Snakes, shashlik, secret Soviet structures, students: just a few things you can find on Russky Island. 
 

Sometimes a subway is just that. And sometimes it is not. On the perils of inter-lingual travel...

On the foundation of Intourist and some of the beautiful posters they used to entice tourist to Soviet Russia.

After years of threatening to ban cheap dormitory-like hostels and any other accomodation in residential buildings, Russian lawmakers have approved a measure that could cause many private individuals to stop renting out beds, driving up lodging costs for young travelers.

On the eastern tip of Crimea is a mysterious, salty lake. We take you there.

Tigran loves history and music, plays piano, and founded hotels. Oh, and he also tries to make time travel possible.

Old meets new in the Far North, while both pranksters and public officials see their performances go awry.

Ekaterina is an artist who is constantly sketching in St. Petersburg bars. Her hobby led to the creation of the Instagram blog “Between the Bars,” where she captures the city's bohemian atmosphere.

Nikita Khrushchev’s great granddaughter, Nina Khrushcheva, and an expat living and reporting on Russia and the Soviet Union since 1993, Jeffrey Tayler, offer a poignant exploration of the largest country on earth.

Graphic designer, traveler, instagram explorer, Katya Kotlyar knows her home city inside out, and sees it as an artist would, as a beautiful backdrop for living.

St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 as a port on the Baltic Sea, and about 10% of its surface area is water. So we meet a boat rental company owner and find out the best place for pizza in the city.

We begin a new project, in which readers meet regular St. Petersburgers, to learn about their lives and their favorite places in the Northern Palmyra. First up: coffee!