Russia (Russian Россия), or the Russian Federation, covers almost one third of the surface of Eurasia and is the largest country in the world (17,125,191 km²). Russia borders eighteen countries and is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, home to over 200 nationalities and ethnic groups. The population of Russia according to the results of the 2016 Census is 146,544,710 people. Thus, Russia is ranked ninth in the world in population.
Russia has 85 equal subjects of the federation, including 22 autonomous republics, 9 territories, 46 regions, 3 federal cities, 1 autonomous region, and 4 autonomous districts. The capital of Moscow is home to over 14 million inhabitants. The official language of Russia is Russian. In the national autonomies (22 autonomous republics, 1 autonomous region, 4 autonomous districts) official status also have a local national language.
Russia is a secular state, where, according to the constitution, religious freedom is proclaimed. The most common are: Christianity (mainly Orthodox), Islam (in the majority Sunni), Buddhism and Judaism. In a number of areas remains a presence of local cults.

The Russian section of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) was founded in Moscow in 1993 at the initiative of human rights defenders. During its existence the Section, in cooperation with other sections of the ISHR, and independently have implemented many projects, such as:
– “White Book of Russia” (the analysis of human rights in Russia);
– “Introduction to democracy – the example of Switzerland” (the use of the Western experience of a democratic state of law in Russia);
– 3 editions of the book “Gulag: Its builders, inhabitants and heroes” (dedicated to the protection of democracy and the historical knowledge of Russia);
– “Development of civil society in the CIS”;
– “Human rights in armed forces”;
– “Promotion of the International Criminal Court”;
– “Public campaign against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism in the multinational Russian Federation” and others.
Currently, the Russian Section has over 900 human rights defenders carrying out their human rights activities in 47 regions of Russia. According to the charter of the ISHR, section members interact with human rights organizations and provide assistance to those who in their human rights activities renounce the use of violence, propaganda of violence, oppose the totalitarian forms of government.
Section members and experts regularly informed about the situation with human rights through the media, including provision of legal and human rights evaluation of specific events or legislative initiatives.
Russian section of the ISHR is one of the oldest human rights organizations in Russia, which continues to uphold the principles of independence and objectivity of the human rights in the current difficult conditions.