Why did Russians put three horses together in one harness? And how did the harnessed horses still manage to look in different directions? The troika is a uniquely Russian way of harnessing a team ...

From a 17th century priest’s biography and Pushkin’s prose to modern writers - these translations of both contemporary and classic books are definitely worth your time. Add them to your ...

Muzhiki are the most widespread caste in the Russian penal colony system. Unlike the blatniyeh, these guys are not professional criminals or regular prison guests. Members of this caste end up in ...

Everything you wanted to know about the USSR’s notorious security apparatus. From its inception and until the end of the Soviet Union, the KGB was a prominent force in Soviet politics and ...

Paul I had many problems and troubles growing up – beginning with, his father Peter III of Russia (1728-1762) was deposed and murdered as a result of a conspiracy inspired by his mother ...

Soviet Union, the Congress of Soviets, Soviet of Federation – the word has been and is still widely used in Russia, but what does it exactly mean?

During the 70 years of the existence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the number of constituent parts changed, but most of the time there were 15 of them. Here is the list.

A successful merchant, collector, art connoisseur and honorary citizen of the city. How a private individual, using his own money, opened a painting ...

Making bliny or crepes is not rocket science. This dish is world famous, but have you ever tried to make tiny meat wraps with them? Have a look at how we do it in Russia.

This is one of the most terrifying pages in Soviet history, devoted to the forced industrialization and remote lands’ development at the expense of ...

Even Queen Elizabeth II has some old pieces of jewelry that once belonged to the Russian royal family. The diamond, emerald and sapphire tiaras of the Romanov dynasty were remarkable for their ...

The first of the Bolsheviks that Molotov got to know was Stalin. And so naturally, after Lenin's death, he supported the moustachioed one in the internal party power struggle that ensued. In turn ...