Saint Basil's Cathedral in the context of "Red Square"

Cathedrals, collegiate churches, and monastic churches like those of abbeys and priories, often have certain complex structural forms that are found less often in parish churches. They also tend to display a higher level of contemporary architectural style and the work of accomplished craftsmen, and occupy a status both ecclesiastical and social that an ordinary parish church rarely has. Such churches are generally among the finest buildings locally and a source of regional pride. Many are among the world's most renowned works of architecture. These include St Peter's Basilica, Notre-Dame de Paris, Cologne Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Antwerp Cathedral, Prague Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint-Denis, Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of San Vitale, St Mark's Basilica, Westminster Abbey, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Antoni Gaudí's incomplete Sagrada Família and the ancient cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, now a mosque.

The earliest large churches date from Late Antiquity. As Christianity and the construction of churches spread across the world, their manner of building was dependent upon local materials and local techniques. Different styles of architecture developed and their fashion spread, carried by the establishment of monastic orders, by the posting of bishops from one region to another and by the travelling of master stonemasons who served as architects. The successive styles of the great church buildings of Europe are known as Early Christian, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, and various Revival styles of the late 18th to early 20th centuries, and then Modern. Underlying each of the academic styles are the regional characteristics. Some of these characteristics are so typical of a particular country or region that they appear, regardless of style, in the architecture of churches designed many centuries apart.

Russian culture (Russian: Культура России, romanized: Kul'tura Rossii, IPA: [kʊlʲˈturə rɐˈsʲiɪ]) has been formed by the nation's history, its geographical location and its vast expanse, religious and social traditions, and both Eastern and Western influence. Cultural scientists believe that the influence of the East was fairly insignificant, since the Mongols did not coexist with the Russians during conquest, and the indigenous peoples were subjected to reverse cultural assimilation. Unlike the Scandinavian and more western neighbors, which have become the main reason for the formation of modern culture among Russians. Russian writers and philosophers have played an important role in the development of European thought. The Russians have also greatly influenced classical music, ballet, theatre, painting, cinema and sport, The nation has also made pioneering contributions to science and technology and space exploration.

The Moscow Kremlin, commonly known as just the Kremlin, is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the Kremlin towers. In the complex is the Grand Kremlin Palace, which was one of the royal residences of the Tsar of Russia, and now is the residence of the president of the Russian Federation. The Moscow Kremlin overlooks the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil's Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and Alexander Garden to the west.

In the Russian language, kreml' denotes a 'fortress within a city', and there are many historical cities with Kremlin of their own. However, the Moscow Kremlin, the best known, also serves an international-politics metonym that identifies the Government of Russia. During the Cold War (1947–1991), the term The Kremlin meant the Government of the Soviet Union and the term Kremlinology meant the study of the decisions of the Soviet leaders and of Russian and Soviet politics. When open to the public, the Kremlin of Moscow offers supervised tours of the Moscow Kremlin Museums.

The "Russian world" (Russian: русский мир, romanized: rússkiy mir) is a concept and a political doctrine usually defined as the sphere of military, political and cultural influence of Russia. It is a vague term, mostly used to refer to communities with a historical, cultural, or spiritual tie to Russia. This can include all ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in neighboring states, as well as those who belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. The concept of the "Russian world" is linked to Russian neo-imperialism. President Vladimir Putin established the government-funded Russkiy Mir Foundation to foster the idea of the "Russian world" abroad. The concept is sometimes also called the Pax Russica, as a counterweight to the Pax Americana after WWII.

The architecture of Russia refers to the architecture of modern Russia as well as the architecture of both the original Kievan Rus', the Russian principalities, and Imperial Russia. Due to the geographical size of modern and Imperial Russia, it typically refers to architecture built in European Russia, as well as European influenced architecture in the conquered territories of the Empire.

The vernacular architecture stems from wooden construction traditions, and monumental masonry construction started to appear during the Kievan Rus’ era in what is now modern Ukraine. After the Mongol invasion of Rus, the Russian architectural trajectory continued in the principalities of Novgorod, Vladimir-Suzdal, Pskov, Muscovy, and the succeeding states of the Tsardom of Russia.

Orthodox Christianity is the most widely professed religion in Russia, with significant minorities of non-religious people and adherents of other faiths. Russia has the world's largest Orthodox population.

The constitution of Russia recognises the right to freedom of conscience and creed to all the citizenry, the spiritual contribution of Orthodox Christianity to the history of Russia, and respect to "Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and other religions and creeds which constitute an inseparable part of the historical heritage of Russia's peoples", including ethnic religions or paganism, either preserved, or revived.