Cultural ScrapbookRussia

Population

Population factsPopulation (2010) 139,390,2059th most populated country in the world

• Population growth rate- -0.465% • Birth rate- 11.11 births/ 1,000 population• Death Rate- 16.04 deaths/ 1,000 population• Life Expectancy- Male- 59.54 years

Female- 73.17 years1.41 children born/woman

Ethnic Groups• People from Russia are considered Russians• Ethnic Russians are not required to learn

other local languages, but students are increasingly studying foreign languages (English, French, German, and Spanish)

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Languages• Russian is the official language.• This is the Cyrillic alphabet

Religion• Christianity is the main religion in Russia• The Russian Orthodox claims 15-20% of the

Russian Populations• More than 10% are Muslims• Very few Buddhists

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Russian Flag• Three equal strips of white, blue, and red.

Holidays• New Years- January 1• Christmas January 7• Defender of the Motherland Day- February 23• International Women’s Day- March 8• Spring and Labor Celebration- May 1• Victory Day- May 9• Russia Day- June 12• Civil Unity Day- November 4

Dating and marriage • When young people date, they usually go to a

movie or for a walk in a city park• Sometimes they go to bars or cafes but this is too

expensive for many• Before 1991, couples could only marry only in a

“wedding palace” • Many couples are now also having a traditional

church wedding before a civil wedding• Divorce rate is high since people do not see

marriage as a lasting commitment

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Food• Most people eat more homegrown produce than

imported fruits and vegetables• Those on fixed and limited incomes eat more

bread and potatoes than anything else• Traditional foods include vegetable soup, a

stuffed roll, cabbage leaves baked with tomato sauce and eaten with sour cream, and pasta dish.

• Russians drink coffee, tea, and mineral water. Juice and soda are available alcoholic drinks such as vodka are also popular

Clothing• Clothes are considered important as a sign of status

and culture• European fashions are popular in urban areas• Young women often wear short skirts, high heels, and

a fair amount of makeup• More young people are also wearing shorts in warm

weather • Jeans are popular among most age groups• During winter months, many Russians wear a fur hat

called a shapka of ushanka

Sports and Recreation• Most Russian have little leisure time because of the hours they

must devote to getting food, working extra jobs, or taking care of their households

• Urban Russians like to spend their spare time at their country cottages

• Cities have relatively few nightclubs but that is changing gradually

• The country’s favorite sport is soccer • Winter sports are also popular• Most families like to watch television in the evening• Russians like theaters and movies, but they’re only available only

in big cities

Arts • Russian composers wrote some of the world’s

most beloved symphonies, ballets, operas, and other musical works

• Ballet is an important art form• Swan Lake and Don Quixote were first

performed in Russia• Russian folk crafts include nested dolls,

wooding carving, lacquer painting and lace making