The definition of Russia

[rita-ivanovna.livejournal.com]

I met a Russian guy today (at an Ecuadorian party, no less) who said he has lived in the States for the last fifteen years but he was "born in Russia." I asked him what part of Russia, and he said Minsk. I would seem to me (an ignorant American) that Minsk is definitely not in Russia. Obviously Belarus was part of the USSR during the time he lived there, but it seemed odd that he would claim to be from Russia. Is it common for people from the former Soviet Union to say they from Russia? Can the two names sometimes be used interchangably? Or was he just assuming I wouldn't know anything about Eastern European geography?