Photographer Anton Karliner explains why trains, a metro bridge, and World War II have a place in Novosibirsk history.

Adapting to life in Russia? Comic books. Craving cuteness? Piglets getting saved from a fire. Not Russian enough for you? Ice swimming. And for good measure, zombies. 

Today marks the 185th birthday of the artist Ivan Shishkin, whose paintings evoke Russia's beauty and vastness. With a nickname like "Forest Tsar," his trees must be good.

Maria Plotnikova acquaints us with Tchaikovsky. No, not the composer, the town named for him in Siberia's Perm Krai.

Some people see spies everywhere. Other people just see dumpsters, birds, snow, dogs, boars, or artists seeking political asylum. (That's at least 4 separate stories).

Photographer Kristina Syrchikova explains what a goose has to do with Samara and the Volga River.

The year's coldest ride, hottest statue, most scandalous yoga teacher, and best way to learn the names of all of Russia's federal subjects. And it's just the first TWERF of the year. 

Artist Anastasia Bogomolova takes us on a tour of Chelyabinsk, famous for its meteorite, tanks, and a very special forest.

A tour of ten distinctive Moscow monuments that goes a long way to summarizing the state of the art in Russia today.

Photographer Daria Kozinova takes us on a tour of the capital of the Urals: Yekaterinburg.

Where we take you back in time to the collapse of the Soviet Union, through press and reportage as it unfolded at the time.

Just in time for the holidays, Russians unearth (unsea?) some fish that look out of this world. Plus, anticipating the New Year, the U.S. view on Russia, and political jokes.