It seems the more removed in time the USSR becomes, the more nostalgia grows for its symbols and traditions. Increasingly, these elements are worming their way back into Russian life. If they ever left.

Moscow is purging theaters, clubs and a media outlet that was at the forefront of covering protest actions.

Lenin statues have been taking a beating lately, especially in Ukraine.

As summer turned into fall, a series of highly public spats broke out in Russia, with celebrities and cultural figures demonstrating deeply polarized attitudes about the crisis in Ukraine, the Kremlin, and history.

On how the new smoking ban will play out.

What is the deal with Russian men locking lips in greeting? Is it a thing? Or was it just a Brezhnev thing?

A look at the recent prohibitions on smoking and foul language.

A look at some recent events that made the news, but in ways not covered elsewhere.

The giant trunk appeared out of nowhere, a huge box that looked like a Versace suitcase left behind by a giant alien. To this day, its appearance and disappearance are a mystery.

In our Trends section, editor Maria Antonova looks at Twitter accounts by dead writers, sex ed through literature, and poll results at psychiatric facilities in Moscow...