Russia and Central Asia Cultural Characteristics

Russiaand Central Asia

Cultural Characteristics

Russian Ethnic Groups

The vast country of Russia is made up of many ethnic groups.

Ethnic Groups of Russia

Ballet St. Petersburg’s Kirov Ballet became one of the world’s largest dance companies--government sponsorship was a key to the success of the ballet.

Bolshoi Ballet, Moscow

Ballet

Cultural Heritage

/

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Swan Lake (1876)1812 Overture (1880)

Sleeping Beauty (1889) The Nutcracker (1892)

Mikhail Baryshnikov

Danced with the Kirov Ballet until he defected to Canada and then settled in

the US.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krzSqRCvzb8

Matrioshka Dolls Russian

nesting dolls Translation:

“little mother”

https://vimeo.com/26535379

Matrioshka dolls

Cultural Heritage

http://www.natashascafe.com/html/doll.html

http://www.natashascafe.com/html/doll.html

Oriental Rugs Oldest rug found in

Siberia Major manufacturing

in Central Asia, Turkey and Caucasus Mountains.

Famous textiles in Asian Russia and the “Stans”

Oriental carpets

Cultural Heritage

A Turkman rug

(Turkmenistan)

Afghan rug

(Afghanistan)

Samovars Russian tea urn Early ones made of

brass or copper and heated by burning coal

Center of home—family heirloom -often the only item taken by refugees

Samovars

Cultural Heritage

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky“Swan Lake”

Igor Stravinsky – Violins“Violin Concerto”

Bolshoi Theater, Moscow

Russian Composers and Music

Russian Guitar - Balalaika

Icons

Religious Paintings

†Representations of Christ, the Virgin Mary & the Saints

†Play a major part in church life - they are kissed, and expected to heal, and work miracles.

Russian Icons From the Novosibirsk Art Gallery

Cultural Landscape

Fabergé Eggs

Peter Carl Fabergé (FA-ber-zhay) – was a jeweler

Made Easter eggs for Russian czars (Alexander III, Nicholas II)

50 original Faberge eggs – they are very expensive today

http://www.history.com/topics/russian-revolution/videos/the-faberge-eggs

Fabergé Eggs

Cultural Heritage

http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/

Examples of

Cultural landsca

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Russian (Eastern) Orthodox Church (Christianity)

Split from the Roman Catholic Church

Russian Orthodox ChurchesThe Orthodox

Church has different rituals from a Catholic

or Protestant Christian

service. The congregation is separated from the priest by a door and the

walls are covered with

icons.

Red Square

Once served as a market place for the people of Moscow

500,000 square feet of open land

Place to gather to celebrate state events

Monument and tomb of Vladimir Lenin (since 1924 - founder of the Soviet Union)

St. Basil’s Churc

hKremlin

Red Square

The Kremlin “Walled City”or “Fortress”Located in the Red Square in Moscow

triangular shaped (was once a fort)

political & administrative center

seat of the Russian government

Ordered to be built by Ivan the

Terrible.

Legend says he blinded the architects so they would never build anything as beautiful again.

Located in Moscow’s Red Square

St. Basil’s Church

St. Basil’s Church

Cultural Landscape

Was built in 1555-60 and is composed of nine separate churches that share one foundation. There are no seats or pews-parishioners stand.

The building stands outside the Kremlin wall, at one end of Red Square.

http://www.insiderussia.org/basilcredits.html

http://www.history.com/videos/building-st-basils-

cathedral#building-st-basils-cathedral

Mosques

Islamic house of worship

Found throughout Russia and Central Asia

Minarets

Minarets

Cultural Landscape

The minaret is a traditional part of a mosque. It is generally used by the muezzin, who calls people to prayer by chanting from the top of the tower.

Yurt (Tent)

Used by nomadic peoples of Central Asia (Mongolia)

Portable Not widely used

anymore – mostly tourist attractions

Siberian Villages Siberia stretches

from Ural Mountains Eastward

Siberians either fish or herd reindeer

Built during construction of Trans-Siberian Railroad

Siberian villages

Siberian villages

Cultural Landscape

Soviet-style Apartments

Ordered to be built by the communist government-more about quantity than quality

Family usually had only 1-2 rooms

Drafty, leaky plumbing

The Grand Tour

Hmmm…not so nice…

Here is your bathroom, you share with the other people on your floor

Moscow

Important Cities

The capital and largest city in Russia.

St. Petersburg

Important Cities

St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia at one time. Named after Peter the Great. It is known as the “Venice of the North”. It is also referred to as Russia’s “Window to the West”.

The State Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace)

The Winter Palace was built between 1754 and 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great.  It was the main residence of the Russian Tsars. Many

visitors also know it as the main building of the Hermitage Museum. The green-and-white three-story palace is a marvel of Baroque architecture and boasts 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows and

1,057 elegantly and lavishly decorated halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public.

Novosibirsk

Important Cities

An important trade center along the Ob River and the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Vladivostok

In 1916 became connected to Moscow via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Located not far from Russia's borders with China

and North Korea. Largest Russian port on the Pacific Ocean.

REVIEW!REVIEW!

1)Russia is located on which 2 continents?

EUROPE & ASIAEUROPE & ASIA

REVIEW!REVIEW!

2.) What is chernozem?

““BLACK EARTH”, VERY BLACK EARTH”, VERY FERTILE SOILFERTILE SOIL

REVIEW!REVIEW!

3.) What 2 natural resources can be found below the

Caspian Sea?

OIL & NATURAL GASOIL & NATURAL GAS

REVIEW!REVIEW!

4.) What is the longest river on the European

continent?

VOLGA RIVERVOLGA RIVER

REVIEW!REVIEW!

5.)How could we describe the climate of Central Asia?

MOSTLY ARID & MOSTLY ARID & SEMI-ARIDSEMI-ARID