There are about 800 bridges in St. Petersburg! But, did you know that the founder of the city, Peter the Great, forbade building them, at first?

Most Western movies about the participation of the USSR in the war against Nazi Germany contain many cliches and distortions of history. But, ...

Russian literary classics are not only dramatic plots with tragic endings, but also funny, ironic stories. We’ve picked out ...

Did you know that, at the beginning of the 20th century, foreigners filmed alternative movie endings for Russian audiences? It's true: ...

Before 1918, distances in Russia were measured not in kilometers, but in versts. Incidentally, they differ slightly from each ...

A person who pretends to be unhappy in order to make others pity them is called a “сирота Казанская” (“sirota Kazanskaya”) or ...

This Soviet biplane first took to the skies in 1947. It was actively used in the civil air fleet, cargo transportation and many other areas. The plane is still indispensable today – it easily and ...

Dear readers, We’re excited to announce the relaunch of Russia Beyond under the new brand ‘Gateway to Russia’! We are no ...

A group of kids approach as we arrive on the main square of the legendary Soviet summer camp, Artek. Dressed in the same colorful uniform, they greet us with a chant, "Artekovtsi! Our beloved Artek!

You can admire them at any time of the year, but, with the onset of cold weather, these villages become just fabulously ...

Founded in 1255 by the Teutonic Knights, Königsberg became part of the USSR after World War II. In 1946, it changed its name ...

True to the 'X factor' of Afghanistan's nebulous, twisting history, it took a relic of the Soviet fishing industry to bring the Western war machine to a standstill. As international forces arrived ...