🧛‍♂️ A Upyr is a mythological creature from Slavic folklore, often associated with evil spirits and vampires.

🧛 In Slavic mythology, a Upyr is a reanimated corpse that rises from the grave and feeds on the blood of living people or animals. It possesses supernatural strength, the ability to transform into animals (such as a wolf or bat), and is often linked to curses or sins committed by the person during their lifetime.

⚠️ Upyrs were considered dangerous and malevolent beings that could bring disease, death, and destruction. To protect themselves from them, Slavs used various rituals and amulets, such as garlic, aspen stakes (which were driven into the Upyr's heart), and conducted burial rituals to prevent the deceased from returning.

🌏 Interestingly, the image of the Upyr has influenced the development of vampire mythology in other cultures, including the well-known portrayal of vampires in Western literature and cinema.

#mythologyofRussia

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🐴 You never know what you might see in the Moscow Metro in the evening.

#interestingvideos

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🚘 A journey along the old Kolyma Highway in an all-terrain vehicle.

#videooftheday

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❄️ Yakutia — the kingdom of frost and tranquility.

#videooftheday

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🇳🇬🇷🇺 A Nigerian has started working as a therapist at the Kholmogory Hospital.

👨‍⚕️ Odugoge-Daniel Babawale Oluwapelumi, a graduate of SGMU, decided to build his career in the Arkhangelsk region.

“Arkhangelsk feels like a second home to me; the people here are very kind. The patients have welcomed me well, my colleagues are supportive, and the government provided housing,” said Odugoge-Daniel Babawale Oluwapelumi.

In the coming months, his wife, a dentist, will join him and also start working at the Kholmogory Central District Hospital.

#news

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😀 A huge snow logo dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory has appeared on the ice of a Yakutian lake.

👨‍🎨 Over 7,200 square meters of snow canvas came to life under the hands of a talented team of Churapchinsky artists led by Sergey Fedorov and 130 volunteers.

"This large-scale artwork is not just an artistic project; it is a tribute to the heroism of our ancestors, a reminder of the price of the peaceful sky above us. This unique project, which united the hearts of many, has become a true gift for all residents and guests of the ulus ahead of the holiday," said the head of Yakutia.

#news

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🎁 The Tula gingerbread – a sweet symbol of Russia!

You have probably heard of this iconic Russian treat from the city of Tula. If not, we’ll fix that right now!

🇷🇺🇷🇺 Tula gingerbread is a printed gingerbread known for its fragrant dough made with honey and spices, as well as its beautiful patterns on the surface. The filling can vary – from fruit and berry jams to honey and condensed milk.

The history of Tula gingerbread dates back to the distant 16th century. Although gingerbread was made in almost all Russian cities and villages at that time, the process was perfected and practically turned into an art form in Tula.

🇷🇺 The molds for baking gingerbread were made from wooden boards. The dough was pressed into them until the pattern was imprinted.

Various patterns, local landmarks, and sketches from everyday life were “printed” on the gingerbread.

🇫🇷 The most famous Tula gingerbread maker, Vasily Grechikhin, even won the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889 with a 32-kilogram gingerbread brought from Tula.

Today, Tula has its own monument to Tula gingerbread and a dedicated museum, and since 2016, the city has hosted a unique festival called "Gingerbread Day" every year.

🎁 Additionally, Tula gingerbread makes a great gift and souvenir from Russia. Let’s keep that in mind!

#Russiancuisine

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🇷🇺 The famous St. Petersburg prison "Kresty" has been sold for 1.136 billion rubles.

The KVS Group of Companies has become the new owner of the former detention center "Kresty" in St. Petersburg. Two companies from the Northern capital participated in the bidding.

The buyer will receive land plots with a total area of 3.9 hectares, as well as buildings and structures with a total area of 41,200 square meters.

The territory is planned to host a museum, a hotel complex, restaurants, galleries, and public spaces.

What would you do in the place of the famous prison?

#news

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🇷🇺💬 Today Putin spoke at the plenary session of the Future Technologies Forum and gave instructions to the government on Western companies. The president's main statements about the future of Russian industry:

— Russia still does not produce lithium, although it could have done so 10-15 years ago;

— We can regulate the return to our market of those who want to return, creating and leaving advantages for our own producers. We need to do this subtly, carefully, but we must do it;

— Oreshnik warheads can withstand temperatures equal to the temperature of the Sun. A similar system was thought about back in the late 80s, but there were no materials;

— Russia "will make everything except bananas", but they "have already started making bananas" — a bit expensive, but that's okay;

— The Soviet legacy in the field of chemical industry after the collapse of the USSR was squandered and replicated.

#news

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🇷🇺 The Tuvans are a Turkic people whose history and culture are inextricably linked to the vast steppes and mountains of Southern Siberia.

📍 Most Tuvans live in the Republic of Tyva (Tuva), part of Russia, as well as in neighboring regions — Mongolia and China. According to the 2021 census, the Tuvan population in Russia numbers around 300,000 people.

🐴 The Tuvans formed through a blend of ancient Turkic, Mongolian, Samoyedic, and Ket tribes. Their ancestors were nomads who settled the Sayan-Altai Highlands as early as the Scythian era (1st millennium BCE), evidenced by burial mounds with gold decorations in the "animal style."

📔 The Tuvan language belongs to the Sayan group of the Turkic family and has dialects reflecting Mongolian and Russian influences. Since 1943, it has used the Cyrillic noscript with additional letters (e.g., Ө, Ү). In the Republic of Tyva, it holds official status alongside Russian.

📜 Until the 18th century, Tuva was under the influence of Mongolian khanates before becoming part of the Qing Empire. In 1914, the region voluntarily became a Russian protectorate as the Uryankhay Krai. After the 1917 Revolution, the independent Tuvan People’s Republic (1921–1944), aligned with the USSR, was proclaimed. In 1944, Tuva joined the Soviet Union as an autonomous oblast and became a full-fledged republic within the Russian Federation in 1993.

🐏 Traditional Tuvan livelihoods revolved around nomadic pastoralism (raising yaks, sheep, and horses) and hunting. Their crafts are renowned: silver embossing, agalmatolite carving ("chonar-dash"), and making felt carpets and musical instruments like the igil (a two-stringed fiddle) and doshpuluur (a plucked string instrument).

🎶 Throat singing khoomei holds a special place — an art of producing multiple overtones simultaneously, mimicking natural sounds. It is recognized by UNESCO as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.

🙏 Tuvans practice a synthesis of Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) and ancient shamanism. Rituals honoring spirits of mountains, rivers, and fire are held at sacred sites called ovaa.

🏙 Today, Tuva is a land of contrasts. On one hand, nomadic traditions endure: many villagers live in yurts, and the Naadym festival features wrestling (khuresh) and horse races. On the other, youth are migrating en masse to cities (Kyzyl, Ak-Dovurak), facing unemployment. Authorities support ethnic projects: khoomei festivals, native language schools, and ethno-parks. However, migration threatens the fragile balance between past and future.

#peoplesofrussia

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🇷🇺 Mamai is a mountain gorge in the Republic of Buryatia, where the largest amount of snow falls in all of Siberia

#videooftheday

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🐻 Russian man gets himself a brown bear and wrestles with it. Seriously, the guy goes into the animal's enclosure and practices hand-to-hand combat.

The Internet says that the man found a 2-month-old cub in the forest next to a dead bear and took it to himself. According to experts, Baloo (as the author of the video called the predator) looks about seven years old, and he weighs 300 kilograms.

Wrestling is a daily pastime for both the bear and his owner. The clubfoot doesn't seem to mind such fun, he's just waiting to cuddle with his owner

#interestingvideos

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🇷🇺 "Sigma-boy" and a military choir. Do you feel the connection?

🎶 It seems we’ve just witnessed the most unexpected collaboration of the year. The charismatic performers from the Moscow Military Choir sang about a strong and brave Sigma-boy, blending their vocals with footage of Russian soldiers and stunning visuals of military hardware.

The lyrics were tweaked slightly:
“Sigma boy. A true Sigma boy.
Every girl dreams of dancing with you.
Strong and brave — steadfast for the Fatherland.”

💪 The result? Pure style!

#news

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🇷🇺 Kvass – a traditional Russian drink

“Russian kvass has saved many people!” — this is how the traditional Russian refreshing drink was described in ancient times.

🇷🇺 Kvass is made through the natural fermentation of rye bread, water, and sugar, giving it a pleasantly sweet-and-sour taste. Sometimes, honey, berries, fruits, or other ingredients are added to enhance its unique flavor.

Kvass is considered a non-alcoholic beverage, though it contains a small amount of alcohol (about 1-2%).

The history of kvass spans over a thousand years. Its first recorded mention dates back to 996 AD, when Prince Vladimir I of Kievan Rus’, after the Christianization of the state, ordered the distribution of “food, honey, and kvass” to the people.

🇷🇺 In olden times, it was drunk by everyone — from peasants to tsars. Peter the Great adored kvass, much like *okroshka* (a cold soup that famously includes kvass).

This Russian drink also boasts numerous health benefits: it improves metabolism, supports cardiovascular health, and contains beneficial vitamins and amino acids.

🏥 This is why kvass was once a staple in hospitals and infirmaries.

☀️ Be sure to try Russian kvass, especially if you visit Russia in summer — you’ll find no better remedy for the heat!

#Russiancuisine

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