Russia

Type	COUNTRY
Russia

The Russian Federation (Российская Федерация), more commonly known as Russia (Россия), is a state in northern Eurasia. It is the largest country in the world, and a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 85 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea.

Russia, unlike other European countries, does not use the PEGI system, and instead uses its own controversial ratings system.

Between 1922 and 1991, Russia was part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (also known as the USSR or Soviet Union). Because of this, any games which make reference to the Soviet Union are listed below.

Russia in the Grand Theft Auto Series

General

• The Russian Mafia appear throughout the Grand Theft Auto series.
• The AK-47, an assault rifle which regularly appears throughout the GTA series was first developed in the Russian SFSR by Mikhail Kalashnikov.
• The RPG-7, a rocket launcher which regularly appears through the GTA series, was first developed in the USSR.
• There are five vehicles in the saga based on a Russian vehicle: the Bulwark, the Dune, the APC ,the Savage and the Nightshark .

2D Universe

• The name of the Grand Theft Auto 2 radio station KGBH is a reference to the KGB, the security agency of the Soviet Union.

3D Universe

• Many references to the Cold War are made in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
• Pastor Richards mentions Russia on Vice City Public Radio show Pressing Issues
• The Dragunov, a sniper rifle featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, was first developed in the USSR.
• Bruno's opponent in the film Push-Up - The Movie is from the Soviet Union.

HD Universe

Grand Theft Auto IV

• Many characters in Grand Theft Auto IV were born in the Soviet Union.
• Hove Beach in Liberty City contains a strong Russian population, as well as immigrants from other former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries.
• The Little Gorbachefs restaurant chain in Liberty City is a reference to Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union.
• Perestroika is a Russian-owned cabaret club in Liberty City. The club's name translates into English as "restructuring" and is a reference to the political and economic reforms within the Soviet Union during the late 1980s.^
• Many Burger Shot fast food restaurants tend to have Russian women working at the cash register.
• Vladivostok FM takes its name from the Russian city of the same name, and the Grand Theft Auto IV tracklist includes music from Russian and Ukrainian artists.
• Cherenkov Vodka is a Russian vodka brand.
• Some female pedestrians may call the protagonist "chuzhoy" (Russian for the word "alien") if they bump into them.

Grand Theft Auto V

• Josef from the Civil Border Patrol, is a Russian immigrant.
• In Grand Theft Auto Online, Maxim Rashkovsky is a prisoner who is broken out of Bolingbroke Penitentiary and flies back to Russia.
• Several Russian flags appear in places like the Los Santos Golf Club or Jetsam Terminal. A Russian flag can also be seen on the rudder of the Cargo Plane.
• The San Andreas Flight School Update added a Russian Federation Chute Bag in GTA Online.
• In the enhanced version, the Dukes has a customizable option where the player can add a Russian flag to the roof of the car for $2,500.
• The Galaxy Super Yacht can be personalised by installing the flag of Russia on the stern.
• During his monologues, Los Santos Rock Radio DJ Kenny Loggins sometimes says "We won the Cold War with a guitar solo", a possible reference to Billy Joel's 1986 concert in the Soviet Union.
• Natalia Zverovna and Maxim Rashkovsky were born in Russia.
• Golfer Mark Fostenburg claims he has a doppelganger playing in Omsk.
• The Heavy Shotgun is based on a Saiga-12K, a Russian shotgun.
• The MG's design takes elements from the PKM, the RPD and the PKP Pecheneg, general purpose machine guns of Russian/Soviet origins.
• The T-34 wreck located in La Puerta is a Soviet tank.
• Mesa's front fascia and grille are presumably copied from UAZ-469.
• In Gordon Moorehead Rides Again the main villain is Russian. Also in the show there are a lot of mentions of the Soviet Union.

Trivia

• In Grand Theft Auto IV, some Russians will comment "If he dies, he dies" when witnessing the death of an NPC. This is a reference to the fourth installment of the Rocky series, in which Russian boxer Ivan Drago beats Apollo Creed to death and uses this line.