Leo Tolstoy, author of the classics Anna Karenina and War and Peace, is undisputedly one of Russia’s greatest writers. He was born on 9th September 1828 at the family estate, Yasnaya Polyana, located about 120 miles from Moscow in Tula…
It’s mushroom picking time in Russia!
As summer draws to a conclusion, it’s time to think about the harvest. In British parks (and even by the roadside), you’ll spot people with old plastic ice cream tubs furtively looking for juicy, sweet blackberries, but in Russia, one…
Moscow celebrates its 869th anniversary!
On the first weekend in September, Moscow has traditionally celebrated its city day. This year, the festivities have been moved to the weekend of 10th and 11th September in a bid to separate the celebrations from the commemorations of victims…
Have you considered a trip to Kazan?
Ask many overseas visitors to Russia to list the country’s great cities and you’ll be hard pushed to find Kazan on a list. That’s not because Kazan isn’t great. It’s because, despite receiving 2.1 million tourists last year, Kazan is…
Will you be wearing stripes this Navy Day?
It’s Navy Day in Russia on the last Sunday in July and if there’s one thing that springs to mind when you think about Russian sailors, it’s the distinctive striped vest that’s part of their uniform. Interestingly, the origins of…