In Russia, valenki are as near as you can get to the country's number-one footwear after regular leather boots.

Krylov on democracy and how leaders are chosen: "However just the rules and laws, in unjust hands or beaks or paws they can be bent to serve the goal of leaders loath to lose control."

Krylov on how one negotiates with wolves. Hint: one doesn't. "Of wolves I’ve learned a thing or two. With them there’s only one sure truce."

We look back and some of our, and your, favorite stories from The Weekly Russia File during 2018.

This week we’ve got sweet stories you’ll want as much as that second piece of pie: an injury-free minefield, Ryan Gosling, and dancing police.

This week was a grab bag of jobs well done, tear-jerkers, and meta-scary stories. Buckle up!

If you’re here for Halloween spooks, we can’t help you: all we’ve got this week are feel-good stories!

To thank (blagodarit) is one of the Russian language's most beautiful words. We go in for a deep dive.

Quotes, quips and asides spoken by those in the know (and not).

Bloggers and twitterers this fall, in the lead-up to the mayoral elections, were effusive in their praise of Moscow living conditions. Was it real or staged?

A dog is a basic necessity in the village, and the bigger the dog, the better. Chado is decidedly not big.

Russian law enforcement had a busy week, from taking on the ~high~ seas to putting rich jerks in their place.