Yenisei River: Siberia’s blessing and curse

Russia’s Southern Siberian republic of Khakassia is home to more than 300 rivers, including one of the world's largest – the Yenisei. It has been a source of life for locals for centuries, and Khakassians still rely on what they call their “Father Yenisei”, but they know its unpredictable anger can always put them on the edge. It has been a ritual for more than twenty...

The land of untouched nature and ancient magic

RT presents the South Siberian Republic of Khakassia – where people still warship a 4500-year old fertility goddess and adore the mountains, rivers and steppes in their primitive beauty. Khakassia is a land of paradoxes. It is unpredictable like the weather in the steppes yet absorbing and authentic like the songs of the wind. The land has never been rich enough to grow gardens, yet...

Yasnaya Polyana – a mecca for lovers of Tolstoy

RT visited the estate of Yasnaya Polyana in the Tula region, the family home of the world-famous writer Leo Tolstoy, to gain an in-depth and personal understanding of what the author means to local residents. Yasnaya Polyana is a place of pilgrimage for aspiring writers and for readers moved by the words penned by Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. Visitors come to connect with the author and to see...

Tea party in Tula: samovars and pryaniki

Even though it is renowned for its arms history, the Russian city of Tula is also the producer of world-famous water boilers known as samovars, and a local specialty of ginger cake – the pryanik. In Russia, whether you were having tea for two or for ten, pryaniki used to be the traditional accompaniment, and for some they still are. The goodies were honey filled when they became a popular...

Tula: preserving historical traditions while embracing new technology

The medieval city of Tula in Central Russia is home to not only the country's rich legacy of arms manufacturing, but also its hub of technological innovation. As home base to arms production during World War II, Tula was where Soviet soldiers successfully secured the Southern perimeter protecting Moscow. Decades later, it was honored as the “hero city” – a fact that keeps...

Talented Oceanarium inhabitants with navy past in Russia’s North

Ice-free Murmansk Arctic port is a strategically-important base for the Russian Navy. And even the local Oceanarium used to be a laboratory where sea lions were studied and also trained for military tasks. Nuclear-powered icebreakers and waters teeming with fish is not all that Murmansk has to offer. The local Oceanarium is one of the top tourist attractions, with the sea lions the stars of the...

North Russia’s fishing industry – fighting for survival

The Murmansk region is rich in natural resources, such as oil and gas, and its waters are stocked full of fish. Despite its Arctic location, the main port remains ice-free all year. Hence, it is an important base for the Russian navy and its' nuclear-powered icebreakers. Even though the weather and fertile waters are in their favor, local fishermen are having a hard time keeping their businesses...

Russian North’s dilemma: develop or disappear

They are two of the world’s most-northerly inhabited areas, geographically and physically very similar. But while Hummerfest in Norway is a thriving hub, Teriberka in northern Russia is becoming a ghost town. Murmansk region is 2,000 kilometers from Moscow, and is home to Russia's Arctic naval fleet and nuclear-powered icebreakers. Rich in natural resources, it has one of the world's...

Taiga is the law, bear is the master

Just a four-hour flight from Moscow to western Siberia is the picturesque Kemerovo Region. A land renowned for its industrial history and rich cultural roots, and where bears really are a man's best friend. Brown bears can be furry and cute. They may be, but do not be fooled by their looks: they are wild animals with all that implies. In the Kemerovo Region bears really do wander the streets and...

West Siberia – paradise for free-ride lovers

Russia’s West Sibertian region of Kemerovo is mostly known for its rich cultural roots, and coalmines. But to snowboarders in the know, the piles of fresh-powder make it a free-riders’ paradise. The best way to explore the place you visit is to ask locals what they consider to be “must-see” locations in their home area. Without hesitation, Kemerovo region resident Elena...