As I mentioned earlier, the Volga and Neva river systems have been influential in Russia's growth and trade. Long before Russia had roads, people traveled up and down the rivers to trade goods and settled in different areas. These rivers are heavily interconnected with no connection to a greater body of water other than the Baltic Sea at St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg was Russia's first port, connecting Russia to the rest of Europe throughout the Cold War. The desire for a warm water port is still high on the priority for Russia and played a big part in Vladimir Putin's decision to annex Crimea in 2014.
Russia is also heavily impacted by the Ural mountains. These mountains separate Western Russia from the rest of Eastern Russia. They served as protection in the East from Mongol invaders for early Russians, but also as a barrier to settling the east. Today, the mountains offer little assistance or hindrance to Russian people, as most people fly over them.
The long winters are one of the most extreme challenges to Russians. Winter begins in early to mid-October and does not end until mid-March. Depending on where you live in Russia, temperatures can range from an average of 30 to -58 degrees Fahrenheit. The extreme cold makes growing food very difficult and the times of the year when you can grow food very short. As a result, Russians depend heavily on root foods that grow deep underground and can survive an early frost. The foods they grow are pickled, so they can last through the long winter months: picked potatoes, apples, beets, for example.
