We look back and some of our, and your, favorite stories from The Weekly Russia File during 2018.

Paul Richardson, publisher of Russian Life, was presented with the Indiana University REEI Distinguished Alumnus Award, an honor that celebrates alumni of the Institute who have made exceptional contributions to academia, public service, education, outreach, and other fields by drawing on their expertise in the Russian and East European region.

This week was a grab bag of jobs well done, tear-jerkers, and meta-scary stories. Buckle up!

Ever wonder what we don’t publish? Well, here it is. The scraps on our cutting room floor, and last week’s fourth-best story – all collected in one wonderfully semi-interesting place.

If you’re here for Halloween spooks, we can’t help you: all we’ve got this week are feel-good stories!

Ukraine will soon have its own independent Orthodox church, fueled by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

What's news on the travel front.

A round-up of some of the latest news from Russia.

Laura Williams, a long-time contributor to Russian Life (author of the wonderful book, Notes from a Russian Village), passed away suddenly on October 28, 2018.

Russian law enforcement had a busy week, from taking on the ~high~ seas to putting rich jerks in their place.

Falling objects, family feuds, and friendly felines dominated our attention this week.

What’s more surprising, fake feminists or fish with bad teeth?