Getty Images 75 years ago during the Battle of Kursk the Nazis lost the strategic initiative. After the defeat at Kursk, the Wehrmacht was in retreat until Hitler's Germany was crushed in 1945. 1. The ...

Twenty years ago, Russians saw a New Year’s address from the country's first president, Boris Yeltsin, in which he announced his resignation and publicly asked for forgiveness. Here is the story of ...

From the Arctic Circle to Kazakhstan, from the western borders to the Far East — the Gulag system in Stalin's time encompassed the entire USSR. “Gulag” is often used to describe any Soviet prison or ...

The most famous fictitious last name Vladimir Ulyanov ever used is, undoubtedly, Lenin. But it was one of about 150 monikers. Let’s take a closer look at the possible origins of the iconic pseudonym.

The Russian Civil War opened a window of opportunity for Japan. Its ambitions extended not only to the Russian coast of the Pacific Ocean, but to the whole of vast Siberia, too. The large-scale ...

Adidas sneakers were a mainstay in the Soviet Olympic team. Then, the shoes were sold under a completely different name. Later, however, they were seen being worn by the Spetsnaz in Afghanistan.

Moscow’s famous Kremlin is a world-recognised symbol of Russia, and behind virtually every one of its exotic spires there is an interesting story. Inviting Italian architects to design buildings not ...

This architectural utopia of the Soviet authorities became one of the most outstanding examples of engineering and architectural thought. Albeit, only on paper. The Palace of the Soviets is the most ...

These children defended Stalingrad, flew warplanes, were some of the best snipers in the Red Army, with a few even receiving the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest military decoration in ...

Russians couldn’t even make proper bricks before they hired Italians to work for them. The Italian engineers were proficient in war and architecture, and for lavish salaries, helped build the ...

This is the story of how the mastermind behind MMM, Russia’s biggest financial pyramid scheme, managed to get elected to parliament while behind bars, how he declared war on the oligarchs and how he ...

Drivers in the coldest regions make blankets for their car engines, and some even keep the motor running from autumn until spring! In many Russian regions harsh winters are the norm – people and their ...