Indigenous culture

Russia is a wonderful nation with a rich history and significant cultural contributions to the world. The fact that Russia is home to more than 150 different ethnic groups and that family is highly valued in Russian culture would astound those who are unaware of these cultural facts. Russian territory spans two continents, making it a sizable nation. It has a colorful past that is evident in many areas of the nation. Therefore, anyone looking for facts about Russia will find a wealth of intriguing and often surprising information.

Russia's distinct and dynamic culture evolved, just like the nation did, through a complex mingling of native Slavic cultural elements and borrowings from a wide range of foreign civilizations. The majority of the borrowings throughout the Kievan period (c. 10th–13th centuries) were from Eastern Orthodox Byzantine culture. Asiatic influences brought by the Mongol invaders enriched and altered the Slavic and Byzantine cultural substrates throughout the Moscow period (c. 14th–17th century). The western European cultural legacy was finally incorporated into the Russian melting pot during the modern era (from the 18th century).