Cultural Characteristics of Russia and Central Asia Francisci

Cultural Characteristics of Russia and Central Asia Francisci WG. 4

Diversity �Russia and Central Asia are made up of diverse ethnic groups, customs and traditions. �Some heritage groups include: � Slavic: Indo-European group from Scandinavia that lives in Central Asia � Turkic: People from Southeastern Europe � Mongol: People of Central Asia from Mongolia

Diversity �Language: Russian (also spoken in Kazakhstan) �Major Religion: Russian Orthodox � God revealed himself in Jesus Christ. � Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. � It is common for the congregation to remain standing during the mass. � Churches are typically topped by golden domes. � Avoid electric lighting and use candles, creating an otherworldly feel.

� The Soviet Union and the U. S. engaged in a dangerous war of words and arms build up (1945 to 1991). � It was a dangerous time because both countries had developed nuclear weapons. � Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): 13 day stand-off between the U. S. and the Soviet Union concerning Soviet missiles deployment in Cuba. � President Kennedy and Russian Premier Khrushchev worked out a compromise: Russia would remove its missiles from Cuba if the U. S. would promise not to invade Cuba. The Cold War

Cultural Heritage �Russian Ballet: A style of ballet that developed in Russia in the 1900 s and eventually made its way to the western world �Matryoskha Dolls: Russian nesting doll; refers to a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other

Cultural Heritage �Oriental carpets from Asia. �Samovars: Devices traditionally used to heat and boil water for tea.

Cultural Heritage �Traditional Folk Music �Icons – religious images in Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Cultural Heritage �Faberge Eggs: Jeweled eggs created by Peter Carl Faberge from 1885 -1917 � Only 50 were made; 43 still left

Cultural Landscape �Russian Orthodox Churches with golden domes �Red Square: city plaza in Moscow, Russia � Houses St. Basil’s Cathedral and mausoleum for Vladimir Lenin

Cultural Landscape �Mosques and minarets �Soviet-style apartment blocks: � Created from 1900 to 1950 s � Communal Communist apartments � Two to seven families shared an apartment

Cultural Landscape �Kremlin: a major fortified central complex found in Moscow � Houses Russian President Vladimir Putin �Siberian Villages