Discover Russia

The National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation is an official state symbol of the Russian Federation. The State Duma passed on December 8, 2000, Federal Constitutional Bill "On the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation," which was later approved by the Federation Council and signed into law, on December 25, 2000, by President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. 

The National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation is a quadrangular red heraldic shield with rounded lower angles and a pointed extremity, which has a gold two-headed eagle rising up on open wings. The eagle wears two small crowns and one large above them, linked by a band.. In its right talon it holds an orb, and in the left a scepter. On its chest is a red shield, on which a silver horseman in a blue cloak is riding to the left on a silver horse. He is piercing a black, prone dragon with a silver spear as the horse tramples it. 

The gold two-headed eagle placed against the red background keeps historical continuity with the color gamut of the late 15th - 17th century coats of arms. In its design, the eagle dates back to images on monuments of Peter the Great's epoch. It is his three historic crowns that are depicted above the eagle's heads, which in the new conditions symbolize the sovereignty of both the Russian Federation as a whole and its parts, the subjects of the Federation. The scepter and the orb the eagle holds in its talons symbolize the state power and a united state. The horseman piercing a dragon on its chest is an ancient symbol of the clash of good and evil, light and darkness, as well as of defense of Fatherland. 

The restoration of the two-headed eagle as Russia's National Coat of Arms represents indissolubility and continuity of national history. Its present-day coat of arms is a new crest, but its components are profoundly traditional; it reflects the different stages of national history and carries them on in the Third Millennium.

The Russian Federation state flag is rectangular in form and comprises three equal horizontal stripes: the upper one white, the middle one blue, and the lower one red. The flag is two-by-three in terms of length to width. 

The Russian flag was created when Russia built its first naval vessels, and was used mostly as a naval ensign until the nineteenth century. 

Geographical exploration and discoveries by Russian navigators laid the start of the white, blue and red flag’s use on dry land. 

Before the nineteenth century, Russian sailors would raise a cross to mark land they were claiming for the country. But in 1806, a new tradition began when a Russian expedition exploring the coast of southern Sakhalin landed and raised two flags on the island – the St Andrew flag, which symbolized the navy’s valour, and the white, blue and red state flag which declared Russia’s new territorial acquisition. 

The white, blue and red tricolour’s increasing use came to a halt in 1858, when the state emblems office at the Government Senate’s Heraldry Department proposed making changes to the national flag. 

Over the next 150 years Russia’s flag changed numerous times. In November 1990, a government commission on new state symbols settled the flag question quickly and almost unanimously: Russia had had the white, blue and red tricolour with its more than 300 years of history, and should return it to use. 

The state flags of the Russian Federation are hoisted atop the buildings of the supreme bodies of state power and administration, embassies, trade missions, consulates of the Russian Federation abroad, are flown by ships in the high seas and in the territorial waters of foreign states, etc. 

The State Flag of Russia is hung on a specialized flag-pole (mast) in front of a building or atop a building. Whenever raised vertically, the white stripe shall be on the left and the red stripe on the right.

The National Anthem is one of the official state symbols of the Russian Federation. 

The lyrics and music of the national anthem create a ceremonial composition intended as a symbol of state unity. The Anthem’s words reflect feelings of patriotism and respect for the country’s history and its system of government. 

The National Anthem can be performed by an orchestra or choir, separately or jointly, or using other vocal and instrumental media. Audio and video recordings can also be made and used in performing the Anthem, as can television and radio broadcasts. 

During official performances of the national anthem everyone present listens to it standing, and men remove their hats. 

The new National Anthem of the Russian Federation was first officially performed on December 30, 2000, at a state reception in the Great Kremlin Palace.

PUTIN Vladimir Vladimirovich

Elected on March 4, 2012 

Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad on October 7, 1952. 

In 1975, he graduated with a degree in law from Leningrad State University. He later earned a Ph.D. degree in economics. 

After graduation, Mr. Putin was assigned to work in the KGB. From 1985 to 1990, he worked in East Germany. 

In 1990, he became assistant to the rector of Leningrad State University responsible for international affairs. 

His next position was an advisor to the chairman of the Leningrad City Council. 

In June 1991, he became chairman of the St. Petersburg City Council's International Relations Committee and, starting with 1994, he combined this post with the position of First Deputy Chairman of the St. Petersburg City Government (First Deputy Mayor). 

In August 1996, he was appointed deputy head of the President's Administrative Directorate (Property Management Directorate). 

In March 1997, he became deputy head of the Executive Office of the President (Presidential Administration) and head of the Central Supervision and Inspections Directorate. 

In May 1998, he was promoted to first deputy head of the Presidential Administration. 

In July 1998, he was appointed director of the Federal Security Service and, as of March 1999, he combined this position with that of Secretary of the Security Council. 

In August 1999, he was appointed Prime Minister. 

On December 31, 1999, he became acting President. 

On March 26, 2000, he was elected President of Russia and was inaugurated on May 7, 2000. 

On March 14, 2004, he was elected President of Russia for the second term. 

Since May 8, 2008, Vladimir Putin is a Prime Minister of Russia. 

On March 4, 2012, he was elected President of Russia and inaugurated on May 7, 2012.

Located in the north, west and east latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, most of Russia is much closer to the North Pole than to the equator. Individual country comparisons are of little value in gauging Russia's enormous size and diversity. The country's 17.1 million square kilometers include one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Its European portion, which occupies a substantial part of continental Europe, is home to most of Russia's industrial and agricultural activity and is where, roughly between the Dnieper River and the Ural Mountains, the Russian Empire took shape. Russia includes the entire northern portion of Asia.

From west to east, the country stretches from Kaliningrad (the exclave separated by the 1990 secession of Lithuania from the then-Soviet Union) to Ratmanov Island (one of the Diomede Islands) in the Bering Strait. This distance is roughly equivalent to the distance from Glasgow, Scotland, to Nome, Alaska. From north to south, the country ranges from the northern tip of the Russian Arctic islands at Franz Josef Land to the southern tip of the Republic of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea, spanning about 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi) of extremely varied, often inhospitable terrain.

Extending for 57,792 kilometres (35,910 mi), the Russian border is the world's longest, a source of substantial concern for national security in the post-Soviet era. Along the 20,139-kilometer land frontier, Russia has boundaries with 14 countries: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland (via the Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the People's Republic of China and North Korea.

Approximately two-thirds of the frontier is bounded by water. Virtually all of the lengthy northern coast is well above the Arctic Circle; except for the port of Murmansk—which receives currents that are somewhat warmer than would be expected at that latitude, due to the effects of the Gulf Stream—that coast is locked in ice much of the year. Thirteen seas and parts of three oceans—the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific—wash Russian shores.

Russia shares a maritime boundary with the United States and with Japan.                        

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Russia has the most educated population in the world, outperforming Canada, Japan, Israel and the USA. More than half of Russians have higher education qualification. More than 200,000 people from 168 countries come to study at Russian universities. There are many Advantages to study in Russia, here are just a few:  

• Comprehensive University Education

      

In Russia, you can acquire in-depth, fundamental knowledge in all subjects, but the country is best known for its strong academic schools in physics, mathematics and natural sciences. Russia is a recognised world leader in training mathematicians, physicists, chemists, geologists, engineers, programmers, physicians, and specialists in other natural sciences. This is confirmed by the positions of Russian universities in world rankings

• A Wide Range of Universities and Study Programmes

      

In Russia, international applicants can choose from:

• 950 universities in 85 regions of the country, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok;   

      

• 205 fields, from mathematics and natural sciences to the dramatic arts;   

      

• 657 subjects in Bachelor’s, Master’s, Specialist and Postgraduate Programmes (medical traineeships, postgraduate military courses), and internships and assistantships.

      

Russian universities also offer preparatory programmes (training for enrolment on Bachelor’s, Master’s and Specialist Degree courses), short courses (summer university, a single term in Russia, summer schools), Russian as a foreign language courses, professional development and additional vocational training.  

• Optimum Ratio of Price and Quality of Education

      

Self-funded study is much cheaper at Russian universities than the equivalent in the USA, Canada and the UK, and in terms of the level of training provided, leading Russian universities compete on par with educational institutions in the West.

In 2014, the cost of studying at Russian universities in full-time Bachelor’s Degree Programmes started from 63,000 roubles a year (1,100 US dollars), depending on the subject studied (according to the standards established by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science). The maximum tuition fee at the most prestigious universities in the capital was as high as 344,000 roubles a year (6,100 US dollars).

If you are considering universities located outside Moscow or Saint Petersburg, tuition and accommodation costs will be lower: prices in the regions are much lower than in the capital (see university websites for more detailed information on the tuition fee).   

• Funded Tuition

      

Russia is one of the few countries to offer foreign citizens the opportunity to receive free tuition. Every year, the Russian government awards several thousand scholarships (quotas) to international students. For example, in 2015 universities were allocated 15,000 quotas. In addition, some categories of foreign citizens, including compatriots, may apply for state-funded places on equal terms with Russians but outside the quotas. Another possibility is taking part in university academic competitions: the winners and laureates of these competitions are given preferential terms when enrolling at leading Russian universities (on a quota basis and for state-funded places).    

• Opportunity to Learn Russian

      

Russian is spoken by about 260 million people worldwide and some 10.5 million foreigners are regularly learning Russian. Russian universities offer different Russian language programmes, including courses, summer schools, and distance learning. In preparatory courses, international students take a year-long course in the Russian language and, for students who are enrolled in state-funded places (government scholarships), it is provided free of charge.

• Dazzling Culture

      

Most people associate Russia with its culture, and Russians rightly take enormous pride in it. Russia has given the world many great writers, poets, philosophers, composers, artists and musicians: Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, Feodor Dostoyevsky, Nikolai Rerikh, Sergey Rakhmaninov, Boris Pasternak, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergey Eisenstein, Mstislav Rostropovich... Literature, ballet, classical music, architecture, painting, theatre and cinema: this is how Russia wins the hearts of people the world over. Russian cities today are centres of cultural life, where exhibitions, festivals, concerts, shows, performances and other cultural and entertainment events take place on a national and international level.    

• Sports

      

Russia is a nation of sports enthusiasts that has given the world some of its greatest athletes: Irina Rodnina, Vyacheslav Tretyak, Maria Sharapova, Evgeny Plushchenko, Alexander Ovechkin, Elena Isinbaeva, Alexander Povetkin, and others. More than 60% of residents and 71% of students in Russia are involved in sport. Sports facilities include 70,000 gyms, 140,000 sports pitches and fields, and 4,800 swimming pools, accessible to all.

Russian universities typically have their own sports facilities and are well placed to offer students excellent opportunities to get involved in sport. Sports teams are formed at universities, many of which win prestigious competitions, including Universiades.

The country has hosted international sporting events on many occasions; in 2014, it hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi and a Formula 1 race. The 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Winter Universiade (2019) are the next major events on the calendar.

Find more at: http://studyinrussia.ru/en/.                     

Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project is your chance for early admission to a tuition-free Master's programme at one of the leading universities in Russia! 

The Open Doors Academic Competition (Olympiad) is an international project that grants you an opportunity to enroll in a tuition-free Master's programme at one of the leading universities in Russia. 

• The project has been developed by Russian leading academic experts and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. 
• The Olympiad is organized in two rounds. Both rounds are held online. 
• You can choose several subject areas and apply to any number of universities. 
• You can get all the advantages of early admission 

The Olympiad is organized by The Association of Global Universities, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudichestvo). 

The competition is aimed at talented foreign students who would like to enroll in a Master's programme in Russia for free. 

The winners and prize-winners of the Open Doors are granted a free early admission at any Russian university, without entrance examinations and with tuition fees covered by the Russian Federation. 

The competition winners and prize-winners will be able to enroll in the Master's programme using a single window system, choosing any of 500 Russian universities, including 21 leading universities-participants of the 5-100 Project. 

The language of instruction is English or Russian depending on the chosen Master's programme and the university. 

The competition is held online in two rounds: a portfolio competition followed by a problem-solving round. 

Participation is open to graduates with a Bachelor or a Specialist degree from any university in the world (except Russian).

For many people Russia still appears as "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma". In the "Cape to Russia" you will find a wide range of articles and news items about Russia that can help you get an idea of its life and culture. This bulletin is published periodically and its every edition offers a rich gathering of materials on culture, sports, history, economy and daily life of Russia.

Electronic editions of the "Cape to Russia" are available for downloading on this page, for subscription via email or Subscriptions Book at the Consulate. You may also fetch a cozy printed version if you visit us in person.

We hope you will find it most interesting and enjoyable and we will be pleased to receive your instant feedback and fruitful suggestions.