Ever consider a homestay with a Russian or Ukrainian family? Russian homestays not only provide an affordable alternative to expensive accommodations like hotels and apartments, they also provide a unique insight into the lives and culture of local people.
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Religion in Belarus is predominantly split between two Christian denominations, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic. While the Belarusian Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church account for roughly 94 percent of those who profess a religious faith (80% and 14% respectively), there are remnants of the the Protestant Church, Islam and Judaism as well. According to...
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Religion in Ukraine has a somewhat different “mix” of faiths as compared to religion in Russia. Although the region was once home to rather large Muslim and Jewish communities, Islam and Judaism have diminished significantly from their historic heights. Ukraine, unlike Russia, is predominately Christian, with greater than 90% of religiously active...
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Religion has played a very important role in the evolution of Russian culture. Traditional religions, those deemed part of Russia’s “historical heritage”, include Orthodox Christianity (63% of the population), Islam (6% of the population), Buddhism (<1%), and Judaism (<1%). (VCIOM 2006) The largest of the religions, Orthodox Christianity, is...
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Ukraine is quite an interesting country in regards to language. Currently, Ukrainian is the only official language recognized across the entire nation. In practice, however, Ukraine is very much a bilingual country with a roughly 50-50 split between Russian and Ukrainian. According to an official 2001 Ukrainian population census, 67.5% of Ukraine’s citizens...
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Russian health and safety has garnered a somewhat undeserved reputation in the west. In actual fact, travel to Russia is no more or less dangerous than travel in the US, Canada or the European Union. Russia Crime: Violent crime is an issue, but no more so than in most western nations. Use common sense. Russia Terrorism: Russia travel to Chechnya, Dagestan, and...
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Superstition is a very big part of Russian and Ukrainian culture. While many superstitions are largely ignored, many more are so common that they have become an inseparable part of everyday Russian etiquette. So while Russian friends may joke about them, it may be courteous to be aware of common superstitions and show respect for them just the same. After all, do...
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We understand there are people who don’t have the time to plan their own vacation. There are others who want the peace of mind only professional tour operators can provide. Thus, we’ve provided a directory of Russian Tours and tours to former nations of the USSR. For those who want to save money and make arrangements independently, the following Russian...
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