61. Flags Of Russian Towns And Cities Flags of russian towns and cities. russian version. Moscow. Anapa (Kradnodar Region).Astrakhan. Cheboksary. Dobryanka (Perm Oblast). Dzerzhinsky (Moscow Oblast). http://heraldry.hobby.ru/flags/e.cityfl.html

Flags of Russian Towns and Cities Russian version Moscow Anapa (Kradnodar Region) Astrakhan Cheboksary Dobryanka (Perm Oblast) Dzerzhinsky (Moscow Oblast) Georgievsk (Stavropol Region) Irkutsk Kaliningrad (Koenigsberg) old flag Kaliningrad (Koenigsberg) new flag Kaluga Kamensk-Uralsky (Sverdlovsk Oblast) Khanty-Mansiysk Kostroma Krasnoyarsk Novosibirsk Orenburg Perm Protvino (Moscow Oblast) Reutov (Moscow Oblast) Saint-Petersburg Shadrinsk (Kurgan Oblast) Taganrog (Rostov Oblast) Tver Uglich (Yaroslavl Oblast) Veliky Novgorod Vladimir Voronezh Zarechny (Sverdlovsk Oblast) Flags of Republics Flags of Regions and Autonomous Okrugs Flags of Oblasts This project is hosted by " Zenon N.S.P. Russian Flags Russian Heraldry Home Page

62. A Global View Of The Russian Far East Siberia, often confused with the russian Far East, borders the region of its approximately8 million population living in cities and small towns largely in http://www.traveleastrussia.com/overview.html

Overview The Russian Far East is on the Pacific rim, north of China and to the west and north of Japan. The region covers an area two-thirds the size of Canada and has a coastline extending 6,000 miles from the Arctic Circle to the Sea of Japan. Siberia, often confused with the Russian Far East, borders the region to the west some 1500 miles from the Pacific. The region is lightly populated with 70% of its approximately 8 million population living in cities and small towns largely in the southeast. The region comprises ten relatively independent geopolitical subregions: the Amur Oblast, the Chukotka Autonomous Region, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, the Kamchatka Oblast, the Khabarovski Krai, the Koryak Republic, the Magadan Oblast, the Primorski Krai, the Sakhalin Oblast and the Republic of Yakutia. The principle cities are the port of Vladivostok in the far south; Khabarovsk north of Vladivostok and approximately 100 miles inland; the town of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island; the port of Magadan on the mainland opposite the Kamchatka Peninsula; the port of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka peninsula and the port of Anadyr in the far north. The region contains much of the underdeveloped natural resources of Russia and unsurpassed scenic beauty. The taiga (or forest) in the south-east region contains a great variety of wildlife, including the Siberian Tiger, and over 250 species of trees and bushes. The ocean between Sakhalin Island and the Kamchatka Peninsula offers one of the wealthiest fishing grounds in the world. The Kamchatka Peninsula is the home of some 160 volcanoes and has a unique geyser valley. Snow conditions on Sakhalin are so good that the 1972 Soviet Olympic training facility was located there and it is still being used by Sakhalin skiers.

63. World Wide Web Virtual Library - Russian History Index - Utilities The russian Empire in Europe (1886) 244K; The Former Soviet Union map This mapshows the country Worldwide Directory of cities and towns A directory of a http://vlib.iue.it/hist-russia/utilities.html

World Wide Web Virtual Library (WWW-VL) central catalogue WWW-VL Search Facility. WWW-VL Main History Index and Sites Maintainers ... European University Institute's Library and Web Sites. Russian History Index Utilities: Maps Russian Mass-Media Russian Search Engines Databases Reference Lists Journals Publishers Archives ... Libraries Web Publications Sources Bibliography Temporary Research Projects Chronological Chronology Kievan and Pre-Kievan Russia Appanage Russia Muscovite Russia ... Russian Federation Topical Military Women Cultural National ... Demography Geographical Regional Other (Utilities) Maps Russian Mass-Media Russian Search Engines Databases Maps GPSy (TM) Digital Map Support : A comprehensive list of all of the digital maps available on the internet. Historical Maps Historical Maps of Russia from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection (University of Texas at Austin). : List of different types of maps and mapping agencies covering almost all countries. Missing Maps Digital cartography produced by the Russian General Staff's Military - Topographic Directorate. Russia and the Newly Independent States (from "CountryWatch.com): Clickable map for basic information on countries in the region, along with images of national flags and a currency converter. Also includes essays on the people, history, economy, agriculture, energy, metals, and the environment .

64. Subdivisions Of Russia by the republics were extended to all russian first order councils, or of the 2065citystatus towns, or of 366 city districts, or of the 449 cities of Russia http://www.fotw.ca/flags/ru-.html

Subdivisions of Russia Last modified: by antonio martins Keywords: russia respublika oblast kray ... avtonomniy oblast Links: FOTW homepage search write us mirrors ... the Soviet era See also: List of constituent units (“subjects”) of Russia Russia Clickable map of russian subdivisions european Russia detail ... Unofficial autonomist flags of 1992-1993 Other sites: Sovereign flags and coats of arms of Russian regions (by Yury Rocich) reported by Michael Simakov , 12 Jan 2000 Symbols of members of the Russian Federation reported by Jorge Candeias City website , with all the cities, regions, republics etc. of the Russian federation, showing the arms or flags. reported by Fred Drews , 28 Mar 1999 Civic flags registered in the Union of Heraldists of Russia reported by Pascal Gross , 12 Jan 2000 Arms of the Russian Cities in english; also in russian, in the encodings ISO 8859-5 DOS (IBM 866) KOI8-R and Mac Rusline , with a lot of information about Regions and Territories. reported by Dov Gutterman , 17 Dec 1998 Russian subnational flags All Russian Federation subdivisions are entitled to have flags, but subjects other than republics were allowed to adopt flags only shortly before (or in early) 1994.

65. World: Population, Countries And Cities of 2,880,532 of the world's cities and towns linked to a Largest cities, from About.com(en); Line Maps of (en); Official City Sites (en); russian cities on the http://www.ac.by/world/coun.html

INTERESTING WWW SITES IN THE WORLD World: Population, Countries and Cities World Population Ethnicity and Race by Countries , from Infoplease.com (en) Eurominority , European minorities, ethnic groups, native peoples (br, da, de, du, en, fr, gl, it, sa, sp, ve) Migrants , from VADA (du, en) Overpopulation.com , Information and resources on the overpopulation debate (en) Population.com (en) Population Links Worldwide (en) The Resource Clock , has tracked the increase of human population since 1987 (en) The State of World Population 2001 , from UNFPA (en, fr, sp) The World Gazetteer , current population figures for cities, towns and places of all countries (en) The WWW Virtual Library: Migration and Ethnic Relations (en) United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN) (en) World Overpopulation Awareness (en) World Population in the Twentieth Century (en) World Population Information , from U.S. Census Bureau (en) 2002 World Population Data Sheet , from Population Reference Bureau (en) World Regions Arab World Online: Country Information , The Source for Information on the Arab World (en) ArabNet , The Resource for the Arab World in the Middle East and North Africa (en) ASG: Datenbank Europe (de, en)

66. UEMRI Guide To City Networks Russia Union of russian cities; Slovakia Association of Austrian Association ofcities Austrian Association of German Association of towns and Municipalities; http://www.gdrc.org/uem/networks/networks.html

The UEMRI Guide to City Networks City Networks at the Global Level CDS: City Development Strategies Initiative CA: Cities Alliance login required Eco-Partnership: The Eco-Partnership Network ICLEI: International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives ICMA: International City/County Management Association INTA: International Network for Urban Development IULA: International Union of Local Authorities OICC: Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities SCI: Sister City International WACLAC: World Associations of Cities and Local Authorities METROPOLIS: World Association of Major Metropolises FMCU-UTO: World Federation of United Cities WLA: World Local Authorities City Networks at the Regional Level ATO: Arab Towns Organization Asia-Urbs: International local government partnerships for urban development CityNet: The Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlements CEMR: Council of European Municipalities and Regions CLRAE: Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe ESEA-RNBLG East and Southeast Asia Regional Network for Better Local Governments KIN: Kitakyushu Initiative Network for a Clean Environment LOGON: Local Government Network of Central and Eastern European Countries MELISSA: Managing the Environment Locally in Sub Saharan Africa MDP: Municipal Development Programme for Africa Urb-Al: Europe - Latin America urban cooperation programme US-AEP: US Asia Environment Programme City Networks at the National Level Africa Burkina Faso: Association of Municipalities of Burkina Faso Ivory Coast:

67. Related Links For Russia towns and places of all countries * largest cities of the world * current nationalflags. Russia. Related Links. Link, description, English, Kind of Source. russian http://www.world-gazetteer.com/l/l_ru.htm

The World Gazetteer * current population figures for cities, towns and places of all countries * largest cities of the world * current national flags Russia Related Links Link description English Kind of Source Russian State Committee for Statistics adminstrative divisions and most important cities yes national statistical office Russia important cities yes organization Russia list of Russian cities that are online yes organization Alternatively you can search the web with one of the following search engines: Overture home index search ... national flag

68. Main Risk Scenarios For Kola/Barents Regions - local population in rather large towns and cities estimations, the air in 120 Russiancities is five The worst affected regions are Arkhangelsk, Lipetsk, Bratsk http://www.kolumbus.fi/christer.pursiainen/table1.htm

TABLE 1: The main perceived threat scenarios for Kola/Barents Region: an estimation of their probability and severity * Source of potential risk Main threat scenarios and the related conditions Risk = Perceived probability of serious accidents/ materialisation of an environmental hazard or threats leading to unaccepted consequences Estimated severity in terms of health-related consequences and affected population/areas Kola NPP malfunction four blocs in operation, two oldest VVER-440/230 type reactors started in 1973 and 1974 respectively, two VVER-449/213 in 1981 and 1984 respectively particularly the two oldest reactors do not meet international standards in spite of upgraded and improved emergency systems Reactor meltdown would happen as a result of several reasons in combination: poor general infrastructure maintaining the NPP (energy supply); poor condition and maintenance of the plant it self ( especially safety and emergency equipment related to cooling of the reactors); social and human factors (violations of regulations, unqualified technicians; low motivation)

69. IULA - International Union Of Local Authorities of the Philippines Russia Union of russian cities Estonia Association of Estoniancities France Association of German Association of towns and Municipalities http://www.iula-int.org/iula/linklist.asp?L=EN

70. Russian Cities russian cities towns AND HISTORICAL PLACES Khibiny Biking palaces of St.Petersburg. NOVGOROD. Novgorod is one of the most ancient russian cities. http://www.geographicbureau.com/CERussia/cities_of_russia.htm

[Home] [European Russia] RUSSIAN C ITIES TOWNS AND HISTORICAL PLACES [Khibiny] [Biking] [palaces of St.Petersburg ] Russian capitals 9 days Russian history 11 days RUSSIAN CITIES: St.Petersburg Novgorod Pskov REGIONS Central Asia Caucasus European Russia Siberia and Pacific SERVICES Hotels Visas to CIS MOSCOW Moscow is now over 850 years old. For the first time it appeared in the chronicle under 1147 during the reign of Russian prince Yuri Dolgoruky. And in the second half of the 15th century Moscow became the capital of Russian state. Kremlin is a historical center of Moscow, one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles of the city. The clock on the Kremlin tower facing the Red square are symbolic to Russians as they start every New Year in the country. Kremlin Wall with its 20 towers encircles beautiful cathedrals Blagoveshchensky, Uspensky and Arkhangelsky, Granovitaya Chamber, Bell Tower "Ivan the Great", palaces, chambers, museums (including well-known Armory Chamber), enormous "Tsar-Cannon" and "Tsar-Bell". Red Square is the main square of the city. It is famous for imposing reviews, Lenin's Mausoleum, the cemetery with the graves of statesmen buried during the Soviet period, incomparable St. Bassil's Cathedral built during the reign of Ivan the 4th Terrible, buildings of the Historical Museum and the State Supermarket (GUM).

71. REGIONAL PROFILE: VLADIMIR OBLAST countries as well as other regions of the enterprises are dispersed throughout manycities, towns, and even Population (est.) 1,647,600 (1.11% of russian total http://www.hf.uib.no/Andre/vesti/vladimir.htm

REGIONAL PROFILE: VLADIMIR OBLAST Governor: Nikolai Vinogradov Nikolai Vinogradov was elected governor in December 1996, beating incumbent Yurii Vlasov. He was born in 1947. His career in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union peaked in 1991, when he served as a second secretary of the oblast committee. During 1993-1995, he was a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. He was elected to the oblast Legislative Assembly in March 1994 and a month later became its chairman. Since 1995, Vinogradov has been a member of the pro-government Our Home Is Russia movement. Other Local Leaders Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Vitalii Kotov, elected December Brief Overview Vladimir Oblast is located in the middle of European Russia, about 200 km east of Moscow. The oblast acquired it present borders in 1944, uniting parts of Moscow, Ivanovo, and Gorkii (currently, Nizhnii Novgorod) oblasts. The oblast is now one of the most economically developed regions of the Central Economic Region. In terms of industrial output, the oblast ranks among Russia's top twenty regions. Its nine major plants manufacture

72. Russia / Exploring Siberia / The Trans-Siberian Railway Krasnoyarsk One of the older towns in Siberia, Krasnoyarsk was founded in 1628 itis one of the most important and promising cities of the russian Far East. http://www.geographia.com/russia/trasib01.htm

Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway F Russian cities and towns along the route, from the historic Volga port of Yaroslavl to Irkutsk and the scenic Lake Baikal region. Routes and Western Extensions Travel along the Trans-Siberian Railway is usually undertaken from west to east, though it is quite possible to go in the opposite direction. Moreover, a number of choices of route are available, as are extensions of the journey on either end. The usual route taken by travellers is the Trans-Siberian line, which runs from Moscow to Vladivostok, passing through Yaroslavl on the Volga, Exaterinburg in the Urals, Irkutsk near Lake Baikal's southern extremity, and then Khabarovsk. From Vladivostok it is possible to continue by ferry to Niigata on the west coast of Japan. A second primary route is the Trans-Manchurian line, which coincides with the Trans-Siberian as far as Tarskaya, a few hundred miles east of Baikal. From Tarskaya the Trans-Manchurian heads southeast into China and makes its way down to Beijing. The third primary route is the Trans-Mongolian line, which coincides with the Trans-Siberian as far as the Buddhist enclave of Ulan Ude on Baikal's eastern shore. From Ulan-Ude the Trans- Mongolian heads south to Ulaan-Baatar before making its way southeast to Beijing.

73. Trans-Siberian Railway - Cities And Towns - Moscow And Its Environs cities and towns Moscow its environs. Knowledge about cities being situated at Transsibin European Siberian railway the capital of russian Federation Moscow http://www.transsib.ru/Eng/city-mos.htm

Handbook Photogallery History Museum ... Cities and regions of Russia In the section - cities and settlements The list of all cities Knowledge about cities being situated at Transsib in European part of Russia from the beggining point of Trans-Siberian railway the capital of Russian Federation Moscow to Alexandrov in Vladimir region are collected here. All raion centres (not cities) and large stations also are included into this section. In the case of the rich historical past or great number of remarkables of special city, separate information is selected. Links to Internet resources containing information about the city or this region (usually they are historical, information or museum sites) are given below information about the city. Cities in the section are strictly sorted by their arrangement along Trans-Siberian railway from west to east from Moscow. Internet resources were selected subjectively by theirs infromation value. Museum sites are marked by 'plus' sign (+). Populated areas: Moscow c.

74. Trans-Siberian Railway - Cities And Towns cities and towns. Nevertheless almost the whole of economical life of russian Asianpart from All raion centres (not cities) and also large stations which are http://www.transsib.ru/Eng/city.htm

Handbook Photogallery History Museum ... Webboard Cities and Towns In the section - info about cities and settlements List of all cities In spite of large Transsib length (more than 9000 km) there are not so many cities at Transsib. If to say exactly - 87 or 1 city per 107 kilometres of railway. And one have to bear in mind that most of cities is situated westward of Baikal but only 19 cities are situated eastward of Baikal or 1 city per 201 kilometres. Nevertheless almost the whole of economical life of Russian Asian part from Kuzbass and eastward of it on the whole functions along Trans-Siberian railway in the belt about 100 km in both sides from it. Somewhere it widens but in some places it narrows almost to 10 - 20 km along the railway. This site section was called to help ones who want to obtain more complete information about cities situated at Trans-Siberian railway - about its arrangements, population, transport communications, architecture, history. All raion centres (not cities) and also large stations which are not raion centres are included into this list. There are given links to Internet resources which contain information about specific region or city (settlement). Usually they are historical, information or museum sites. If something was missed or you'll found something new for this mini-encyclopedia - write us Time zones in Russia + the map All populated areas are sorted alphabetically; the centres of territories, regions and republics of RF are marked by bold font. There are names of railway stations if they don't coincide with names of city (town, settlement of town type, village) in square brackets. Populated areas having sites or pages in Internet are marked by the sign

75. Countryprofile russian, spoken by twothirds of the population, is used in everyday business andenjoys on offical status under the There are 82 cities and towns in the http://www.homestead.com/prosites-kazakhembus/countryprofile.html

Javascript is either disabled or not supported by this browser. This page may not appear properly. Location: Central Asia, south of Russia and northwest of China Total area: 1,687,443 sq miles (2,717,300 sq km) Land area: 1,657,945 sq miles (2,669,800 sq km) Comparative area: - Ninth largest in the world, equivalent to the size of Western Europe. - Four times the size of Texas. - Five times the size of France. Boundaries: Total 7,459 miles (12,012 km). The Republic of Kazakhstan shares its longest borders with Russia, 4,251 miles (6,846 km) and China, 951 miles (1,533 km). It also borders 1,183 miles (1,894 km) of the Caspian Sea. Independence: December 16, 1991 National Holiday: Republic Day, October 25 (1991) Population: 14,9 million Ethnic Diversity: Kazakh 51.8%, Russian 31.4%, Ukrainian 4.4%, Tatar 1.7%, German 1.6%. There are over 100 other nationalities. Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, other 9%. Languages: Kazakh, spoken by over 52% of the population, is the state language. Russian, spoken by two-thirds of the population, is used in everyday business and enjoys on offical status under the Constitution. Literacy: Monetary unit: tenge - equal to 100 tyins. It was introduced on November 15, 1993. Exchange rate is fleoating and approximatley equals 1USD=144KZT

76. BELARUS RESEARCH - Genealogy - Http://maxpages.com/poland/Belarus_Research Map of Belarus Coats of Arms of Belarusan towns and cities European Genealogy HistoryThe National Anthem of Belarus Researching russian Roots Ukraine http://www.maxpages.com/poland/Belarus_Research

Home Polskie Genealogiczne Amish and Mennonite Research Archives North American ... Volunteers BELARUS RESEARCH All of Europe Genealogy Links Portal Association of the Belarusian Nobility Belarus Consular Information Sheet Travel Advisory - Travel Information Belarus Country Message Board Belarus Genealogy Forum @ GenForum Belarus: Geography, Regions and Cities Links regarding geography, regions and cities. Belarus - History and Famous Personalities Links regarding history and famous personalities. A Belarus Miscellany There's a page for genealogy within this site. Belarus on the Net Belarus Resources Belarus SIG Belarus Today ... Belarusian Heritage Links to a collection of pictures and historical articles on 40 Belarusian towns and cities of historical importance, famous Belarusians, heraldry, architecture, traditional clothing, etc. Belorussians in the Soviet Union Brest History and Geography Clickable Map of Belarus Coats of Arms of Belarusan Towns and Cities ... History/Genealogy Project in Pruzhany *All Belarus Database *Grodno Gubernia *Minsk Gubernia *Mogilev Gubernia *Vitebsk Gubernia *Belarus Resources *Online Newsletter John's Genealogy Resources on the Internet Site for finding Belarus mail lists, etc.

77. Go Sightseeing - Travel & Hobby - Russia Guide - TicketsOfRUSSIA.ru The virtual guide around the russian Golden Ring of 15 towns towards the west from Socialeconomicregions of Russia Urals region. russian cities on the Web. http://www.ticketsofrussia.ru/russia/th/go_sightseeing.htm

HOME RUSSIA DIRECTORY > GO SIGHTSEEING GO SIGHTSEEING Atlantic 2000 Project Atlantic 2000. Ocean rowing by one person. Bryansk Region Bryansk Regional Administration. The windows to the ancient Russian Province. Collection of pictures about Bryansk and information about the city are provided by the regional company Communication Service. Dubna, Moscow Region T his is a site about a wonderful town which we, its residents, love and appreciate very much. Located North of Moscow, town has beautiful countryside, it retains primordial cleanness and freshness. News, information, culture, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and more... GMS Mountain.ru Welcome to the world of the Russian mountains - Kodar mountains, Baikal mountains, outdoor, tourism, alpinism - extreme outdoor sport in Russia. Golden Ring of Russia The virtual guide around the Russian Golden Ring of 15 towns towards the west from Moscow. The beauty of the ancient Vladimir ,Kostroma, Murom, the everlasting value of their historical and architectural monuments, the gilded domes of the cathedrals, their forests and fields ... the cradle of Russian culture. Hungary Immigration to Hungary. Real Estate in Hungary. Travel & Leisure in Hungary. "Russian" Hungary. Advocates in Hungary and more...

78. National And Ethnic - The Adjacent Middle East links related to Circassians in General and to the Republic of Adygeia of the RussianFederation. Egyptian cities, towns, Municipalities, and regions Sites. http://www.lib.vt.edu/subjects/slav/nat_ethnic_mideast.html

s lavic, east european, and former USSR resources National and Ethnic Home Pages Middle East Areas Adjacent to the Balkan Peninsula and the Caucasus Mountains INDEX Afghanistan Iran Jordan Palestine - The West Bank - Gaza Strip ... Hattay Province Middle East General sites and links Map of the Middle East . And another map in pdf. Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection Middle East Maps Al Mashriq - The Levant - Cultural Riches from the Countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Al-Bawaba - The Middle East Gateway The Romans ... Middle East Resource Guide . From Pars Times Middle Eastern Community of Metropolitan Detroit: 1998 Directory of Organizations Back to Index Republic of Turkey, or Turkish, Turk, or Ottoman Turk and Empire, Related sites ... Back to Index Sanjak of Alexandretta or Iskandaroun Sanjak or Hattai district or Hatay Province [Claimed by Syria; Controlled by Turkey]

79. Czech Towns And Cities 2 Czech Travel and Hotel Guide (CZ + E + russian) Turism and Sport in the Czech Republic(CZ + E + G) SHOCart the cartographic Czech towns and cities A - P. http://members.tripod.com/~zlimpkk/Topography/mesta2.html

Welcome to Karel Kysilka's Home Page Czech and German version are here. Back to my HOMEPAGE Karel Kysilka: The List of Internet Sources of Czech Towns and Cities HOME PAGES OF CZECH TOWNS AND CITIES Part TWO - R to Z Roudnice nad Labem is located on the Elbe river. Its palais was a center of a big and prosperous estate for centuries. Try this link as well. Rakovnik in middle Bohemia is a district town of 20.000 inhabitants.Information on the town and the district. (CZ) In the Beskydy mountains, beneath the sacred mountain Radhost, protected by the heathen´s god Radegast, a small town of Roznov pod Radhostem attracts thousands of visitors every year, mainly due to the oldest open-air museum in our country. The Beskydy mountains, a western part of the Carpathian Ellbow, belong to the most preserved regions in Moravia. Rumburk - the northernmost Czech town. (CZ) Rychnov nad Kneznou is a small charming district town (12.000 inhabitants) in the Orlicke hory (Adlergebirge) in the north-eastern part of Bohemia. Because of poor living conditions, it was a center of huge emigration to the USA in the second half of the 19th century. Sedlcany in district Pribram is a tiny town with a population of 5000. Famous for its cuttlery.

80. Destination Russia Hotels Russia Tourism Russia Travel Russia Visit Russia Touri unique engineering structures, and unmatched cities, towns and smaller is one of thebiggest cities in the it became the capital of the russian Federation, and http://www.hotels-europe.com/info-countries/russia/country.htm

Russia Links Country Map Accommodation Destination - Hotels - Travel - Tourism - Maps - Accommodation : RUSSIA Russia today is a nation of enormous diversity and tremendous vitality . It is as if the cultural traditions of a century ago have re-awakened with a newfound strength - ancient cathedrals are being rebuilt and restored, colorful markets hum with activity once again and literature and the arts are quickly regaining the creative renown they enjoyed decades ago. A new Russia is now in full bloom. The defeat of the Russian Empire in World War I led to the seizure of power by the communists and the formation of the USSR . The brutal rule of Josef STALIN (1924-53) strengthened Russian dominance of theSoviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the communist period The most important cities on the european side are

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