Author

Igor Shpilenok

Laura Williamsand husband Igor Shpilenok have been conserving Russian nature for over a decade. Laura has a Master's degree in Conservation Biology from Yale and worked at WWF-Russia. Igor founded and directed the Bryansk Forest Nature Reserve in western Russia. They travel throughout Russa, documenting the Russian wilderness, but they make their home in the village of Chukrai, Bryansk region.

The Bug that Brought Russia to its Knees
Russian Life: July/August 2007
Just under a century ago, a nefarious pest migrated (thanks to war and industrial farming) from the southwestern U.S. to the Russian heartland. Ever since, potatoes – a staple in the Russian diet also brought from the Americas –?have been under siege.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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Bears in the Mist
Russian Life: Nov/Dec 2006
Exploring the wilds of Kamchatka, home to an amazing concentration of bears, geysers and natural beauty.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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The Wonders of Kamchatka
Russian Life: Jul/Aug 2006
In the first of a two-part series, we explore the villages, geysers, volcanoes, flora and fauna of Russia’s wildest peninsula.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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Saving the Desman
Russian Life: Jul/Aug 2005
For 30 million years, the desman and its ancestors have lived in remote Russian lakes. But in the last few decades, its numbers have dwindled by half.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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The Bryansk Forest Sternly Stirred
Russian Life: May/Jun 2005
One of the most important fronts in the Great Patriotic War was the one in the forests, villages and fields behind enemy lines – where partisans took on the German War Machine.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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Living with the White Storks
Russian Life: Sep/Oct 2004
It is the Year of the Stork in Russia. What better reason to hear about this majestic animal’s life cycle as played out in Western Russia?
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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The Bear Whisperers
Russian Life: Jul/Aug 2004
The Pazhetnovs rescue abandoned and injured bears, nurse them to health and train them to survive in the wild. Then they let them go.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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Kalmykia: Reviving the Dusty Plain
Russian Life: Sep/Oct 2003
A huge expanse of desert and grassy plains, this southern Russian republic has an austere beauty all its own. Of course there is also Chess City and the horse races...
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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The Lure of Kunashir
Russian Life: July/Aug 2003
Off limits for eight decades, the Kurile islands are a treasure trove of natural history and geological wonders. We travel to the southernmost island, which is just a stone's throw from Japan.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok

Keeping a Sweet Tradition Alive
Russian Life: July/Aug 2002
The ancient art of wild beekeeping is alive and well in the Russian Republic of Bashkortostan. Hardy bees and patient beekeepers team up to produce what some feel is the best honeyh in Europe.
Author: Laura Williams
Illustrations/Images: Igor Shpilenok
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