Michael Gabrikow

Russia is still an unexplored land when it comes to most people from the west. Now that the Soviet Union has been dissolved and communism lost its grip on the new independent states, the entire region that came under the Soviet regime is now open to foreign tourists as well as businesses. Russia has so much to offer to people who have never experienced the ancient cultures and the exciting traditions of the land.

Being a vast country with a wide range of ethnic groups living within its borders, Russia has a rich culture that dates back to antiquity. The Russian society is family-centric in nature where all the members of the family play a vital role in the family's welfare. Since two or three generations of family members share an apartment or home in most families, there is a lot of interaction between the very young and the very old.

When it comes to Eastern Europe and Eurasia, Russian is one of the foremost languages that is spoken in the region. People in Russia as well as many other countries that share their borders with Russia speak Russian. For instance, countries like Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus and many other countries close to Russia speak Russian. With so many countries and peoples of the world speaking the language, the United Nations has made Russian one of its own official languages.

For many generations, the Russian people have lived as agricultural farmers in small villages spread across this vast land. These villages were tightly knit communities where the land was held under a central authority that was composed of several heads of households. Submitting to authority and being accountable to a group is something that comes naturally to the Russian people.

In most cultures, the traditions are usually handed down from one generation to the next with meticulous precision. In Russia too, many of the traditions of the land have been faithfully handed over from the older generation to the younger, who have in turn passed it onto their succeeding generation. In this manner, the traditions from ancient times have been passed from grandfather to father to child in relentless succession.

The actual forerunner of the Russian state is the principality of Kiev known as Rus. The Viking raiders entered this region from the north and settled here. Scandinavian traders were also part of the people who settled in this region. Other settlers came from Asia as well. The Tartars who were Mongols, when they invaded Moscow in the year 1234 made the Russian slaves.

There are many things that could be a little difficult to learn in life. But that need not stop us from mastering it. If we can put our heart and our mind towards achieving a goal, we can surely be successful in any endeavor. Language is one of the many things that people sometimes find difficult to master. Especially a language like Russian can be more like Greek and Latin to most people.

Russia is a rich country in more ways than one. Its natural resources, its technological power, its beautiful country scape and its warm people are all assets of the country which makes it truly rich. The Russian language is also a very rich and antiquated language with much tradition and cultural depth to it. If you learn Russian, you can truly enjoy and savor the richness that the land has to offer its visitors.

Among the Eurasian languages in the world, Russian is probably the most wide spread compared to the rest in the region. Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian are three of the most popular East Slavik languages that remain to this day. Russian is not only spoken in Russia, but also in many regions outside of its borders. Russia is a dominant force in the realm of science and technology.

If you plan to travel or work in Russia, then you really need to learn Russian. You can enroll in a class or you can also learn Russian online. There are also so many free resources through which you can learn Russian online free. When you learn Russian, you will be able to communicate freely with more than 150 million people in the world who have Russian as their native tongue or as a second language.