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.

“I have nothing to share.”

– Comedian Maksim Galkin in response to journalists asking him about rumors of divorce between him and his wife, the musical icon Alla Pugacheva.

The President of Russia's neighboring Belarus says he had coronavirus, but even that didn't keep him down.

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.

A batch of cherniki was found to contain high levels of dangerous radiation.

Russian lawmakers seek to boost the economy – and citizens' heart rates – by providing vouchers for workout classes.

This week, Spotify comes to Russia, Crimea is a hot tourist destination (like always), and three cases of corruption: one big, one small, and one straight out of a spy movie.

“Coffee is good. I don’t know where we got coffee from – it’s like a sin, like drinking champagne in the morning... Coffee is good, remember that. You can love it or not love it, but you cannot blame it and say that it is harmful. ”

– Dr. Alexander Myasnikov, dispelling misconceptions on the dangers of coffee

A well-known Russian doctor used ice cream as a clue for a tricky diagnosis.

“Women most often think about new breasts and buttocks, some receive such operations as a gift from their gentlemen. For men, surgery to correct the shape of the nose and ears is now popular. We took a closer look at ourselves, sitting at home, and apparently decided to improve our aesthetic appearance.”

- Plastic surgeon Dmitry Elenshleger on the popularity plastic surgery in Russia, now that the quarantine is being lifted

As the коронавирусная пандемия (the coronavirus pandemic) still affects just about every aspect of our lives, it has, of course, been changing the way we speak.

Experts report that Russian drinking habits over the last couple of months have gotten a bit lighter.