Coat of Arms
The Russian Coat of Arms is described by the Embassy of Russia to the United States as "a state symbol two-headed eagle first appeared in Russia, those times Moscovia, in the XV-th century. It came from Visantium with Sophia Paleolog, member of the last Visantium Emperor dynasty, who became the wife of Ivan III, the Great Duke of Moscow.
Two-headed eagle remained the symbol of Russian Monarchy and Russian State for more than four hundred years, till the October Revolution of 1917, and regained it's status in 1993 according to the order of President Boris Yeltsin of November 30, 1993.
There are different interpretations of this symbol. The most common version says that two heads of the eagle symbolize that Russia consists of two part - European and Asian, and they are of equal importance for the country.
The State insignia survived some changes during the pre-revolutionary history of Russia, though these changes were not too much significant. When the old Rurick dynasty ended in the XVII-th century and Romanovs came to power, the two-headed eagle remained as the symbol of Russia, though three crowns were added above the eagle. They were to embody the unity of three nations - Russian, Ukrainian and Belorussian."
The description of the Russian Seal is here.
Accessed May 5, 2011.
For images that show the evolution of the state symbol and a brief explanation in Russian see http://flag.kremlin.ru/gerb/
The Government
| Pres. | Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV |
| Premier | Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN |
| First Dep. Premier | Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV |
| First Dep. Premier | Viktor Alekseyevich ZUBKOV |
| Dep. Premier | Aleksandr Gennadiyevich KHLOPONIN |
| Dep. Premier | Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK |
| Dep. Premier | Dmitriy Olegovich ROGOZIN |
| Dep. Premier | Igor Ivanovich SECHIN |
| Dep. Premier | Vladislav Yuryevich SURKOV |
| Min. of Agriculture | Yelena Borisovna SKRYNNIK |
| Min. of Civil Defense, Emergencies, & Natural Disasters | Sergey Kuzhugetovich SHOYGU |
| Min. of Communications & Mass Media | Igor Olegovich SHCHEGOLEV |
| Min. of Culture | Aleksandr Alekseyevich AVDEYEV |
| Min. of Defense | Anatoliy Eduardovich SERDYUKOV |
| Min. of Economic Development | Elvira Sakhipzadovna NABIULLINA |
| Min. of Education & Science | Andrey Aleksandrovich FURSENKO |
| Min. of Energy | Sergey Ivanovich SHMATKO |
| Min. of Finance | Anton Germanovich SILUANOV |
| Min. of Foreign Affairs | Sergey Viktorovich LAVROV |
| Min. of Health & Social Development | Tatyana Alekseyevna GOLIKOVA |
| Min. of Industry & Trade | |
| Min. of Internal Affairs | Rashid Gumarovich NURGALIYEV |
| Min. of Justice | Aleksandr Vladimirovich KONOVALOV |
| Min. of Natural Resources & Ecology | Yuriy Petrovich TRUTNEV |
| Min. of Regional Development | Viktor Fedorovich BASARGIN |
| Min. of Sport, Tourism, & Youth Policy | Vitaliy Leontyevich MUTKO |
| Min. of Transportation | Igor Yevgenyevich LEVITIN |
| Dir., Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) | Mikhail Yefimovich FRADKOV |
| Dir., Federal Security Service (FSB) | Aleksandr Vasilyevich BORTNIKOV |
| Head, Govt. Apparatus | Anton Eduardovich VAYNO |
| Sec., Security Council | Nikolay Platonovich PATRUSHEV |
| Procurator Gen. | Yuriy Yakovlevich CHAYKA |
| Chmn., Central Bank of Russia | Sergey Mikhaylovich IGNATYEV |
| Ambassador to the US | Sergey Ivanovich KISLYAK |
| Permanent Representative to the UN, New York | Vitaliy Ivanovich CHURKIN |
source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-r/russia.html
Russia -Overview
| Geography | Russia |
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Location:
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Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean |
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Geographic coordinates:
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60 00 N, 100 00 E |
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Map references:
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Asia |
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Area:
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total: 17,075,200 sq km land: 16,995,800 sq km water: 79,400 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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approximately 1.8 times the size of the US |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 20,017 km border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland 1,340 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km, Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,485 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Ukraine 1,576 km |
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Coastline:
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37,653 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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Climate:
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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 |
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Terrain:
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broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m |
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Natural resources:
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wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources |
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Land use:
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arable land: 7.33% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 92.56% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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46,630 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 |
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Geography - note:
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largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak Information from CIA Factbook, accessed 5-25-2011 |
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Intensive Language Programs
The American Association for Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) website has a page that describes intensive programs in Slavic and East European languages as well as in the languages of the Republics of the former Soviet Union. The listings include those programs offered in U.S. (and some Canadian) colleges and universities as well as in programs abroad. This is a free service provided by AATSEEL to such programs.
Each language has its own page, and programs are divided into the following categories: Summer Programs in the U.S., Summer Programs Abroad, and Semester/Year Programs Abroad. Information is added to this page as it is received, so check frequently for updates.
The website has a table which allows you to click on the language you are interested in, and it directs you to links to the program/school websites teaching the language.
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