187 RUSSIA - Russian Bread

In general, the word "bread" is associated in Russian culture with hospitality, bread being the most respected food, whereas salt is associated with long friendship, as expressed in a Russian saying "to eat a pood of salt (together with someone)". Also historically the Russian Empire had a high salt tax that made salt a very expensive and prized commodity. There also is a traditional Russian greeting "Khleb da sol!" (Хлеб да соль! "Bread and salt!"). The phrase is to be uttered by an arriving guest as an expression of good wish towards the host's household. It was often used by beggars as an implicit hint to be fed, therefore a mocking rhymed response is known: "Khleb da sol!" — "Yem da svoy!" (Хлеб да соль — ем да свой! "Bread and salt!" — "I am eating and it is my own!").

With the advent of the Soviet space program, this tradition has spread into space. It was observed at the Apollo-Soyuz project, when crackers and salt tablets were used in the spaceship. Bread chunks and salt were a welcome at the Mir space station, a tradition that was extended on the International space station. Bread and salt are also a welcome for cosmonauts returning to Earth. In the Russian Orthodox Church, it is customary to greet the bishop at the steps of the church when he arrives for a pastoral visit to a church or monastery with bread and salt.

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Tany (postcrossing) sent from ? (Russia) on 15.06.2014

173 RUSSIA - Port of Vladivostok

Commercial Port of Vladivostok is a seaport in the Russian city of Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai. It is one of the main transport hubs in the Russian Far East, which plays an important role in international cabotage in the Pacific Rim. The Port of Vladivostok is the eastern last stop on Russia's Northern Sea Route that stretches from the country's northwestern shores at the border with Norway. It is the principal base for supplies for Russia's Arctic ports to the east of Cape Chelyuskin. In May 1896 Nicholas II, the Russian Emperor, ordered to build commercial port on the coast of Golden Horn Bay and allocated 600,000 rubles for this purpose. The arrival of the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1903 connected the Port of Vladivostok to Manchuria and gave the port a better connection to the rest of the Russian Empire and enhanced its importance as a major center in eastern Russia. The Port of Vladivostok was important as a military port that received supplies from the United States during World War I.

When the Russian Revolution of 1917 began, the Port of Vladivostok was occupied by foreign forces, primarily the Japanese, who stayed there until the early 1920s. After they left the city, the Port of Vladivostok became important to the new Soviet Government.The port is operated by Commercial Port of Vladivostok . During the World War II, when Baltic and Black Seas were locked out by the Wermacht, weapons, food stuff, machinery and medical supplies were shipped to Vladivostok from the USA under lend-lease. Then the cargo was loaded into wagons and transported to fronts via Trans-Siberian Railway. For 5 war years the port of Vladivostok handled 10 M tons of cargoes. In 1945 it was recognized the leading port for efficient and speedy vessel handling in the Soviet Union. After the war economic situation in the Russian Far East began to stabilize: new enterprises appeared and old ones were revitalized. In 1950 the port handled 7 times more cabotage cargoes than the year before. In 1952 the port became closed to foreign ships due to being the location of the Pacific fleet of the Soviet Navy and was opened only 40 years later in 1991.

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Ulyana02 (postcrossing) sent from Vladivostok (Russia) on 07.02.2014

154 RUSSIA - Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow (UNESCO)

From the 13th century to the founding of St Petersburg, the Moscow Kremlin was directly and tangibly associated with every major event in Russian history. The Kremlin contains within its walls a unique series of masterpieces of architecture and the plastic arts - religious monuments of exceptional beauty such as the Church of the Annunciation, Cathedral of the Dormition, Church of the Archangel and the bell tower of Ivan Veliki, and palaces such as the Great Palace of the Kremlin, which comprises within its walls the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin and the Teremnoi Palace. On Red Square is Saint Basil the Blessed, still a major edifice of Orthodox art. Russian architecture was clearly affected many times in its history by influences emanating from the Kremlin. A particular example is the Italian Renaissance. The Kremlin of Moscow, which according to chronicles dates from 1156, contains an ensemble of monuments of outstanding quality. Ever since the establishment of the Principality of Moscow in 1263 and the transfer to Moscow of the seat of Vladimir's Metropolitan in 1328, this was the centre of both temporal and spiritual power. Some of these original buildings border Cathedral Square, others, such as the Nativity of the Virgin (1393), were incorporated into the Great Palace when it was rebuilt. The nucleus expanded northward with the palace of the Patriarchs and the Church of the Twelve Apostles, erected in the 17th century, and especially with the Arsenal of Peter the Great which fills the north-west angle of the enceinte. The triangular palace of the Senate (today the seat of the Council of Ministers) was built by Kazakov for Empress Catherine II in the north-east sector between the Arsenal and the monasteries of the Miracle and of the Ascension, two splendid structures that were razed in 1932. In the south-east sector Kazakov built another smaller palace for the empress, known as the Nicholas palace, and also destroyed in 1932.

Red Square is closely associated with the Kremlin, lying beneath its east wall. At its south end is the famous Cathedral of St Basil the Blessed, one of the most beautiful monuments of Orthodox art. It was originally one of a pair of churches, the other being the Cathedral of Kazan, erected in 1633 in the vast open area bordering the 'Goum' by Prince Pozarsky to commemorate the victory over the Poles. It disappeared in the early 1930s along with several convents in the neighbouring area (Saviour-behind-the-Images, St Nicholas, Epiphany). With its triangular enceinte pierced by five gates and reinforced with 29 towers, the Kremlin preserves the memory of the wooden fortifications erected by Yuri Dolgoruki around 1156 on the hill at the confluence of the Moskova and Nieglinnaya rivers (the Alexander Garden now covers the latter). By its layout and its history of transformations (in the 14th century Dimitri Donskoi had an enceinte of logs built, then the first stone wall), it is the prototype of the Kremlin, the citadel at the centre of old Russian towns, such as Pskov, Tula, Kazan or Smolensk. The influence of the Kremlin style was felt when Rudolfo Fioravanti built the Cathedral of the Dormition (1475-79), and grew stronger with the Granovitaya Palata (Hall of Facets, 1487-91) by Marco Ruffo and Pietro Antonio Solario as well as in the towers of the fortified enceinte, built during the same period by Solario using principles established by Milanese engineers (the Nikolskaya and the Spasskaya both date from 1491). The Renaissance expression was even clearer in the classic capitals and shells of the Church of the Archangel reconstructed from 1505 to 1509 by Alevisio Novi.

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lavander (Postcrossing Forum) sent from Moscow (Russia) on 03.01.2014

136 RUSSIA - Western Caucasus (UNESCO)

The site is at the far western end of the Greater Caucasus Mountains within Krasnodar Kray and the republics of Adygea and Karachevo-Cherkessia. It includes a number of units. The largest of these is the Caucasus (Kavkazskiy) state biosphere reserve, together with its 1 km wide buffer zone which runs along much of the perimeter of the reserve except in Karachevo-Cherkessia Republic and where the reserve abuts Georgia (Abkhazia). The second main component of the site comprises the three elements of the most strictly protected zone of Sochi National Park (all in Krasnodar Kray). The remainder of the site comprises four small areas in Adygea Republic: Bolshoy Thach nature park; the nature monuments of Buiny Ridge, the headwaters of the River Tsitsa and the Pshecha and Pshechashcha rivers. The region is mountainous, ranging in altitude from 250 m to peaks over 3,000 m, of which the highest is Akaragvarta (3,360 m). The geology is very diverse, including sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks from the full span of eras from the Precambrian to the Palaeozoic; it is also very complex, reflecting the origin of the Caucasus Mountains. The north part of the site is characterized by karst limestone massifs with many caves, including 130 in the Lagonaki massif alone. Over the majority of the site the landscape has a typical glaciated relief, with high peaks, 60 remnant glaciers, moraines, and over 130 high-altitude lakes. The main rivers on the north side are the Bol'shaya Laba and Belaya, which feed into the Kuban; on the south side the rivers are shorter, flowing into the Black Sea. There are numerous waterfalls, up to 250 m in height. The flora of the area is characterized by clear zonation, both vertically and from west to east. The western part has oak-hornbeam and beech and beech-fir forests; the higher central parts have fir-spruce forests with birch and maple at high altitudes; and the eastern parts have both fir-spruce and pine-cedar forests. Above the timberline at around 2,500 m are endemic rhododendron thickets as well as subalpine and alpine meadows. In total, 1,580 vascular plant species have been recorded on the site. Of the forest plant species, about one-fifth is relict or endemic. Some 160 of the vascular plant species are considered as threatened with extinction in the Russian Federation, Adygea Republic and Krasnodar Kray. There are over 700 species of fungi, including 12 that are nationally threatened.

The fauna is also rich, with 384 vertebrate species, and 60 mammal species, including wolf, bear, lynx, wild boar, Caucasian deer, tur, chamois, and reintroduced European bison which are globally endangered. Signs of snow leopard area are occasionally seen (globally endangered). There are 246 species of bird, including many endemic, of which 24 are nationally threatened and 24 globally threatened. There is also a high species richness of amphibians, reptiles and fish, with many rare species. About 2,500 insect species have been recorded from a projected total of 5,000. Since the last glaciation, ecological succession has taken place across the nominated site, resulting in a great diversity of ecosystems. The forests are remarkable on the European scale for their lack of human disturbance, i.e. natural ecological processes have continued over the millennia. Vegetation dynamics and timberline have not been influenced by the grazing of domestic animals; an unusual situation on a global scale. There are important populations of both ungulates and wolves, providing opportunities for studying both competitive interactions between grazing animals and predator/prey interactions. Given the size and untouched nature of the site, it should be considered for inscription under this criterion. The Caucasus is one of the global centres of plant diversity. The site includes around a third of the 6,000 plant species of the Greater Caucasus, including Tertiary relicts and Mediterranean and Asiatic Turano-Iranian elements. About a third of the high mountain species and about a fifth of the forest species are endemic. The fauna is also very rich. The site is the place of origin and reintroduction of the mountain subspecies of the European bison, and acts as a reservoir for its expansion through the region. There are stable populations of many other large mammals. The avifauna is rich, and includes many endemic species. There are also high levels of species richness and endemicity in the lower orders. Apart from the Virgin Komi Forests of the Urals, the Western Caucasus is probably the only large mountain area in Europe that has not experienced significant human impacts. Its subalpine and alpine pastures have only been grazed by wild animals. Its extensive tracts of undisturbed mountain forests, extending from the lowlands to the subalpine zone, are unique in Europe. The forests include very large specimens.

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funcheza (postcrossing) sent from Novy Urengoy (Russia) on 02.01.2014

060 RUSSIA - Winter Olympic Town of Sochi

Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the Black Sea coast near the border between Georgia and Russia. Greater Sochi sprawls for 145 kilometers (90 mi) along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains. According to the 2010 Census, the city had a permanent population of 343,334; up from 328,809 recorded in the 2002 Census, making it Russia's largest resort city. It is one of the very few places in Russia with a subtropical climate, with warm to hot summers and mild winters. Sochi will host the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, as well as the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2014 until at least 2020 subject to the circuit being ready in time. It is also one of the host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, are scheduled to take place 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia, with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Ninety-eight events in fifteen winter sports will be held. Both the Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics are being organized by the Sochi Organizing Committee (SOC). Sochi was selected as the host city on July 4, 2007, during the 119th I.O.C. Session held in Guatemala City, defeating bids from Salzburg, Austria, and Pyeongchang, South Korea. The Sochi Olympics will be the first Olympics for Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Construction in preparation for the Games involves building new venues and modernizing the telecommunications, electric power, and transportation systems of this area. These improvements will include the construction of a new Olympic Park along the coast of the Black Sea in the Imeretin Valley, with several buildings clustered in that area. The venues in Krasnaya Polyana will also be new.

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trololo24 (postcrossing) sent from Yekaterinburg (Russia) on 17.10.2013

055 RUSSIA - Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings (WHS)

The historic monuments of Novgorod conclude the Kremlin and also the town of Veliky Novgorod. Veliky Novgorod is one of the most important historic cities in Russia which serves as the administrative center of Novgorod Oblast. Novgorod is among the oldest cities of Russia, founded in the 9th or 10th century. The Sofia First Chronicle first mentions it in 859; the Novgorod First Chronicle mentions it first in the year 862, when it was allegedly already a major station on the trade route from the Baltics to Byzantium.

Novgorod Kremlin stands on the left bank of the Volkhov River in Veliky Novgorod about two miles north of where it empties out of Lake Ilmen. The compound was originally the site of a pagan burial ground upon which the first bishop of Novgorod built the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom upon on his arrival in the area in 989 or so. Thus the compound was and remained largely an ecclesiastical site, although many Novgorodian boyars built their houses in the southern part of the Detinets. The first reference to fortifications on the site dates to 1044 with additional construction taking place in 1116. These were probably earthern embankments topped by a wooden palisade, although stone towers and walls were built in 1302. Archbishop Vasily Kalika (1330-1352) rebuilt the stone wall along the eastern side of the Detinets in 1331-1335. The rest was completed in stone only in 1400. Part of Vasily's walls collapsed into the Volkhov River in 1437 and were rebuilt by Archbishop Evfimy II (1429-1458).

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Oljika (postcrossing) sent from Vladivostok (Russia) on 03.10.2013

046 RUSSIA - Volcanoes of Kamchatka (WHS)

Kamchatka is a peninsula in the Russian Far East. It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the eat and the Sea of Akhotsk to the west. Although Kamchatka lies at similar latitudes to Great Brittain, cold arctic winds from Siberia combined with the cold Oyashio sea current result in the peninsula being covered in snow from October ot late May. The volcanoes of Kamchatka are a large group of around 160 volcanoes, 29 of them are still active. The highest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4 750 m), the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere, while the most striking is Kronotsky, whose perfect cone was said by celebrated volcanologists Robert and Barbara Decker to be a prime candidate for the world's most beautiful volcano.

The volcano on the postcard is the Koryaksky which lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at a point where the Pacific Plate is sliding under the Eurasian Plate at about 80 mm/year. A wedge of mantle material lies between the subducting Pacific Plate and the overlying Eurasian Plate in the source of dynamic volcanism over the whole Kamchatka Peninsula. Together with the neighbouring Avachinsky, it has been designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of particular sttudy in light of its history of explosive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. The volcano has probably been active for tens of thousands of years. Koryaksky erupted for the first time in recorded history in 1980. On December 29, 2008, Koryaksky erupted with a 20 000 foot plume of ash, the first major eruption in 3500 years.

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waterbutterfly1990 (postcrossing) sent from Stravropol (Russia) on 04.09.2013

042 RUSSIA - Kizhi Pogost (WHS)

Kizhi Pogost is a historical site dating from the 17th century on Kizhi Island. The island is located on Lake Onega in the Republic of Karelia, Russia. The pogost is the area inside a fence which includes two large wooden churches and a bell-tower. The pogost is famous for its beauty and longevity, despite that it is built exclusively of wood. The pogost was built on the southern part of Kizhi island, on a hill 4 meters above the Lake level. Its major basic structural units is a round log of Scots Pine about 30cm in diameter and 3 to 5 meters long. The Kizhi Pogost was built without using a single nail. Many thousands of logs were brought for construction from the mainland, a complex logistical task in that time.

The church which you can see on the postcard, is the Church of the Transfiguration, which is the most remarkable part of the pogost. It is not heated and is therefore called the summer church and doesn't hold winter services. Its altar was laid June 6, 1714, as inscribed on the cross located inside the church. The church was built on the site of the old one which was burnt by lightning. The church has 22 domes and with a height of 37 m is one of the tallest wooden buildings of the Russian North. It is considered that the 18-dome church on the southern shore of Lake Onega was a forerunner. That church was built in 1708 and burned down in 1963. According to the Russian carpentry traditions of that time, the Transfiguration Church was built of wood only with no nails. All structures were made of scribe-fitted horizontal logs, with interlocking corner joinery - either round notch or dovetail - cut by axes.

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Ivan1999 (postcrossing) sent from Gzhel (Russia) on 06.09.2013

023 RUSSIA - Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor (WHS)

The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor encompasses the old town of Kotor, the fortifications of Kotor and the surrounding region of the inner Bay of Kotor.

The old town of Kotor is contained within the city walls and a well preserved and restored medieval cityscape with notable building including the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon. Kotor was heavily damaged during the earthquake on April 15, 1979 and this prompted the site to be also listed on the Danger List in 1979 when the site was inscribed.

The fortifications consist of a system of defensive military buildings to protect the medieval town of Kotor. They include the city walls with gates and bastions, ramparts that ascend the mountain of St. John, the castle of St. John and supportive structures. While some of the structures date back to Roman and Byzantinian times, most of the fortifications were erected during the Venetian rule; later some modifications were made by the Austrians.

The region that is included in the heritage is the inner bay of Kotor (past the Verige strait) with its surrounding mountains and towns, notably Risan and Perast in addition to Kotor. Further the islets of St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks are part of the heritage site.

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Екатерина Стифеева (direct swap) sent from Moscow (Russia) on 27.08.2013

014 RUSSIA - Varvarka Street

This postcard shows the Varvarka Street, located in the centre of Moscow. Moscow is Russia's capital city and it's located in the the european part of Russia.

Moscow is with around 11,55 Million inhabitants Russia's biggest city. It's the political, but also the cultural centre of the country with lots of churches, museums, parks and galeries. Moscow is also the centre of the Russian-orthodox church.

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Helena (postcrossing) sent from Moscow (Russia) on 20.08.2013

006 RUSSIA and 019 FINLAND- Chimpanzee

As well known, chimpanzees are the human's closest related since they belong to the class of the ape. Chimpanzees are found in Central Africa and are omnivores, that means that those monkeys eat insects, bats, but also nuts and seeds.

Chimpanzees can get up to 94 centimeters, but when they straight up they can reach a height of up to 1,7m. The male chimpanzees can weigh up to 75kg, the females up to 50kg. Those kind of monkeys are found in Central Africa in countries like Senegal and Nigeria until Tansania and Uganda.


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-Nastya (Postcrossing) sent from Gatchina (Russia) on 25.07.2013
-Maria (Postcrossing) sent from Salo (Finland) on 25.09.2013