Rowena Roams Around Russia Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sheksna

First recorded by chroniclers in 1071 as Ust-Sheksna, or "the mouth of the Sheksna," from 1504 onwards, the settlement was identified in documents as Rybnaya Sloboda which translates literally as "the fishing village".
The change of name is explained by the fact that by that time the settlement was famed for supplying the royal court of the Tsar in Moscow with choice sturgeons and other luxury fish.

Answer: Rylsk

In the 1780s, Grigory, a member of the famous merchant Shelikov family, visited Kodiak Island off Alaska, and founded the first permanent Russian settlement there.
He was born in Rylsk in 1747.
Although the town is mentioned in archival records as far back as the 12th century, very little of the early town survived the various wars over the years. This has meant that although the two cathedrals are relatively recent, archaelogically speaking, they are two of the oldest surviving buildings in the town.

Answer: Oil

Raduzhny is in the Khanti-Mansi Autonomous Okrug; this region supplies just over half of all the oil extracted in Russia, giving the area untold economic importance.
Traditionally (since the earliest known records, dating from the 11th century) the region was known as Yugra.

Answer: Semyon Roshal

Roshal was born in 1896, and was something of a leader in the Bolshevik movement. In 1917, he was captured after a failed attempt to kidnap General Shcherbachev, commander of the Russian 6th Army. He was executed by soldiers serving in the Romanian army, to make an example for his comrades.
The town had been founded in 1916, and in 1917 it was decided to rename it in honour of Roshal. The town was given official administrative status in 1940.

Answer: Airport Runway

The airport serving Ramenskoye is also home to the world renowned Gromov Flight Research Institute, and hosts the annual MAKS Airshow.
The main runway is the second longest in the world (to be used for public/commercial flights) and is a little over 5,400 metres long.

Answer: The town is not part of that district

By a quirk of the Russian administrative system, even though the town is the administrative centre of Rassakozovsky District, it is not part of it. The town is incorporated separately and is officially known as " town of oblast significance of Rassakazovo".
(Much like my own home town, the "Borough of Hartlepool" is no longer officially part of any County of England, but "stands alone" so to speak.)

Answer: Rezh

Rezh was first settled in the 1770s when a metal works opened in the area. It is on the banks of the Rezh River, in the Ob Basin.
Ekaterinburg, fifty miles away, is the fourth largest city in Russia.

Answer: Rzhev

Sadly, during World War II, almost all the inhabitants of the town were killed when they were forced into a concentration camp under German occupation. Some nine thousand people lost their lives between 1940 and 1945.
Although the town is mentioned in archival documents as far back as the 11th century, almost no historical buildings survive to the present day.

Answer: Rubtsovsk

As well as Raisa Gorbachev, other famous people born in Rubtsovsk include Aleksei Tishchenko the boxer, and choreographer Boris Eifman.
"The Endless Steppe", first published in 1968, tells the story of Esther Hautzig and her family's experience as Jews during World War II. It is often compared to the "Diary of Anne Frank" although Esther's story has a much happier outcome.

Answer: Mordovia

The Republic of Mordovia is a little over 10,000 square miles in area, and is also known as Mordvinia.
It is officially a "federal subject" of Russia, and the population is split between ethnic Mordvin and Russians.