A crumble cake in Russia is something like banana bread in the US – the varieties are endless, and every avid baker has her “grandmother’s recipe” in their repertoire.

At the beginning of July, the Russian government re-tire-d a form of folk art  dear to many: the lawn tire.

“Today, the city bath house needs support because, due to last year's lengthy six-month shutdown associated with the coronavirus, the banya cannot pull itself out of debt."

– Mikhail Valov, Mayor of Sayanogorsk, inviting citizens to save his city’s municipal bathhouse from the economic ravages of the Coronavirus on August 23.

In Russia, mascots only get better. Imagine a child cracking a smile not JUST for a man bungling in a hot costume, but for a role model who looks like a beloved teatime treat…

Remnants of the Imperial Russian past are all over Alaska – and California, too.

A little levity can be good for the Covid blues, and expert Khadizhat Omarova of Russia’s Rospotrebnadzor has given a variety of advice to accelerate recovery. Why not give your lungs a good stretch and practice your folk song, too?

“There is not a single builder in Paradise.”

– Stanislav Lisichenko, Russian restaurateur, providing an anecdote for Russia’s “Builder’s Day," August 8.

Russia isn't known for being a warm-water country, but during the summer months there are more than enough accessible rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans within and around the country to have a little fun.

Look out NFL – the Russian Super Bowl was held in the Moscow region last weekend.

A move to allow Russians to choose whether their marriage status will be included in their passports has met with traditional backlash. What was that about a ball and chain, now?

Some new historical treasures have been pulled from the sea near Kamchatka.

“We are strengthening the protection of banknotes from the effects of harmful microorganisms.”

– On July 5, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Central Bank Mikhail Alekseev explained plans for the modernization of Russia’s bank notes