Discover the Intriguing World of Russia: Top 17 Fun Facts You Won't Believe!

1. Putin's Musical Side

When not busy being a judo black belt or galloping shirtless through the wilderness, Vladimir Putin channels his inner Fats Domino: in 2010, the Russian Prime Minister stunned a children's charity dinner in St. Petersburg by playing the piano and serenading the crowd with "Blueberry Hill" in accented English—an ode to his English classes and infrequent music lessons.
Source => abcnews.go.com

2. Lake Baikal's VIP Fish Lounge

If fish could throw a party, Lake Baikal would be the VIP lounge for the exclusive and the elusive: Home to the unique Baikal omul fish, the rare Baikal oil fish, and even a nerpa – a freshwater seal that DJ's on the weekends! But watch out, the guest list is under threat: Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Siberia, is battling against industrial pollution, agricultural run-off, and potential oil and gas exploration, with environmental organizations like WWF working tirelessly to preserve its rich biodiversity.
Source => wwf.panda.org

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3. Moscow's Green Sandwich

If Moscow were a sandwich, it'd be a walking salad – packed with a generous helping of lush green parks: Moscow, Europe's most populous city, boasts over 40% of its territory dedicated to parks, gardens, and forests, making it one of the world's greenest cities; and if you're traveling underground on the metro, the "Park Pobedy" station burrows as deep as a 28-story building!
Source => bridgetomoscow.com

4. Soviet McDonald's Madness

In Soviet Russia, Big Mac devours you: When the first McDonald's in Moscow opened in 1990, it was the largest of its kind in the world at the time, with room for hundreds of starving comrades. On its opening day, this behemoth of a burger joint set a world record by serving up artery-clogging goodness to an astonishing 30,000 patrons!
Source => cnn.com

5. Elsa Meets Terminator: Arktika

When Elsa from Frozen met the Terminator, they built Arktika: Russia recently launched the most powerful civilian icebreaker ship ever, called Project 22220, with its first vessel named Arktika. Powered by two RITM-200 water-cooled reactors, this frosty force of nature reached the North Pole on October 3rd, 2020, echoing its 1977 namesake's accomplishment.
Source => thebarentsobserver.com

6. Moscow's Metro Master Dogs

Who let the dogs out in Moscow? The traffic lights, apparently: Moscow is home to an astounding 35,000 to 50,000 free-roaming dogs who've mastered the art of navigating traffic signals, crosswalks, and even hopping on the metro without a specific destination, utilizing it as a means of transportation and shelter in harsh weather conditions.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Global Warming, Military-Base Lemonade

When life gives you lemons, build a military base: Russia is reopening over 50 old Soviet military outposts in the Arctic due to global warming, utilizing the melting polar ice caps to expand and modernize their military assets, including 10 upgraded radar stations, search and rescue stations and border posts.
Source => aljazeera.com

8. Luna 2's Lunar Road Trip

Before the cow jumped over the Moon, a Russian probe took a little trip there first: The Luna 2, launched by the Soviet Union, became the first man-made object to crash-land on our lunar neighbor back in 1959, a whole decade before astronauts would set foot on it during Apollo 11.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. The Ultimate Matryoshka

If you thought the Russian nesting dolls were a never-ending game of hide and seek with each doll housing a tinier one, wait till you hear about the ultimate Matryoshka masterpiece: In 2003, Youlia Bereznitskaia of Russia hand-painted a record-setting set of 51 dolls, ranging from 53.97 centimeters to just 0.31 centimeters, and stretching over 3.41 meters when placed side-by-side, making it the largest set of its kind in the world!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Electric Trolleybus Champions

In Soviet Russia, trolleybus transports you: Kyiv, Ukraine, once part of the USSR, boasts the largest trolleybus system in the world with over 220 kilometers of track, while Minsk, the Belarussian capital, rivals it in terms of route numbers. Though these electric chariots hail from Dr. Ernst Werner Siemens' 1882 invention in Berlin, they're still a crucial and electrifying part of everyday commute in the post-Soviet sphere.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Verst-atile Russia

In a land where vodka flows like rivers, and bears dance ballet: Russia used to measure distances in versts, an obsolete unit equivalent to 1.0668 kilometers, until they adopted the metric system in the 1880s!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

12. Double New Year's Party

In Soviet Russia, New Year's resolution fulfills you: Russian folks celebrate two New Year's holidays – the "Old New Year" on January 14th that sticks to the Orthodox (Julian) calendar, and the "New" New Year on December 31st, following the ever-fashionable Catholic (Gregorian) calendar, making it twice as likely to finally hit the gym!
Source => ling-app.com

13. Saint Petersburg's Bridge Collection

Whoever said "too much water under the bridge" never strolled through the Russian answer to Venice: Saint Petersburg boasts over 300 bridges, delighting tourists with its picturesque canals and waterways in the process.
Source => medium.com

14. Luxury Space Hotel

Next time you're feeling bougie and tired of Earth's gravity, why not book a room in a celestial palace? Living the high life – quite literally: Russia's Orbital Technologies has plans to launch a luxury hotel into space, approximately 220 miles from Earth, within just five years. In collaboration with Energia, the Commercial Space Station will cater to wealthy clients and private companies, housing up to seven guests in zero-gravity cabins for a maximum of six months, while also potentially serving as an emergency safe haven for international astronaut crews.
Source => csmonitor.com

15. Russia's Diamond-filled Crater

Talk about your "diamonds in the rough": Russia's Popigai Crater boasts the world's largest diamond deposit, created by an asteroid impact that formed a 100-kilometer-wide crater and a shell of diamond-bearing rock 1 to 2 kilometers thick, 35 million years ago. Sadly, most of the diamonds there are small polycrystalline stones, not suitable for gemstones or large, single-crystal stones, making Popigai a very un-bling bling spot.
Source => geology.com

16. Zakuski: Flavor Explosion

Whoever said "variety is the spice of life" must have had a secret love affair with zakuski, Russia's mouthwatering smorgasbord of flavors that'll dispel the myth of bland Soviet cuisine faster than a shot of vodka goes down at a Russian wedding: This elaborate appetizer spread combines the culinary brilliance of Scandinavian, Georgian, and Russian traditions, featuring an array of delectable nibbles like cured fish, spicy sausages, pickled veggies, and cheese pies – all designed to ignite your taste buds and make any meal Russia's next top gastronomical adventure.
Source => splendidtable.org

17. Moscow Metro's Royal Touch

If Versailles and a subway train had a lovechild, it would be the Moscow Metro: A true artistic gem, the metro stations feature grand architecture, ornate decorations, lavish chandeliers, marble walls, unique sculptures, intricate mosaics, and even beautiful stained-glass panels, making them some of the most stunning metro stations in the world.
Source => amusingplanet.com