Russian Federation

The National Anthem
The State Anthem of the Russian Federation (Russian: Государственный гимн Российской Федерации, Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the national anthem of Russia.

The music of the national anthem, created by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov, had been used in several hymns and compositions before its use in the Russian anthem. The first time the music was used was in the Hymn of the Bolshevik Party, created in 1938. When the Comintern was dissolved in 1943 it was felt that the Internationale, which was historically intimately associated with the Comintern, should be replaced as the National Anthem of the Soviet Union. Alexandrov's music was chosen for that purpose in 1944 by the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Before Alexandrov created the Bolshevik hymn, he first used pieces of the music in the song Zhit' stalo luchshe (It has become better to live).

While it is the choice of the performer to execute the anthem using only music, only words or a combination of both, it must be performed using the official lyrics and music provided by law. After the performance is recorded, it can be used for any purpose, such as a radio or television broadcast. The anthem can be played during solemn or celebratory occasions, but it is required to be played at the swearing-in of the President of Russia, opening and closing sessions of the Duma and the Federation Council, and official state ceremonies. The anthem is also played on television and radio before the start and closing of programming or if the programming is continuous, the anthem is played at 2400 and 0600 hours. The anthem is also played at sporting events both in Russia and abroad, but according to the protocol of the organization that is hosting the games. When the anthem is played, all men's and women's headgear must be removed and people must face the Russian flag, if it is present. Those who are in uniform must give a military salute when the anthem plays.

Watch the anthem being played on the Red Square here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66-yfZUrLi8

The National Flag and Presidential Standard
The flag of Russia (Russian: Флаг России, Flag Rossii) is a tricolor of three equal horizontal fields, white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. The flag of Russia provided the Pan-Slavic colours of red, blue and white that appear in the flags of Slavic countries (including Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Serbia).

The presidential standard is a square version of the Russian flag, charged in the center with the Russian coat of arms. Golden fringe is added to the standard. Copies of the standard are used inside his office, at the Kremlin, other state agencies, and while the president is traveling in a vehicle inside Russia. A 2:3 ratio version of the flag is used when the President is at sea. This is the mostly used symbol to denote the presence of the Russian President.

President of the Russian Federation
The President of the Russian Federation is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Russia.

According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, a person willing to run for presidency has to be a citizen of the Russian Federation not younger than 35, who has permanently resided in the Russian Federation for not less than 10 years.

The Constitution of the Russian Federation does not restrict the amount of terms that a person can hold the office of the President and there is no limit to successive terms that a President may be served. Each term lasts 30 days. Next presidential elections are to be held on the 14th of August.

The current President of the Russian Federation: Dmitry Ivanov

Right and duties:


 * The President is the guarantor of the Constitution of Russia and of human and civil rights and freedoms. In accordance with the Constitution, he (she) adopts measures to protect the sovereignty of Russia, its independence and state integrity, and ensures the coordinated functioning and interaction of State government bodies.


 * The President determines the basic objectives of the internal and foreign policy of the State.


 * as the Head of State, represents Russia within the country and in international relations.


 * appoints the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation;


 * has the right to chair meetings of the Government of Russia;


 * adopts decisions on the resignation of the Government of the Russian Federation;


 * appoints holders to the post of Chairman of the Central Bank;


 * appoints and dismisses chairmen of the Government of the Russian Federation and federal ministers;


 * forms and heads the Security Council of the Russian Federation;


 * approves the military doctrine of the Russian Federation;


 * forms the Administration of the President;


 * appoints and dismisses representatives of the President;


 * appoints and dismisses supreme commanders of the Armed Forces;


 * announces elections to the State Duma in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal law;


 * dissolves the State Duma in the cases and in accordance with the procedure provided for by the Constitution of the Russian Federation;


 * announces referendums in accordance with the procedure established by federal constitutional law;


 * submits draft laws to the State Duma;


 * signs and promulgates federal laws;


 * addresses the Federal Assembly with annual messages on the situation in the country and on the basic objectives of the internal and foreign policy of the State;


 * may use conciliatory procedures to resolve disputes between State government bodies of the Russian Federation and State government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and disputes between State government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation. In the event that no agreed decision is reached, he (she) shall have the right to refer the dispute to the appropriate court;


 * has the right to suspend acts of executive government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the event that these acts conflict with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws or with international commitments of the Russian Federation, or violate human and civil rights and freedoms until the issue is resolved by an appropriate court;


 * decides the foreign policy of the Russian Federation;


 * holds negotiations and sign international treaties;


 * signs instruments of ratification;


 * in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation or of an imminent threat of aggression, the President enacts martial law on the territory of the Russian Federation or on certain parts thereof;


 * decides on issues of citizenship of the Russian Federation and of granting political asylum;


 * issue edicts and regulations, which are legally binding on the entire territory of the Russian Federation (if edicts and regulations of the President conflict with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and/or federal laws the ones of the President are the binding)

Acting President of the Russian Federation
In case of the President's death, resignation or impeachment, the Prime Minister becomes a temporary president until new presidential elections which must take place within three days. The Prime Minister acting as president may not dissolve the State Duma, announce a referendum or propose amendments to the Constitution.

From May the 3rd to May the 5th, Nikolay Grushin acted as president of the Russian Federation as the country lacked a democratically elected president and legislative organs. Note that President Grushin then posessed all the powers a democratically elected president would have possessed. He was elected as president on the 5th of May.

The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation
The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation ( Russian: Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации, colloquially referred to as Russian: Премьер-министр) is the second most powerful official of the Russian Federation, who, under Article 24 of the Federal Constitutional Law On the Government of the Russian Federation, "heads the Government of the Russian Federation".

Nowhere in the Russian Law is he literally referred to as "head of government"; such designation nonetheless being commonly used. The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws because the supreme executive powers are constitutionally vested in the President of Russia, who is also Russia's head of state.

In case of the President's death, resignation or impeachment, the Prime Minister becomes a temporary president until new presidential elections which must take place within three days. The Prime Minister acting as president may not dissolve the State Duma, announce a referendum or propose amendments to the Constitution.

The Prime Minister may be dismissed by the President at any time at President's own discretion. The Chairman may also tender his resignation to the President on his own initiative. The President may reject such resignation and oblige him to work further. The Prime Minister and the whole government are constitutionally obliged to resign after the inauguration of a newly-elected President. The resignation of the Prime Minister automatically means the resignation of the whole governement as a body.

The Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
The Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Russian: Федеральное Собрание, transliteration: Federalnoye Sobraniye) is the legislature of the Russian Federation. It consists of the State Duma, which is the lower house, and the Federation Council, which is the upper house. Both houses are located in Moscow. All bills, even those proposed by the Federation Council, must first be considered by the State Duma. Upon adoption by a majority of the full State Duma membership, a draft law is considered by the Federation Council, which has fourteen days to place the bill on its calendar. The Federation Council cannot make changes in bills passed by the Duma and can either approve or reject them. If the Federation Council rejects a bill passed by the State Duma, the two chambers may form a conciliation commission to work out a compromise version of the legislation. If two chambers cannot reach a compromise, or the Duma insists on passing the bill as is, the veto of the Federation Council can be overridden, if two thirds of the Duma's constitutional composition vote in favor of the bill and the President does not veto the bill.

The State Duma and the Federation Council usually meet separately. Joint sessions are organized when the President of Russia delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly and in some other very rare occasions.

Legislative elections are held every 25th day. Next elections are to be held on the 11th of July.

Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation
The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation (Russian: Конституционный Суд Российской Федерации) is a high court which is empowered to rule on whether or not certain laws or presidential decrees are in fact contrary to the Constitution of Russia. Its objective is only to protect the Constitution (in Russian constitutional law this function is known as "constitutional control" or "constitutional supervision") and deal with a few kind of disputes where it has original jurisdiction, whereas the highest appellate court is the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

Subdivision of Russia
Russia is a federation that consists of 16 subjects. There are 4 diffrent categories of subjects in use and one possible category nolonger in use, but possible to apply to a future subject. All subjects has equal representation in the State Duma and in the Federal Counsil. However they differ in degree of "domestic" independence i.e. the administrationinside their respective territory. E.g. Republics have their own President and Duma.


 * Republic / Federal Republic


 * Oblast


 * Region


 * Special Administrative Region (Governed directly by the Kremlin)


 * Krai (in use before may 2009)



Presidential Elections Results

 * 21,4% of the votes was decleared non-valid by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation

Armed Forces
The Russian military is divided into the following branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Strategic Rocket Forces and Air Force. The Armed Forces as a whole seem to be traditionally referred to as the Army (armiya), except in some cases, the Navy

The Defence Ministry of the Russian Federation serves as the administrative body of the military and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces is the President of the Russian Federation.

Minister of Defence and General of the Army, Dmitry Gagarin, stated on the 15.5.2009 that the Russian government is to spend possibly as much as 1,000,000 roubles on the armed forces during the next 30 days. This amount was reduced to 500,000 roubles on the 23rd of May

15.5.2009 at 20:05 the State Duma finally approved the bill that officially changes the Russian status on nuclear weapons and at the same time authorized the Defence Ministry to start investigate the possibility for Russia to acquire nuclear weapons. Half an hour later, at 20.35, Moscow time, the bill was approved by the President by Presidential Decree 85. The President signed at the same time Presidential Decree 86 which created the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation.

Ground Forces

 * 1st Ground Forces Division of the Siberian Military District
 * 2nd Ground Forces Division of the Siberian Military District
 * 1st Guards Tank Division of the Siberian Military District


 * 1st Ground Forces Division of the Leningrad Military District
 * 2nd Ground Forces Division of the Leningrad Military District
 * 1st Guards Tank Division of the Leningrad Military District


 * 1st Ground Forces Division of the Moscow Military District
 * 2nd Ground Forces Division of the Moscow Military District
 * 3rd Ground Forces Division of the Moscow Military District
 * 1st Guards Tank Division of the Moscow Military District


 * 1st OMON Forces Division (Interior Ministry Forces)

Airforce

 * 1st Helicopter Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Moscow Military District

Strategic Rocket Forces
The RT-2UTTKh «Topol-M» (Russian: РТ-2УТТХ «Тополь-М») is the most recent ballistic cruise missiles to be deployed by the Russian Federation, introduced on the 1.6.2009.

In its Russian designation РТ stands for "ракета твердотопливная," Raketa Tverdotoplivnaya ("solid fuel rocket"), while УТТХ - for "улучшенные тактико-технические характеристики," uluchshenniye taktiko-tekhnicheskie kharahteristiki ("improved tactical and technical characteristics"). "Topol" (тополь) in Russian means "poplar".

The Bulava-missile is the future submarine-based version of the Topol M.


 * 1st Strategic Rocket Forces Division of the Moscow Military District

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB)
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) (Russian: ФСБ, Федеральная служба безопасности Российской Федерации; Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti Rossiyskoy Federaciyi) is the main domestic security service of the Russian Federation and the main successor agency of the Soviet-era Cheka, NKVD, and KGB.

The FSB is involved in counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and surveillance. Its headquarters are on Lubyanka Square, downtown Moscow, the same location as the former headquarters of the KGB.

the Free Peoples Coalition
On the 2nd of May the Minister of Foreign Affairs submitted the application to join the Free Peoples Coalition and officially transferred the matter to the Prime Minister. On the 3rd of May after having been accepted into the alliance the State Duma voted 306-54 for the decision and later that afternoon the President signed, in a formal ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace, the document that officially joined the Russian Federation to the FPC (Presidential Decree 83 (Указ президента no.83)).

On July 9th the Russian Federation left the alliance. (Presidential Decree 91 (Указ президента no.91))

the Russian Empire
On the 9th of July the Minister of Foreign Affairs submitted, on request of the President of the Russian Federation, the application for joining the Russian Empire alliance. Minister Sokolov commented to the RossiyaPlaneta-channel journalists that it is very likely that the Russian Federation will be accepted into the alliance and that this will be a very profitable solution for Russia. The Russian Federation officially joined the alliance later that afternoon at a ceremony held in the Presidential Summer Palace just outside Moscow.

Territorial Claims
The territorial Claims of the Russian Federation are stated in Article IV §3-§12 in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation has claimed basically the territory of the former Russian Empire, note; this excluding Finland, although the Russian government has reserved the right to do so.

Black list
The government of the Russian Federation has since the beginning of July 2009 adopted a non-tolerance policy of nations that not respect agreements made with Russia. The government has because of numerous incidents decided to publish a so called Black list of nations that are considered rouge states and in which a change of leadership, or similar event, is needed for the Russian Federation to start co-operating with that state again. The nation is able to contact the President of the Russian Federation to discuss how to improve relations.

Blacklisted states are subdivided into 5 categories;

[W] The Russian Federation maintains foreign relations with the nation in question, but there is reason for consern in the nation listed at W-status.

[B] The Russian Federation calls home it's diplomats and other staff of the embassy and consulates. Diplomatic relations are maintained by phone, post or other.

[D] Total cut in diplomatic realtions, the nation in question now has to do serious changes to restore relations with Russia.

[E] All contact with the country is cut, ie. Trade agreements are cancelled and citizens of this nation are not allowed to travel to the Russian Federation.

[X] the Russian Federation considers this nation a threath against its national security and has the right do defend itself, even with a preemptive attack.

Demographics
One of the largest problems the Russian governement is facing is the nations demographics. The growing Russian economy has needs greater than the Russian population can offer. Although the governement has done an excellent job handling the matter there is still a lot to be done.

On the 23rd of May 2009 the State Duma approved "the Demographics Project 09" of President Grushin, it allows the government to freely allocate as much as 50% of the budget every other day on infrastructure. The Communist Party and the Democratic Russia-party oppose the bill. The project was cancelled by President Romanov on the 2.7.2009

VrGTRK
All-Russia State Television and Radio Company (Russian: Всероссийская государственная телевизионная и радиовещательная компания)

Channels operated(percentage state owned):


 * Channel One - Первый Канал (99%)
 * RossiyaPlaneta (99%)
 * Telekanal Rossiya - Телеканал Россия (60%)
 * RossiyaKultura - РоссияКультура (60%)
 * RossiyaSport - РоссияСпорт (60%)
 * RossiyaMir - РоссияМир (60%)
 * NTV - НТВ (55%)

Privately Owned Channels

 * MTVRussia
 * BcS
 * Ruscom
 * TelevidenyeRossiya (State Owned 34%)

Internet
[.ru] is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the Russian Federation

Language and Religion
Russian is the only official state language, but the Constitution gives the individual republics the right to make their native language co-official next to Russian. Despite its wide dispersal, the Russian language is homogeneous throughout Russia.

Russian Orthodoxy is the dominant religion in Russia, less than 1% considered themselves either Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant or Jewish. Another 12% said they believe in God, but did not practice any religion, and 16% said they are non-believers.

On the 23.6.2009 the Duma passed a bill making Orthodox christianity the only offical religion throughout the Russian Federation. The bill was confirmed by a presidential decree signed shortly after.

Presidential Decrees and Political events
11.07.2009 Prime minister Leonid Savchenko is sworn in as Acting President of the Russian Federation.

11.07.2009 President Michail Romanov dies at the Tsarskaya-hospital after suffering from a heart attack.

09.07.2009 Duma vote 202/Presidential Decree 92/ the Russian Federation has joined the Russian Empire-alliance.

09.07.2009 Presidential Decree 91/The Russian Federation has left the Free Peoples Coalition

03.07.2009 The planned tax-cut has taken place. The tax reform of President Romanov has cut the tax rates by half.

23.06.2009 Duma vote 202/Presidential Decree 90/Orthodox christianity is now the official national religion of the Russian Federation. The diffrent federal republics are still allowed to maintain their own national religions, together with the orthodox faith.

28.05.2009 Referendum d01/ 96,54% of the population of the Russian Federation has voted in favor of a change in the constitution, which will drastically reduce the power of the legislative organs, the State Duma and the Federation Council and increase the powers vested in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.

25.05.2009 Presidential Decree 89/the Administration of the National Security Agency has been created.

25.05.2009 Presidential Decree 88/the State Duma has been dissolved by the President on the recommendation of the Constitutional Court, the Army has announced it will dissolve any gatherings, demonstrations and meetings of a political nature.

17.05.2009 Presidential Decree 87/the State Duma has been dissolved by the President. (Confirmed by the Constitutional Court) the President has announced that all gatherings and all meetings of a political nature are forbidden. The Army has announced that it supports the President.

15.05.2009 Presidential Decree 86/the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation-branch of the Armed Forces has been created.

15.05.2009 Duma vote 201/Presidential Decree 85/the Russian Federation changed it's position on nuclear weapons and authorizes the Ministry of Defence to investigate the possibility for Russia to start researching nuclear technology and acquire nuclear weapons.

10.05.2009 Presidential Decree 84/there is no longer a limit on successive terms for the president.

09.05.2009 President Grushin hosts the Victory day celebrations in Moscow

09.05.2009 the Russian Federation celebrates Victory Day!

03.05.2009 Presidential Decree 83/the Russian Federation joins the Free Peoples Coalition