These ideological philosophers of communism had cult status in the USSR: their profiles were displayed on many Soviet state institutions, on postage stamps and on posters; while monuments to them can ...

During Napoleon’s winter campaign of 1812, the Russians and the French experienced the same freezing cold. However, it wasn’t the low temperatures that destroyed Napoleon’s Grande Armee as it is often ...

Cross a burning stream, fight a dragon, find the city of Russian Atlantis – Slavs had it all in their ancient mythology. Now, all we have left are the names of the sacred places. This sacred town ...

Everything you wanted to know about the USSR’s notorious security apparatus. From its inception and until the end of the Soviet Union, the KGB was a prominent force in Soviet politics and society. Its ...

In old Russia, the steam bath, aka ‘banya’, was a place where people washed themselves, while these days, it’s rather a popular attraction, especially among foreigners. Let’s take a peek at what it ...

During the 70 years of the existence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the number of constituent parts changed, but most of the time there were 15 of them. Here is the list. In the beginning ...

In its long and brutal history, there was only one time when Russia was conquered by another state. Despite suffering major defeats and losing wars, Russia has always retained its independence. Only ...

White, blue and red - the connection with the Dutch flag and shipbuilding and how the colors were interpreted at different times. As with many countries, the flag is one of Russia’s main state emblems ...

Adidas sneakers were a mainstay in the Soviet Olympic team. Then, the shoes were sold under a completely different name. Later, however, they were seen being worn by the Spetsnaz in Afghanistan.

The Soviet ‘Leniniana’ of 1910s-1980s combines an enormous amount of images of the revolutionary leader. Just the Lenin museum alone contains 470 paintings featuring him. Let’s take a look at how the ...

There is no shortage of sporting greats in the Soviet and Russian pantheon, but one world record-breaking finswimmer literally earned his hero’s badge by risking his life twice to save more than 20 ...

Yulia Mulino Making bliny or crepes is not rocket science. This dish is world famous, but have you ever tried to make tiny meat wraps with them? Have a look at how we do it in Russia. Bliny are known ...