Travels with 'Lobachevsky' Quiz | Geography - Miscellany

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The plagiarism saga starts with the singer contacting "a friend in Minsk". Minsk, whose main post office is shown here, is the capital city of which landlocked country, formerly known by the acronym BSSR when it was a member of the USSR?

Answer: Belarus

The first recorded references to Minsk date from the end of the 11th century CE, when it was a town in the mountains near the confluence of the Svislach and Nyamiha rivers. It grew in size and importance over time, and changed hands between Poland, Lithuania and Russia, as empire borders changed over the centuries. Following the Russian Revolution, Minsk became the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR),a position it held until the dissolution of the USSR, when it became the capital city of the Republic of Belarus.

None of the other three former members of the USSR is a landlocked nation.

2. "I have a friend in Minsk, who has a friend in Pinsk". The city of Pinsk, about 300 km from Minsk, is situated on the Pina River, which is a tributary of the Pripyat River. This monument shows an armoured cutter of a type that played a significant role in the defense of the region against a German invasion during which war?

Answer: World War II

The image was of a class of armoured ship called a BKA-92, which were developed in a number of cities on rivers of the USSR, designed to maneuver well in the shallow river waters of the region. The Pinsk boats notably took part in the battles to remove the German bridgehead across the Berezina River starting in June, 1941. Similar boats played a pivotal role in the defense of Stalingrad, by keeping the Volga River open to supply the besieged city.

3. "I have a friend in Minsk, who has a friend in Pinsk, whose friend in Omsk" is living a mere 3800 km away, in the southwest part of a region which is crossed by a famous train. In which geographical region of Russia does this friend of a friend of a friend reside?

Answer: Siberia

The Trans-Siberia Railway is actually a network of interconnected lines that stretch from Moscow (in the west) across the nation to Vladivostok, over 9000 km to the east. The Trans-Manchurian branch provides a more direct line to Vladivostok than the main line, along with a connection to Beijing; the Trans-Mongolian branch leads south to Ulan Bator and Beijing.

Originally founded in 1716 as a fort to serve as the base from which Cossacks defended their territory against nomadic invasions from the east, Omsk is the second largest city in the Asian portion of Russia. As well as being a major railway hub, it also provides a point of intersection for a number of roads. In 1918, during the Russian Civil War, Omsk was declared the capital of Russia by the White Russian forces using it as their seat of government. Bolshevik forces ended that when they captured the city in 1919.

4. "I have a friend in Minsk, who has a friend in Pinsk, whose friend in Omsk has friend in Tomsk", a mere 900 km to the east. Tomsk is yet another city which was founded as a fort to house Cossacks barracked in the region for its defense. On what river does the city stand?

Answer: Tom

In 1604, local leaders asked the tsar, Boris Godunov, to send Cossacks to defend them, and the town of Tomsk was established on the Tom River. The original for stood on a hill overlooking the river, but the settlement grew along the banks of the river.

After World War II, Tomsk was declared a closed city, one which was off limits to foreigners, because of the sensitivity of the industrial and scientific research being conducted there. A secret city, now known as Seversk, was established 15 km from the centre of Tomsk, and was the site of Russia's first full-scale nuclear power station.

5. "I have a friend in Minsk, who has a friend in Pinsk, whose friend in Omsk has friend in Tomsk, with friend in Akmolinsk", 1300 km to the southeast. If Tom Lehrer were writing his song in the 21st century, he would have to use another name for Akmolinsk, as it has changed its name several times, and became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997. What city would this next friend call home in the first decade of the 21st century?

Answer: Astana

Yet another city arising from a Cossack fort, Akmolinsk was settled in 1824, and has had a number of changes of name over time. In 1961 it was renamed Tselinograd (meaning Virgin Lands City), and designated as the capital of Tselinny Krai as part of a project to create an agricultural economy in the region.

The large number of people moved there to work as farmers joined with a number of groups of Russian-German descent who had been moved there during World War II to make an ethnically diverse region.

After Kazakhstan became independent in 1991, an event which is commemorated by the Arch of Triumph in the photo for this question, the name was changed to Akmola (meaning White Temple), a name which lasted until 1998, when it was changed to Astana, a generic title meaning Capital, because it had replaced Almaty as the capital of Kazakhstan.

6. "His friend in Alexandrovsk" may be difficult to locate, as there are a number of cities that have used that name at one time or another. Which of these four now uses that name?

Answer: Alexandrovsk in Perm Krai, Russia

Alelxandrovsk is the administrative capital of Akexandrovsk Province, in the eastern part of Perm Krai. A krai is one of the types of administrative subdivisions found in Russia: there are nine krais, along with 21 republics, 46 oblasts, one autonomous oblast, four autonomous okrugs, and two federal cities. If the next link in the plagiarism chain lives there, he lives about 1500 km from his friend, and is in the closest of the possible locations.

The other three towns formerly called Alexandrovsk are now known as Polyarny (in Murmansk), Zaporoshia (in Ukraine) and Nanwalek (a former Russian settlement on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska). The image, by the way, was a map of Perm Krai.

7. "His friend in Alexandrovsk has friend in Petropavlovsk", whose house could have a stunning view of the Avachinsky volcano, shown here. What is the name of the peninsula in far eastern Russia where it is located?

Answer: Kamchatka

Kamchatka Peninsula is separated from the main body of Russia by the Sea of Okhotsk. It lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of much volcanic and seismic activity. Avachinsky has erupted over fifteen times in recorded history, and it has been declared a Decade Volcano.

This is a designation made in 1996 by the IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior) to identify a number of volcanoes worthy of special study because they have had large eruptions in the past, and are located in populated areas.

Others on the list include Vesuvius, Mt Etna, Mt Rainier and Mauna Loa. Petropavlovsk (more fully known as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky), has developed a significant tourist industry despite the fact that there are no roads connecting the Kamchatka Peninsula with the mainland. Tourists arrive by ship and plane to enjoy the glorious scenery and outdoor activities on offer.

8. "His friend in Alexandrovsk has friend in Petropavlovsk, whose friend somehow is solving now the problem in Dnepropetrovsk." The request has travelled from the far east of Russia to a city in Ukraine, approximately 7500 km away by plane. Dnepropetrovsk is an industrial city located on the banks of what river?

Answer: Dnieper

Dnipropetrovsk (official name of Dnepropetrovsk since 1992), the fourth largest city of the Ukraine, has been an industrial centre for many years. In 1959 it was declared a closed city, with no foreigners at all (even members of allied nations) being allowed access.

Its status as a closed city was based primarily on its high level of military research and manufacture, especially in the areas of nuclear arms and space travel. The city is located in a region of the Dnieper region with wide level banks, allowing plenty of room for the city to develop over the years.

The Dnieper, which has its source near Smolensk in Russia, reaches the Black Sea near Kherson, about 300 km southwest of Dnipropetrovsk.

9. "And when his work is done - ha ha! - begins the fun. From Dnepropetrovsk to Petropavlovsk, by way of Iliysk", clearly passing by way of a slightly different set of contacts, the message starts its return journey. Iliysk is actually not a city, it is a region along the banks of the Ili River, which flows into Lake Balkhash. It is found in the Almaty province of what country?

Answer: Kazakhstan

One of the main settlements on the Ili River is Kapchagay, established as the Kapchagay Dam was built on the river to form Lake Kapchagay, which is a popular place for city dwellers from the former Kazakhstani capital, Almaty, to visit so they can enjoy water sports on their holidays. The locator map of Kazakhstan might have provided a clue, if you recognized it.

10. From Dnepropetrovsk to Petropavlovsk, by way of Iliysk and Novorossiysk, to Alexandrovsk to Akmolinsk to Tomsk to Omsk to Pinsk to Minsk, to me the news will run." We've already visited most of these sites, but Novorossiysk is a new one, located in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. On what major body of water is it located?

Answer: Black Sea

Novorossiysk is Russia's main Black Sea port, with a location on a non-freezing bay which allows it to function year round. Its exports are primarily oil and grains, and it is being developed into the main naval base for Russia's Black Sea fleet. During World War II, Novorossiysk was occupied by German forces, but the port was defended by Soviet sailors until the city was liberated, this keeping the Germans form using the port as a source of supply for their forces.

As a result, the city was declared to be a Hero City in 1973, one of twelve cities to have its contributions during World War II recognized by the title.

Source: Author looney_tunes

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Travels with 'Lobachevsky' Trivia Quiz

Tom Lehrer's 1953 song 'Lobachevsky', which he says was inspired by Danny Kaye's routine about Stanislavsky, mentions a number of locations in what was then the USSR. Let's visit ten of the places listed on his trail of mathematical plagiarism.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>