Alena (Moscow) - Alena is a courteous and experienced Russian guide who simply delights in meeting tourists who wish to experience the "real Russia" and real Russian history. Alena lives in the Ryazan region, which is a 2 and half hour train ride from Moscow.
Alexandra Breslav (St. Petersburg) - We are a team of experienced and highly enthusiastic professionals, leaded by Alexandra Breslav, We admire our St-Petersburg and believe it is one of the truly great cities in the World; We hope you will find here useful information about St. -Petersburg and everything else you need to enjoy one of the most beautiful and important cities of Europe and to have safe and successful trip.
Anna Zhukova (St. Petersburg) - I am Anna Zhukova from Saint-Petersburg in Russia; I am a free-lance tour-guide with licenses for all museums in St. Petersburg and its suburbs I have worked as a tour-guide since 1994 for the best travel companies of the world! A career tour-guide, I worked for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Renaissance Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Silver Sea Cruise, Maritz Travel Company and among my clients were different organizations: Save Venice Foundation, Art of Faberge Foundation, Pension 2000 and many others.
St Petersburg Tour (St. Petersburg) - City bus tour, including the main and most famous sites: Nevsky avenue, famous for such splendid buildings as the Kazan Cathedral, the house of Books, the Anichkov Bridge (with its famous equestrian statues) and Palace, the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Among the rich parade of sights to be enjoyed will be Palace Square and Hermitage, Senate Square and Monument to Peter the Great, St.
St. Petersburg of Dostoevsky (St. Petersburg) - During this city tour you will have a chance mostly to see places which are connected with the life of Dostoevsky and the characters from his books. You will visit his last apartment where he lived and dyed.
The Naval Museum (St. Petersburg) - One of the word largest navy museums, that was established in 1709. The museum exhibits the items related to the history of Russian Fleet, and the traditions of Russian sailors.
CAPITAL CITY OF Russia: Moscow LANGUAGE OF Russia: Russian CURRENCY OF Russia: Rubli COMMENTS ABOUT Russia: Russia more fully known as the Russian Federation - is a vast country in Eastern Europe and northern Asia. Cities : Moscow (capital), Irkutsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Saint Petersburg, Vladimir, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg Best Places : Kizhi, Lake Baikal, Mamayev Kurgan Calling Code : +7 Time Zone : UTC +2 to +12
CLIMATE OF Russia: ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast RELIGION OF Russia: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other POPULATION OF Russia: 143,782,338 (July 2004 est.) Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Belarusian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1% (1989)> HISTORY OF Russia: Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The Communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Josef STALIN (1928-53) strengthened Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize Communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the Communist period. While some progress has been made on the economic front, recent years have seen a recentralization of power under Vladimir PUTIN and an erosion in nascent democratic institutions. A determined guerrilla conflict still plagues Russia in Chechnya. ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Russia: Russia ended 2003 with its fifth straight year of growth, averaging 6.5% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although high oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble are important drivers of this economic rebound, since 2000 investment and consumer-driven demand have played a noticeably increasing role. Real fixed capital investments have averaged gains greater than 10% over the last four years and real personal incomes have averaged increases over 12%. Russia has also improved its international financial position since the 1998 financial crisis, with its foreign debt declining from 90% of GDP to around 28%. Strong oil export earnings have allowed Russia to increase its foreign reserves from only $12 billion to some $80 billion. These achievements, along with a renewed government effort to advance structural reforms, have raised business and investor confidence in Russia's economic prospects. Nevertheless, serious problems persist. Oil, natural gas, metals, and timber account for more than 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world prices. Russia's manufacturing base is dilapidated and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to achieve broad-based economic growth. Other problems include a weak banking system, a poor business climate that discourages both domestic and foreign investors, corruption, local and regional government intervention in the courts, and widespread lack of trust in institutions. In addition, a string of investigations launched against a major Russian oil company, culminating with the arrest of its CEO in the fall of 2003, have raised concerns by some observers that President PUTIN is granting more influence to forces within his government that desire to reassert state control over the economy.
I am Anna Zhukova from Saint-Petersburg in Russia; I am a free-lance tour-guide with licenses for all museums in St.Petersburg and its suburbs I have worked as a tour-guide since 1994 for the best travel companies of the world! I love this city, full of charm and magic!
Home
Quick Tours Search 
CAPITAL CITY OF Russia: Moscow
