In this week's Odder News, cheerleaders and lawmakers band together, croquet culture spreads to Russia, and youthful exuberance leads to a joyride.

“I believe Little Big is the group that will capture Europe's ears. This is the smartest choice. I'm sure they will tear everyone else apart! A lot of respect to Pervyi Kanal.”

- Musical producer Yana Rudkovskaya

In this week's Odder News: Putin's smartphone habits, Russian homophones make a headache for the police, and a coronavirus serenade.

Reviews of a history of punk rock and a novel about a not very likeable woman.

In this week's Odder News, regions work on ethnic villages, presidents get songs written about them, and coronavirus countermeasures take a surprising twist.

They could not have been more different, but both these Vladimirs had a huge impact on Russian history.

We re-share some of our favorite stories from 2019. They may not be the most noteworthy or newsworthy stories, but we felt they were the most fun.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Yanka Dyagileva’s punk rock album Anhedonia, the greatest monument to perestroika that you’ve never heard of.

Autumn is colder and darker than summer, but is it really that depressing? Classic poets and rock musicians weigh in.

In this issue's language learning page, we consider Russian songs about trees.

“Mother Russia” is much more than a stereotype. Everyone has opinions on it, Russian rock musicians included.

As opposition protests rock Moscow, we look at how contemporary artists have interpreted the actions of Russia's riot police.