OK, so you are recovering from the Super Bowl and starting to look ahead to next weekend’s opening of the Sochi games. Which of course means a viewing party, which means food, which means Russian food!

It’s now just 7 days until the start of the Sochi Olympics and here at Russian Life we are getting pretty excited. Sure, it’s our thing to get excited about all things Russian. But it’s more than that. Here are 7 reasons we’re particularly amped.

There are many myths surrounding Russian food. Darra Goldstein, author of the cookbook, A Taste of Russia, addresses seven common ones.

Is Russia a dangerous, expensive, complicated place to travel to? Is it full of mafia, alcoholics, communists and poverty? Sounds like it's time to debunk some myths about travel to modern Russia.

When battling the White Army in 1919, Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev had no idea he would one day become the hero of one of Soviet film's greatest works.

It is a common trope that Russians never smile. Which of course is interpreted to mean they are unfriendly, gloomy, sullen – positively Dostoyevskian. This, of course, is a complete misreading of body language and cultural norms.

Start with an Armenian base, drop in some Tbilisi, some Moscow, some Kiev, stir in amazing cinematography and strong political convictions, season with a Siberian labor camp – and voila! You're getting close to the legendary filmmaker Sergei Parajanov.

As the United States struggled with the trauma of seeing a fellow state succumb to Communism, a pattern of familiar stages started to emerge in - of all places - its agricultural exports.

The New Year is Russia’s biggest holiday. But where does it come from – and why does it look so suspiciously like Western Christmas?

Some Russian legislators have an unwavering faith in the ability of laws to rid society of all its evils. Noise? Bad news? The stench of garlic? The end of the world? No problem - just ban 'em all!

Happy birthday, Russian Constitution! Let's take a quick look at where you came from: the political struggles, reform efforts, and occasional street fighting of a newborn country.

When the music you sing is banned, when the entire genre is identified with the enemy, how do you find the courage to keep singing? Just ask Boris Grebenshikov!