"I have enough safety margin for a lot more. Nothing is impossible, even at such a venerable age. Take care of yourself, dear friends, and never be afraid of anything."

– Maria Koltakova, the "Steel Granny," imparting wisdom, insight, and encouragement.

Newly declassified documents show that the British government intended to save the last Romanov.

Due to a gas shortage, one former Soviet city has been forced to shut off a war memorial: an "eternal" flame that was never supposed to stop burning.

Belarus opens Russia's eight annual tank biathlon with tutus and Swan Lake.

By mid-October of 1941, Moscow seemed on the verge of falling to the Nazis. German troops had reached the city’s edge, and there were rumors of fascist tanks closing in.

The bravery with which the all-female 588th Night Bomber Regiment defended the Soviet Union from Nazi invasion earned them a legendary nickname.

The legend of Russia's heroic defender passed into Stalinist myth with some help from one of the 20th century's most famous filmmakers.

In this week's Odder News, Victory Day surprises, ideas to increase vaccination, and a mass wedding in the sky.

“Simple and reliable, like a Kalashnikov assault rifle.”

– Putin's assessment of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, broadcast on television channel Russia 24 on May 6.

One of the world's largest and most famous sailing training ships celebrates 100 years in the water.

It was not the first time, and is likely not the last: a woman chose the wrong spot for her spectacular repast...

Will they ever learn?

Some little-known art from a civilian eyewitness to the Siege of Leningrad is public both at one of the blockade museums in St. Petersburg and in a new book.