When battling the White Army in 1919, Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev had no idea he would one day become the hero of one of Soviet film's greatest works.

It is a common trope that Russians never smile. Which of course is interpreted to mean they are unfriendly, gloomy, sullen – positively Dostoyevskian. This, of course, is a complete misreading of body language and cultural norms.

Start with an Armenian base, drop in some Tbilisi, some Moscow, some Kiev, stir in amazing cinematography and strong political convictions, season with a Siberian labor camp – and voila! You're getting close to the legendary filmmaker Sergei Parajanov.

As the United States struggled with the trauma of seeing a fellow state succumb to Communism, a pattern of familiar stages started to emerge in - of all places - its agricultural exports.

The New Year is Russia’s biggest holiday. But where does it come from – and why does it look so suspiciously like Western Christmas?

Some Russian legislators have an unwavering faith in the ability of laws to rid society of all its evils. Noise? Bad news? The stench of garlic? The end of the world? No problem - just ban 'em all!

Happy birthday, Russian Constitution! Let's take a quick look at where you came from: the political struggles, reform efforts, and occasional street fighting of a newborn country.

When the music you sing is banned, when the entire genre is identified with the enemy, how do you find the courage to keep singing? Just ask Boris Grebenshikov!

What does the rating of RuNet’s most popular blogs have to do with history textbooks? Join us on an excursion into conspiracy theories, falsified history, and government ideology – RuNet’s standard fare!

How do you get from pie-seller to tsar’s favorite? Mostly by being a brilliant strategist – but having a tsar willing to turn a blind eye to your corruption helps, too.

It's that time of year again: dancing toys, mice, and candy, waltzing flowers, presents coming to life... But was this time of year always so closely tied to the Nutcracker?

It's 1612. There's no tsar on the throne and the Poles have entered Moscow. Some may have despaired – but one man took the opportunity to save the country and earn his place in history books.