Marina Zakharova was born in Kostroma and graduated from the Yaroslavl Art School in 1987. She takes part in Russian and foreign art exhibitions. In 1998, she received an award from the President of Russia for achievements in art. The paintings of the artist can be found in the collection of Kostroma Art Museum and private collections in Russia and abroad.

Most of the paintings of Marina Zakharova are still lifes. But the author does not agree with this definition of the genre of her paintings. She says that she paints the portraits of flowers. The catalog of paintings.

Tags: artist · Kostroma city · Marina Zakharova

Nerchinsk state prison was a part of penitentiary system of the Russian Empire, the main place in Eastern Siberia for state convicts sentenced to hard labor. It was located on the territory of present Zabaikalsky krai.

The prison system in Eastern Siberia appeared in the beginning of the 18th century as a place of serving sentences for the most serious criminal offenses. The first lead-silver mines and Zerentuyskaya penitentiary began operating in 1739.

By the beginning of the 19th century, it was a system of prisons, mines, factories and other economic facilities managed by the Mining Department. The convicts were working in the mines, foundries, salt plants, construction sites.

The significance of Nerchinsk prison for the ruling system was great. During the 19th century more than one million people were exiled to this place. After the Revolution of 1905-1907 the number of political prisoners increased significantly. After the February Revolution of 1917, all political prisoners were released.

Tags: convicts · Nerchinsk · prison · Zabaikalsky krai

Kuban Cossacks (Kuban Cossack Army) is a part of Russian Cossacks of the North Caucasus, living on the territory of present Krasnodar krai, Stavropol krai, as well as the Republic of Adygeya and Karachay-Cherkessia. The military headquarters is located in Krasnodar (former Ekaterinodar).

Historically Kuban Cossacks were free militarized agricultural population. At the head of the Kuban Cossack Army was the chieftain (ataman), who was the military chief of the division and also the governor.

Cossack communities carried out various duties: military service, maintaining of postal stations, escorting prisoners, guard duty, etc. On the eve of 1914 Kuban Cossack Army numbered about 1.3 million of the Cossacks.

Tags: Cossacks · Krasnodar city

Vasya Lozhkin is Russian artist living in a small town of Solnechnogorsk located in Moskovskaya oblast. In his paintings he portrays parallel world – the world of psychosis, madness, extreme forms of mental states, visions and hallucinations.

If sometimes there are intersections with reality they are very little. This is not a reflection of our lives in a distorting mirror but a frightening fantasy world and the lives of the ghosts. He also likes to paint cats and bunnies.

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Tags: cats · Moskovskaya oblast · paintings · Vasya Lozhkin

Seven tanks of water were poured on the track in a clay quarry by the organizers of “Autumn Marathon” – a trophy-sprint held annually in the village Assadulaevo, Astrakhan oblast.

September 17, 2011 the competition was attended by 17 crews from Volgograd and Astrakhan. There were almost no high-speed sections on the track. The key events unfolded in the artificially flooded pits.

The contestants were diving into the mud by turn and then one of the following three things happened – either the car died, filled with the clay suspensions, or was towed and continued the race, or what was happening far less often overcame the water obstacles on their own.

Tags: Astrakhan oblast · mud · race

And how you spent your summer?

Tags: parkour · tracer

The heroic space flight of Yuri Gagarin has opened up a new era in world history. Mankind’s age-old dream has come true.

Yuri Gagarin – the man who will never be forgotten

Interesting documentary about the flight by Russian Federal Space Agency

Tags: Yuri Gagarin

In today’s Russia, Aleksei Navalny has managed to attract a vast audience with his Web site RosPil.info. It posts documents about state tenders and asks for public input on matters like the fairness of the prices or the deadlines. The site’s name means Russian Saw. It features an image of two headed Russian eagle – the state symbol – absurdly grasping two carpenter saws in its talons. Why saws? Russian slang for taking a kickback is to “saw off” a piece of the contract. More about Aleksei Navalny in the article of The New York Times.

Tags: Aleksei Navalny · RosPil.info

In the village of Kunary (Nevyanskiy district of Sverdlovsk oblast) there is an incredibly beautiful and amazing house. The house is the handwork of blacksmith Sergey Kirillov. Here you can see the domes of churches, crosses, doves, coat of arms of the USSR, kittens, flowers, children and thousands of different cute flourishes. As a result of nationwide contest of amateur wooden architecture in 1999, the house of Kirillov Sergey Ivanovich was recognized as the best in Russia. The photos by daypic.ru

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Tags: blacksmith · house · Sverdlovsk oblast

The video was captured at Moscow city subway station “Lenin Library” (about seven o’clock in the evening).

Tags: Moscow city · subway