PART 1
Photo: Maxim Lyamenkov
The author of the question: Natalia Popova
1. This Russian island is located in three hemispheres: Northern, Eastern and Western ones. The island is distinguished by an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna species, which is rare for the northern latitudes. Name the island.
А) Franz Josef Land; B) Sakhalin; C) Wrangel Island; D) Iturup.
Answer: C) Wrangel Island
Photo: Andrei Shapran
2. During the period of the Golden Horde, this footwear began to penetrate the territory of Russia with the Turkic and Mongol tribes. They became widespread only in the first half of the 19th century, when industrial manufacturing of this shoes started. They were called differently depending on the region and composition: for example, “chesanki” (i.e. combed out) and “katanki” (rolled up) in Nizhny Novgorod, whereas those made from goat wool were called “volnushechki” (waves) and “vykhodki” (smart shoes). What footwear is described in the question?
А) Onuchi; B) Valenki; C) Porshni; D) Ichigi.
Answer: B) Valenki
Photo: Konstantin Tolokonnikov
The authors of the idea of the question: Maria Borodina and Sergey Liutyi
3. This novel was published in 1928 and instantly became extremely popular. The book rather quickly took its place among the classics of Russian literature due to its vivid and powerful description of the turning point, as well as in many ways tragic events in Russian history. Its author won the Nobel Prize in Literature. What river does this novel take place on?
А) The Amur; B) The Dnieper; C) The Don; D) The Nizhnyaya Tunguska.
Answer: C) The Don
Photo: Dmitry Utkin
The author of the question: Anna Evsiukova
4. Match cultural and natural attractions with the cities where they are located, and arrange them from west to east:
1. Chersonesus; 2. Avacha Bay; 3. Kul Sharif Mosque; 4. Museum of the World Ocean.
A) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky; B) Sevastopol; C) Kaliningrad; D) Kazan.
А) 4D, 2А, 3B, 1C;
B) 1D, 4C, 2А, 3B;
C) 2C, 4А, 3B, 1D;
D) 4C, 1B, 3D, 2А.
Answer: D) 4C, 1B, 3D, 2А
Photo: wikipedia.org/State Russian Museum
The author of the question: Maria Poroshina
5. This is a drawing by Vasily Ivanovich Surikov "Peter the Great drags ships from Onega Bay to Lake Onega to conquer the Noteburg fortress from the Swedes." Select from the list the sea of which the Onega Bay is a part.
А) The White Sea; B) The Baltic Sea; C) The Sea of Azov; D) The Black Sea.
Answer: А) The White Sea
Photo: Irina Merkusheva
The author of the question: Ravilya Sarayeva
6. In 1909, the Russian painter Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev, staying in the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk (today it is called Tutaev), from the window of the Hermitage Hotel watched the fair that he captured on his canvas. The embankment of which river did the artist's windows overlook?
А) The Neva; B) The Northern Dvina; C) The Dnieper; D) The Volga.
Answer: D) The Volga
Photo: Oleg Pershin, wikipedia.org/ flickr.com/ Mark Jones, wikipedia.org/Charles James Sharp, wikipedia.org
7. Here are images of representatives of the felidae family: Jaguar, Cheetah, Manul, Serval. Choose from them a species that lives on the territory of the Russian Federation.
А) Jaguar; B) Cheetah; C) Manul; D) Serval.
Answer: C) Manul
Photo: Mikhail Turkeev
8. Russian pioneers called these mountains “the Stone”, thus the expression “to go beyond the Stone” among Russians until the 18th century meant “to go to Siberia”. What mountains are described in the question?
А) The Caucasus; B) The Ural Mountains; C) The Altai Mountains; D) The Sayan Mountains.
Answer: B) The Ural Mountains
Photo: wikipedia.org_flickr.com_Agência de Notícias do Acre, wikipedia.org_flickr.com_Theo Crazzolara, Vladimir Sudnik, Ekaterina Larina
9. About 60 tons of fruit of this plant are eaten annually at the Kamyshin festival. It is held in the city of Kamyshin, Volgograd region, under the motto “The excellent fruit”. What is the festival dedicated to?
А) Watermelon; B) Melon; C) Grape; D) Apricot.
Answer: А) Watermelon
Photo: Anna Mukhamedshina
The author of the question: Vitaly Khrikin
10. This sandy spit is the largest in the world, it starts in the city of Zelenogradsk and extends to Klaipeda (Lithuania), which is about 100 kilometers. What two water bodies does this spit separate?
А) The Sea of Azov and the Black Sea;
B) The Baltic Sea and the the Curonian Lagoon;
C) The Caspian Sea and the Kara-Bogaz-Gol lagoon;
D) The Barents Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia.
Answer: B) The Baltic Sea and the the Curonian Lagoon
PART 2
Photo: wikipedia.org
1. This unique freshwater mollusk is an endangered species in most countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Now its populations are preserved mainly in Norway and North-West Russia. In the 17th-19th centuries, its fishing was carried out on a large scale, as jewelry was made from river pearls and it was also used for inlaying icon frames and pearl sewing on clothes. Select from the list the name of this long-lived mollusk, the age limit of which reaches 200 years.
А) Helix pomatia (Roman snail); B) Freshwater pearl mussel; C) Scallop; D) Blue mussel.
Answer: B) Freshwater pearl mussel
The author of the question: Anastasia Tenigina
2. According to one of the versions, from the language of the inhabitants of the extreme north-east of the European part of Russia and north-west of Siberia the name of this city is translated as “a hill on which larches grow, suitable for chum poles.” The city, known for the largest gas condensate field, is located near the Arctic Circle, and therefore the shortest day of the year here lasts only 67 minutes. Name the city.
А) Tyumen; B) Novy Urengoy; C) Salekhard; D) Nyagan.
Answer: B) Novy Urengoy
Photo: Yuri Kot
The author of the question: Alexander Prais
3. One of the amazing natural phenomena of the Ural region is stone rivers (stone runs). They are heaps of large boulders or fragments of solid rock, which are formed due to weathering. Choose from the list the other name of the stone river.
А) Landslide; B) Qorum; C) Abrasion; D) Riffle.
Answer: B) Qorum
Photo: wikipedia.org
The author of the question: Alexander Vinnikov
4. This mineral, called “moonstone,” is a kind of feldspar that looks like a sea drop shining under the moonlight. It is used as an ornamental stone, various jewels are made from it. The mineral was discovered in Karelia by the Russian academician and mineralogist Alexander Evgenievich Fersman and named after the location on the sea coast. Name this mineral.
А) Apatite; B) Belomorite; C) Beringite; D) Amber.
Answer: B) Belomorite
Photo: Scientific Archive of the Russian Geographical Society
The author of the question: Olga Sergeeva
5. This ethnographic group of the Russian population has a proverb “We eat bread not from the field, but from the sea”, which is determined by the region where they live. What people who call themselves codfish-eaters are described in the question?
А) Skobars (inhabitants of the Pskov Oblast and neighboring areas);
B) Pomors (inhabitants of the White Sea coasts);
C) Kamchadals (inhabitants of the Kamchatka Peninsula and neighboring areas);
D) Meshcheryaki (inhabitants of the left bank of the Oka river).
Answer: B) Pomors (inhabitants of the White Sea coasts)
Photo: Igor Kopytov
The author of the question: Elmira Yarmukhametova
6. Baikal explorer Ivan Dementievich Chersky wrote the legend, told him by the local residents: “The highest mountain on the island is Izhimey. According to the Buryats, there lives an immortal bear in chains. The Buryats do not dare to enter this mountain.” What island is described?
А) Sakhalin; B) Big Ushkan Island; C) Olkhon; D) Valaam.
Answer: C) Olkhon
Photo: Vladimir Grinevich
7. “...Suddenly, in the north, the sky split in two, and above the forest a fire appeared wide and high and engulfed the entire northern part of the sky... At the moment when the sky opened up, a hot wind swept from the north, like from a cannon, the wind left traces on the ground in the form of tracks. Later, it turned out that many windows had been broken, and an iron tab for the door lock had been broken near the barn.” This is how Semyon Semyonov, a resident of the Vanavara trading post, describes a rare natural event that occurred in Siberia in the summer of 1908. What happened that day?
А) Klyuchevskaya Sopka eruption;
B) Chuya (Altai) earthquake;
C) Explosion of the Tunguska meteorite in the atmosphere;
D) The explosion of the steamer “Baron Drizen” in Arkhangelsk.
Answer: C) Explosion of the Tunguska meteorite in the atmosphere
Photo: Ivan Volk
The author of the question: Raisa Kiseleva
8. In 1731, near the city, located close to a unique field of natural resources, Grigory Akinfievich Demidov created one of the first private botanical gardens in Russia, acting against the will of his formidable father, who was engaged in mining. Despite the geographical latitude of the city, subtropical plants from all over the world grew in the greenhouse of the botanical garden, including cacti, coffee, myrtles, agaves. Even citrus fruits, bananas and pineapples ripened and were supplied to the royal table. Select the described city from the list.
А) Ekaterinburg; B) Solikamsk; C) Perm; D) Vologda.
Answer: B) Solikamsk
Photo: wikipedia.org
The authors of the idea of the question: Maria Borodina and Sergey Liutyi
9. The etymology of the name of this village, located in the Moscow region, has not been established for certain, but it is consonant with the famous Italian glass industry. However, this place is well-known for the fact that the house-museum of the Russian poet Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev is situated here. Name this locality.
А) Muranovo; B) Venetsianovo; C) Stekolnoye; D) Vyduvo.
Answer: А) Muranovo
Photo: wikipedia.org
10. Russian naval commander, member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (IRGS) Stepan Osipovich Makarov, who commanded the Vityaz corvette, made a round-the-world expedition in 1886-1889, in which he conducted large-scale oceanographic research. The scientist presented its results in two volumes and was awarded by the IRGS with the Gold Medal named after Count F.P.Litke. On the pediment of the Oceanographic Museum, also founded by the famous Honorary Member of the IRGS, the name of the Vityaz corvette is carved in the list of the most significant ships in the history of navigation. What country is this museum located in?
А) Spain; B) Monaco; C) Venezuela; D) Austria.
Answer: B) Monaco
The authors of the idea of the question: Maria Borodina and Sergey Liutyi
11. During the late Middle Ages, a Genoese colony, Mapa, existed on the site of this modern Russian city. The Genoese built a strong fortification here, that was marked on the Visconti maps of 1318. Currently, this Black Sea resort is included in “the Golden Ring of the Bosporus Kingdom” tourist route, recommended by the Russian Geographical Society. Name the city - its coat of arms is shown in the illustration.
А) Anapa; B) Sochi; C) Novorossiysk; D) Gelendzhik.
Answer: А) Anapa
Photo: Scientific Archive of the Russian Geographical Society
12. This natural zone is distinguished, among other features, by the high mosaic of vegetation and the presence of permafrost landforms visible on satellite images. Which of the following natural areas is shown in the picture?
А) Steppe; B) Tundra; C) Desert; D) Taiga.
Answer: B) Tundra
Photo: Scientific Archive of the Russian Geographical Society
13. Russian ethnographer Vasily Vasilievich Radlov described the dwellings of the Altai peoples as follows: “Pointed on poles, shaped like a sugar loaf, with a sloping roof and vertical walls ... their frame consists of 10–14 poles from seven to nine arshins long, installed in such a way that the lower ends, the thicker ones, are arranged in a circle, and the upper ends converge, being crossed at one point. This frame is covered with felt mats.” What type of dwelling does Radloff describe?
А) Vardo; B) Yurt; C) Igloo; D) Wigwam.
Answer: B) Yurt
14. The photo shows the coat of arms of the city, located on the Russian-Mongolian border. The border checkpoint on the Great Tea Road was situated there. For a long time, it was in this miniature town that all Russian trade with China took place. Through this town, silk and cotton products, tea and sugar were imported from China to Russia. In 2020, the Russian Geographical Society inaugurated there a monument to “Explorers and pioneers of Central Asia”. Name the described Russian town, on the coat of arms of which the head of a dragon is depicted.
А) Ulan-Ude; B) Khabarovsk; C) Kyzyl; D) Kyakhta.
Answer: D) Kyakhta
15. The distribution of this natural phenomenon is shaded on the map. Choose the phenomenon.
А) Polar day and night; B) Polar lights; C) Summer solstice; D) Noctilucent clouds.
Answer: А) Polar day and night
Photo: Elena Lasun
16. This river is one of the six greatest rivers in Asia. Its basin is located in three states, and the border of two states passes along its main channel. According to legend, the locals call this mighty river with dark (black) waters the black dragon. Name the river.
А) The Ob; B) The Lena; C) The Yenisey; D) The Amur.
Answer: D) The Amur
Photo: Marina Vakulina
The author of the question: Arslan Kuramshin
17. Afanasy Nikitin traveled to India in the 15th century and wrote in his travel notes: “I wrote down here about my sinful journey across three seas: the first sea is Derbent, daria Khvalisskaya, the second sea is Indian, daria Gundustanskaya, the third sea is Black, daria Istanbul.” Under what name is the “Derbent Sea” known today?
А) The Sea of Azov; B) The Caspian Sea; C) The Aral Sea; D) The Baltic Sea.
Answer: B) The Caspian Sea
Photo: Nikolai Sinilo
The authors of the idea of the question: Maria Borodina and Sergey Liutyi
18. A bridge is thrown across the Eastern Bosphorus Strait, which has the longest span in the world among cable-stayed bridges (1104 meters). Its name coincides with the island, which was connected by a created highway to the Nazimov Peninsula in 2012. This bridge is depicted on a banknote of two thousand rubles. Name it.
А) The Crimean bridge;
B) The Khabarovsk Bridge;
C) The Yugra Bridge;
D) The Russky Bridge.
Answer: D) The Russky Bridge
Photo: wikipedia.org/ZUFAr
19. This type of wooden utensils was borrowed from the Russians by the peoples of the Volga region and the Karelians in the 16th century, and they have preserved it to this day as national utensil. It is made from linden, birch, oak, maple and other hardwoods. These utensils were also used in the navy and are mentioned in the fairy tale of Pyotr Pavlovich Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. What is the name of this item, used mainly for scooping up and serving liquids to the table?
А) Gusyatnitsa (kind of pot);
B) Krynka (kind of jug);
C) Kubyshka (kind of jar);
D) Yendova (kind of bowl).
Answer: D) Yendova (kind of bowl)
20. Arrange the unique natural territories of Russia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the direction from the most western to the most eastern:
A) Lake Baikal; B) The Putorana Plateau; C) Lena Pillars; D) Wrangel Island.
1) B-А-C-D;
2) А-B-D-C;
3) C-D-А-B;
4) D-C-B-А.
Answer: 1) B-А-C-D
Photo: Igor Sidun
The author of the question: Fyodor Dokunin
21. Close to what water body the area sung by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in the poem “Magic Land” is situated?
Enchanting region! full of life
Thy hills, thy woods, thy leaping streams,
Ambered and rubied vines, all rife
With pleasure, spot of fairy dreams!
Valleys of verdure, fruits, and flowers,
Cool waterfalls and fragrant bowers!
All serve the traveller's heart to fill
With joy as he in hour of morn
By his accustomed steed is borne
In safety o'er dell, rock, and hill,
Whilst the rich herbage, bent with dews,
Sparkles and rustles on the ground,
As he his venturous path pursues
Where AYOUDAHGA'S crags surround!
А) The Caspian Sea; B) The Black Sea; C) The Baltic Sea; D) The Sea of Azov.
Answer: B) The Black Sea
22. Among the listed cities, all, except for one, were founded by the Russian Empress Catherine II. Name a city founded in a different historical epoch.
А) Odesa; B) Kherson; C) Nikolaev; D) Kharkov.
Answer: D) Kharkov
Photo: Vadim Gurnov
23. This landmark of Sakhalin, located on the Sivuchya rock, is one of the favorite objects of photographers. Initially, the structure was called Nakashiretoko, the current name coincides with the name of the cape in the Sea of Okhotsk, where it was installed. The height of this building corresponds to the size of a nine-story building, but it is currently abandoned. Name the described landmark.
А) Aniva lighthouse; B) Port of Korsakov; C) Crillon weather station; D) Temple house on the Chekhov Peak.
Answer: А) Aniva lighthouse
24. On the flag of one of the settlements located at the mouth of the small Manila River in the north of the Kamchatka Territory, a natural phenomenon of these places is displayed. Choose it.
А) High tide; B) Tsunami; C) Geyser; D) Waterfall.
Answer: А) High tide
25. Initially founded as a stronghold for the defense of the borders, this city has acquired great economic importance due to its location at the confluence of two large rivers in the European part of Russia. The most famous fair in the Russian Empire was held here, and its picturesque Kremlin, which served as a military and administrative center, was never taken. The historical structure of urban development is still visible in the appearance of the city, which can be seen on a satellite image. Select this city from the list.
А) Volgograd; B) Nizhny Novgorod; C) Kazan; D) Ekaterinburg.
Answer: B) Nizhny Novgorod
Photo: Pavel Ivshin
26. Almost 20% of the territory of Russia is occupied by these lands, which are important for ensuring traditional types of land use. Name them.
А) Reindeer pastures; B) Inland waters; C) Settlements; D) Arable lands.
Answer: А) Reindeer pastures
Photo: wikipedia.org
27. The city of Donetsk arose in the 1860s and until 1924 was called Yuzovka. What are the merits of John James Hughes to the city?
А) He participated in the battles of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia and the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army during the Civil War;
B) Together with Eduard Theodor Bosse, he built a machine-building and iron foundry (now Donetskgormash JSC);
C) He built a metallurgical plant, around which the first mining village was formed;
D) He built the first railway, by which the coal transportation began in the region.
Answer: C) He built a metallurgical plant, around which the first mining village was formed
Photo: wikipedia.org
28. Name a city located on the southern slopes of the Donetsk Ridge, the name of which echoes the name of one of the types of coal.
А) Antratsyt; B) Slantsy; C) Boksitogorsk; D) Apatity.
Answer: А) Antratsyt
Photo: Andrei Kiyko
29. This people is the northernmost in Eurasia, in Russia they live mainly on the territory of the Taimyr Peninsula. In the last 100 years, their number in our country is about 1000 people. Traditional occupations are hunting for wild deer and waterfowl, domestic reindeer breeding, fur hunting, and fishing. Literally, the name of this people is translated from their language as “people”, and in ancient times they practiced the rite of air burial. What people are described in the question?
А) The Nganasans; B) The Karelians; C) The Yakuts; D) The Tsakhur people.
Answer: А) The Nganasans
Photo: wikipedia.org/Alexander2018
The authors of the idea of the question: Maria Borodina and Sergey Liutyi
30. The city where this palace is located became the first in Europe to be completely illuminated by electricity: in 1887, a direct current generator started working there - almost 10 years earlier than in the capital of the Russian Empire. In 1936, this city, then called Children's Village, became part of Leningrad. Also there is the famous lyceum and several palaces. Select from the list the palace that is located in this suburb of St. Petersburg.
А) The Anichkov Palace; B) The Peterhof Palace; C) The Great Gatchina Palace; D) The Alexander Palace.
Answer: D) The Alexander Palace
