Besides being the world’s biggest country, Russia is home to vodka and hilarious YouTube videos. It also ranks as the ninth most populated nation, thanks to its 150 million residents. Though you need an invitation to enter the country, many tourists make the effort as they consider Russia as a must-go-to destination because of its rich cultural heritage.
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Though it’s been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately, Russia has given the world breathtaking cathedrals, Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet, and the incredible literary works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Leo Tolstoy. On the internet, it is the source of many odd and entertaining things that can make you scratch your head and smile. Read on to learn more about President Vladimir Putin’s workout tape and other wild facts from Russia.
Kids aged 12-18 years old love visiting this Disneyland-like theme park filled with guns and tanks. This camp has even partnered with Disney to give patrons a fun-filled experience using sniper rifles, assault weapons, and bare-handed combat. Given recent developments in the world, this supposedly fun theme park takes on an ominous undertone.
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via CNN
For Russians, learning should be like play. Children’s survival skills are sharpened every day because breakfast is not about sugary cereal but about smashing through obstacle courses. We just hope they stick to airsoft guns.
Only in Russia will you see a restaurant that has twins as its wait staff. Why? Because they can! Apparently, the idea of identical twins serving Russian food to customers was hatched by the owner after watching the movie Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors.
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via CDN
Daddy Yankee Announces Retirement, Last Album and Tour
Located in Moscow, Russia’s capital, guests can expect good food at a great price that is also prepared and served by twins. Tourists flock to the diner because it is the only restaurant in the world that exclusively hires twins and has them serve guests in matching outfits.
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There is a special place in Russia that tourists and nature lovers consider their favorite. Situated in Rybachiy, at Kaliningrad Oblast, the area is filled with pine trees that seem to defy the laws of nature. Spiral-shaped pines and heart-like trees can be seen throughout the forest.
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via Pinterest
It is easy to believe that you are inside a fairytale when you are in the Dancing Forest. Before the place even had pine trees, the area was a gliding school used by Nazi Germany. After World War II, the trees decided to claim the place as their own. Scientists believe the trees were distorted by caterpillars, but locals argue that the forest was copying the movement of the sand.
Russia loves its vodka so much that it has erected two structures to celebrate its existence. The country’s national liquor is so adored that not one but two museums have been created in its honor.
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via Wikipedia
One museum is situated in St. Petersburg, and the other is in Moscow. The former exhibits vodka exclusively, while the latter takes visitors through the liquor’s history. Patrons have the choice to buy a basic ticket and explore the museum on their own. Alternatively, they can take a half-hour guided tour and pay full price while tasting various types of vodka.
Russia’s Cat Theater Is Ridiculously Entertaining
Just when you thought you’d seen it all, Russia comes along with a theater dedicated entirely to cat-based entertainment. Moscow loudly and proudly presents its one and only cat theater. It has been described as a circus show on drugs.
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via Daily Mail
The Kuklachyov family owns the theater. They have so far earned millions of dollars because of the multitude of cats they have featured. Though some believe the show promotes animal cruelty, the cats seem to enjoy being in the spotlight. The show is perfect for kids, adults, and cat lovers alike.
Never mind the morbidity of this post because Russia doesn’t seem to see it as an issue at all. Situated in Russia’s capital is the Red Square, where Lenin’s Tomb stands. The mausoleum is where the body of Russian communist revolutionary, Vladimir Lenin, lies.
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via Wikipedia
Though millions of dollars have been spent by the country to preserve Lenin’s memory, a large number of Russian people believe that his body needs to be buried and laid to rest. Still, lots of tourists and locals frequent the mausoleum to visit the late leader.
Russia likes to have fun in its own unique way. For this event, they combined their love for swimming and adult dolls to create the one-of-a-kind Bubble Baba Challenge. Russians like the challenge so much they have been doing it for more than a decade.
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via Daily Mail
The challenge involves a swimming race in the Vuoksi River. Contestants partner with inflatable adult dolls that allow them to float on the water. Men and women can join in as long as they are 16 or older
The Batagaika Crater Looks Like A Door To The Underworld
Russia’s Batagaika crater is a large area situated in Siberia. It is within the vicinity of the Yana river, which is also referred to as the Batagaika, hence the crater’s name. It is a place that is scientifically important as it is home to permafrost.
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via BBC
Though it currently measures a kilometer long, with a depth of 86 meters, its size seems to be consistently increasing each year. The crater reportedly formed in the 1960s because of deforestation, which is making the permafrost melt at a rapid rate.
Russia is blessed with many natural wonders and majestic sights. It is easy to take in all the beauty its environment has to offer unless you are in central Russia’s Ural Mountains at Lake Karachay. Here, you must be careful not to breathe in the air because you will actually be inhaling radiation.
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via Greentumble
Lake Karachay is the dumping ground of Russia’s industrial and nuclear waste. It is so polluted that merely standing near it could cause death. Though attempts have been made to clear and remove toxic waste from the area, it will take decades (or longer) for it to have a chance of being declared safe. Civilians approaching the site need to wear special equipment to protect themselves against lethal radiation.
