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In this final look at Russian Christmastide, we give the last word to the Pagans. At least that’s the way it initially appears. The truth is a...

As I write this it’s -18℃ in Moscow, with sunrise 3 hours away. According to the forecast, the early afternoon will see the day peak at a heady...

Russia is in a curious time of year right now. The holiday season is finally stumbling to a close, marked with the Old New Year celebration on...

Rather than print a list of superstitious rules to be obeyed, it’s more interesting to take a look at the reasons why these outwardly strange...

Superstitions are an interesting subject material, but most articles that address them devolve simply in lists of dos and don’ts – or...

With this latest installment in the Nightmare Fuel series, we present a curious female monster-spirit positioned somewhere between guardian and...

After looking at two nature-dwelling entities (the Vodyanoi and Leshy), this week it’s time for something (or someone) that’s much...

Last week we looked at the Vodyanoi; Russia’s water-dwelling folk monsters. This week, we’ll start by looking at another potential...

If you (like myself) never quite left the idea of monsters behind, then the various inhabitants of another culture’s myths, dreams and...

Some more reflections on the Russian folk tale of Baba Yaga and its wider cultural implications.