Russian Federation (Federation War)

Russia (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya, pronounced [rɐˈsʲijə]), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, covering over 17,125,191 square kilometres (6,612,073 sq mi), and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across eleven time zones
and borders sixteen sovereign nations, the most of any country in the world. It is the ninth-most populous country and the most populous country in Europe, with a population of 145.5 million. Moscow, the capital, is the largest city entirely within Europe, while Saint Petersburg is the country's second-largest city and cultural center. Other major urban areas include Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Kazan.
The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. The medieval state of Kievan Rus' arose in the 9th century. In 988, it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire. Rus' ultimately disintegrated, and among its principalities, the Grand Duchy of Moscow rose. By the early 18th century, Russia had vastly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to evolve into the Russian Empire, the third-largest empire in history. Following the Russian Revolution, the Russian SFSR became the largest and the principal constituent of the Soviet Union, the world's first constitutionally socialist state. The Soviet Union played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II and emerged as a superpower and rival to the United States during the Cold War. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the world's first human-made satellite and the launching of the first human into space.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the newly independent Russian SFSR renamed itself the Russian Federation. In the aftermath of the constitutional crisis of 1993, a new constitution was adopted, and Russia has since been governed as a federal semi-presidential republic. However, in the following years since 2000, Russia has experienced democratic backsliding, shifting into an authoritarian state. In 2027, after a ceasefire ended The Great Titan War, Russia saw another transformation of government into a Pariah State in international Isolation (For the most part).
== History ==
=== Early History ===
The first human settlement on Russia dates back to the Oldowan period in the early Lower Paleolithic. About 2 million years ago, representatives of Homo erectus migrated to the Taman Peninsula in southern Russia. Flint tools, some 1.5 million years old, have been discovered in the North Caucasus. Radiocarbon dated specimens from Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains estimate the oldest Denisovan specimen lived 195-122,700 years ago. Fossils of "Denny", an archaic human hybrid that was half Neanderthal and half Denisovan, and lived some 90,000 years ago, was also found within the latter cave. Russia was home to some of the last surviving Neanderthals, from about 45,000 years ago, found in Mezmaiskaya Cave.
The first trace of an early modern human in Russia dates back to 45,000 years, in western Siberia. The discovery of high concentration cultural remains of anatomically modern humans, from at least 40,000 years ago, was found at Kostyonki and Borshchyovo, and at Sungir, dating back to 34,600 years ago—both, respectively in western Russia. Humans reached Arctic Russia at least 40,000 years ago, in Mamontovaya Kurya.
Nomadic pastoralism developed in the Pontic–Caspian steppe beginning in the Chalcolithic. Remnants of these steppe civilizations were discovered in places such as Ipatovo, Sintashta, Arkaim, and Pazyryk, which bear the earliest known traces of horses in warfare. In classical antiquity, the Pontic-Caspian Steppe was known as Scythia. In the late 8th century BCE, Ancient Greek traders brought classical civilization to the trade emporiums in Tanais and Phanagoria.
In the 3rd to 4th centuries AD, the Gothic kingdom of Oium existed in Southern Russia, which was later overrun by Huns. Between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD, the Bosporan Kingdom, which was a Hellenistic polity that succeeded the Greek colonies, was also overwhelmed by nomadic invasions led by warlike tribes such as the Huns and Eurasian Avars. The Khazars, who were of Turkic origin, ruled the lower Volga basin steppes between the Caspian and Black Seas until the 10th century.
The ancestors of Russians are among the Slavic tribes that separated from the Proto-Indo-Europeans, who appeared in the northeastern part of Europe ca. 1500 years ago. The East Slavs gradually settled Western Russia in two waves: one moving from Kyiv towards present-day Suzdal and Murom and another from Polotsk towards Novgorod and Rostov. From the 7th century onwards, the East Slavs constituted the bulk of the population in western Russia, and slowly but peacefully assimilated the native Finnic peoples.
=== Kievan Rus' ===
The establishment of the first East Slavic states in the 9th century coincided with the arrival of Varangians, the Vikings who ventured along the waterways extending from the eastern Baltic to the Black and Caspian Seas. According to the Primary Chronicle, a Varangian from the Rus' people, named Rurik, was elected ruler of Novgorod in 862. In 882, his successor Oleg ventured south and conquered Kyiv, which had been previously paying tribute to the Khazars. Rurik's son Igor and Igor's son Sviatoslav subsequently subdued all local East Slavic tribes to Kievan rule, destroyed the Khazar Khaganate, and launched several military expeditions to Byzantium and Persia.
In the 10th to 11th centuries, Kievan Rus became one of the largest and most prosperous states in Europe. The reigns of Vladimir the Great (980–1015) and his son Yaroslav the Wise (1019–1054) constitute the Golden Age of Kyiv, which saw the acceptance of Orthodox Christianity from Byzantium, and the creation of the first East Slavic written legal code, the Russkaya Pravda. The age of feudalism and decentralization had come, marked by constant in-fighting between members of the Rurik Dynasty that ruled Kievan Rus' collectively. Kyiv's dominance waned, to the benefit of Vladimir-Suzdal in the north-east, the Novgorod Republic in the north-west, and Galicia-Volhynia in the south-west.
Kievan Rus' ultimately disintegrated, with the final blow being the Mongol invasion of 1237–40, which resulted in the sacking of Kyiv, and the death of a major part of the population of Rus'. The invaders, later known as Tatars, formed the state of the Golden Horde, which pillaged the Russian principalities and ruled the southern and central expanses of Russia for over two centuries.
Galicia-Volhynia was eventually assimilated by the Kingdom of Poland, while the Novgorod Republic and Vladimir-Suzdal, two regions on the periphery of Kyiv, established the basis for the modern Russian nation. Led by Prince Alexander Nevsky, Novgorodians repelled the invading Swedes in the Battle of the Neva in 1240, as well as the Germanic crusaders in the Battle of the Ice in 1242.
=== Grand Duchy of Moscow ===
The most powerful state to eventually arise after the destruction of Kievan Rus' was the Grand Duchy of Moscow, initially a part of Vladimir-Suzdal. While still under the domain of the Mongol-Tatars and with their connivance, Moscow began to assert its influence in the region in the early 14th century, gradually becoming the leading force in the process of the Rus' lands' reunification and expansion of Russia. Moscow's last rival, the Novgorod Republic, prospered as the chief fur-trade center and the easternmost part of the Hanseatic League.
Led by Prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow and helped by the Russian Orthodox Church, the united army of Russian principalities inflicted a milestone defeat on the Mongol-Tatars in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. Moscow gradually absorbed its parent Vladimir-Suzdal, and then surrounding principalities, including formerly strong rivals such as Tver and Novgorod.
Ivan III ("the Great") finally threw off the control of the Golden Horde and consolidated the whole of northern Rus' under Moscow's dominion, and was the first Russian ruler to take the title title "Grand Duke of all Rus'". After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Moscow claimed succession to the legacy of the Eastern Roman Empire. Ivan III married Sophia Palaiologina, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI, and made the Byzantine double-headed eagle his own, and eventually Russia's, coat-of-arms.
=== Tsardom of Russia (The Third Rome) ===
In the development of the Third Rome ideas, the grand duke Ivan IV (the "Terrible") was officially crowned the first tsar of Russia in 1547. The Tsar promulgated a new code of laws (Sudebnik of 1550), established the first Russian feudal representative body (Zemsky Sobor), revamped the military, curbed the influence of the clergy, and reorganized local government. During his long reign, Ivan nearly doubled the already large Russian territory by annexing the three Tatar khanates: Kazan and Astrakhan along the Volga, and the Khanate of Sibir in southwestern Siberia. Ultimately, by the end of the 16th century, Russia expanded east of the Ural Mountains. However, the Tsardom was weakened by the long and unsuccessful Livonian War against the coalition of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (later the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth), the Kingdom of Sweden, and Denmark–Norway for access to the Baltic coast and sea trade. In 1572, an invading army of Crimean Tatars was thoroughly defeated in the crucial Battle of Molodi.
The death of Ivan's sons marked the end of the ancient Rurik dynasty in 1598, and in combination with the disastrous famine of 1601–03, led to a civil war, the rule of pretenders, and foreign intervention during the Time of Troubles in the early 17th century. The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, taking advantage, occupied parts of Russia, extending into the capital Moscow. In 1612, the Poles were forced to retreat by the Russian volunteer corps, led by merchant Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. The Romanov Dynasty acceded to the throne in 1613 by the decision of Zemsky Sobor, and the country started its gradual recovery from the crisis.
Russia continued its territorial growth through the 17th century, which was the age of the Cossacks. In 1654, the Ukrainian leader, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, offered to place Ukraine under the protection of the Russian tsar, Alexis; whose acceptance of this offer led to another Russo-Polish War. Ultimately, Ukraine was split along the Dnieper, leaving the eastern part, (Left-bank Ukraine and Kyiv) under Russian rule. In the east, the rapid Russian exploration and colonization of vast Siberia continued, hunting for valuable furs and ivory. Russian explorers pushed eastward primarily along the Siberian River Routes, and by the mid-17th century, there were Russian settlements in eastern Siberia, on the Chukchi Peninsula, along the Amur River, and on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. In 1648, Semyon Dezhnyov became the first European to navigate through the Bering Strait. 
=== Russian Empire ===
Under Peter the Great, Russia proclaimed an empire in 1721 and became one of the European great powers. Ruling from 1682 to 1725, Peter defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700−1721), securing Russia's access to the sea and sea trade. In 1703, on the Baltic Sea, Peter founded Saint Petersburg as Russia's new capital. Throughout his rule, sweeping reforms were made, which brought significant Western European cultural influences to Russia. The reign of Peter I's daughter Elizabeth in 1741–62 saw Russia's participation in the Seven Years' War (1756–63). During the conflict, Russian troops overran East Prussia and even reached the gates of Berlin. However, upon Elizabeth's death, all these conquests were returned to the Kingdom of Prussia by pro-Prussian Peter III of Russia.
Catherine II ("the Great"), who ruled in 1762–96, presided over the Russian Age of Enlightenment. She extended Russian political control over the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and annexed most of its territories into Russia, making it the most populous country in Europe. In the south, after the successful Russo-Turkish Wars against the Ottoman Empire, Catherine advanced Russia's boundary to the Black Sea, by dissolving the Crimean Khanate and annexing Crimea. As a result of victories over Qajar Iran through the Russo-Persian Wars, by the first half of the 19th century, Russia also made significant territorial gains in the Caucasus. Catherine's successor, her son Paul, was unstable and focused predominantly on domestic issues. Following his short reign, Catherine's strategy was continued with Alexander I's (1801–25) wresting of Finland from weakened Sweden in 1809, and of Bessarabia from the Ottomans in 1812. In North America, the Russians became the first Europeans to reach and colonize Alaska. In 1803–1806, the first Russian circumnavigation was made. In 1820, a Russian expedition discovered the continent of Antarctica.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Russia joined alliances with various European powers, and fought against France. The French invasion of Russia at the height of Napoleon's power in 1812 reached Moscow, but eventually failed miserably as the obstinate resistance in combination with the bitterly cold Russian winter led to a disastrous defeat of invaders, in which the pan-European Grande Armée faced utter destruction. Led by Mikhail Kutuzov and Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, the Imperial Russian Army ousted Napoleon and drove throughout Europe in the War of the Sixth Coalition, ultimately entering Paris. Alexander, I controlled Russia's delegation at the Congress of Vienna, which defined the map of post-Napoleonic Europe.
The officers who pursued Napoleon into Western Europe brought ideas of liberalism back to Russia, and attempted to curtail the tsar's powers during the abortive Decembrist revolt of 1825. At the end of the conservative reign of Nicholas I (1825–55), a zenith period of Russia's power and influence in Europe was disrupted by defeat in the Crimean War. Nicholas's successor Alexander II (1855–81) enacted significant changes throughout the country, including the emancipation reform of 1861. These reforms spurred industrialization and modernized the Imperial Russian Army, which liberated much of the Balkans from Ottoman rule in the aftermath of the 1877–78 Russo-Turkish War. During most of the 19th and early 20th century, Russia and Britain colluded over Afghanistan and its neighboring territories in Central and South Asia; the rivalry between the two major European empires came to be known as the Great Game.
The late 19th century saw the rise of various socialist movements in Russia. Alexander II was assassinated in 1881 by revolutionary terrorists. The reign of his son Alexander III (1881–94) was less liberal but more peaceful. The last Russian emperor, Nicholas II (1894–1917), was unable to prevent the events of the Russian Revolution of 1905, triggered by the humiliating Russo-Japanese War and the demonstration incident known as Bloody Sunday. The uprising was put down, but the government was forced to concede major reforms (Russian Constitution of 1906), including granting the freedoms of speech and assembly, the legalization of political parties, and the creation of an elected legislative body, the State Duma.
=== Revolution and Civil War ===
In 1914, Russia entered World War I in response to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Russia's ally Serbia, and fought across multiple fronts while isolated from its Triple Entente allies. In 1916, the Brusilov Offensive of the Imperial Russian Army almost completely destroyed the Austro-Hungarian Army. However, the already-existing public distrust of the regime was deepened by the rising costs of war, high casualties, and rumors of corruption and treason. All this formed the climate for the Russian Revolution of 1917, carried out in two major acts. In early 1917, Nicholas II was forced to abdicate; he and his family were imprisoned and later executed in Yekaterinburg during the Russian Civil War. The monarchy was replaced by a shaky coalition of political parties that declared itself the Provisional Government. The Provisional Government proclaimed the Russian Republic in September. On 6 January (19), 1918, the Russian Constituent Assembly declared Russia a democratic federal republic (thus ratifying the Provisional Government's decision). The next day the Constituent Assembly was dissolved by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.
An alternative socialist establishment co-existed the Petrograd Soviet in wielding power through the democratically elected councils of workers and peasants, called Soviets. The rule of the new authorities only aggravated the crisis in the country instead of resolving it, and eventually, the October Revolution, led by Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Provisional Government and gave full governing power to the Soviets, leading to the creation of the world's first socialist state. The Russian Civil War broke out between the anti-communist White movement and the new Soviet regime with its Red Army. In the aftermath of signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk that concluded hostilities with the Central Powers of World War I; Bolshevist Russia surrendered most of its western territories, which hosted 34% of its population, 54% of its industries, 32% of its agricultural land, and roughly 90% of its coal mines.
The Allied powers launched an unsuccessful military intervention in support of anti-communist forces. In the meantime, both the Bolsheviks and the white movement carried out campaigns of deportations and executions against each other, known respectively as the Red Terror and White Terror. By the end of the violent civil war, Russia's economy and infrastructure were heavily damaged, and as many as 10 million perished during the war, mostly civilians. Millions became White émigrés, and the Russian famine of 1921–22 claimed up to five million victims.
=== Soviet Union ===
On 30 December 1922, Lenin and his aides formed the Soviet Union, by joining the Russian SFSR into a single state with the Byelorussian, Transcaucasian, and Ukrainian republics. Eventually, internal border changes and annexations during World War II created a union of 15 republics; the largest in size and population being the Russian SFSR, which dominated the union for its entire history politically, culturally, and economically. Following Lenin's death in 1924, a troika was designated to take charge. Eventually, Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, managed to suppress all opposition factions and consolidate power in his hands to become the country's dictator by the 1930s. Leon Trotsky, the main proponent of the world revolution, was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1929, and Stalin's idea of Socialism in One Country became the official line. The continued internal struggle in the Bolshevik party culminated in the Great Purge.
Under Stalin's leadership, the government launched a command economy, industrialization of the largely rural country, and collectivization of its agriculture. During this period of rapid economic and social change, millions of people were sent to penal labor camps, including many political convicts for their suspected or real opposition to Stalin's rule; and millions were deported and exiled to remote areas of the Soviet Union. The transitional disorganization of the country's agriculture, combined with the harsh state policies and a drought, led to the Soviet famine of 1932–1933; which killed up to 8.7 million. The Soviet Union, ultimately, made the costly transformation from a largely agrarian economy to a major industrial powerhouse within a short span of time.
==== Second World War ====
The Soviet Union entered World War II on 17 September 1939 with its invasion of Poland, in accordance with a secret protocol within the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union later invaded Finland, and occupied and annexed the Baltic states, as well as parts of Romania. On 22 June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, opening the Eastern Front, the largest theater of World War II.
Eventually, some 5 million Red Army troops were captured by the Nazis; the latter deliberately starved to death or otherwise killed 3.3 million Soviet POWs, and a vast number of civilians, as the "Hunger Plan" sought to fulfill General plan Ost. Although the Wehrmacht had considerable early success, their attack was halted in the Battle of Moscow. Subsequently, the Germans were dealt major defeats first at the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942–43, and then in the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943. Another German failure was the Siege of Leningrad, in which the city was fully blockaded on land between 1941 and 1944 by German and Finnish forces, and suffered starvation and more than a million deaths, but never surrendered. Soviet forces steamrolled through Eastern and Central Europe in 1944–45 and captured Berlin in May 1945. In August 1945, the Red Army invaded Manchuria and ousted the Japanese from Northeast Asia, contributing to the Allied victory over Japan.
The 1941–45 period of World War II is known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War. The Soviet Union, along with the United States, the United Kingdom, and China were considered the Big Four of Allied powers in World War II, and later became the Four Policemen, which was the foundation of the United Nations Security Council. During the war, Soviet civilian and military death was about 26–27 million, accounting for about half of all World War II casualties. The Soviet economy and infrastructure suffered massive devastation, which caused the Soviet famine of 1946–47. However, at the expense of a large sacrifice, the Soviet Union emerged as a global superpower
==== The Cold War ====
After World War II, parts of Eastern and Central Europe, including East Germany and eastern parts of Austria were occupied by Red Army according to the Potsdam Conference. Dependent communist governments were installed in the Eastern Bloc satellite states. After becoming the world's second nuclear power, the Soviet Union established the Warsaw Pact alliance and entered into a struggle for global dominance, known as the Cold War, with the rivaling United States and NATO. After Stalin's death in 1953 and a short period of collective rule, the new leader Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin and launched the policy of de-Stalinization, releasing many political prisoners from the Gulag labor camps. The general easement of repressive policies became known later as the Khrushchev Thaw. At the same time, Cold War tensions reached their peak when the two rivals clashed over the deployment of the United States Jupiter missiles in Turkey and Soviet missiles in Cuba.
In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, thus starting the Space Age. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth, aboard the Vostok 1 manned spacecraft on 12 April 1961. Following the ousting of Khrushchev in 1964, another period of collective rule ensued, until Leonid Brezhnev became the leader. The era of the 1970s and the early 1980s was later designated as the Era of Stagnation. The 1965 Kosygin reform aimed for partial decentralization of the Soviet economy. In 1979, after a communist-led revolution in Afghanistan, Soviet forces invaded the country, ultimately starting the Soviet-Afghan War. In May 1988, the Soviets started to withdraw from Afghanistan, due to international opposition, persistent anti-Soviet guerrilla warfare, and a lack of support by Soviet citizens.
From 1985 onwards, the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who sought to enact liberal reforms in the Soviet system, introduced the policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to end the period of economic stagnation and to democratize the government. This, however, led to the rise of strong nationalist and separatist movements across the country. Prior to 1991, the Soviet economy was the world's second-largest, but during its final years, it went into a crisis.
By 1991, economic and political turmoil began to boil over as the Baltic states chose to secede from the Soviet Union. On 17 March, a referendum was held, in which the vast majority of participating citizens voted in favor of changing the Soviet Union into a renewed federation. In June 1991, Boris Yeltsin became the first directly elected president in Russian history when he was elected president of the Russian SFSR. In August 1991, a coup d'état attempt by members of Gorbachev's government, directed against Gorbachev and aimed at preserving the Soviet Union, instead led to the end of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. On 25 December 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, along with contemporary Russia, fourteen other post-Soviet states emerged.
=== Post Soviet Russia (1991-2027) ===
The economic and political collapse of the Soviet Union led Russia into a deep and prolonged depression. During and after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, wide-ranging reforms including privatisation and market and trade liberalisation were undertaken, including radical changes along the lines of "shock therapy". The privatisation largely shifted control of enterprises from state agencies to individuals with inside connections in the government, which led to the rise of the infamous Russian oligarchs. Many of the newly rich moved billions in cash and assets outside of the country in an enormous capital flight. The depression of the economy led to the collapse of social services—the birth rate plummeted while the death rate skyrocketed, and millions plunged into poverty; while extreme corruption, as well as criminal gangs and organised crime rose significantly.
In late 1993, tensions between Yeltsin and the Russian parliament culminated in a constitutional crisis which ended violently through military force. During the crisis, Yeltsin was backed by Western governments, and over 100 people were killed. In December, a referendum was held and approved, which introduced a new constitution, giving the president enormous powers. The 1990s were plagued by armed conflicts in the North Caucasus, both local ethnic skirmishes and separatist Islamist insurrections. From the time Chechen separatists declared independence in the early 1990s, an intermittent guerrilla war was fought between the rebel groups and Russian forces. Terrorist attacks against civilians were carried out by Chechen separatists, claiming the lives of thousands of Russian civilians.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia assumed responsibility for settling the latter's external debts. In 1992, most consumer price controls were eliminated, causing extreme inflation and significantly devaluing the ruble. High budget deficits coupled with increasing capital flight and inability to pay back debts, caused the 1998 Russian financial crisis, which resulted in a further GDP decline. 
==== Putin Era ====
On 31 December 1999, President Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned, handing the post to the recently appointed prime minister and his chosen successor, Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin left office widely unpopular, with an approval rating as low as 2% by some estimates. Putin then won the 2000 presidential election and suppressed the Chechen insurgency. Putin went on to win a second presidential term in 2004. As a result of high oil prices, a rise in foreign investment, and prudent economic and fiscal policies, the Russian economy grew significantly; dramatically improving Russia's standard of living, and increasing its influence in global politics. Putin's rule increased stability while transforming Russia into an authoritarian state.
On 2 March 2008, Dmitry Medvedev was elected president while Putin became prime minister, as the constitution barred Putin from serving a third consecutive presidential term. Putin returned to the presidency following the 2012 presidential elections, and Medvedev was appointed prime minister. This four-year joint leadership by the two was coined "tandemocracy" by foreign media. In 2014, following the revolution of Dignity in Ukraine, Putin deployed Russian troops to its neighbor to seize the Crimean parliament, leading to the takeover of Crimea. Russia's subsequent annexation of Crimea and the referendum that preceded it remain globally unrecognized and led to sanctions by Western countries, following which the Russian government responded with counter-sanctions against the latter. As war broke out in eastern Ukraine, Russian troops became involved in supporting pro-Russian separatists. In March 2018, Putin was elected for a fourth presidential term overall. 
==== Great Titan War ====
In November 2019, US President Donald Trump's decision to pull US forces out of Syria led to what would become the Great Titan War in late 2019. This outbreak of war was deeply unpopular with the Western World while it was highly popular inside of Russia since it was Turkey who fired the first shot. Under direct orders from Vladimir Putin, the Russian Military began military operations by launching a massive invasion of Turkey. This invasion of Turkey resulted in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization debating whether to Envoke Article 5. This decision was ultimately approved after US Forces were ambushed by Russian troops in Turkey, leading to the outbreak of war between Russia and the United States of America. 
The Russians began their expansion outward, by occupying the former Soviet states of Belarus, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. The Russians then proceeded to invade the Baltic States, Ukraine, Poland, and Finland, as well as attack US Forces in both Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. However, Russian progress was slower than anticipated, and with the Peoples Republic of China initially refusing to get involved in the war, Russia was left up to there own devices.
The Russians gained a new ally in the conflict in 2020, when the United States assassinated US General Qasem Soleimani on January 3rd, 2020. This led to not only US Forces being expelled from Iraq, but the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iraqi Government both joined in the side of the Russians. The Russians used this pretext to attack US forces in the Middle East to secure the region's pipelines and fuel reserves. This ultimately came to a breaking point in 2020, when the Iraqi city of Basra was nuked. The Russians blamed the Americans for the nuking, while the Americans blamed the Russians, but ultimately nobody knows who did it.
Ultimately, the Russians got a break in their war, when the Peoples' Republic of China entered the war on the side of the Russians. This entry eventually brought Venezuela and Nicaragua into the war against the United States. The Russians essentially got free reign to occupy Venezuela and Nicaragua to wage war against the USA, however, this decision turned out to be rather poor. Venezuela and Nicaragua performed rather terribly (even with Russian support) when attempting to invade their neighbors. They performed so poorly in fact, that the United States was successfully able to invade Caracas, Venezuela, and overthrow Nicolas Maduros Government. Because of this, Russia made a decision that would cost them the war in later terms. 
On August 13th, 2023. Russia, supported by there allies, launched a full-scale invasion of the United States (Using both Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua as forwarding Bases). The invasion of the United States was followed by offensives in both Europe and North Africa. This was the largest operation of the entire war by this point and was the brainchild of Russian leaders since the Cold War began. However, this dream of invasion turned out to be a nightmare for the parties involved. 
The invasion of the United States has both logistical and supply challenges for the invaders. With a temporary joint economy established, the Americans and the Canadians were able to outproduce and continuously resupply their soldiers, while the US Navy was able to attack Russian and Chinese shipping lanes to the United States. This lack of supplies left the Russian armies in the United States in an untenable position, and after eight months of struggle, the Russian Soldiers in the United States either withdrew, surrendered, or went into hiding. Despite the damage done to US Infrastructure, the United States and Canada now had the full backing of their populations and rallied for war. 
Between 2025 and 2027, the Russian Federation slowly but surely started to crumble. The value of the ruble was severely damaged, food became scarce, and the Russian people were simply refusing to fight. Mismanaging of resources led to long blackouts in Russia, and increasing tensions between Beijing and Moscow increased. After the US invasion of Mainland China, the PRC pulled out of the conflict, and the Russians were left isolated apart from their allies in Tehran and Baghdad. 
In 2027, Russian President Vladimir Putin resigned from office. This resignation came in recognition that they didn't have the resources at hand anymore to successfully continue the war. This resignation and new transition of power allowed the Russians to launch open negotiations with the West. These negotiations were out of necessity to preserve the Russian State. The negotiations proved successful, and a ceasefire and peace agreement between both sides was agreed upon. 
==== Dmitry Medvedev Era ====
After the end of the Great Titan War, Dmitry Medvedev assumed power over the Russian Federation. The Russian Economy was completely busted and was relying on foreign aid from the United Nations and the European Coalition just to stay afloat. Although these aid packages from the European Coalition and the United Nations helped a little bit, it completely became evident that Russia was now under military occupation by the European Coalition via the United Nations. This military occupation was overwhelmingly recognized by Russian Citizens, and soon Russian armed resistance against the United Nations began. 
In 2036, the European Coalition Economy suffered complete and total economic collapse. In an event that became known as The Great Collapse, the United States of America and the Peoples Republic of China's economy fell into freefall. The European Coalition was unable to provide any more financial aid packages via the United Nations, and there military occupations of Russia, China, and the United States were virtually unable to be sustained. This economic crisis caused the Russian economy to tank even further, and the population grew ever more restless. 
=== The War of 2042 ===
==== Second Russian Civil War ====
In the March of 2042, the Russian Federation fell into a Second Civil War. This Civil War was fought between The Directorate (A group who wished to make Russia the world's sole superpower), the Red Banner Army (A group of hardcore Stalinists who wanted to return Russia back to of the old Soviet Union), the White Guard (A group of Tsarists who wanted to united all former Russian lands under a new and more Authoritarian Tsarist Regime), the Cossack Hosts (who wished to revert Russia into a Cossack Kingdom), the Black Wolves (an Elite Russian Military PMC who wanted to fight for control of power), the Chechen's (who wanted their own independent Chechen state in the Caucasus), the Russian Loyalists (who wished to restore the Russian State), the Peoples Liberation and Resistance (A group of Islamic Terrorists from Iraq and Iran), and the Dmitry Medvedev's Government. 
==== International Intervention ====
The War of 2042 saw the United States of America and the United Kingdom support many of the friendly Russian Loyalist Forces in direct combat against groups such as the Red Banner Army, the White Guard, and the Peoples Liberation in Resistance across the Caucuses and the Middle East. The first of these was a joint British SAS-Russian Loyalist force launching raids against camps of the Red Banner Army and the White Guard against camps belonging to their respective foes. The United States supported these efforts by using increasingly outdated AC-130 Gunships to attack enemy targets.
Although the Red Banner Army and the Peoples Liberation and Resistance had teamed up against their United Nations foes. This did little to affect the progress of the Second Russian Civil War. 
Using gained intelligence from their loyalist friends, it had been discovered that the leader of the Peoples Liberation and Resistance, Faruk Al-Bashir, had smuggled at least four Russian Nuclear Warheads out of Russia. Intel suggested that he was using a safe house in a small village in Azerbaijan to smuggle the weapons between the warzones. United States Navy Seals, British S.A.S, and Russian Loyalist Forces from the Black Wolves used this intel and traveled to the village, only to realize the entire site had been massacred by members of the Red Banner Army not loyal to the cause. 
Although they failed in capturing Faruk Al-Bashir, what they did succeed in is capturing intel about his planned targets. The coalition learned that the Red Banner Army was using the Peoples Liberation and Resistance to smuggle four Russian Nuclear Weapons into the cities of London, Berlin, Tehran, and New York. They learned that the nuclear devices were made by a brilliant German Scientist named Karl Leitzig using highly restrictive components that were stolen from Russian Arms Dealers.
The leader of the Red Banner Army, Katya Prugova, was intending to use the devices to cripple the Western World financially and to allow for the rebirth of the Soviet Union. When learning that her plans were near foiled, she ordered her forces to head down to the village and kill the Coalition leaders. The coalition team members managed to hold the offensive off and escape on the United States Marine Corps Helicopters. Together, the international coalition would shift their focus to foiling the plot by the Peoples Liberation and Resistance and the Red Banner Army. 
=== The New Russia ===
After the War of 2042, a new Russian Progressive Party took power in the Russian Government. The Second Russian Civil War and Revolution were over, but it had come at a serious price. The War of 2042 saw London and Munich get completely obliterated in Nuclear Fire, the signing of the Reykjavik Accords, and the Federation of the Americas emerged as a new power. Further problems occurred as the Russian State had been virtually obliterated by the War of 2042. The Russian Currency had virtually crashed, and its entire industrial basis had been completely obliterated. Worst of all, the war had spilled over into neighboring states, leading to major resource and food shortages. 
As a result of this burgeoning crisis, the Russian Government was finally forced to open up its markets. The first priority of the new Russian state was to begin the process of rebuilding. The new Russian Government under President Anton Gorev began the process of political, economic, and social reforms. This included working on a brand new relationship with the United States, wiping the slate clean from the past, and starting new. Surprisingly, the United States Government actually got along with the new Russian Government. The second order of business was to secure a relationship with the Federation of the Americas. Together, these two boosts slowly saw the Russian situation improve. 
The next order of business for the new Russian Government was to secure a relationship with many of the former post-Soviet States. Instead, the Russians got one better. In 2065, Ukraine, Balarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia voted to join the Russian Federation. Along with the new banner that had succumbed to Russia, the official new Russia was born. 
==== Vsevelod Kapalkin Era ====
In the year 2052, with the outbreak of the European-Iranian War and the spread of the Pneumonic Plague Outbreak, new Russian President Vsevelod Kapalkin succeeded his predecessor as President of the Russian Federation. He inherited an era of new technological prestige, as well as economic and social reforms. Among these reforms, the Russian Rubel was reworked from a closed currency to an open currency, and for the first time, it could be worth something outside Russian borders. These were just one of the many changes that Kapalkin inherited. 
Kapalkin continued with his economic reforms. One of his first acts was to privatize the Russian Railroad System from a state-run entity to a privately run entity, however, he kept the nation's roadways as a nationalized entity. He also reworked Russia's industrial basis by allowing foreign investment into the country and outside trade, but he also made workers' unions regulated by the state. His reforms also included transforming the country to rely on natural resources and to become a green energy nation. With these reforms and the addition of the post-Soviet-States Economy, the Russian economy began to recover. 
==== War against SPIRE Corporation ====
In the year 2060, the SPIRE Corporation (a major buyer of the Russian Economy) made a stunning action. The Corporation led by CEO Jason Taylor declared war against the United Nations, launching a preemptive strike-style invasion of the United States, beginning what would become the War against SPIRE Corporation. This preemptive strike against the United States was broadcast live across the world, and the Russian people were quite shocked at what was happening. Although the US counterattack against SPIRE Corporation was a success, it was only the opening blow, and soon conflict broke out worldwide. SPIRE Corporation sights became fortified enclaves, striking out at their host nations. 
Immediately, the Russian Federation denounced this act, and joined the United Nations in the war against SPIRE Corporation. In 2061, the Russian Military assisted the United Nations forces in attacking SPIRE Corporation in the occupied Balkans and in North Africa with the help of the European Federation next door. The Russians did this in an act of solidarity with Serbia, which Russia declared as a brother. The natural resources of Russia, provided with its economic recovery proved vital in efforts against the SPIRE Corporation in the North African, Middle Eastern, and Balkan Theatres of War. 
In 2064, the War against SPIRE Corporation came to an official end, with the United Nations becoming triumphant over SPIRE Corporation. With this victory, the new Russian Governments popularity soared. The Russian Federation had emerged as the Seventh Largest Economy in the world, and its standards of living and matching power and strength was nothing like Russia had ever experienced. Russians enjoyed a quality of life similar to that of the United States in the 1950s, and a new golden age of Russian Civilization had seemed to emerge from the ashes of the old Soviet Union and the old Russia under Vladimir Putin. 
==== Federation Crusade ====
In the year 2075, after decades of growing tension between the two nations, conflict broke out between the Federation of the Americas and the United States of America. Although the United States had instigated this conflict, the Federation had taken it a step further, declaring a Martial Crusade against the United States. This Crusade, the first of its kind in more than 1000 years, saw the Federation of the Americas invade and conquer Central America, and eventually launch a full-scale invasion of the United States. 
The Russian Federation declared neutrality in this conflict and had no intentions of getting involved at all. That was until the Federation decided to expand the war from just being between the US and the Federation, but expanding the war across the globe. The Federation of the Americas not only invaded and occupied Europe, but soon the Peoples Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and eventually Serbia had sided with the Federation in the war against the United States. As a result, the Russian economy began to take a hit as the Federation and their allies attacked the many Russian economic and military partners in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 
It wasn't until the American Massacre and the subsequent state-sponsored genocide of the American People were revealed that the Russian Federation had any intention of getting involved in the war at all. The Russian people when they learned about the genocide rallied in support of the United States, waving American Flags and demanding that their country goes to war against the Federation. The Russian Government initially tried to give in to the demands, by stopping arms sales to the Federation and opening up more trade with the United States. The Federation took this as a betrayal, and soon stopped trading with the Russian Government and recalled their ambassadors from Russia. 
In 2084, the relationship between the Federation of the Americas and the Russian Federation reached its breaking point. After failed negotiations between the two powers, the Federation took Russian ambassadors to the Federation hostage in demand that Russia stops trading with the United States. The Russians refused by stating that Russia was an independent country from the Federation, and was neutral in this conflict according to international law. The Federation cited that the Russian Government had already picked a side in the war and that the Federation held the Russian ambassador hostage. These disagreements eventually led to the Federation PMC Elite outright executing the Russian ambassadors, which firmly put Russia on one side of a great global conflict. 
The Russian Federation began its military operations in the Federation of the Americas in 2084, launching an invasion into Federation Occupied Europe, and declaring war against the Federation of the Americas. The Federation of the Americas initially didn't know how to react to the news, and soon declared war against the Russian Federation. The Russians then proceeded to attack Federation shipping lanes, as well as directly attacking the Peoples Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran. These actions for the first time since the Ilfaded Russian Empire became the backbone of a new Russo-American Alliance against the Federation of the Americas. 
The Russian Military after the liberation of the European Federation proceeded to then send troops to the United States to help the US in the fight against the Federation. For the first time in its history, the USA conceded to allowing foreign soldiers to use its military bases during wartime. The Russians were greeted by the Americans with open arms, and the Russians repeatedly provided financial aid packages to the United States and the European Federation. At one point, Russian President Kapalkin was quoted saying that they were gonna stay with the Americans until the very end. 
During Operation: Scorched Earth, the Russians assisted in the invasion of the Federation of the Americas after the discovery of Project ZEUS. The Russians were noted for being some of the bravest soldiers of the United Nations Security Command and were given special honorary status when the guns had fallen on the Federation-American Crusade. This crusade saw what was estimated to be 1.2 Billion people dead and over 40 Trillion USD in Damage, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.
==== Current Status ====
The Russian Federation in its current form still exists as of 2200. Its the largest member of the United Nations Security Command, and one of the biggest contributors to the single global economy established after the Federation Crusade. The Russian Federation has overwhelmingly helped in the rebuilding efforts in the after-effects of the war, and the once tension between Russia and the United States has become virtually nonexistent. The Russians have also helped in the spearheading of humanity's off-world colonization program, providing the most equipment to the off-world expansion.
== Geography ==
Russia is a transcontinental country, stretching vastly over the easternmost part of Europe and the northernmost part of Asia. It spans the northernmost edge of Eurasia; and has the world's fourth-longest coastline, of over 37,653 km (23,396 mi). Russia lies between latitudes 41° and 82° N, and longitudes 19° E and 169° W, extending some 9,000 km (5,600 mi) east to west, and 2,500 to 4,000 km (1,600 to 2,500 mi) north to south. Russia, by landmass, is larger than three continents and has the same surface area as Pluto.
Russia has nine major mountain ranges, and they are found along the southernmost regions, which share a significant portion of the Caucasus Mountains (containing Mount Elbrus, which at 5,642 m (18,510 ft) is the highest peak in Russia and Europe); the Altai and Sayan Mountains in Siberia; and in the East Siberian Mountains and the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East (containing Klyuchevskaya Sopka, which at 4,750 m (15,584 ft) is the highest active volcano in Eurasia). The Ural Mountains, running north to south through the country's west, are rich in mineral resources, and form the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia.
Russia, as one of the world's only two countries bordering three oceans, has links with a great number of seas. Its major islands and archipelagos include Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands, Wrangel Island, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin. The Diomede Islands, administered by Russia and the United States, are just 3.8 km (2.4 mi) apart; and Kunashir Island of the Kuril Islands is merely 20 km (12.4 mi) from Hokkaido, Japan.
Russia, home to over 100,000 rivers, has one of the world's largest surface water resources, with its lakes containing approximately one-quarter of the world's liquid freshwater. Lake Baikal, the largest and most prominent among Russia's freshwater bodies, is the world's deepest, purest, oldest, and most capacious freshwater lake, containing over one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. Ladoga and Onega in northwestern Russia are two of the largest lakes in Europe. Russia is second only to Brazil by total renewable water resources. The Volga in western Russia, widely regarded as Russia's national river, is the longest river in Europe; while the rivers of Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Amur in Siberia are among the world's longest rivers.
=== Climate ===
The size of Russia and the remoteness of many of its areas from the sea result in the dominance of the humid continental climate throughout most of the country, except for the tundra and the extreme southwest. Mountain ranges in the south and east obstruct the flow of warm air masses from the Indian and Pacific oceans, while the European Plain spanning its west and north opens it to influence from the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Most of northwest Russia and Siberia have a subarctic climate, with extremely severe winters in the inner regions of northeast Siberia (mostly Sakha, where the Northern Pole of Cold is located with the record low temperature of −71.2 °C or −96.2 °F), and more moderate winters elsewhere. Russia's vast coastline along the Arctic Ocean and the Russian Arctic islands have a polar climate.
The coastal part of Krasnodar Krai on the Black Sea, most notably Sochi, and some coastal and interior strips of the North Caucasus possess a humid subtropical climate with mild and wet winters. In many regions of East Siberia and the Russian Far East, winter is dry compared to summer; while other parts of the country experience more even precipitation across seasons. Winter precipitation in most parts of the country usually falls as snow. The westernmost parts of Kaliningrad Oblast and some parts in the south of Krasnodar Krai and the North Caucasus have an oceanic climate. The region along the Lower Volga and Caspian Sea coast, as well as some southernmost slivers of Siberia, possess a semi-arid climate.
Throughout much of the territory, there are only two distinct seasons, winter and summer; as spring and autumn are usually brief periods of change between extremely low and extremely high temperatures. The coldest month is January (February on the coastline); the warmest is usually July. Great ranges of temperature are typical. In winter, temperatures get colder both from south to north and from west to east. Summers can be quite hot, even in Siberia.
=== Biodiversity ===
Russia, owing to its gigantic size, has diverse ecosystems, including polar deserts, tundra, forest tundra, taiga, mixed and broadleaf forest, forest steppe, steppe, semi-desert, and subtropics. About half of Russia's territory is forested, and it has the world's largest forest reserves, coming second only to the Amazon rainforest in the amount of carbon dioxide it absorbs.[better source needed]
Russian biodiversity includes 12,500 species of vascular plants, 2,200 species of bryophytes, about 3,000 species of lichens, 7,000-9,000 species of algae, and 20,000-25,000 species of fungi. Russian fauna is composed of 320 species of mammals, over 732 species of birds, 75 species of reptiles, about 30 species of amphibians, 343 species of freshwater fish (high endemism), approximately 1,500 species of saltwater fishes, 9 species of Cyclostomata, and approximately 100–150,000 invertebrates (high endemism). Approximately 1,100 of rare and endangered plant and animal species are included in the Russian Red Data Book.
Russia's entirely natural ecosystems are conserved in nearly 15,000 specially protected natural territories of various statuses, occupying more than 10% of the country's total area. They include 45 biosphere reserves, 64 national parks, and 101 nature reserves. Russia still has many ecosystems which are still untouched by man; mainly in the northern taiga areas, and the subarctic tundra of Siberia. Russia had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 9.02 in 2019, ranking 10th out of 172 countries; and the first ranked major nation globally. 
== Politics ==
The Russian Federation is initially was an asymmetric federation, and semi-presidential republic, wherein the president is the head of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. It is fundamentally structured as a multi-party representative democracy, with the federal government composed of three branches:
* Legislative: The bicameral Federal Assembly of Russia, made up of the 450-member State Duma and the 170-member Federation Council, adopts federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse and the power of impeachment of the president.
* Executive: The president is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and appoints the Government of Russia (Cabinet) and other officers, who administer and enforce federal laws and policies.
* Judiciary: The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the Federation Council on the recommendation of the president, interpret laws and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional.
The president is elected by popular vote for a six-year term and may be elected no more than twice. Ministries of the government are composed of the premier and his deputies, ministers, and selected other individuals; all are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister (whereas the appointment of the latter requires the consent of the State Duma). United Russia is the dominant political party in Russia, and has been described as "big tent".
=== Foreign Relations ===
Russia had the world's fifth-largest diplomatic network in 2019. It maintains diplomatic relations with 190 United Nations member states, two partially-recognized states, and three United Nations observer states; along with 144 embassies. Russia was once one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. It is now one of the biggest supporters and founders of the United Nations Security Command. It has historically been a great power, and significant regional power. Russia is a member of the G20, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the APEC. It also takes a leading role in organizations such as the CIS, the EAEU, the CSTO, the SCO, and BRICS.
Russia maintains close relations with neighboring countries such as China and Iran which is in the Union State. Serbia has been a historically close ally of Russia, as both countries share a strong mutual cultural, ethnic, and religious affinity. India is the largest customer of Russian military equipment, and the two countries share strong strategic and diplomatic relations since the Soviet era. Russia wields enormous influence across the geopolitically important South Caucasus and Central Asia; , and the two regions have been described as Russia's "backyard".
In the 22nd century, relations between Russia and the United States have significantly strengthened bilaterally and economically; due to shared political interests. Turkey and Russia share a complex strategic, energy, and defense relationship. Russia maintains cordial relations with China, as it is a strategic and economic ally. Russia has also increasingly pushed to expand its influence across the Arctic, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. In contrast, Russia's relations with the Western world; especially with many countries of the former Federation of the Americas worsened. 
=== Military Capabilities ===
The Russian Armed Forces are divided into the Ground Forces, the Navy, and the Aerospace Forces—and there are also two independent arms of service: the Strategic Missile Troops and the Airborne Troops. It is mandatory for all male citizens aged 18–27 to be drafted for a year of service in the Armed Forces.
Russia boasts the most powerful military in the world after the end of the Federation Crusade. It is among the five recognized nuclear-weapons states, with the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons; over half of the world's nuclear weapons are owned by Russia. Russia possesses the second-largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines and is one of the only three countries operating strategic bombers. It has the world's most powerful ground force, and the second-most powerful air force and navy fleet. It is the world's second-largest arms exporter and has a large and entirely indigenous defense industry, producing most of its own military equipment. 
== Economy ==
Russia has a mixed economy, with enormous natural resources, particularly oil and natural gas, as well as technological advancements. It has the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third-largest by PPP. In 2200 the large service sector contributed to 35% of the total GDP, the industrial sector 60%, and the small agricultural sector roughly 5%. Russia has a low unemployment rate of 2%. It has a labor force of roughly 100 million, which is one of the largest in the world. Russia's large automotive industry ranks as the world's tenth-largest by production.
Russia is the world's 5th largest exporter and importer. In 2200, the technological and automobile sector accounted for 36% of federal budget revenues. In 2200, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry estimated the value of natural resources to 30% of the country's GDP. Russia has one of the lowest external debts among major economies, although its inequality of household income and wealth is one of the highest among developed countries.
== Demographics ==
Russia is one of the world's most sparsely populated and urbanized countries, with the vast majority of its population concentrated within its western part. It had a population of 450 million according to a 2078 census, a substantial increase from the 145.5 million as of 2022. Since the 2050s Russia's birth rate has exceeded its death rate.
Russia is a multinational state, home to over 193 ethnic groups nationwide. In the 2064 census, roughly 81% of the population were ethnic Russians, and the remaining 19% of the population were ethnic minorities; while over four-fifths of Russia's population was of European descent—of which the vast majority were Slavs, with a substantial minority of Finnic and Germanic peoples. According to the United Nations, Russia's immigrant population is the world's third-largest, numbering over 11.6 million; most of which are from post-Soviet states, mainly Ukrainians.
=== Language ===
Russian is the official and the predominantly spoken language in Russia. It is the most spoken native language in Europe, the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, as well as the world's most widely spoken Slavic language. Russian is one of two official languages aboard the International Space Station, as well as one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
Russia is a multilingual nation; approximately 100-150 minority languages are spoken across the country. According to the Russian Census of 2002, 142.6 million across the country spoke Russian, 5.3 million spoke Tatar, and 1.8 million spoke Ukrainian. The constitution gives the country's individual republics the right to establish their own state languages in addition to Russian, as well as guarantee its citizens the right to preserve their native language and to create conditions for its study and development. However, various experts have claimed Russia's linguistic diversity is rapidly declining due to many languages becoming endangered
=== Religion ===
Russia is a secular state by constitution, and its largest religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, chiefly represented by the Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox Christianity, together with Islam, Buddhism, and Paganism (either preserved or revived) are recognised by Russian law as the traditional religions of the country, part of its "historical heritage". The amendments of 2020 to the constitution added, in the Article 67, the continuity of the Russian state in history based on preserving "the memory of the ancestors" and general "ideals and belief in God" which the ancestors conveyed.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union there was a renewal of religions in Russia, with the revival of the traditional faiths and the emergence of new forms within the traditional faiths as well as many new religious movements. Islam is the second-largest religion in Russia, and it is the traditional religion among the majority of the peoples of the North Caucasus, and among some Turkic peoples scattered along the Volga-Ural region. Large populations of Buddhists are found in Kalmykia, Buryatia, Zabaykalsky Krai, and they are the vast majority of the population in Tuva. Many Russians practise other religions, including Rodnovery (Slavic Neopaganism), Assianism (Scythian Neopaganism), other ethnic Paganisms, and inter-Pagan movements such as Ringing Cedars' Anastasianism, Neo-Theosophical movements such as Roerichism, various movements of Hinduism, Siberian shamanism and Tengrism, and other faiths.[unreliable source?] Some religious monorities have faced oppression and some have been banned in the country; notably, in 2017 the Jehovah's Witnesses were outlawed in Russia, facing persecution ever since, after having been declared an "extremist" and "nontraditional" faith.
In 2012 the research organisation Sreda in cooperation the Ministry of Justice published the Arena Atlas, an adjunct to the 2010 census detailedly enumerating the religious populations and nationalities of Russia, based on a large-sample country-wide survey. The results showed that 46.8% of Russians declared themselves Christians — including 41% Russian Orthodox, 1.5% simply Orthodox or members of non-Russian Orthodox churches, 4.1% unaffiliated Christians, and less than 1% Old Believers, Catholics or Protestants —, 25% were believers without affiliation to any specific religion, 13% were atheists, 6.5% were Muslims, 1.2% were followers of "traditional religions honouring gods and ancestors" (Rodnovery, other Paganisms, Siberian shamanism and Tengrism), 0.5% were Buddhists, 0.1% were religious Jews and 0.1% were Hindus.
=== Education ===
Russia has an adult literacy rate of 99.7%. It grants free education to its citizens by constitution. The Ministry of Education of Russia is responsible for primary and secondary education, as well as vocational education; while the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia is responsible for science and higher education. Regional authorities regulate education within their jurisdictions within the prevailing framework of federal laws. Russia is among the world's most educated countries, and has the third-highest proportion of tertiary-level graduates in terms of percentage of population, at 62%. It spent roughly 4.7% of its GDP on education in 2018.
Russia's pre-school education system is highly developed and optional, some four-fifths of children aged 3 to 6 attend day nurseries or kindergartens. Primary school is compulsory for eleven years, starting from age 6 to 7, and leads to a basic general education certificate. An additional two or three years of schooling are required for the secondary-level certificate, and some seven-eighths of Russians continue their education past this level.
Admission to an institute of higher education is selective and highly competitive: first-degree courses usually take five years. The oldest and largest universities in Russia are Moscow State University and Saint Petersburg State University. There are ten highly prestigious federal universities across the country. Russia was the world's fifth-leading destination for international students in 2019, hosting roughly 300 thousand.
=== Health ===
Russia, by constitution, guarantees free, universal health care for all Russian citizens, through a compulsory state health insurance program. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation oversees the Russian public healthcare system, and the sector employs more than two million people. Federal regions also have their own departments of health that oversee local administration. A separate private health insurance plan is needed to access private healthcare in Russia.
Russia spent 5.32% of its GDP on healthcare in 2018. Its healthcare expendithe ture is notably lower than other developed nations. Russia has one of the world's most female-biased sex ratios, with 0.859 males to every female, due to its high male mortality rate. In 2019, the overall life expectancy in Russia at birth was 73.2 years (68.2 years for males and 78.0 years for females), and it had a very low infant mortality rate (5 per 1,000 live births).
The principal cause of death in Russia is cardiovascular disease. Obesity is a prevalent health issue in Russia; 61.1% of Russian adults were overweight or obese in 2016. However, Russia's historically high alcohol consumption rate is the biggest health issue in the country, as it remains one of the world's highest, despite a stark decrease in the last decade. Smoking is another health issue in the country. The country's high suicide rate, although on the decline, remains a significant social issue.