The term Shaman is both a noun and a verb. It is from the Tungus language and is seen as saman or haman. The actions of the Shaman are, what western explorers referred to as, Shamanism. It is the oldest known demonstration of human spirituality.

The life and works of this thirty-eight year old, single mother and wonderful artist.

Told that the Rodina was not in so bad a shape that she needed girls to protect her, these future heroes were sent home to their mothers.  Soon, they were called back and became a crucial element in the protection of their homeland and victory over Nazi Germany.

Part II - Islamic rebels

Death of Stalin.

Today, the wonderful, hearty and traditional recipes and meals of the Russian table can be attributed to the efforts of Russian women to provide sustenance and nurturing to their families.

Unique and enchanting folk art from the region of Transvolga.

How did the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria and sister to the Tsarina end up a martyred nun?

The statistics regarding Russia's orphaned and/or abandoned children are quite disturbing with Americans making up the majority of foreign adoptive parents. Reforms have been implemented but do little to improve living conditions in Russia's orphanages. What does the future hold for these children?

Russia's turbulent Time of Trouble, period between the Rurik and Romanov Dynasties.

Russia and Japan have yet to sign a WWII peace treaty. At the center of the dispute are four ancient volcanic islands, part of the Kuril Islands help by Russia and known to Japan as the Northern Territory.