"McDonald's is expanding its geographic presence and plans to open the first factories in the Far Eastern Federal District in December 2020."

– Press announcement by McDonald’s, which plans to open its first restaurants in Russia’s Far East

A library's famous cat now resides with the big yarn ball in the sky, thanks to foul play.

This week Russians get diet advice, the president of Belarus gets kicked out of a neighboring country, and even cats aren't excused from social distancing.

This week: Soviet-relic bunkers burst forth with new life; Soviet-relic vehicles get new life; and Soviet-relic apartments crack under the pressures of life.

This week: cereal jingles go viral, animal crossings save critters, and paratroopers take a swim in a fountain in celebration. Sounds pretty run-of-the-mill.

St. Petersburg saw over 2,000 attendees at its stand-up-paddleboard (SUP) festival this year, many in costume and with pets in tow.

A herd of camels, released by an 83-year-old pensioner, is wreaking havoc in Astrakhan region.

This week, mammoths are ripe for the picking; fishy business practices turn violent; and a TV show is labelled a bad influence on Russian families.

Two cats in Krasnodar are being praised after helping an injured dog cross the street.

This week, we're warned once again to be careful on the internet; priests use their powers for good; and criminals have never been so dang cute.

This week, drivers' licenses get a much-overdue update, utility bills make headlines, and we learn that pirates abound in Russia. 

“If you meet a boar, don’t approach it and don’t look it in the eye … if you meet a whole herd, stay away from the piglets.”

- Advice in a note from the Moscow mayor's official website on the appearance of wild boars in some Moscow parks