RUSSIA

The Germanic Goths, the Asian Huns, and the Turkic Avars, were among numerous people that invaded Russia over the centuries . By the 9th C, the Eastern Slavs had settled in many parts of Russia.The origin of the Russians state coincides with the arrival of Scandinavian traders and warriors, the Varangians. Vladimir I (reigned 980–1015), made Christianity the state religion & adopted the Greek Orthodox rite. So the Byzantine cultural influence became predominant. In 1237–40, the Mongols (or Tatars) under Batu Khan invaded Russia and destroyed most of the chief Russian cities. Russia in the 17th C was still medieval in culture and outlook. The nobles were compensated with land grants and with increasing rights over the peasants. The process of enserfment, which reached its peak in the 18th C resulted in several violent peasant revolts, notably those led by Stenka Razin (1667–71) and by Pugachev (1773–75).

The disastrous and unpopular Russo-Japanese War (1904–5) led to the Revolution of 1905. Nicholas II was forced to grant a constitution and a parliament (duma) was established. In 1917, Russia was officially proclaimed the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, which in 1922 was united with the Ukrainian, Belorussian, and Transcaucasian republics to form the see Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In 1990, Boris Yeltsin was elected to the Russian parliament; Yeltsin was subsequently chosen Russian president. With Ukraine and Belarus, Russia established the Commonwealth of Independent States and Russia assumed the USSR’s UN seat. THE CULTURE OF RUSSIA Russia’s severe climatic extremes, vast land mass, great distance from western civilizations, and myriad ethnic communities have given rise to a culture that is unique, distinct and wholly unlike anything you are likely to have experienced before. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia has been trying to restore the old art, architecture, churches and other cultural symbols and artifacts from the pre-Soviet era. Literary greats like Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky sprang onto the world stage in the nineteenth century. Russian literature went through a golden age and it is then that. Dissidents like Solzhenitsyn and Boris Pasternak continued this great tradition, although Russian literature declined under the Soviet regime. Russian icon painting, inherited from the art of the Byzantine churches, can be found at the Tretyakov Gallery.

Russian Avant Garde art is also well known. WHY STUDY IN RUSSIA Lots of of students appear for the entrance tests of engineering and medical to become engineers or doctors. But not all are able to get into good engineering or medical colleges. One should not loose hope at this point and try again to clear the exams. Russia is one of the top countries in the field of education and more specifically medicine and engineering. A Russian education is easy, cheap and flexible. With a literacy rate (98%) exceeding most Western European countries, Russia has one of the best education systems in the world . The reason why young people from many different countries of the world are attracted to the Russian education is good value for money. The Russian government subsidizesthe study of international students at Russian state universities by 50%. Depending on the speciality, university, language of instruction and city, the average tuition fees ranges from 3500 – 4500 US $ per academic year . The accommodation fees at university hostel is around 30-50 US $ per month, life and health insurance is 100-160 US $ per year. Monthly expenses for meals amount to 80-100 US $ on an average.Eventually average annual expenses of a student for tuition, accommodation, insurance and meals in Russia amount to 4500-5500 US $. That is why higher education in Russia is affordable for many young people of the Globe. Lots of foreign students pursue Russian higher education at affordable prices in more than 500 medical, engineering, technical specialities and humanities.