The battle of Stalingrad was one of the key battles that shaped the outcome of the Second World War. It halted the German advance into the Soviet Union, and allowed the Soviet army to begin pushing the Wehrmacht backwards for the first time.

The city of Stalingrad was also

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… Read the rest

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… Read the rest

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… Read the rest

Myths and legends have been with us for decades but after the internet began to take hold in the mid 1990’s there was an explosion of so called Urban Myths. No area of the world was excluded and one particular story involved the infamous ‘Well to Hell’ a borehole in Siberia that was supposed to… Read the rest

The term Siberian Wolf can be a little misleading at times as it is often used in connection with three different animal species. Firstly there is the Siberian Wolf itself which is the largest of all wolves. The term can also apply to the Mongolian Wolf which is native to much of Siberia and… Read the rest

The Siberia region of Russia is a fascinating land of contrasts and while many see it as a frozen, inhospitable wasteland it is on the other hand, an area rich in minerals and some fascinating wildlife that make it a truly diverse mix.

The literal meaning of Siberia

When you ask what does Siberia mean,… Read the rest

Russia as a whole, and Siberia in particular, is home to a very rich source of mineral deposits including a stunning array of precious stones. As we’ve seen before, Siberia produces an incredible selection of Russian diamonds but for many, the Siberian Amethyst is the most beautiful stone of all.

A land of contrasts

Siberia’s… Read the rest

Lake Baikal, in the south eastern corner of Siberia is one of Russia’s hidden treasures and it is surprising to learn that little is known about it beyond its native shores.

Quite simply, Lake Baikal is the oldest and the deepest Lake in the world and there are many other records and fascinating facts associated… Read the rest

Ivan Pavlov was a celebrated Russian physiologist and Nobel Prize winner who discovered the Conditioned Reflex but like many famous names from the country’s history, we seem to know very little about him. Of course we all know about the research that involved the fabled Pavlov’s dog but there is so much more to discover… Read the rest

While we are all doubtless aware of the network of Gulags that ran through Siberia in the early years of the Soviet Union, how much do we really know about these Siberian prison camps? Why were they there and what was life like for the many prisoners that were deported here?

The literal meaning

The… Read the rest

The space race was a fascinating era for those who like to study recent Russian history and there are many notable achievements that can be claimed by the former USSR. While the Soviet Union may have missed out on the ultimate prize of landing a man on the moon, it could claim many other firsts,… Read the rest

The cruel reign of Josef Stalin as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was probably the bleakest period in Russia’s history. During this time, millions of ordinary Russian Citizens died in exile or in one of the many Gulag’s set up to accommodate countless prisoners, the vast majority of whom were… Read the rest