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Anna Karenina. A brief summary, characters, and the meaning of the novel
Some books have opening lines that are remembered even by those who never finished or even opened them. Specifically...
Nicholas II and the downfall of the Romanov family
The story of the last Russian Tsar is, above all, a story of family, and it is easier to understand if one keeps this in mind from the very beginning...
Alexander Pushkin. Biography, Works, and Major Poems
In Russia, Pushkin is everywhere. His fairy tales are read to little children before they can even speak, his lines have long since become proverbs, his...
Olivier: The True Recipe and History of The Russian Salad
Around the world, it's known as Russian salad. For a foreigner, Olivier is the very essence of a Russian feast, that very thing…
Peter the Great: How the Tsar Changed Russia
Imagine this for a moment. The sovereign of a vast empire, who is supposed to be seated on a throne in gold and receiving ambassadors, instead...
Pancakes. Recipe, traditions, and how to fry them correctly
Everyone knows this saying: the first pancake is a flop, meaning it comes out crumpled, unsightly, not as you wanted. In recent years, by...
Ivan the Terrible, biography, reforms, and cruelty
It's a strange thing: about the first Russian Tsar, we know both too much and frustratingly little at once. Too many frightening images,...
Pelmeni. History, recipe, and how to make them
A person is devouring a plate of dumplings, completely unaware that they are eating ears. This word, according to the most accepted version, was passed down to the Russians from...
Russian Tsars and Emperors, complete list with dates
Let's start with the fact that the word "tsar" itself holds a foreign person within it. It's a heavily contracted Latin "Caesar," and behind it...
Balalaika, a symbol of Russia or a real instrument
The virtuoso walks onto the stage with a wooden triangle with three strings. The instrument looks like it was taken from a souvenir shop shelf...