Category

Ancient Russian log-housing is traceable back to one fundamental format, the Izba, also known to a lesser degree as the Stopa. It’s the...

In this third and final part of Siege Fatigue we will examine more of the privations suffered by the embattled residents of Leningrad, plus a few...

Last week we ended with some harrowing statistics associated with the Siege of Leningrad. The enormity of 1,500,000 deaths is too big to...

I remember standing in front of the famous Astoria hotel in St.Petersburg, just a stone’s throw from St. Isaac’s cathedral. Unaware...

Last week we ended on a sad note regarding the fate of the Hermitage’s famous cat population during the siege of Leningrad, so on to more...

In 1745 the cats of Kazan had something of a reputation for their prowess as rat catchers -and dispatchers of mice too. Word of their expertise...

In this third and final instalment of the bear-thing, we won’t mention bears at all (except there). Instead, there are more interesting things to...

Last week, we took a look at the mythologised and often tragic human/bear relationships that Russia is stereotypically famous for here in the...

The bear ‘thing’ is one Russian stereotype that I joke about when speaking with Russian friends and acquaintances. From both sides of the...

Here, in this second and final part of “Anomalous Zones” we go further out than before and into a fascinating, mystical system of belief. Here,...