The eastern edge of the plain is marked by the Ural Mountains, a low-lying mountain chain (about 6,000 feet) that crosses Russia from the Arctic Ocean to Kazakhstan. The mountains contain deposits of coal, iron ore, and precious and semiprecious stones and are considered the boundary between Europe and Asia.

Lake Baikal

Volga River

the Danube

3,000 factories dump 10 billion cubic yards of contaminated waste into the river every year. There are so many chemicals in the water that the ponds don’t freeze any more. (the fish from which we get caviar). The water is so polluted that 60% of the sturgeon catch has been decreased.

After Fyodor I (the last ruler of the Rurik dynasty) died in 1598, Russia endured 15 chaotic years known as the Time of Troubles (1598–1613), which ended when a zemsky sobor (“assembly of the land”) elected Nikita’s grandson, Michael Romanov, as the new tsar.

Purity and Cleanliness in Moscow, Russia

Moscow is Clean: Cleaning Moscow is a challenge when zillion tonnes of snow falls every winter. But the city does a miracle keeping it clean and functional. Sidewalks, side streets, corners are very clean. There is no public defecation that is so common in Paris.

Steer Clear of Browsing the Streets of Moscow at Night In areas that are not well-lit, it is much more likely you may encounter others who want to commit crimes including theft and muggings, and potentially more violent and dangerous attacks.

Moscow is certainly one of the world’s great cities from a historical standpoint, but for tourists it’s still largely undiscovered. Another difficulty the city has is that Moscow is very expensive, even by most European standards. Hotels in the lower categories can be affordable, but standards tend to be equally low.