What are the dominant ethnic groups in central Asia?
Turkic and Mongol
Where is Red Square?
Moscow, Russia
What is a Faberge egg? Illustrate
“Easter Eggs” created as gifts for the Russian czars; ornate, jewel-encrusted; open to reveal a surprise
What types of images do Russian Icons depict?
Christian religious figures (Jesus, Mother Mary, the Saints)
What is a Matrioshka doll? How many usually come in a set? Illustrate.
Russian “nesting dolls”; usually 6+ to a set; traditional maternal “Matriarch” images; hand-painted; may also depict political image
What is a difference between the dominant religions in Russia and the United States?
Both are Christian-based (teachings of Christ) religions!!! The U.S. is predominantly Protestant while Russia is predominantly Eastern Orthodox. **Remember though most Russians do not practice a religion.
What is a samovar? Illustrate
Russian teapot; often the central item in a Russian home
Where is St. Petersburg?
Northwestern border of Russia, centered on a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea
What strange decision was made by Ivan the Terrible after the completion of St. Basil’s Cathedral?
Name three former Soviet republics where you would probably find a mosque.
Central Asia in the “Stans”: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan
How was music is Russia different during the Soviet era than it is today?
Until the fall of Communism there was only traditional music (like folk music, remember the balalaika); after 1991, western music (rock, country) became popular
The tundra areas of Siberia are too cold to include inhabitants; in what climate region(s) of Siberia might you find small villages?
Small villages may be found in the subarctic region; but, most Siberian villages would be found the southern most regions of Siberia
What is the capital city of Russia?
Moscow
What is the dominant ethnic group in Russia?
Slavic
Where is Russia would you find a world-famous ballet?
Moscow – the Bolshoi/Bolshoy Ballet and Theatre
What was the capital city of Russia before it was moved back to Moscow?
St. Petersburg, but it was moved following the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of the Communist government (Lenin changed the name to “Leningrad”
What type of religious structure is likely to include a minaret?
A mosque – an Islamic house of worship; a minaret is the tower from which prayer time is called
What is the name for the fortified Russia citadel in the heart of Moscow?
The Kremlin (the seat of the Russian government)
Who works in the Kremlin?
Russian government officials and workers
In large Russian cities, you can still see old Soviet-style apartment blocks. What do they look like?
Dorm-style or hotel-style apartments (very small, uniform, and poorly constructed)
Where did “Red Square” get its name?
Slavic word for “beautiful”
What types of people were often portrayed on Russian Matrioshka dolls?
Usually the matriarch or mother figure from the peasant family; sometimes political figures
St. Basil’s Cathedral is a famous church in Moscow built by followers of which religion?
Eastern Orthodox
List three things that you can find inside the Kremlin’s walls.
Palaces, museums, churches and an armory
Why is St. Petersburg an important city for trade?
Although St. Petersburg sits on the Baltic Sea, it is a port that is open all year, it is connected by canals to the White Sea, the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea
Whose tomb can be found in Red Square?
Vladimir Lenin – the “Father” of the Bolshevik party and the first Communist premier of the Soviet Union
Whose tomb was removed from Red Square?
Joseph Stalin, the successor to Lenin, however he was a cruel dictator and was found responsible for the death of millions of Soviet people; his tomb was removed in the 1970’s
What was St. Petersburg called during the Soviet era?
Leningrad
Which city in Uzbekistan grew because of its location along ancient trade routes (Great Silk Road)?