Russia Beyond the Headlines

Peter I the Great was one of Russia's most energetic and active rules. Throughout his life, he tried his hand at various crafts and skills - learning engineering, architecture, and shipbuilding. Peter personally participated in Russia's Great Embassy to Europe (1697-1698), eager not only to strengthen the alliance with certain countries but also to study European life and learn from it. 

Source: Valery Schekoldin/МАММ/ russiainphoto.ru

Since its foundation, the Soviet Union had to fight not only on the battlefield but also in the ideological arena. Soviet leaders understood that art and architecture were crucial elements in this conflict to show Soviet power and glory to its own people and to the world.

Source: Vsevolod Tarasevich/МАММ/ russiainphoto.ru

In 1918, Vladimir Lenin initiated a plan of “Monumental propaganda,” and according to this strategy... Читать дальше...

When we speak of dough, we usually think of the basic component for pies and cakes. Kaluga dough, however, has nothing to do with that, but rather it’s a ready-to-eat confectionary made from something that’s a far cry from sweet delights - simple black rye bread.

Olesya Novikova

Adolphe Adam's "Giselle" on the Mariinsky stage during the 7th Mariinsky ballet festival in St. Petersburg. Olesya Novikova of the Mariinsky Theatre, in the name part, and Mathieu Ganio, Opera de Paris leading dancer, as Albert. / Valentin Baranovskiy/RIA Novosti

She joined the Mariinsky Theatre at the peak of Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, and Svetlana Zakharova’s careers - so the competition was intense. To begin with, Novikova didn’t exactly stand out for the her skill or virtuosity... Читать дальше...

Russians expressed discontent with inflation, poverty and rising unemployment rates, according to new data released by the Moscow-based Levada Center on Aug. 31.

The majority of respondents – 61 percent – said they’re most concerned with rising prices for basic consumer goods, which began in 2014 when Russia was hit by the ruble devaluation and the economic slowdown. However, the number of those who consider inflation a major worry has dropped 10 percentile points since 2016, which is a good sign. Читать дальше...

1. If the capital were transferred from Moscow, where should it go?

The idea of moving the capital has been back on the agenda in recent years. Over the course of Russia's thousand-year history, from Ancient Rus to the Russian Federation, the capital has been moved eight times. But this is nothing compared to how often the question is raised in our time. And here any argument will do. For example, this way Russians will be able to defeat corruption or that the capital must be in the center of... Читать дальше...

On the evening of May 28, 1987 as the USSR celebrated Border Guard’s Day, a single-engine Cessna-172R airplane landed skillfully in the very center of Moscow near Red Square. A tall man in a red jumpsuit climbed down from the cockpit and began signing autographs for members of the public who came running up to him. Barely 10 minutes after the landing, a police car pulled up.