I have three travel regrets.  Several times we had the chance to go to Iran and Syria and didn’t go.  We either stayed in Saudi Arabia and worked in our classrooms or went somewhere else.  The third regret is not going on a Russian river cruise.  I had a couple of Russian friends and students, and they always talked about the country's beauty and the complexity of its culture.  Glenna really wanted to go sooner rather than later, but I delayed it until it was too late.  In July of 2008, we had the opportunity to go to St Petersburg for a few days.  I wasted no time, and we were off.  I always thought there would be a next time, but the current political situation will probably prevent that during the rest of our lives. 

Russia has a very long and rich history.  The Orthodox Christian Church shaped the region in the 8th century until the Mongol Empire conquered much of the territory.  Ivan the Great consolidated power in the 15th – 17th centuries.  The Russian Empire ruled from 1712 to 1917, when the Russian Revolution catapulted the country into the Soviet Era.  In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Russian Federation was formed.  Currently, Russia has a strong centralized presidency under Vladimir Putin with authoritarian political power, very similar to the United States under Donald Trump.

Russia is the world’s largest country, spanning across 11 time zones and bordering 14 countries.  It has a population of 144 million, and its capital is Moscow.