After an overlong hiatus, it’s time to get back to publishing my weekly roundup of the best posts of the week from around the Russia blogs. No need for long introductions – click through to discover the best of the past seven days.
Russian antiques
When shopping for Russian antiques there are many different options available. Some, such as the creations of the house of Faberge are extremely rare and in most cases cost prohibitive but others are affordable souvenirs that can match any budget. Faberge An obvious place to start with any round up of Russian antiques is with [...]
This Week in Russia Blogs #3
After an enforced break (a doctor jabbed a very sharp needle into my thumb joint – long story) TWiRB is back to update you on what Russia bloggers have been talking about in the last week – which as it turns out was one of the most interesting weeks in Russia for ages. As there’s [...]
This Week in Russia Blogs #2
Time for the second edition of our resurrected roundup of what’s been happening in Russia blogs over the past seven days. To my mind, the most intriguing story of the week has been that of the chaos surrounding the annulment of South Ossetia’s Presidential election. And that’s where my top blog post of the week [...]
Tupolev Bear – Linchpin of Russia’s Air Force
Outside of Russia and the former Soviet Union, the name Tupolev is probably more widely connected with commercial, passenger aircraft. However, the company has always played a vital role in Russia’s overall defence strategy and the Tupolev bear is ageing, but still shining star of the country’s military fleet. Early Origins The Tuploev Bear is [...]
Bridgwater Carnival Overthrows the Tsar
A couple of weeks ago I went back to my home town to watch the annual Bridgwater Carnival. For the uninitiated, the Carnival is a massive procession of illuminated floats, each carrying enough lightbulbs to be seen from space and blasting out music loud enough to wake the dead. Atop each float (known locally as [...]
Soyuz blasts off with crew for ISS
Russia’s Soyuz rocket blasted off today, with a crew of two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut, to resupply the International Space Station (ISS).
Unusually even for Russia, the launch took place in blizzard conditions – you can see more in the video to this post.
Bering straight bridge
It still comes as a surprise for many people to learn that Russia and the USA are just a few miles apart at the shortest point. When you look at a traditional atlas, many thousands of miles separate the two countries from the east coast of America to the western tip of Russia but when [...]
Rostov ripper
Any study into the minds of the world’s biggest serial killers is likely to include the horrific acts of Andrei Chikatilo. The man who became known as the Rostov Ripper was ultimately responsible for somewhere between 52 & 56 murders and the majority of his victims were subjected to horrific acts of torture. Early life [...]
Lake Baikal monster
Lake Baikal in south eastern Siberia is the oldest and deepest lake in the world and its vast size combined with its longevity gives the whole region an almost mystical quality. The Lake is prone to myth and legend and one of the most unusual stories involves a giant creature that has become known as [...]