Russia  (Russian Federation) is  located in East Europe and North Asia, bordered by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,  and Belarus on the West, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and North Korea on the South.  It is the biggest country in the world  - 6 592 800 sq. mi.

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Visa is required for US  sitizens. GLAVS Travel can support to  obtain Russian visa.

The position of Russia in the northern part of Eurasia (territory of the country in essence lies north 50° the North. latitudes) caused its arrangement in the Arctic, the subarctic, moderated and partially in the subtropical climatic belts. The predominant part of the territory is located in temperate zone. The variety of climate depends also on the special features of relief and proximity or distance of ocean.
The large part of Russia lies at the moderate climatic belts. The north of the country - it is Arctic Ocean and the part of the mainland regions - is located in the Arctic and subarctic belts, the south - the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus - in the subtropics. Climate is almost everywhere continental, in the extreme northwest - sea. In the central and Eastern European plains, as a rule, moderated, in Siberia and in the Far East - sharply continental, with large temperature differentials in the day and night time, by hot summer and by cold, heavy-snow winter. In the south of the Far East - moderately monsoon. Average temperatures of January - from 33°F in the northern spurs of Caucasian mountains and in the West European part and to - 40, 58°F in Yakutiya, July - from 34°F on the North coast of Siberia to 75-77°F in the Caspian lowland. In East Siberia is located the cold pole of the northern hemisphere - city Oymyakon (minimum temperature of January -  -97°F). The greatest number of sediments falls out in the Caucasus and Altai (to 80" per year), in the south of the Far East (to 40'), also, in the forests of Eastern European plain (to 28"), smallest - in the Caspian lowland (to 6" per year).
 Permafrost (regions of Siberia and Far East) occupies 65% of territory of Russia. More than 70% Russian territory - this is the zone of the risky agriculture. Agricultural season on the larger part of the territory of Russia is 2 -3 months (for the comparison, in Europe or USA - 8-9 months). In Russia it is at the same time located by 10% of all arable earth of peace.

The list of the articles of crafts and production goods, traditionally bought by guests as the gifts, is very wide and depends, as a rule, on the geography of journeys. The guests of Moscow and Saint Petersburg usually buy articles made of the Gzhel and Leningrad porcelain, the matryoshkas of different sizes, painted [zhostovskie] trays, the colorful Aleksandrovsk woolen Charles, wonderful [palekhskie] boxes with the varnish miniature, wooden spoons, vase and other articles of [khokhlomskikh] masters, from the Smolensk and Kostroma provinces convey to the memory the embroidered flaxen tablecloths and the finished by lace bed linen, from the Tula - bright souvenir [samovarchiki], from The the [vologodskoy] - article made of finest lace, interlaced by local forewomen, from the Orenburg - weightless downy shawls, from the Ural regions - distribution and the adornment from the gems. In a word, in any corner of Russia without the Russian souvenir guests will not remain. Besides the handicraft articles, the concept “traditional Russian souvenirs” includes products. Usually these are - black and red roe, vodka of different stamps and places of production, painted Tula cakes and the Russian chocolate, which is characterized by the high content of cocoa.  In the stores you can find the author's articles, made by hand souvenirs, in this case having met not one second the same distribution. In them each lock of pattern is unique! Distributions are made from ecologically safe tree; therefore it is possible to use them in private life! Rich borsch or appetizing hodge-podge will become still tastier, if them there is on the Russian custom by wooden spoon.
You can find wonderful business the souvenirs, which successfully personify in themselves the beauty of Russian people culture and the outstanding functionality: knob- matryoshka,  money box, Easter eggs, souvenir boards. If you search for gifts to foreigners, then can purchase vodka collection, cases for the bottles,  statuettes, matryoshkas. It is possible to purchase the pictures of local artists, especially, with the visit of varnishing days. But to these pictures it is desirable to have a certificate, it is possible to obtain directly it in the salesman.
To buy souvenirs better in the stores of gifts, the small artistic salons, the large commercial centers. Small souvenirs store for sure will be located also in the hotel. Good souvenirs can be acquired on the artistic varnishing days, addresses to you guides will prompt their. Meanwhile the gift, purchased in the antiquarian store, can create numerous problems on the custom-house, since for its removal are necessary the special documents. It is possible to purchase souvenirs, including product in the Duty Free stores  directly in the airport, when you leave Russia.
Today in the large cities, especially in Moscow and Saint Petersburg are opened the stores - butiques of almost all world trade marks and brands. However, we do not advise to buy industrial goods, clothing and the foot-wear of the production of foreign firms in Russia. In yourselves country you can purchase them for the smaller price, sometimes considerably less. 
The majorities of the supermarkets begin to work from 8-9 in the  morning, and they are shut 20-21 in the evening. The stores of industrial goods usually are opened somewhat later - from 10:00 to 19-20:00. Large department stores are opened approximately for one hour late. Longer than all work the supermarkets of networks “Ramstor”, “Seventh continent”, “Perekruostok”, some of them are opened twenty-four hour. All central stores and large commercial centers work without the interruptions and output. In some stores, built in the different cities at the beginning of past century, it is possible to feel itself as in the museum: from within they are decorated with mirrors, paintings and  mosaics.  For example, the supermarket “Eliseevskiy” (one of  them t is located in Moscow, the another one  - in Saint Petersburg).