Publications

Anna Genova  Beaver Log Fan Park and aerial cableway. Photo credit: Ninara / Wikimedia Commons Krasnoyarsk feels like Florence in some ways. It can be admired from lovely observation decks on the hills. There is a picture-perfect river that divides the city, although the Yenisei is three times wider than the Arno. Beautiful natural surroundings literally embrace the residential areas. It takes up to thirty minutes to reach the ski slopes. When locals are asked, "Where is the taiga?", they smile and point to the nearby woods. Right in the Heart of Russia At times, if you...

Anna Efremova Rasul Gamzatov. Photo credit: Omarov M. / wikipedia.org Rasul Gamzatov, a nationally acclaimed Avar poet, was born on September 8, 1923, 100 years ago. He was the author of "Cranes", perhaps the most touching song lyrics about war and fallen soldiers. Mr. Gamzatov did not write in Russian. Thus, we know his poetry through translations of other Russian poets. Nevertheless, one of his friends said, "Translators are unable to think up anything here". Talented person from highland village There is a good reason to describe Rasul Gamzatov as a phenomenon of...

Sergey Vinogradov Peterhof Palace has achieved a significant milestone by celebrating its 300th anniversary. August, 1723 holds a special place within the annals of this renowned museum complex. It was on the 15th August, according to the old calendar style, when the Russian emperor extended a personal invitation to foreign ambassadors, assuming the role of their tour guide. Presently, this museum-reserve continues to attract about 7,000 visitors every day. Peterhof Palace, the Grand Cascade. Photo: Wikimedia Commons After touring various European countries, Peter the Great was inspired to construct a...

Anna Efremova Vladimir Shukhov, a famous Russian engineer, was born 170 years ago, on August 28, 1853. Contemporaries used to refer to him as "the factory man" and "Russian Leonardo". He designed the first Russian oil pipeline and discovered the oil cracking process. His legacy also includes the remarkably beautiful Shukhov Towers, hyperboloidal structures made of steel mesh envelopes. "I am a man of life" Vladimir Shukhov was born in the small town of Grayvoron, Kursk Province. His father served as the governor. Yet, almost immediately after the boy's birth, the...

Svetlana Smetanina Photo: Alexander Osipov / Vkontakte Alexander Osipov, a cyclist from Tambov, has already traveled more than 70,000 kilometers on his bicycle, going around the world and crossing all continents. Alexander has shared his passion for travel with Russkiy Mir. - Is traveling around the world on a bicycle is your dream since childhood or did you come to it as an adult? - I guess I had this desire all my life when I was very young. Last year I cycled around the Tambov region...

Sergey Vinogradov William Brumfield. Dudinka (Krasnoyarsk Krai), 2014. Photo courtesy of William Brumfield William Brumfield, a contemporary American historian of Russian architecture, a preservationist and an architectural photographer, has recently become a Russian citizen. At the same time Brumfield’s exhibition The Silent America was opened at the Shchusev Museum of Architecture in Moscow. The brilliant scholar and a sophisticated photographer opens the world of provincial America to the Russian viewers. William Brumfield has been building bridges between Russia and the United...