The pioneer camps in the USSR were educational and health institutions for pioneers of the Soviet Union Pioneer Organization named after Lenin and schoolchildren (7 to 15 years) organized usually during the school holidays by trade unions, the Communist Youth League, economic organizations, collective farms, and so on.

About 40,000 suburban pioneer camps for 10 million children were open in the USSR. The following unique photos were collected in pioneer camps that had been abandoned after the collapse of the USSR by Denis Spirin

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Tags: Soviet past

This winter in Russia is cold. Temperature fell below minus 20 degrees Celsius in many regions of the country, including the capital city. Let’s take a look at Moscow in these cold days. Photos by zubr14

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Tags: Moscow city

There is a widespread belief that Stalin’s Soviet Union was a country almost completely closed to foreigners. However, advertising of “Intourist” (organization responsible for foreign tourism in the USSR) created in 1930ies, gives somewhat different look at the issue.

The country was in desperate need of foreign currency for industrialization, so all the ways to lure wealthy foreign tourists to the USSR were used. And it was not just about the major cities – Moscow and Leningrad.

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Tags: posters · propaganda · Soviet past

In the archives of Russia there are a lot of unique photographs. There are high-quality color photographs of the USSR before and during the Second World War.

For example, here are the photos of athletic parade in Stalingrad in May 1945 (author – Mark Redkin). The Battle of Stalingrad is considered the largest land battle of the Second World War and the key battle on the Eastern Front.

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Tags: Volgograd city

One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.
Three, four, better lock your door.
Five, six, grab your crucifix.
Seven, eight, gonna stay up late.
Nine, ten, never sleep again.

Freddy Krueger would definitely love this place! Photos by Lana Sator

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Tags: Abandoned

Dear visitors of our blog about Russia! We wish you Happy New Year and good luck in all your endeavors in 2013!

Tags: New Year

The new year is getting closer and summing up this year, I would like to share with you the following list of Top 7 posts published in our blog in 2012. They can’t compete with a number of our top posts about Soviet propaganda published earlier but are still worth seeing.

#1. In 2003, the United Nations called Grozny city the most destroyed city on the planet. It was the result of two Chechen wars. And here is Grozny city now.

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Tags: New Year

Yakutsk is surrounded by many hills. In the Soviet era the tunnel in one of them, located near the mountain Chochur Muran, was used as a huge cellar for food storage. In November 2008, tourist center “The Kingdom of Permafrost” was opened here.

At the entrance to the “Kingdom” visitors receive warm coats and boots. It is necessary because in summer the temperature in the tunnel is minus 4 degrees Celsius. But in winter the temperature does not fall below minus 10 degrees C, so after minus 50 degrees C outside it is a good place to get warm. Photos by Alex Cheban

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Tags: Yakutsk city

November 27, 2012 in Kamchatka, after a 36-year interval, volcano Plosky (Flat) Tolbachik began to erupt. Volcanoes Plosky Tolbachik (altitude 3140 meters) and Ostry (Sharp) Tolbachik (3682 meters) are the parts of one single large volcanic massif (volcanoes location on Google Maps).

Tolbachik is located in the south-western part of the Klyuchevskaya volcano group, 63 kilometers from Kluchi village and 343 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Previous eruption began in July 1975 and continued until October 1976. Magnificent views! Photos by Sergey Gorshkov

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Tags: Kamchatka krai

This majestic Savior Cathedral, built in the early 20th century, is standing in the center of the small village Kukoboy (population about 1,000). The cathedral is a picturesque temple constructed in high artistic style.

It is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Yaroslavl region and in all Russia. The temple impresses in its beauty and amazing proportions, rich ornamentation of white facing stone. Photos by Denis Spirin

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Tags: churches · Yaroslavl oblast