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Traveling to Russia and beyond

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  • RUBLES
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  • VISA INSURANCE (PDF)
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  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Invitation to Russia
      • Should I indicate nights on the train in the application for an invitation letter or Russian visa?
      • Russian visa invitation. What is it and how to get it in 5 minutes?
      • How do I get the invitation to Russia if I’m staying with Airbnb?
      • How do I get the invitation to Russia if I’m making hotel reservations with Booking.com?
      • How do I get the invitation to Russia if I travel on a cruise ship?
      • Can I modify my invitation to Russia if it contains some incorrect information?
    • 1.2. Russian visa in Australia, USA and Canada
      • Australia
      • Visa free to Russia
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Transit visa
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Visa Free St. Petersburg cruise
      • Private visa
      • Change/Extend Russian visa
      • Russian visa rejected
      • Business visa
      • E-Visa Russia
      • USA
      • Canada
    • 1.3. Russian visa in China, Japan and India
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Visa Free St. Petersburg cruise
      • Russian visa rejected
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Visa free to Russia
      • Change/Extend Russian visa
      • E-Visa Russia
      • China
      • Private visa
      • Transit visa
      • Business visa
    • 1.4. Russian visa in European countries
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Visa Free St. Petersburg cruise
      • Russian visa rejected
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Visa free to Russia
      • Change/Extend Russian visa
      • E-Visa Russia
      • The Netherlands
      • Sweden
      • Norway
      • Lithuania
      • Latvia
      • Finland
      • Estonia
      • Denmark
      • Czechia
      • Private visa
      • Transit visa
      • Business visa
    • 1.5. Registration and immigration
      • Registration in Russia: What it is and how it is done
      • Russian airports: Immigration card and customs formalities
    • 1.6. Visa to China, India and post-Soviet states
      • How to travel to Belarus without a visa (visa-free) and with visa
      • How to obtain a Chinese Visa in an easy and cost-effective way
      • How to apply for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa)
      • How to Get a Chinese Visa Online
      • How to get an e-Visa to India online: Step-by-step guide
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
      • How to go from Pulkovo Airport to St. Petersburg
      • How to go from the airport to the center of Moscow or the Red Square
      • How to find the cheapest flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian airports: Immigration card and customs formalities
    • 2.2. Russian trains
      • Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man
      • Traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?
      • Train stations in Russia: luggage storage, Wi-Fi and other services
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • How to catch a taxi in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or in other Russian cities
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • Traveling by bus through Russia (and how to buy tickets online)
    • 2.4. Car rental
      • Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
      • Accommodations in Russia: How to choose and where to make a reservation cheaply
      • Ostrovok: the best alternative to Booking.com
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • How to book a restaurant in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other Russian cities
      • What do you eat in Russia? Typical dishes and Russian restaurants
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
      • What is the Moscow Kremlin and how to buy tickets online
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Shopping in Moscow: from GUM to Izmailovo market
      • Official tourist maps of Moscow (PDF)
      • Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow: tickets and guided tours
      • The Free Visit to the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Visits, tickets and schedules
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • Places to enjoy the best views of Moscow
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Guided tours in Moscow: by foot, by bicycle, by boat, or by tour bus?
      • What to see and do in Moscow in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days
      • Moscow Tourist Information Offices
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Moscow in Space: from the Museum of Cosmonautics to the Planetarium
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • The Seven Sisters of Moscow: The Stalinist Skyscrapers secrets
      • The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour of Moscow: you will not believe its story
      • What to see in Red Square in Moscow (and best things to do)
      • Novodevichy Convent (and cemetery), one of my favorite places in Moscow
      • Star City Moscow, where the cosmonauts live – What to see inside?
      • Moscow City: Skyscrapers & Observation Decks (You can go up to enjoy for its views)
      • Traveling to Moscow with children: What to see and do as a family
      • The Tretyakov Gallery: Russian art like you’ve never seen before
      • VDNH (VDNKh), my favorite park in Moscow: Back to the USSR!
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
      • The Hermitage of St. Petersburg: What to see and how to avoid queues
      • Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets online
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, a must-go site in St. Petersburg
      • The main cathedrals of St. Petersburg: Tickets and schedules
      • Opera and ballet in St. Petersburg: Where to go and how to buy tickets
      • What to see and do in St. Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • The Church of the Savior in St. Petersburg: How to buy tickets and schedules
      • Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets and schedules
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg: Guide to not get lost
      • White Nights of St. Petersburg: When the city doesn’t sleep
      • Essential tourist maps of St. Petersburg (PDF and JPG)
      • Visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise without a visa (visa-free) and with a tourist visa
      • Drawbridges (and Pedestrian Bridges) of St. Petersburg: Schedules and Recommendations
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
      • Organizing a Trans-Siberian Train Trip
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • What to see (and do) at Lake Baikal between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude
      • Yekaterinburg, where Europe and Asia come together
      • Next stop: Novosibirsk. Welcome to Siberia!
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
      • The Golden Ring of Russia: from Sergiyev Posad to Suzdal
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
      • Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia
    • 4.6. Kazan
      • The Kazan Kremlin: it will captivate you
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
      • Where is it better to change Australian dollars for rubles?
      • How to send money to Russia: WesterUnion, PayPal or TransferWise?
      • Is Russia an expensive or cheap country to travel? Tips to reduce expenses
      • How to request a VAT refund in Russia (Tax Free)
      • How to pay for purchases in Russia without losing money in ruble exchange?
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
      • Is Russia a safe country for tourists? Travel tips
      • When is the best time to travel to Russia (and which clothes to wear)
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
      • How to buy a Russian SIM card for your smartphone (online or in a store)
    • 5.4. Russian products
      • Which souvenirs to buy in Russia? From Matrioskas to Cheburashka
      • 15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia
      • Traveling to Russia with a travel agency or on your own? What is better?
Home › 5. Practicalities › 5.4. Russian products ›

15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia

Posted on: 08.02.18 | by Irena Domingo

Maps are a good way to learn what is happening in the world at a glance. In this post I have selected the best 15 maps that can give you a better insight of Russia and to discover very specific and curious aspects of the country.

Russia map of regions-oblast

Note: below each map you will find the source from which it comes, if you’d like to know more information and investigate the statistical source that is being used. Mainly, I have classified the maps into 6 themes: economy, population, corruption, religion, health and others.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • ECONOMY
    • Cost of Life
    • European gas imports from Russia
    • Public Debt
    • Military Expense
  • POPULATION
    • Russian Population
    • Gender gap
    • Immigration
    • Last Names
    • Most Famous Faces in Europe
  • RELIGION
  • CORRUPTION
  • HEALTH
    • Life expectancy at birth
    • Tobacco and Alcohol consumption
  • OTHERS
    • Google autocomplet function

ECONOMY

Cost of Life

The first map refers to the cost of living in Russia, in order to know, comparatively speaking, whether it is an expensive or economic country. Well, considering the data from the 2016 Numbeo database and calculating the cost of living as an index, it can’t be said that Russia is an expensive country. On the contrary, the ruble devaluation and the economic crisis has meant that the cost of living has fallen comparatively, when compared to other countries.

For example, if you need to travel to Germany for 5 days (index 100), you need 1,000 euros (to cover accommodation, food, goods and services), to travel to Russia (index with value 62) you would have to spend 620 euros during these 5 days to maintain the same quality of life. In Spain, (index 84), you would need to spend 840 euros, and in Switzerland (index 199), a total of 1,990 euros.

According to these data, the standard of living in Russia is similar to what you can find, for example, in the Czech Republic or in Croatia.

Cost life map in Russia an Europe

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/local-price-and-purchasing-power-index-in-europe/

European gas imports from Russia

According to data of Gazprom, the Russian gas company, Russia exported 146.6 billion cubic meters during 2014 of natural gas to countries that are not part of the former Soviet Union. As you can see on the map, gas represents a very significant amount of its energy consumption for some European countries.

#EU imports of gas from #Russia – map via @ReutersGraphics #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Uy6d3GJ9Zg

— Julia Macfarlane (@juliamacfarlane) March 11, 2014

Public Debt

If we look at the public debt data by country, with regards to GDP, we have found that Russia is one of the European countries with the lowest public debt in relation of GDP (8% in 2013). In Western countries, people tend to live beyond their means and they get into greater debt.

Public Debt in Russia and Europe

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/map-of-public-debt-in-europe/

Military Expense

As for military spending, things change since in Russia it represents 5.39% of GDP (467 dollars per inhabitant), the highest figure in Europe. In the USA, for example, military spending is 3.3% of GDP, but it is 1,854 dollars per inhabitant.

Military Expense Russia and Europe

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/military-expenditures-per-capita-and-as-of-gdp-in-europe/

POPULATION

Russian Population

Russian population is around 144 million inhabitants. The following map shows the map of Russia divided into three parts with equal population. I think this is self-explanatory.

 

 

distribution of the population in Russia

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/5be30g/russian_population_split_into_3_equal_areas/

Gender gap

It is estimated that there are 101.8 men per 100 women in the world; however, the latest UN data shows that men and women are distributed unequally throughout the world. In Russia and in the former Soviet republics, women outnumber men (between 85 and 90 men for every 100 women). On the contrary, there are more men than women in Asia, in Arab countries and in North Africa.

See where women outnumber men around the world (and why) http://t.co/3uVpL36VA9 pic.twitter.com/FRCWhkrpwv

— Post Graphics (@PostGraphics) August 19, 2015

Immigration

The following map shows which is the second nationality in importance in each country. Well, in Russia the second most important nationality is the Ukrainian. Also, the Russians are the second most important community in Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia and Estonia.

The second largest nationality in #Russia? You guessed it. (map by http://t.co/eQZD8lBgTC) #maps #europe #ukraine pic.twitter.com/PclPTa8yel

— Katrin Scheib (@kscheib) March 11, 2015

Last Names

The most common surname in Russia is Smirnov (or Smirnova, in feminine), which means quiet. This surname is the origin name, for example, of Smirnoff, the Russian vodka (a transliteration of Smirnov), created in 1864 by Piotr Arsenieyevich Smirnov, which is the best-selling vodka brand all over the world (it is currently owned by Diageo, the multinational corporation).

Other popular surnames in Russia are Ivanov (most common surname in Belarus), Kuznetsov, Popov, Sokolov, Lebedev, Kozlov, Novikov, Morozov and Petrov.

Surnames Europe and Russia

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/most-common-surnames-by-country-in-europe/

Most Famous Faces in Europe

In the following map you can see the most famous faces of Europe, and countries of the former Soviet Union. In Russia, Lenin’s face is the most famous. Stalin’s face also appears on the map because he was born in Georgia.

Famous faces of Europe and Russia

Source: http://mapsontheweb.zoom-maps.com/post/152551520082/famous-faces-of-europe-the-most-well-known-figure

RELIGION

The Constitution of Russia states that the country is a secular State, though the Law on Religion of the Russian Parliament of 1997 states that the four traditional religions are the Russian Orthodox Church, Islam, Buddhism (mainly Lamaist) and Judaism.

The majority religion is Orthodox, though it must be considered that Russia is one of the countries with the largest number of atheists and agnostics in the world, something influenced by the fact of having been a socialist state.

Religion in Rusia - rbth

Source: http://rbth.com/multimedia/infographics/2015/01/20/religion_in_russia_what_regions_believe_in_christ_moh_42997

 

CORRUPTION

According to Transparency International’s 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index, Russia has one of the lowest scores, which means it is perceived as one of the most corrupt countries, in terms of the public sector. Only Ukraine has a lower score.

Corruption perceptions in Russia and Europe

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/corruption-perceptions-index-of-european-countries/

HEALTH

Life expectancy at birth

Life expectancy at birth in Russia is 70 ½ years old, well below the EU countries. There are many factors that can influence life expectancy, such as the health system, lifestyle, eating habits, wealth, and many others.

However, this figure hides the inequality between women and men: if Russian women have a life expectancy slightly above 75 years, Russian men don’t reach 65 years old.

Life expectancy at birth in Europe, 2015. https://t.co/Bc2gAjWCCr #maps pic.twitter.com/6U8ynjbh1o

— OnlMaps (@onlmaps) October 24, 2016

Tobacco and Alcohol consumption

Smoking or alcohol consumption is related to life expectancy. Well, Russia is one of the countries with the most smokers in the world, with an average annual consumption per adult of 2,786 cigarettes, and also with a high consumption of alcohol, with about 15 liters per adult per year, especially vodka and beer.

Tobacco consumption in Europe and Russia

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/average-cigarette-consumption-per-capita-by-country-in-europe-map/

Alcohol consumption in Europe and Russia

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/amount-of-alcohol-consumed-per-capita-by-country-in-europe-map/

OTHERS

Google autocomplet function

When you type a search on Google, this search engine gives suggestions based on what other people are looking for. Well, the following map shows the suggestion Google gives to the question: “Why is Russia …”

Well, the main search for this question in Russia is: “Why is Russia bombing Syria?”

Other suggestions Google gives are:

  • Why Russia is so big?
  • Why Russia is so powerful?
google-autocomplete-europe-russia

Source: https://jakubmarian.com/google-autocomplete-reveals-burning-questions-about-european-countries/

 

 

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Categories: 5.4. Russian products

Plan your trip to Russia online in 10 steps in an easy way

Steps Days in advance Links
1 Plane tickets 60 days Find cheap flights with Momondo
2 Visa application 30-45 days Fill out the online application
Get the invitation to Russia online
Buy travel insurance
3 Train tickets 30-45 days Use the official website of RZD
4 Accommodation 30 days Book accommodation with free cancellation
5 Museum tickets 15-30 days Kremlin, Hermitage and Peterhof
6 Guided tours (Skip the Line) 15-30 days Excursions and activities in Russia
7 Shows tickets 15-30 days Bolshoi and Mariinsky Opera
Russian National Dance Show and Russian Folk
8 Exchange Russian Rubles 7 days Currency Exchange with Travelex
9 Restaurants 5 days Book online with Resto.ru
10 Taxis 2-3 days Book online with KiwiTaxi

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About the Author

Irena Domingo's avatar

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 15 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. Therefore, through this blog I want to help those people who want to travel to Russia.

Hey! I’m Irena Domingo

I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I started this blog with one goal: to create the most complete guide ever written to travel to Russia and beyond!

I want to know about …

  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Invitation to Russia
    • 1.2. Russian visa in Australia, USA and Canada
    • 1.3. Russian visa in China, Japan and India
    • 1.4. Russian visa in European countries
    • 1.5. Registration and immigration
    • 1.6. Visa to China, India and post-Soviet states
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
    • 2.2. Russian trains
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
    • 2.4. Car rental
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
    • 4.6. Kazan
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
    • 5.4. Russian products

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Recent Posts

  • How to get travel medical insurance for Russian visa (in 5 minutes)
  • How to get an e-Visa to India online: Step-by-step guide
  • How to get a 3-year tourist Russian visa (only for US citizens)
  • How to obtain the Russian electronic visa (e-visa): St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Far Eastern regions
  • What do you eat in Russia? Typical dishes and Russian restaurants
  • Traveling to Russia with a travel agency or on your own? What is better?

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