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Russia Country Quiz

Can you name these facts about the country of Russia?
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: May 16, 2020
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First submittedApril 17, 2013
Times taken89,683
Average score66.7%
Rating4.85
5:00
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Question
Answer
Capital city
Moscow
Capital prior to 1918
St. Petersburg
Communist name of that city
Leningrad
Current President
Vladimir Putin
Soviet equivalent of the CIA
KGB
Mountain ranges dividing
Europe and Asia
Urals
Caucasus
Name for Soviet prison camps
Gulags
Sea bordering Sochi
Black Sea
War and Peace author
Leo Tolstoy
"Great" tsars
Peter
Catherine II
"Terrible" tsar
Ivan IV
Highest mountain
Mount Elbrus
He failed to conquer
Russia in 1812
Napoleon
Question
Answer
Items on the Soviet flag
Hammer
Sickle
Star
Fish used for traditional caviar
Sturgeon
Largest Russian city on the Pacific
Vladivostok
Metal boiler for making tea
Samovar
Official residence of the President
Moscow Kremlin
Most famous ballet theater
Bolshoi Theatre
First satellite to orbit Earth
Sputnik
First person to orbit Earth
Yuri Gagarin
Christmas ballet by Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker
Vast Eastern region of Russia
Siberia
Most famous Russian firearm
AK-47
"Turning point" battle in WWII
Battle of Stalingrad
Longest river in European Russia
Volga
+20
Level 64
Jul 30, 2013
I can never spell caucasus
+4
Level 75
Sep 30, 2020
I can never spell Elbrus.
+11
Level 64
Jan 16, 2021
I can never spele.
+7
Level 24
Jan 29, 2021
I can never spell KGB
+1
Level 25
Dec 21, 2022
Sad. you can't spell, and yet you can still write it correctly
+20
Level 56
Dec 3, 2013
You seriously don't accept Moskva or Sankt Petersburg on a quiz about Russia?
+33
Level 80
Jun 12, 2018
This is a quiz with answers in the English language! If the Russian words were accepted for those two you might as well translate all the answers.
+8
Level 69
Jun 12, 2018
Thanks, Berney. Well stated.
+17
Level 66
Aug 26, 2019
City are generally always accepted in their native tongue on this site, ALL answers would be silly. But the rest usually already is translated and accepted. Im sure there is a word for your comment, i honestly cant think of it. (Like saying what is next MOVING pictures! While they allready exist) it sort of takes the power out of your argument.
+9
Level 56
Apr 26, 2022
Yes, the quiz is in the English language, but that doesn't mean that native spellings shouldn't be accepted. All you're doing by arguing this point is setting the bar of entry quite high for Russian speakers that might not know the Anglicized versions of their words, and that's unfair to those who have the knowledge. Saying this is like saying that Mumbai shouldn't be accepted instead of Bombay, nor Bayern for Bavaria. I don't understand why there is such a fervent argument when a solution could so easily be reached.
+3
Level 48
Jun 14, 2014
I thought a samovar was a weapon.
+13
Level 70
Mar 2, 2015
it can be, if it's in hands of somebody clumsy...
+3
Level 75
Oct 5, 2016
I think there was a mortar called a Samovar, but wasn't it called that from a WWII funny song about Russians launching their samovars of boiling water at the enemy?
+1
Level 44
Jan 19, 2015
I just want to say I like Russia and couldn't spell the dang Cacucus mountains right.. lol
+3
Level 81
Nov 9, 2015
I bet you can spell Caucasian ;)
+6
Level 66
Aug 26, 2019
Couscous? ;)
+3
Level 66
Aug 26, 2019
Or cactus :p
+1
Level 32
Jul 4, 2015
Missed Mt. Elbrus and The Nutcraker......I am ashamed.
+1
Level 75
Nov 10, 2015
I only missed Elbrus. I can never remember each country's highest mountain.
+1
Level 59
Aug 18, 2019
I missed it because I spelled it wrong.
+2
Level 72
Jan 30, 2023
The only reason I know it is because it's considered the tallest peak in Europe.
+2
Level 35
Nov 9, 2015
21/30 never studied much of Russia.
+1
Level 55
Nov 9, 2015
Only found out about the Christmas connection with the ballet relatively recently. I guess other countries have that instead of pantomime. 30/30, surprised myself, even though I have actually visited Russia.
+1
Level 30
Jul 29, 2016
You should accept Balshoy.
+9
Level 56
Feb 16, 2017
Yau shauld accept Balshay.
+3
Level 59
Aug 22, 2020
I don't get how this is supposed to be a comeback, changing the all the 'o's in that sentence to 'a's vastly changes the wording of the sentence, whereas changing the 'i' to a 'y' in bolshoi doesn't change the pronunciation and makes perfect sense.
+1
Level 22
Feb 23, 2023
In fact it's pronounced more like "balshoy" in Russian, with an [a] sound, because we don't pronounce unstressed o's clearly, but it's still spelled большой (bolshoy), so the idea is still strange lol
+2
Level 65
Jan 27, 2017
only missed Samovar, had no idea for it but now i know!
+4
Level 82
Oct 11, 2017
Same. But I'll forget in a few minutes
+4
Level 82
Jan 2, 2019
A year later and I now can remember all of these answers.
+2
Level 48
Dec 30, 2021
kalbahamut, stop letting me down
+2
Level 82
Nov 11, 2022
did you miss my follow-up comment? Or are you disappointed that it took me a year to finally remember it?
+8
Level 80
Aug 30, 2017
The capital until 1918 was Petrograd, not St Petersburg - since 1914 anyway.
+1
Level 12
Oct 11, 2017
Excuse me,but you forgot AN ACTUALLY AMAZING SOVIET/COLD WAR ERA MOVIE CLUE
+2
Level 82
Jun 12, 2018
Is it Rocky IV?
+3
Level 39
Jun 3, 2018
Imagine that 5% that missed Putin.
+1
Level 51
Apr 10, 2021
To be fair, he hasn't been President all of the time. At some of the periods he has been Prime Minister (though always actually being the man in power) because Russian law prohibited him from holding the title for all of the period. So you would have to know in which periods he has been President and which he has been Prime Minister and match it to the quiz date
+3
Level 48
Dec 30, 2021
Imagine that <1% missed Moscow.
+1
Level 37
Jun 12, 2018
Samovar that's my only miss, I didn't know.
+6
Level 61
Jun 13, 2018
please accept "avtomat kalashnikova 1947" because that is the official name
+1
Level 62
Jun 13, 2018
Weisenheimer.
+6
Level 60
Jul 10, 2020
Do you feel better about yourself now?
+1
Level 26
May 6, 2022
No one wants to say all that
+4
Level 70
Oct 18, 2018
We can argue about the whole is-Cyprus-Asian-or-European debate, but we can't deny the fact that this country has the best national anthem
+10
Level 82
Jan 2, 2019
Kazakhstan greatest country in the world.

All other countries are run by little girls.

+2
Level 66
Aug 26, 2019
I looked it up, honestly i see nothing special about it. I really like the uzbekistan one though :)
+2
Level 71
Apr 17, 2019
Listened to Kalinka and Katyusha while playing this quiz. Not a mistake.
+2
Level 47
Jun 5, 2019
yeah the proleteriat
+1
Level 47
Jun 5, 2019
russia is the place where it's at
+2
Level 66
Aug 26, 2019
I tried gulas(h) and gaugin. I knew they werent right but it was as close as my might would get me. A miracle i didnt try erebus for elbus ;) then again i was totally blank on that one though on hindsight i do recognise it.
+5
Level 65
Aug 28, 2019
it didn't accept Vladiwoodstock :(
+2
Level 66
Jan 30, 2020
It took me forever to get Catherine, mostly because she was a tsarina, not a tsar. (Technically she was an empress, but that's nitpicking.)
+1
Level 69
Aug 16, 2020
Same.
+1
Level 66
May 5, 2020
Got them all except for Mt Elbrus. Tried Kursk first as battle for turning point in WW2.
+1
Level 44
Jun 2, 2020
apparently this quiz is a bit communist
+1
Level 44
Jun 2, 2020
i got all the communist questions correct...the rest wrong
+1
Level 79
Jul 10, 2020
I'd say communism, like capitalism, is a good ideology in principle, but when practiced by humans it turns horrible.
+3
Level 60
Jul 10, 2020
Islandcarver: Literally every time a country tried to do communism, it ended up in horrible attrocities, famines, death and suffering (USSR, China, North Korea, Cambodia, etc.). Yet, people always claim it's not the fault of the system, but rather the people and the system inntheory is good. It's just not.
+3
Level 89
Jul 10, 2020
Russia was a bit communist for a time...
+6
Level 34
Jul 4, 2020
I be like okay that’s all easy but wtf is CIA???

Ah, it’s American KGB...

wonder how many guys from Russia had the same problem))

+3
Level 62
Jul 10, 2020
For a curiosity: The one and only success-finished siege of Moscow was in 1610 by polish troops called Husaria. In Russia time when polish army stayed in Moscow calls Smuta (Time of Troubles)
+1
Level 60
Jul 10, 2020
Thats just simply not true. Napoleon conquered Moscow without any trouble, it was after, when russians pulled the pro gamer move of burning it down, when things went down the drain for him. Mongols also razed Moscow when they had their time there.
+2
Level 62
Jul 10, 2020
That's why i wrote SIEGE. Napoleon didn't siege a city. Russians after battle of Borodino abandoned and burned down Moscow so Napoleon took destroyed city without any fight. With Mongols - I agree with you but the fact is that Poles stayed in Moscow for the longer time - over 2 years (1610-1612)
+1
Level 85
Jul 10, 2020
Please accept Petrograd for St Petersburg as that was the name at the time.
+1
Level 79
Jul 10, 2020
Who said it wasn't accepted?
+2
Level 76
Jul 10, 2020
It's accepted for Leningrad. But it does also work for the St Petersburg hint. The name Petrograd was used from 1914 to 1924. But anyone who knows Petrograd will also know St Petersburg.
+1
Level 71
Jul 10, 2020
Can't believe so many people missed Elbrus. It's one of the seven summits!
+1
Level 79
Jul 10, 2020
What seven summits?
+2
Level 60
Jul 10, 2020
The highest mountains on each continent. They are: Denali (North America), Aconcagua (South America), Elbrus (Europe), Everest (Asia), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson (Antarctica) ans either Puncak Jaya or Kosciusko (Oceania) based on whether you’re using Oceania or counting border areas, such as the Indonesian part of New Guinea and Hawaii.
+1
Level 76
Jun 19, 2021
by that logic it’s two of the seven summits! definitely worth a visit then ;)
+1
Level 79
Jul 4, 2021
Oh I see
+1
Level 70
Jul 10, 2020
I read ballet dancer and kept trying every variation on Baryshnikov
+1
Level 65
Aug 5, 2020
Honestly! how are u supposed to spell Vladivastock! no? Vladivatsok! no? well ummmmmmmm Vlidivastok? Vlidivostok? Vladivostock!
+2
Level 75
Sep 30, 2020
It's spelt as it's pronounced: Vla-di-vos-tok
+2
Level 49
Nov 7, 2020
you should accept petrograd as a type-in for st. petersburg not for leningrad.
+5
Level 66
Nov 12, 2020
technically speaking, Catherine was a tsarina (or empress). Saying she was a tsar is similar to saying the UK is currently ruled by king elizabeth... XD
+1
Level 60
Jul 16, 2023
RIP.
+1
Level 57
Jan 6, 2021
Surprised so few got ak-47
+2
Level 59
Jan 25, 2021
i only got kgb bc of the office lol
+2
Level 50
Jan 26, 2021
I wouldn't boast too much about your dayjob here. I think you're supposed to remain anonymous.
+1
Level 21
Feb 11, 2021
welcome to the gulag
+1
Level 57
Mar 22, 2021
can you accept "stalingrad" for "battle of stalingrad"
+1
Level 67
Sep 28, 2021
There's a fantastic movie starring Jude Law and Ed Harris called "Enemy at the Gates"
+1
Level 68
May 3, 2021
Petrograd is accepted for Leningrad.
+4
Level 33
Jun 29, 2021
Great quiz, but nothing on chess! Russia is literally the most famous country in history for chess performance and domination--for the latter three quarters of the twentieth century. Names like Botvinnik, Spassky, Karpov, Kasparov (although the latter technically is from Baku in Azerbaijan).

Also, it would have been nice to see something on Dostoyevsky. Tolstoy wrote two novels that are household words; Dostoyevsky wrote three (and more, if you include Devils and A Raw Youth). There's also other writers like Gogol, Turgenev, and the Russian Shakespeare in terms of his poetry--Pushkin.

I also didn't see anything at all about Lenin, which seems a great shame.

Too bad the deepest and largest (by volume!!!) freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal, didn't make it on.

Having said all that, you have made a great quiz here, even a much longer quiz on any country would always miss so much. I write all this as an admirer of your excellent quiz! :-)

+4
Level 54
Jul 4, 2021
Should accept 'Petrograd' for question "Capital prior to 1918", because that's what the name was at the time of revolution.
+1
Level 55
May 2, 2022
Yeah, for some reason it only accepts Petrograd for Leningrad.
+1
Level 23
Sep 6, 2021
vladivostok is so fricking hard to spell. so is yuri gagarin keep forgetting
+1
Level 60
Feb 10, 2023
I spelt it easy. just vlad-ivo-stok
+2
Level 26
Jan 17, 2022
I knew samovar because of a roblox game
+1
Level 67
Apr 11, 2022
26, missed Black Sea somehow, Mount Elbrus, Samovar, and Bolshoi
+1
Level 55
Apr 24, 2022
can you accept tolstoj?
+3
Level 66
Oct 27, 2022
I can never remember Yuri Gagarin's last name. Ended up typing 'Yuri Gargamel'
+1
Level 60
Feb 10, 2023
30/30 well pleased. Surprised Samovar tanks are so little known. People often buy them here in the UK as a novelty.
+1
Level 71
Feb 15, 2023
The first time I took this quiz, many months ago (if not over a year ago), I got 25/28. This time I got 28/28. I missed AK-47 and "Battle of Stalingrad". Instead I tried "Volgograd", which Jetpunk should have accepted, but nevertheless.

One thing that infuriates me about "things Russian" is how the names of countries are changed and (misappropriated) into English and abused in the vernacular. It's as if "Russian" stands for "Rushin", and "Rushin" is a bad thing (and this speaks to mass misconception of humility as obsequiousness whereas it can also, and instead, be about acting urgently, decisively and forcibly). So it isn't always a bad thing. With so many school shootings and mass shootings and Covid and so much other craziness, the wheels of justice grind AWFULLY slow, and in that case, I would think that "Rushin" would be a VERY good thing. If that's the case, then clone Vladimir Putin a hundred million times and import him into the USA ON THE DOUBLE!!!

+1
Level 52
Feb 23, 2023
"Battle of Volgograd" makes more sense having "Battle of Stalingrad" since that is the only real name of the battle, if this asked "what city this battle happended at that would make sense for a Volgograd type in
+1
Level 23
Mar 24, 2023
Since I'm from UK and like 13 ( I had no clue what I was doing xd ) I DIDNT GET A SINGLE ONE LOL
+1
Level 46
Apr 13, 2023
This quiz is not about Russia, it is more about the Soviet Union and further history. While I think that a quiz like this needs to have a little bit of history in it, it is too much to make this kind of quiz so much about its history, mainly the Soviet Union. This is a quiz on Russia as a country today.
+1
Level 46
Apr 13, 2023
And please fix the Petrograd-Leningrad thing, Petrograd is a name given by the tsar in WW1 to sound less german, because they were fighting the Germans. Leningrad came only after the revolution and the dissolution of the Tsardom of Russia. Pertrograd has nothing to do with communism.
+2
Level 68
Apr 20, 2023
Would have expected a lot more to know about Mt. Elbrus :0
+1
Level 44
Jun 19, 2023
26/30 although i am russian
+1
Level 48
Jul 15, 2023
Please, accept samowar transcription as well.
+1
Level 55
Jan 23, 2024
You seriously didn't accept "Piotrogród" for Petersburg?