Culture & Customs

Suckling pig is a holiday delicacy in Russia. Cooking one is not an easy affair, but we get you off on the right (pig's) foot here.

Moscow Solyanka -- a hearty fish and vegetable soup, is the featured recipe in this issue.

Yaroslavl has always been one of Russia's most attractive and visitor-friendly cities. Now, as our writer discovers, its rich history and cultural traditions are providing the basis for a revival of its fortunes.

Pirozhki are the heart of any Russian meal. Making the dough and the stuffing is well described in this article.

Kremlyovsky salat -- a delicious salad with salmon, rice, onions and mayo.

How to make varenye -- in this case a superb raspberry jam ideal for eating with tea.

The wilderness of Kamchatka provided Andrew Tarica with stunning volcanic scenery and a lifetime best day of fishing. In this issue's Travel Journal, he tells the story.

The Solovetsky Archipelago in the far northern White Sea is an extraordinary mix. Colleen Combes braved the mosquitoes to investigate the nature phenomena, prehistoric puzzles, monastic traditions, and gulag hardships that make this remote corner of Russia so unique.

Okroshka -- the hearty Russian soup based on kvas.

Golubtsy, the fabulous cabbage and meat dish is the focus of this issue's food column.

Nearly 100 years ago, some 600 families of Russia's persecuted Dukhobory sect sought, and obtained, asylum in Canada. There they have earned a reputation for diligence and tolerance of suffering. But what of the Dukhobory who stayed behind, to face persecution under Imperial and Communist rule? Ivan Sergeyev made a rare visit to their Caucasian homeland to bring back this telling story.

Everyone has heard of borshch, but few people know it was named after a weed...