While sister city designations are a municipal rather than national framework, Russia as a nation participates in major international partnerships (like BRICS and the CIS). However, its major cities boast extensive historic sister city relationships:
* **Moscow:** Holds global partnerships with cities like Beijing (China), New Delhi (India), and Havana (Cuba). * **St. Petersburg:** Maintains twin-city ties with cities such as Mumbai (India), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Belgrade (Serbia). * **Kazan:** Partnered with Istanbul (Turkey) and Shenzhen (China).
*(Note: Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, numerous Western cities suspended or officially severed their historic sister-city ties with Russian municipalities.)*
