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains. You can visit the smaller towns of Krasnaya Polyana and their vicinities, where you may get the chance to spot a polar bear or snow leopard. Nowhere in the world are they as accessible as in Russia; and only in the winter months can you see them in Russia. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi is the 22nd Winter Olympic Games. The first time that Russia hosted the Olympics was the Summer Olympics in 1980. Now Russia is gearing up for the major winter sports that will comprise the Winter Games: ice hockey, figure skating, ice skating, and many more. While the sports events are taking place, there are other events held to keep the tourists and visitors entertained. Most of Russian cultural events are showcased here, and they are designed to be both fun-filled and culturally informative. Sochi has plenty of museums and historic sites to visit, and it has abundant nature reserves too. So while visiting the Olympic city of Sochi in 2014, you can look forward to several other things to see and do as well. Russia is miserably cold in winter, so while packing, make sure to bring the warmest of clothes you have; and don’t forget the snow boats. Even though Sochi it is a coastal city, the wind chill makes it much colder. Make your bookings well in advance, at least a year before the event to have a chance to attend the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:51:22 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/2014-olympics-russia http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/2014-olympics-russia Aside from vodka and extremely cold weather, Russia is also home to the Golden Mask Festival—a theatre-lover’s heaven on earth, amounting to months of endless artistic bliss. Imagine the most prestigious theatres in Moscow in all their glory: lights, costumes, grandiose production design. Imagine hundreds of performances in all genres of theatre: drama, opera, modern dance, operetta, ballet, even puppet. Now picture all of them together, and you've got Russia’s Golden Mask National Theatre Award and Festival. The best thing about the Golden Mask theatre festival is that all the finest Russian theatre productions are presented in central Moscow, so it’s easy for a theatre-lover to hop from one play to another. And because it’s a collection of only the best, you are almost guaranteed that the performances are among the finest in the world. The Golden Mask Festival was established in 1994 by the Theatre Union of Russia in a bid to boost public attendance and pay tribute to its rich theatre culture. Performances are chosen by a select Council of Experts that includes journalists, critics, and respected theatre actors, directors, producers, etc. The pool of performances come from all parts of Russia, and come in different shapes, sizes, and genres. Noteworthy performances have included Casa M (a documentary play about four women discussing violence of men against women), and A Star in the Blue Sky Does Not Know About Me (a production on the power struggles among the police, two women, and drugs). Several other components were added to the Golden Mask Festival in recent years. These include the Russian Case, a special program of Russian theatre addressed to the international community, New Drama festival of contemporary plays, PRO-theatre Performing Arts Market, publishing projects, tours of the Mariinsky, Alexandrinsky, Maly Drama Theatre, and others. In 2009, a formerly non-competitive element, Mask Plus, was included in the competition segment. It runs for about three weeks and serves as the festival’s wildcard edition. Productions that were not chosen to compete are given a second shot at the Mask Plus. Non-Russian plays are now also allowed to perform, and some notable Polish productions have debuted there. There is never a scarcity of choices at the Golden Mask. Festival organizers make sure that almost every unthinkable genre is represented in the three-month gathering, covering the full spectrum of Russian theater. If enjoy musicals, there is always one playing in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Traditional and contemporary performances are also abundant at the Moscow Operetta Theatre. When the short seasons over, the festival ends with the awarding of the works and best theatre workers. If you really love theatre, seeing all the shows is not a tough challenge. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:10:53 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/golden-mask-festival http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/golden-mask-festival The Hermitage State Museum of St. Petersburg in Russia holds the title of the largest museum in the world, and is located in the famous Dvortsovaya Ploschad (Palace Square), where a number of significant events from the history of the Russian Empire took place. The Hermitage State Museum is made of a series of different buildings. These are the Winter Palace, former residence of the Russian emperors; the buildings of the Small, Old (Great) and New Hermitages; the Hermitage Theatre; and the Auxiliary House. The Menshikov Palace, the Eastern Wing of the Staff building, the Staraya Derevnya Restoration, the Storage Centre, and the Imperial Porcelain Factory Museum, are also a part of the Hermitage Museum complex. The Hermitage holds more than 3 million works of art from all over the world, and is the UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its collections that have “both volume and quality.” Art lovers of any type can find something to their taste at Hermitage. The collections are as large as they are diverse, and the museum holds Ancient Greek pottery, Chinese porcelain, Persian and European tapestries, clothing, furniture, coins and medals. The arsenal collection of arms and armour includes items from Russia, Western Europe, and the Orient. The Hermitage is also famous for many paintings by da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Van Dyck, Monet, Renoir Gauguin, Matisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, and others. One of the must-see places at the Hermitage is the Treasure Gallery, named during the reign of the 18th-century Russian Empress Catherine the Great. The Treasure Gallery holds two collections. The Gold Rooms holds about 1,500 works made from gold that originated from Eurasia, the Black Sea, and the Orient between 7 B.C. and the 19th century. The second collection, called the Diamond Rooms, displays works of jewellery from ruby-adorned daggers of the East, to diamond-decorated hairpins worn by the aristocratic women of 18th century in St. Petersburg. The Winter Palace was the official residence of the Russian Emperors from 1732 until 1917, when the Palace was seized during the famous raid of the October Revolution. The Palace is a monumental structure built to reflect the glory of Imperial Russia. As a part of the Hermitage Museum, the Winter Palace displays an elaborate interior of private chambers that used to belong to the royal family. An attraction to see is the Throne Room of Peter the Great and the Imperial carriage made of gold. Housing some of the world’s famous masterpieces of painting and sculpture, the buildings of Hermitage are a work of art themselves. For instance, the General Stuff Building is magnificent from outside with its long façade and a signature triumphal arch adorned with the statue of the Chariot of Glory. Sat, 09 Oct 2010 02:58:54 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/hermitage-state-museum http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/hermitage-state-museum It seems like every time a movie, television show, or news report wants to set a scene in Moscow, the filming takes place in front of St. Basil's Cathedral. Most tourists only get a snapshot or two in front of the cathedral's colorful onion domes, but you really shouldn't miss out on a tour of the interior of St. Basil's Cathedral. Located in Red Square, next to the Kremlin, the iconic St. Basil's Cathedral is definitely one of the top five sightseeing attractions in Moscow. It is located in the very center of the Garden Ring, a circular avenue that runs around the center of Moscow. The cathedral, nicknamed the "Stone Flower", was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible, who wanted to memorialize every victory of the Russo-Kazan War by building a wooden church for each event next to the walls of Trinity Church. The cathedral is named after Basil the Blessed, a Saint who allegedly impressed Ivan the Terrible by predicting one of Moscow's biggest fires. Basil was buried in the Trinity Church after he passed. Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible poked out the eyes of the architects who designed the Cathedral so that they could never make anything more beautiful. This has since been proven to be a myth, but probably helped Ivan earn his nickname. By the time St. Basil's Cathedral, also sometimes called The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat, was finished in 1560 (construction started in 1555) it consisted of nine unique chapels. St. Basil's Cathedral actually consists of eight smaller churches arraigned around a central church. Inside St. Basil's Cathedral, you will find narrow, dusty hallways, interesting views, a spiral wooden staircase, and intricate murals. Climb upstairs to get the best views - you can see the Moscow River from here. The churches are made mostly out of brick, and inside, you can see lots of decorative brickwork. Painted walls can also be seen throughout the Cathedral. St. Basil's Cathedral has held up pretty well over time, despite wars and a few fires. This is due in part to extensive restoration efforts throughout the years. The most recent renovation was completed in 2008. Don't forget to check out the garden in the front of the Cathedral, which holds statues as well as greenery. Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:40:14 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/st-basil-cathedral http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/st-basil-cathedral Space tourism is here! Many commercial providers are chomping at the bit to get some of this pricey pie. Currently Russia is the only provider of genuine space travel which gets you a trip out to the International Space Station, at the price of a cool $ 20 million dollars. A cheaper alternative is suborbital flights which are projected to cost $200,000. This trip takes you out to the edges of earth to see a full panorama of the world, allows you to experience zero gravity and get one hell of a view of the stars of course! Tue, 20 May 2008 02:18:21 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/space-travel http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/space-travel