Commemorate a hundred years since Solzhenitsyn’s birth this December
Commemorate a hundred years since Solzhenitsyn’s birth this December
20 November 2018
One of the most moving pieces of Russian literature is surely One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. It bears the distinction of being the only one of Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn’s works to be published i...
Is it time you visited Novosibirsk?
Is it time you visited Novosibirsk?
10 October 2018
Unless you’re a regular visitor to Russia, you probably won’t have put Novosibirsk on your sightseeing itinerary. But that’s a mistake: though overshadowed by Moscow and St Petersburg, there are plenty of reaso...
October sees World Space Week
October sees World Space Week
23 September 2018
Over 3700 events spread across 80 countries marked 2017’s World Space Week and this year is set to equal if not better that programme. This year the theme is “Space Unites the World” and events take place from ...
Will you celebrate Moscow day this September?
Will you celebrate Moscow day this September?
15 August 2018
Moscow turns 871 this September and the City Day holiday is a big deal to its residents. It’s not too late to book a trip to the Russian capital and join in with the celebrations. Here’s what to expect if you d...
It’s Baikal Day!
It’s Baikal Day!
06 August 2018
On the fourth Sunday in August, Russians celebrate Baikal Day. It’s a relatively new occasion, marked only since 1999, but it’s designed to remind people of the beauty of this magnificent lake and its surroundi...
Commemorating the last of the tsars
Commemorating the last of the tsars
06 July 2018
Right now, with all eyes on the World Cup, Yekaterinburg is making the news as one of Russia’s football venues. Its stadium has seen the action as Uruguay and Egypt slugged it out, Peru tackled France, Japan we...
The cats of the Hermitage
The cats of the Hermitage
21 May 2018
This summer, the world cup comes to Russia and the spotlight will be – unusually – on a cat named Achilles. He’s no ordinary cat, of course, and he’ll also be the only animal in the country to receive a fan ide...
It’s Volga Day on May 20th
It’s Volga Day on May 20th
11 May 2018
It seems like there’s a day for everything these days but here’s one you should be aware of if you’re planning a Russian river cruise. Launched in 2008, May 20th sees the 10th annual Volga Day. If you paid atte...
Will Cosmonautics Day inspire you to visit Star City?
Will Cosmonautics Day inspire you to visit Star City?
25 April 2018
The very first manned space flight took place on 12th April 1961. Of course, it would be more than eight years before American astronaut Neil Armstrong would make history and be the first man to walk on the moo...
Why does Russia celebrate Easter at a different time?
Why does Russia celebrate Easter at a different time?
25 April 2018
Have you ever thought about why Easter in Russia falls at a different time to the holiday in the west? It’s all to do with the calendar. In Russia, dates are set from the Julian calendar while in the UK, we us...
Understanding Defender of the Fatherland Day
Understanding Defender of the Fatherland Day
23 February 2018
Ladies, it’s time to go shopping! But before you get too excited, it’s not for you. This month, there’s a very special day in Russia which is dedicated to men, and I’m not referring to one particular man and ...
Pancake week in Russia
Pancake week in Russia
16 February 2018
How were your pancakes this year? In the UK we'll have consumed them on Shrove Tuesday but in Russia, limiting this sweet treat to just one day just can't be done.
In Russia, the week-long festivities a...
Why not visit the Tretiakov Gallery next time you’re in Moscow?
Why not visit the Tretiakov Gallery next time you’re in Moscow?
18 December 2017
It’s a well known fact that St Petersburg has a world-renowned art museum in the form of the Hermitage, but did you know there’s a historic gallery in Moscow that’s equally worth a visit?
185 years ago, on 2...
Winter’s coming – and where better to spend it than in Russia?
Winter’s coming – and where better to spend it than in Russia?
12 December 2017
Winter is a romantic notion here in the UK, especially in the south. We don’t understand winter because we don’t really get winter. A chill in the air? Maybe. A dusting of powder on the streets until the sun g...
Football: Russia’s story
Football: Russia’s story
22 October 2017
120 years ago this month, on 24th October 1897, the first football match to take place on Russian soil was held in St Petersburg. It was a local derby between the football players’ circle of the Vasileostrovsk...
Russia’s most famous composers
Russia’s most famous composers
20 September 2017
Even if you haven’t heard of the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, you’ll have heard of some of its alumni. This prestigious Russian music school was founded 155 years ago and some of ...
The Festival of fountains on 14-15 of September
The Festival of fountains on 14-15 of September
14 September 2017
The Autumn Festival of Fountains is one of the most awaited traditional presentations in St. Petersburg.
Thousands of residents and visitors of Saint Petersburg will arrive to Peterhof in Autumn to see a...
What are you doing this Moscow day?
What are you doing this Moscow day?
04 September 2017
Moscow celebrates its 870th anniversary this month, with the main day for the action declared as the 9th September by Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin. Festivities for City Day are a big deal for the Russian ca...
What will you watch on Russian Cinema Day this August?
What will you watch on Russian Cinema Day this August?
23 August 2017
August 27th is Russian Cinema Day, a time set aside on the Russian calendar since 1980 to celebrate its movie industry. It was originally known as Soviet Cinema Day. The business of making movies is a big d...
August 22nd is Russia’s National Flag Day
August 22nd is Russia’s National Flag Day
14 August 2017
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but did you know that the Russian flag is thought to be based around that of the Netherlands? To understand why, we need to go back to the reign of Peter...