Vegetarianism, pacifism, the rejection of the death penalty and personal property – how else was Tolstoy ahead of his time?

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A psychologist arrives at the Solaris space station and discovers strange goings-on: all the scientists on board are suffering from some kind of mental illness. The psychologist too starts seeing hallucinations in the form of his dead wife. Tarkovsky’s sci-fi drama was adapted for screen from the novel by Polish writer Stanislav Lem, and it still inspires many filmmakers and artists to this day.

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Tula Region in 3 Russian words

Tula Region is one of the industrial centers of Russia, famous for its long-standing traditions of weapons and samovar production. Here are three more important symbols of this region.

1⃣ ЛЕВ ТОЛСТОЙ (Leo Tolstoy)

The famous Russian writer was born on September 9, 1828, on the Yasnaya Polyana’ Family Estate near Tula. He spent a significant part of his life there, creating his main novels, including ‘War and Peace’ and ‘Anna Karenina’. His body was also buried there.

2⃣ ФИЛИМОНОВСКАЯ ИГРУШКА (Filimonovo toy)

Whistle toys in the form of people and animals with conical heads began to be made in the village of Filimonovo near Tula in the 16th century. After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, the craft died out for a while, but was revived in the 1980s.

3⃣ ТУЛЬСКИЙ ПРЯНИК (Tula gingerbread)

Tula gingerbread is the most popular among Russian gingerbreads. It’s rectangular in shape, glazed on the top and filled with apple, cranberry, plum, cherry jam or condensed milk.

Credit: nantonov/Getty Images; Public domain; Celest (CC BY-SA 4.0); Tashka/Getty Images

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Among cliffs and dense forests, you can feel the breath of wild nature and the power of the Far East 🌲✨🏔️

The Far East - the Land of Adventure! More travel-themed short videos here @travelerdv

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Here you can feel the breath of volcanoes and witness how new landscapes are born 🔥🌑

The Far East - the Land of Adventure! More travel-themed short videos here @travelerdv

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Which Russian rulers were fascinated by the… supernatural?

Emperor Paul I allegedly believed in omens, listened to holy fools and confided in fortune tellers. He also took the “magic” of numbers very seriously and considered four to be his sacred number.
The number four truly played a fateful role in his life – the emperor’s reign lasted for four years and four months. He only lived 40 days in Mikhailovsky Castle, where he died at the age of 46.

Alexander II, like the rest of Europe at the end of the 19th century, was fascinated by spiritualism and willingly participated in seances. Famous Scottish medium Daniel Hume was warmly received at his court and the emperor even arranged his first marriage.
This is how court lady-in-waiting Anna Tyutcheva described one of the séances involving the tsar: "The table rose, spun and began to rattle, beating out the rhythm of the hymn 'God Save the Tsar'… Everyone present… felt the touch of mysterious hands… The tsar says he even saw fingers, transparent and luminous fingers."

Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, meanwhile, were driven to the supernatural by despair over their inability to produce an heir to the throne. Until the birth of Tsarevich Alexei in 1904, they had only had girls.
Seeking help, the imperial couple consulted with various folk healers, such as Matrona Bosonogka, as well as professional occultists. The most famous of the latter was medium and fortune teller Philippe Nizier. "Dear friend," as Nicholas began to call him, became the tsar's advisor on a wide range of issues.

Nizier predicted the birth of the Tsarevich, but, due to intrigues within the emperor's entourage, he was forced to leave Russia in 1902. The position of "friend of the tsar" did not remain vacant for long. Several years later, it was filled by none other than "holy elder" Grigory Rasputin.

Credit: Gateway to Russia (Photo: Fine Art Images/Getty Images; Legion Media)

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How Soviet TEENAGERS defended an entire village from the Nazis during World War II

It happened in December 1941, near the village of Steblevo outside Moscow. The Red Army had recently launched a major counteroffensive and driven the Wehrmacht back from the capital. A small German garrison stationed there was expecting its arrival any day now.

On December 15th, Soviet soldiers reached Steblevo and the Germans fled to a neighboring village, abandoning many weapons. But, this was only an advance guard, which immediately withdrew, while the main forces were still far away.

The residents became worried that the Nazis would return for supplies, burn the village and deport the inhabitants to work in Germany. So, they decided to defend their home.

But, there was no one left to fight – only the infirm, the elderly, women and children remained. The village’s defense was led by Ivan Volodin, a disabled veteran of the Winter War against Finland. He gathered a dozen boys, the youngest of whom was 11 and the oldest 16.

The teenagers then dug several trenches around the village and set up firing positions, where they laid out weapons abandoned by the enemy and Volodin gave them a brief instruction on how to use them.

On the morning of December 16, a German motorcyclist appeared near Steblevo. One of the boys named Sasha Kryltsov drove it off with a shot. Some time later, a larger detachment approached the village and a battle ensued. The boys fired, then ran along the trenches to the next firing position, which created the illusion of a large number of fighters.

No one slept a wink that night. The assault continued in the morning, but, again, proved unsuccessful for the Germans. When Soviet troops appeared near Steblevo, the enemy hastily retreated.

Amazingly, none of the brave teenagers were killed. The village was saved, while the neighboring ones were burned to the ground by the Germans.

Credit: Vladislav Mikosha/МАММ/МDF/russiainphoto.ru

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Every step through deep snow is a challenge, and every descent becomes a reward you cherish twice as much ⛷️🥾

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⚡️ Where to find news and opportunities for international students in Russia?

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What does a tour to the world edge look like? Sea, whales, Northern Lights and 100% pure delight…!

Video by:
www.tg-me.com/+FSbmUswsgSoyMGI6

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Cruising across the Russian tundra with the wind in your hair is a true adventurer's dream…!

Video by:
www.tg-me.com/Biznoteru

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Where does the ‘twinge of remorse’ lie?

Does a person lie or commit unseemly acts without the slightest embarrassment or shame? They do so “без зазрения совести” (“bez zazreniya sovesti” or “without a twinge of remorse”)! But where do we look for this ‘twinge of remorse’?

Vladimir Dahl's explanatory dictionary includes the word ‘zazirat’ (‘to scrutinize someone's actions’) – meaning "to critically look at someone's actions" or "to condemn". A person who “okhoch zazirat” wishes to judge or criticize someone. Accordingly, doing something shameful implies actions that are not to be proud of and for which others would express condemnation.

In the old days, someone who felt awkward for some reason could be described as having a ‘twinge of remorse’. Over time, this expression gave birth to the more modern expression "zazrenye sovesti".
In Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel ‘Poor Folk’, the protagonist receives 30 silver kopecks from a distant relative and shares his worries in a letter: "…my heart ached, looking at your orphan's money. You've burned your own pen, you'll soon go hungry and yet, you're writing to me to buy tobacco. Well, what should I do in such a situation? Or should I just, without a ‘twinge of remorse’, like a robber, start robbing you, an orphan!"

Credit: Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: freepik.com)

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If all other tricks fails, this one will definitely teach you how to pronounce the ‘Ы’ sound! 🥊

P.S. Catch more of my lessons on YouTube!

#russianclasses

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On October 4, 1957, the Soviet R-7 launch vehicle launched the world's first artificial satellite, ‘Sputnik 1’, into orbit.

This event marked the beginning of the space age in human history. The Russian word for satellite – ‘sputnik’ – immediately entered all lexicons of the planet.

The device was a sphere 58 centimeters in diameter, weighing 83.6 kilograms (184 lbs). It was equipped with four antennas for transmitting signals.

"It was small, this very first artificial satellite of our old planet, but its resonant call signs resounded across all continents and among all peoples, as the embodiment of humanity's boldest dream," recalled designer Sergei Korolev.

‘Sputnik 1’ did not carry any sophisticated scientific equipment, but observations of it allowed humans to better understand the mechanics of launching future artificial spacecraft into orbit.

Over the course of three months (92 days), the Soviet apparatus completed 1,440 orbits around Earth, covering approximately 60 million kilometers, before burning up in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

Credit: Sergey Pyatakov/Sputnik

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The novel charts the exploits of young underground activists who form the “Young Guard” secret partisan organization, which resists the Nazis. Nearly all members of the real Young Guard were brutally tortured and executed. It is about them, based on eyewitness accounts, that Fadeyev wrote.

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The digital ‘Russian doll’ is showcasing Moscow's achievements to park visitors and passers-by. What do you think?

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#FactsabouttheRussianlanguage

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Just take a look at the amazing natural phenomenon appearing in Norilsk! 😲

Video by:
www.tg-me.com/visitnorilsk

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