Slavic Native FaithThe Slavic Native Faith, commonly known as Rodnovery and sometimes as Slavic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Classified as a new religious movement, its practitioners hearken back to the historical belief systems of the Slavic peoples of Central and Eastern Europe, though the movement is inclusive of external influences and hosts a variety of currents. "Rodnovery" is a widely accepted self-descriptor within the community, although there are Rodnover organisations which further characterise the religion as Vedism, Orthodoxy, and Old Belief.
Rybinsk ReservoirRybinsk Reservoir (Rybinskoye vodokhranilishche, ˈrɨbjɪnskəɪ vədəxrɐˈnjiljɪɕə), informally called the Rybinsk Sea, is a water reservoir on the Volga River and its tributaries Sheksna and Mologa, formed by Rybinsk Hydroelectric Station dam, located in the Tver, Vologda, and Yaroslavl Oblasts. At the time of its construction, it was the largest man-made body of water on Earth. It is the northernmost point of the Volga. The Volga-Baltic Waterway starts from there. The principal ports are Cherepovets in Vologda Oblast and Vesyegonsk in Tver Oblast.
TverTver (Тверь, tvjerj) is a city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population: The city is situated where three rivers meet, splitting the town into northern and southern parts by the Volga, and divided again into quarters by the Tvertsa River, which splits the left (northern) bank into east and west halves, and the Tmaka River which does the same along the southern bank.
Islam in RussiaAlthough Islam is a minority religion in Russia, Russia has the largest Muslim population in Europe. According to the US Department of State in 2017, Muslims in Russia numbered 14 million or roughly 10% of the total population. The Grand Mufti of Russia, Sheikh Rawil Gaynetdin, estimated the Muslim population of Russia at 25 million in 2018. Recognized under the law and by Russian political leaders as one of Russia's traditional religions, Islam is a part of Russian historical heritage, and is subsidized by the Russian government.
RzhevRzhev (Ржев) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population: Rzhev was founded in the Middle Ages and rivals Toropets as the oldest town in the region. Rzhevians usually point out that their town is mentioned in the Novgorod laws as early as 1019. Their neighbors from Toropets, on the other hand, give more credence to Rzhev's first mention in a major chronicle under 1216, when it was in possession of Mstislav the Bold, Prince of Toropets.
Smolensk OblastSmolensk Oblast (Smolenskaya oblast), informally also called Smolenschina (Смоленщина), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative centre is the city of Smolensk. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 985,537. The oblast was founded on 27 September 1937. It borders Pskov Oblast in the north, Tver Oblast in the northeast, Moscow Oblast in the east, Kaluga Oblast in south, Bryansk Oblast in the southwest, and Mogilev and Vitebsk Oblasts of Belarus, in the west and northwest, as part of the Belarus–Russia border.
Moscow OblastMoscow Oblast (Moskovskaya oblast', mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsjtj), also known as Podmoskovye (Подмоско́вье, pədmɐˈskovjjə), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populated regions in the country and is the second most populous federal subject. The oblast has no official administrative center; its public authorities are located in Moscow and Krasnogorsk (the Moscow Oblast Duma and the local government), and also across other locations in the oblast.
Leningrad OblastLeningrad Oblast (Leningradskaya oblast’, ljɪnjɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsjtj; Leningradan agj; Leningradin alue) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). The oblast has an area of and a population of 1,716,868 (2010 Census); up from 1,669,205 recorded in the 2002 Census. Leningrad Oblast is highly industrialized. Its administrative center and largest city is Gatchina. The oblast was established on 1 August 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position.
VolgaThe Volga (Во́лга) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment area of . It is also Europe's largest river in terms of average discharge at delta – between and – and of drainage basin. It is widely regarded as the national river of Russia. The hypothetical old Russian state, the Rus' Khaganate, arose along the Volga 830 AD. Historically, the river served as an important meeting place of various Eurasian civilizations.
VesyegonskVesyegonsk (Весьего́нск) is a town and the administrative center of Vesyegonsky District in Tver Oblast, Russia. Population: The historical part of Vesyegonsk lies under the waters of the Rybinsk Reservoir. It was previously known as Ves Yogonskaya (until 1776). The territory of modern Vesyegonsky District was originally populated by the Ves people, a Finnic tribe; the name of Vesyegonsk derives from the Ves. Vesyegonsk was first mentioned as Ves Yogonskaya in the 15th century.
