Russia and the 2018 FIFA World Cup
As the eyes of the world turn towards Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup kick off in Moscow this week and as I Love meet and greet, who have already provided meet and greet parking for many football fanatic fans travelling to Russia, we thought we do a little research on the country they are all travelling to.
Russia
Russia is the largest county in the world by area covering more than one-eighths of the Earth’s inhabited land area and it is the ninth most populous, with over 144 million people living in the country. Russia spans eleven time zones and extends across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe. 80% of the Russian population is concentrated in the European portion of the country especially in the fertile regions surrounding Moscow, the capital. Both Moscow and St Petersburg are the two most important cultural and financial centres in Russia and are among the most picturesque.
Russia’s Weather
The weather in Russia varies hugely but in general can be described as a highly continental influenced climate with warm to hot dry summers and very cold winters. But it does depend on where you are; Moscow and St Petersburg have their first snows in November and can last until early April but are then replaced with splendid summers and temperatures ranging from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. Winters are short in the Southern European Russia and have a slightly Mediterranean influence and Siberia is infamous for its extreme and very cold winters with temperatures below -35 degrees Celsius.
The Russian Language
Russian is an East Slavic language and the official language in Russia. It is the largest native language in Europe with 144 million native speakers in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Russian is the eighth most spoken language in the world.
World Cup Host Cities
Throughout the World Cup, matches will be played across Russia in eleven host cities; Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi, Ekaterinburg, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Samara. These cities will host the 64 matches of the World Cup and all twelve stadium venues are in European Russia to keep travel time manageable. The largest and newest venue, Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, with a capacity of 81,000, will hold the first and final game. And the English squad will play their first three games in Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Kaliningrad.
What Else Is There to See in Russia
For the football fans that intend to explore the country while their teams aren’t playing, there is lots to see in Russia! From the snow-capped peaks of the Ural and Caucasus mountains, the infinite Siberian forest to the land of Lake Baikal and the Volga, Europe’s longest river. The Kremlin, the apex of Russian political power and the Red Square is a must see in Moscow, as is the Winter Palace and Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg.
And as England holds its breath for the World Cup, we hope we have given you a little taster of what Russia has to offer. If we have, why not start planning your trip by booking your meet and greet airport parking with I Love meet and greet.
By Sarah Anglim at 12 Jun 2018