In a year filled with death and mourning, we remember an individual who was, for this magazine, profoundly influential and truly remarkable.

This issue of Russian Life is issue number 600. Given this milestone, I would like to give a shout out to some of our unsung heroes.

A town on the Turkish coast preserves the memory of one of Russia’s most venerated saints.

Mikhail Romm is remembered by everyone who ever worked with him with tenderness and affection. Yet it is hard not to wonder how differently his life and work might have turned out had it not been for the exigencies of Russian and Soviet history.

On the life and mysteries of one of history's most famous sleeper spies, Konon Molody.

News items on an Oscar contender, a respected doctor, renovation of Tula, and a Kremlin dig.

Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov holds a somewhat odd place in Russian literature. He is at once a famous writer, a recognized classic, yet he has not won the same honors granted to the “first tier” writers.

There are countless interesting, Russian-related places across North America. We have used the Google Map Engine to show where some of them are.

In which we meet Oksana, Russian millennial and cook. She shares childhood memories of a surprisingly abundant 90s, and her favorite snack: the "Jewish" zakuska.

This week, politicians are caught red-handed; surrogate motherhood and gambling are (apparently) the same; and Putin isn't as hip with the youth as you'd think.

One of our favorite spots in Moscow is a surreal blend of theme park, museum, and Stalinist kitsch.

A Russian non-profit prepares to open a mock prison camp as a place to make fun memories with your family.