The world's largest and most active space port is situated in the middle of the Kazakh desert. Largely off-limits to outsiders, it is an unusual mix of hi-tech and low-key. And it was from here, just over 50 years ago, that humankind first reached out to touch the stars.
Vadim Meshcheryakov was halfway through a successful career as a banker when he gave it all up to publish children's books. But not just any children's books.
Not far from the middle of Moscow, there is a diminutive church with a distinctive legend at the heart of its history. We went for a visit.
Russian place spirits - including the domovoy, bannik, fleshy, rusalka and others - have a history that stretches back to Rus' pagan past. And despite the crush and frenzy of modern life, these spirits impact Russians to this day.
Is Russia embroiled in “a rampage of obscurantism with significant limits on civil freedoms” that has a close parallel with McCarthyism?
Readers comment and correct.
Times have gotten tough for Russian NGOs lately. New laws, the expulsion of USAID and now some troubling signs of high-level internal spying is making the work of non-profits and rights watchdogs downright perilous.
All the news that fits from all across Russia.
The latest from the travel front.
Where we bring some interesting statistics and graphics to bear on the overwhelming influence of bureaucrats in modern Russia.
A consideration of the wonderful story-telling paintings of the classic nineteenth century artist Pavel Fedotov.
In December 1962, Nikita Khrushchev's Thaw was drawing to a close, only no one quite knew this yet. It would take a contrived showdown at a Moscow art exhibition to bring things to a head.
Tchaikovsky's now classic holiday ballet debuted in December 1892, but it was far from as popular in its debut as it is today. And it has gone through some interesting changes over the past 120 years.
A consideration of the language of enemies and whether Russia is, as Mitt Romney has averred, the US's chief geopolitical foe.
By any measure, the son of Anna Akhmatova and Nikolai Gumilev lived a life that was very full. Born 100 years ago this fall, this is his amazing story.
The distinctive form of the Russian drinking vessel known as the kovsh dates back thousands of years. We consider its form and function, and offer a related recipe for Cranberry Kvass.
A review of two new works of fiction, Matthew Dunn's Sentinel and Ilya Boyashov's The Way of Muri. Both offer entertaining reading, for entirely different reasons.
Where we interview Nina Shevchuk-Murray, translator of this new book by Oksana Zabuzhko, which is an expansive piece of historical fiction that encompasses much of Ukrainian history, particularly during WWII.
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