In Russia, valenki are as near as you can get to the country's number-one footwear after regular leather boots.

In which the Rural Council takes up the case of “The Conduct of Nikolayev, N. N.”

Fishing can tell you a lot about life in the countryside, about sickness and health, chance and Fate, to say nothing of electricity and sausage

When the district medic comes around, the stage is set for a skirmish between modern and traditional medicine.

A Russian entrepreneur and family save a village, start an agro business, and share a recipe for Tatar pies.

“We do buy newspapers, and why wouldn’t we? It’s all spelled out in the paper – what the weather’s going to be like, how many rubles there are to the dollar, when the district center’s going to have chickens for sale. No, how can you do without the printed word?”

“On Saturdays, smoke drifts over the village. The banyas are being heated.” Let’s go!

It is surprisingly simple (in certain circumstances) to mix up homebrew with other, less harmful things.

“Nikolayev hated the cat, wet socks, and his mother-in-law.”

Our first of several visits to a remote village, through the eyes of Darya Grebenshchikova.