Russia Spans 11 Time Zones Across 6,200 Miles

Russia holds the title as the world’s largest nation by area at over 8.6 million square miles. Its enormous east-west span covers 165 degrees of longitude, necessitating 11 separate time zones to keep the entire country on a functional schedule. This geographic reality creates some extraordinary situations. When it is noon in Moscow on a bright afternoon, the westernmost parts of Russia are just waking up at 8 a.m. Conversely, by the time western Russia is sitting down to dinner, the far eastern regions are already heading to bed. The country spans so much of the globe that a single nonstop flight from Moscow to Vladivostok takes over eight hours, all while remaining within the same country. Russia also shares the international date line with its Pacific neighbors, meaning travelers crossing into Russia from Alaska technically move backward in time.