January 28, 2016

Best Destinations of 2015


Best Destinations of 2015
Lake Bled, Slovenia taken by Jillian Schneeman

MIR Corporation – the name means "peace" and "world" in Russian – is an award-winning tour company that has been specializing in creative, culturally immersive small group, custom and private journeys along the Silk Route, the Trans-Siberian Railway, to Russia and beyond, since 1986. This article originally appeared on their blog

Mir shared their nine best Instagram photos from their fascinating destinations. We wanted to share them with you.

The “2015bestnine” includes these photos taken in Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, LatviaChina, Kyrgyzstan and Russia:

  1. Krka waterfalls in Croatia
  2. Dubrovnik rooftops in Croatia 
  3. Lake Bled in Slovenia
  4. A cloudy day in Istanbul, Turkey 
  5. Lake Bled in Slovenia (another view)
  6. Sunrise in Riga, Latvia
  7. The Forbidden City in Beijing, China
  8. Yurt builder in Kyrgyzstan
  9. Winter wonderland in Suzdal, Russia

For a daily dose of more photos, follow Mir at mir_corporation. Be sure to like and share their photos via your smartphone, and also like Mir on Facebook, to check out what’s new and noteworthy in their fantastic destinations.

The cream of the Instagram crop.<br> Photographers Top Row: Martin Klimenta, Peter Guttman<br> Second Row: Jered Gorman, Jillian Schneeman, Peter Guttman<br> Third Row: Jake Smith, Vlad Ushakov, Jonathan Irish The cream of the Instagram crop.
Photographers – First Row: Martin Klimenta, Peter Guttman
Second Row: Jered Gorman, Jillian Schneeman, Peter Guttman
Third Row: Jake Smith, Vlad Ushakov, Jonathan Irish

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Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
At the Circus

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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