Russia (formerly U.S.S.R.)

When the Olympics were held in Moscow in 1980, the city was the capital of the now-defunct U.S.S.R. The Moscow Games were very controversial and many countries, including the United States and Japan, boycotted them to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Partly because of the relatively low participation in the 1980 Games, Soviet athletes captured an enormous number of medals.

Country Background
Until the disintegration of the U.S.S.R. in 1991, Moscow was the capital of the Soviet Union. Now Moscow serves as the capital city of Russia, the largest and richest of the former Soviet republics. Present-day Russia is continuing to grow and change and is led by a government that is working toward democracy. In the past, Russia was ruled by tsars. The Romanov Dynasty ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917 when the Russian Revolution ended the dynasty's reign. There are many stories told about what happened to the last tsar, Tsar Nicholas II, and his family. Mystery surrounds one of his daughters, Anastasia, who is thought to have escaped when the rest of her family was attacked.

The former Soviet Union was the first country to launch a satellite into space. The world's first man-made satellite,
Sputnik, was launched on October 5, 1957 to the astonishment of the world. Russia's investment and interest in space continues to this day with projects like the Mir space station.

Related Links

There is a lot more to learn about Russia!

• Explore these sites for facts and figures about the Russian Federation:
  • Atlapedia Online: Russian Federation
  • CIA World Factbook 1999: Russia
  • InterKnowledge Corporation: Russia
  • PBS Online: The Face of Russia
• Join Andrey as he shows you pictures of everyday life in Russia.
• Read some Russian Fairy Tales from Tradestone International.
• Explore a map of the Russian Federation.
• Track the Mir space station.
• When the Soviet Union collapsed, it split into many different independent
  countries and republics. Click on a World InfoZone link below to find more
  information about each of these places:
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Estonia
  • Georgia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Moldova
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan

More Countries (past hosts of Olympic Games)

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