These are the best stories of the year, according to our writers and editors.
We have put together this list to highlight our most interesting stories, which in many cases were the most difficult to put together. To see the list of our most popular stories by page views, click here.
LIFESTYLE
30. Why Russian beauty services are conquering the West
@vernissageparis, @ kruchinina.pro, @dinamake_up
Ladies around the world are discovering the “Russian” manicure, as well as hyaluronic lip filling and eyebrow lamination. Find out why Russian beauticians are in great demand and what is so special about them!
29. Growing up alone with a father: What does life look like for a single father in Russia?
Personal archive
While single moms are a fairly common occurrence, single dads are not on everyone’s lips. In 2021, President Vladimir Putin officially instituted a new holiday – Father’s Day. To draw attention to the occasion, we found out what problems single fathers in Russia face when raising their children and why some of them prefer to avoid the attention of the social services.
28. How does Russia help Afghan refugees?
Russia Beyond (Photo: Mikhail Mishchenko / Getty Images; Personal Archive)
Following the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the radical Islamist Taliban movement (recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia) completely recaptured Afghanistan. Those who lost their jobs and wanted to leave the new regime, fled to Russia. We asked Afghan refugees about their lives and what they are going through in Russia.
27. How cold must it be for Russians to freeze?
Ilya Naimushin / Sputnik
Russia is generally associated with snow and cold … But is it really true that the Russians are not afraid of cold weather? Read first-hand confessions from the residents different parts of the country.
26. The first – and only – wedding held in SPACE (PHOTO)
James Nielsen / Getty Images / AFP
In 2003, a Russian cosmonaut married a US citizen via video conference while on a space mission. However, the commanders of the Russian Air Force were not happy with that. Read about the many repercussions the event caused and what happened to the couple after that.
HISTORY
25. How the Russians executed the BELLS
adoc-photos / Getty Images; Legion Media
It’s hard to believe, but until the 19th century, watches in Russia were treated as persons. They were executed and banished, and deprived of their “ears” and “tongues”. What were they guilty of? Explore this incredible side of Russian history here.
24. How Sweden tried to snatch the Baltic Sea from Russia
Alexey Bogolyubov. The battle of Kronstadt
General goods
In the 17th century, Sweden was a great power in Europe … The Great Northern War of 1700-1721 and the growing strength of the Russian Empire, however, caused Sweden to lose this status. Read more about its 18th century competition with Russia.
23. How Napoleon came to be RESPECTED in Russia
Vasily Vereshchagin
In 2021, it was 200 years since Napoleon Bonaparte died. He was one of Russia’s great enemies. Despite this, an entire Napoleonic cult appeared in Russia. How? Find out here.
22. How this Russian “freak” conquered America
General goods; Russia beyond
A man from 19th century Russian backwaters had a rare disease – hypertrichosis. However, he gained fame around the world as a circus freak. Read the incredible story of “Jo Jo the dog-faced boy”, as the media called him.
21. The Starostin brothers: How four famous football players ended up in the Gulag
Stock Photo
Not even football champions were freed from falling victim to the Stalinist persecutions. These four brothers were players in the Spartak football team and all were imprisoned. How did it come about that national sports idols ended up in jail and what happened to them after that?
20. How a Russian winemaker made California wine world famous
Getty pictures
It may come as a surprise, but there was a Russian man who revolutionized the American wine industry. Read the story by Andre Tchelistcheff, who could have been killed in the Russian Civil War.
19. How Germans fought for the Soviet Union during World War II
Sergei Volkenstein, Vyacheslav Meyer, Nikolai Gagen
Stock Photo
Thousands of Soviet Germans were ready to fight the Nazis. However, the authorities were opposed to sending them to the front line – instead, they moved en masse to Siberia and other remote regions. Find out why Stalin deported the Soviet Germans.
18. Meet the infamous Soviet defector who single-handedly triggered the Cold War
Legion Media
Igor Gouzenko fled the Soviet Union after World War II. He was frequently broadcast on American television with a full face mask. The fear for his safety was not unfounded, as he revealed the secrets of the Soviet spy network. Read the story of the man who triggered a wave of arrests and “Red Scare” in the West.
17. Why is there a monument to Soviet pilots in WUHAN !?
Sputnik; Vmenkov (CC BY-SA 3.0)
In 2020, the Chinese city of Wuhan became globally infamous as the birthplace of a coronavirus pandemic. Surprisingly, there is an eight-meter-high obelisk in the city that bears, among other things, the following inscription: “The memory of Soviet pilots will live forever in the hearts of the Chinese people.” Find out why the monument paid tribute to the Soviet military.
16. 5 things that were once in place of Lenin’s mausoleum (PHOTO)
Russia beyond (Photo: Legion media; Public domain)
Now it seems that the mausoleum is the essential part of the Red Square, but it was not built there until 1924. However, the site was not vacant before. A zoo, a moat, a tram line … Find out what was in place.
LITERATURE
15. How great Russian poets tried to COMMUNICATE with Stalin
Kira Lisitskaya (PhotoUniversal History Archive, bellanatella / Getty Images; TASS; Moisei Nappelbaum / Sputnik)
Self-promotion? Fear? What made these people appeal to Stalin and dedicate their verses to him. Read all about the phenomenon in our story.
14. How famous writers portrayed the lives of prostitutes in Imperial Russia
Maxim Dmitriev / Publuc Domain
The public image of a working woman has long captivated the leading Russian writers. Injustice, poverty, moral choice, female freedom – Find out what topics writers addressed and how they referred to prostitutes.
13. Why bringing “The Tale of the Ring” to the Soviet Union was a mission similar to the story itself
Peter Jackson / New Line Cinema, 2003
In the midst of the Cold War, Soviet censorship was suspicious of everything Western. “The Tale of the Ring” was no exception. Soviet readers who were captivated by the first part of the trilogy had to wait until the perestroika to read the second and third volumes of the famous saga. Read what tricks the Soviet translators used.
12. 10 MAIN Russian fairy tales
Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Pixabay, Unsplash)
These stories used to be warning tales inspired by everyday life, fables about animals and fantastic creatures that lived in the forests, rivers and swamps, or tales about princesses and princes. Read the stories that have now become a big part of Russia’s national psyche.
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE
11. Check out these amazingly early Cyrillic numbers!
Legion Media; Getty Images; Anton Romanov
The ancient slaves saw a million as a flock of ravens, while a thousand million they ascribed to darkness. Find out how they counted their money before adopting Arabic and Roman numerals.
10. How Russian differs from other Slavic languages
Legion Media; Russia beyond
Russian is the most widely spoken of all Slavic languages, spoken by some 250 million people around the world. And modern Slavic languages have a common ancestor. But can slaves from different parts of the world really understand each other? Find out in our report.
By the way, this year we launched a whole course in the Russian language. Check out all the lessons here and have fun learning Russian with us!
TRIP
9. How a place of terrible Siberian exile was transformed into a paradise for tourists
Getty pictures
We did not raise travel topics that much this year due to pandemic restrictions. However, we could not miss that in 2021 this Russian city finally got an airport with direct flights to and from Moscow, St. Petersburg and several other big cities! Take a look at the only stone Kremlin in Siberia, the beautiful river Irtysh and more which a tourist would rest his eyes on in Tobolsk.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & MILITARY
8. Co-founder of a Russian cryopharm fights for frozen bodies … wait, WHAT !?
Alexander Avilov / Moscow Agency; Legion Media
This story sounds like the plot of a sci-fi horror movie. To save the business, a co-owner of a Russian company that freezes dead bodies made a really desperate move! Read more about the scandal that followed!
7. The Russians have installed a GIANT telescope at the bottom of Lake Baikal. Why?!
Kirill Shipitsin / Sputnik
A neutrino telescope can help us learn what happened in the universe millions and even billions of years ago. The possibilities for its use will confuse your imagination!
6. Russian Spec Ops officer reveals Hollywood action movies
Chuck Russell / Warner Brothers, 1996
There are many shootings in Hollywood movies. Some of them have been choreographed by professionals and the military and some of them were just a fantasy of the directors. A Russian Spec Ops instructor explains if it is really possible to silence a shot with a pillow or to find protection from a bullet behind a tree and other unlikely weapon scenes.
5. How tough is the Ratnik combat suit? (VIDEO)
Natalia Seliverstova / Sputnik
The new Ratnik armor is intended to withstand up to ten direct hits from armor-piercing rounds and still be in operation. Our correspondent tested its limits.
4. Russian AK vs American M-4: When and what Spec Ops guys take on missions
Evgeny Yepanchintsev / Sputnik; US Department of Defense
A Russian Spec Ops instructor develops which weapon their team takes on missions and talks about the pros and cons of each gun. Who wins? The answer is not so obvious!
RUSSIAN KITCHEN
3. 100 Russian MAIN DISHES
Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Evgeny Biyatov / Sputnik; Legion Media; Ural-66, Yolya, Ivtorov CC BY-SA 4.0)
We gathered all the Russian dishes in one article for your ultimate salivation. Read some good stories along with easy recipes here.
2. How to cook borsch in a loaf of Borodinsky bread (RECEPT)
Julia Mulino
There are almost as many borsch recipes as there are people on the planet. But here’s a special you probably would not mind preparing. Have a nice meal!
1. Black Russian: A vodka cocktail suitable for a US Ambassador (RECIPE)
Legion Media
The most famous cocktail of Russian origin. You will be amazed to find out that its roots lie in the Cold War. Read the story behind the classic drink – and learn how to prepare it properly. Bowl!
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Source: sn.dk