In this week's Odder News: the weirdest New Year's show ever, the most eco-friendly person ever, and great news for Russia's orphan care system.

Six films in Russian cinema with foreign characters as their heroes.

This is our Video of the Week. Gorgeous drone footage from across Altai.

Eleven recent biopics highlight fascinating histories of Russians of ages past.

In this week's Odder News, a wedding that sends the cast of a French musical to Africa, Moscow's new tiny flats, and Russia's trash is piling up.

Covid’s got a sun sign, and Russian television personality and astrologer Vasilisa Volodina is out to break the virus some bad news.

“Video surveillance – it is not idle curiosity, for lying on the couch to watch some kind of movie. There are theaters and television for that, but this [observance of elections] is major work. If you want [to observe elections], if you are interested, an active citizen, then you’re going to need to work a bit for it.”

– Ella Pamfilova, head of Russia’s Central Election Committee, on election monitoring.

The legend of Russia's heroic defender passed into Stalinist myth with some help from one of the 20th century's most famous filmmakers.

A poetic song about optimism is this issue's language study section.

While manufacturers generally don't recommend you fly your drone at temperatures below freezing, that didn't stop videographer Vadim Sherbakov from shooting this amazing film depicting a frozen Lake Baikal. 

Alien or art? Scary sculptures are invading Kurgan. 

In this week's Odder News, visit Dracula's castle, Moscow's hidden subway stations, and the Russian cosmos.