Russia occupies the greater part of eastern Europe and northern Asia, extending from the Baltic Sea,  to the west, to the pacific ocean, to the east, and from the Arctic ocean, to the north, to the Black Sea and the Caucasus, to the  south, for a total  of 17.075.400 Km².
It is a Federal republic with bicameral parliament. The capital city is Moscow.
Divided between Europe and Asia, Russia offers to its visitor the wealth of a millenarian cultural tradition, a history that has often been interlaced with the destinies of Europe and the whole world.
Crib of the Indo-European people, the first takeovers dates back to the Palaeolithic, Russia is rich of history and traditions, than are generated from the encounter of people of various origin and culture.
The first expression of today Russian culture dates back to the IX century, with the reign of the Rus' and the important political and economic role of their capital, Kiev, that remains centre of power for two centuries, until the forfeiture of the Rus' under the push of the Mongol invasion.
The strong personality of many personages who succeed to the power marks the historical story of Russia. We cite Peter the Great, who gave a remarkable impulse to the expansion of the empire. His conquest of an outlet on the Baltic Sea was of great strategic importance. In 1703 he founded the city of Saint Petersburg, that was capital of the state since 1713.
A figure of enormous importance is the one of Catherina II, remembered for the attempts of modernization of Russia, even if with insufficient results because of the strong opposition of the conservative ranks, than, in the fear of losing riches and privileges, were against any social change.
It was the dissatisfaction provoked from the feudal oppression of the rich land owners on the peasants and from the consequent terrible living conditions to cause revolts often extinguished in the blood.
The fall of the zar happened in 1917, with the Russian revolution and the advent of the communist regimen that remained in power until the eighties. Determining figure for the change of the society and Russian politics was Gorbacev, with the principles of perestroika (the reform) and glasnost (the transparency), that opened the road to the freedom of press and a new concept of state. In 1991 there is the fall of former USSR and it is the birth of the community of the independent states. The rest is recent history, and today Russia is one of the world-wide leading nation of the world, a society still in transformation and evolution, but rich of cultural stimuli and economic potentialities.

SAINT PETERSBURG
Risen in 1703 on the foci of the Neva for the will of zar Peter the Great, today S.Petersburg is a destination for tourists from all the world, who are attracted from the beauty of its architecture and from the various artistic treasures that can be admired. The city is covered from the Neva through navigation channels and it is rich of green spaces, gardens and parks. Its huge avenues, the richly decorated palaces, the river that always offers different views, everything make this city a place full of fascination for anyone who whish to visit it.
S. Petersburg is an elegant, rich of cultural stimuli, modern city but at the same time berthed to a past that makes the tradition a force and an important baggage.
From May to advanced July the city lives the typical phenomenon of the zones near the Arctic polar circle: a twilight that lasts for all the night. From here the phenomenon of the "white nights", full of cultural life and initiatives.

THE ERMITAGE
One of the places of greater tourist attraction is without doubt the museum of the Ermitage. It is an enormous complex built by Bartolomeo Rastelli between 1754 and 1762, and it was the palace of winter of Elizabeth the I. The main buildings have the facades turned towards the Neva and are connect between them by galleries. The insides are of great beauty, decorated with paintings and sculptures. The museum is risen for the will of Peter the Great  who acquired many works of art. The collection was later enriched by Catherine the II, among which are complete collections from Paris to Dresden and London. Today there can be admired rich collections of art from all the world, among which we cite: Caravaggio, Cezanne, Da Vinci, Degas... for a total of more than three millions of works.

St.Petersburg is also an economic centre of great importance, with its naval yards ( its port is the most important of Russia), the factories for mechanical constructions, the chemical and metallurgical industry and it is also the second city of Russia for number of inhabitants (nearly 5 millions).