Russia is one of the largest countries in the world, bridging Europe and Asia and crossing 11 time zones. Area of Russia is 6,592,800 sq miles. The major cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg attract tourists from around the world. Russia has a vast wealth of natural resources and is rich in coal, oil, natural gas, silver and gold.

Russia stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus, the Altai, Sayan Mountains, the Amur and Ussuri Rivers in the south. It is bordered by Norway and Finland in the northwest, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania in the west, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the southwest, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and North Korea along tits southern border. The federation is composed of 21 Republics.

In general, the best time to visit is May - September, when the daytime temperatures are 23-35° C and nights are10-23° C. Spring and early autumn however, are unpredictable: Snow flurries and temperatures of -5° C are possible in May and September.

There are a few reasons someone might want to go during the winter. In Moscow and St. Petersburg the striking architecture can be seen much more clearly after the leaves have fallen. It is also easier to get tickets to see the Bolshoi and Kirov (Mariinsky) Ballets and Operas and there are no crowds at the tourist attractions.