Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky (1839-1915) was one of the most popular and influential Russian artists at the end of the 19th century. A lot of his paintings show an idealized view of life in Russia in the past centuries.

The portrait genre occupied a special place in the artist’s work. Largely thanks to it, he achieved success. His paintings are known for beautifully painted furniture, clothes, expensive fabrics and furs. The artist tried to show the person being portrayed in the most favorable light, while maintaining an exact likeness.

beautiful portraits

Tags: Russian Empire

The anthropological album “Russians” by Anatoly Petrovich Bogdanov and Matthias Zikov was published in 15 copies in Moscow in 1867. Source

Abram Gavrilov, Svishchevo village, Uglich district, Yaroslavl Governorate (37 years old).

Russians in 1867

Tags: Russian Empire

Russia is a country with deep-rooted traditions and customs, some of which can be quite unexpected to Westerners. Everyone knows about the locals’ weird quirk of not smiling at strangers, but do you know that wearing your shoes inside is very disrespectful towards the homeowner, almost as much as visiting someone’s home emptyhanded. If you’re planning a Russia trip for business or pleasure, here are some things that you should better avoid.

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If you weren’t sure you wanted to date a Russian girl, think again. They are very family-oriented and able to form strong long-term bonds with the right man. There are many stereotypes and adult dating advice about Russian women that aren’t true, but one (and fundamental!) is: that they have great potential as a girlfriend or a wife.

Thinking your next long-term relationship might come from the affections of a Russian girl? If so, prepare to be meticulously cared about. Russian culture has one definitive trait shared by natives and immigrants alike: they may seem somber and unfriendly on the outside. Yet once your conversation gets to a friendly tone, they quickly open up and turn out to be the friendliest and warmest folks in the world. You’ve hit the jackpot, no matter if you met a Russian girl at a party, social media, a bar, or a dating site. This shouldn’t surprise you, as in the modern world, dating websites stand a part of dating culture, including Russians.

Russian dating etiquette

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Since time immemorial, Russia was perceived as a cold country, both literally and figuratively speaking. With the fall of communism, the country quickly adapted its age-old traditions and began incorporating modern, liberal approaches to life.

Russians’ social aspect took a huge step forward, and currently, cities like St. Petersburg have quickly become the go-to-spots for sightseeing. These same places offer a romantic get-away for locals and visitors alike. According to research on this site, pleasant emotions and social experiences play an important role in relationships. Visiting the right places can provide much-needed leverage as you start a new relationship.

These locales provide conducive environments to build relationships, away from the hustle and bustle of metropolises.

romantic date in Russia

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Carl Oswald Bulla or Karl Karlovich Bulla (1855-1929), a portraitist and master of documentary photography, was the owner of a photo studio in St. Petersburg. He became known as “the father of Russian photo reporting.”

In 1886, he received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs “permission to carry out all kinds of photographic work outside his home, such as: on the streets, apartments and in the vicinity of St. Petersburg.” In 1897, Karl Bulla’s photographs began to be published in the popular magazine “Niva”. Since that time, his name became known throughout the Russian Empire.

In total, his legacy is about 230 thousand photographs of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Tsarskoselsky (Vitebsky) railway station in St. Petersburg.

unique photos of the Russian Empire

Tags: Russian Empire · Saint Petersburg city

Russian people are resilient, intelligent, beautiful individuals that make for enviable romantic partners. With the advent of new technology and even immigration, people can find themselves dating a Russian person quite easily.

However, it’s important to understand Russians a bit before getting into a relationship with them. Website Spicylocals.com has shared an interesting list of facts about dating in Russia.

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The Polar Urals is the northernmost part of the Ural Mountains. As well as throughout the Ural watershed, it is a geographical border between Asia and Europe, as well as an administrative border between the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic.

These are harsh and sparsely populated places, but due to the fact that the Vorkuta-Labytnangi Railway crosses the Polar Urals, it is relatively easy to get here. In winter, the Nenets come to the mountains of the Polar Urals with their herds of deer. Photos by: Sergey Karpukhin.

the life of nomadic herders

Tags: Salekhard city · Yamalo-Nenets okrug

The following filmstrip titled “Shelters, Covers and the Rules for Using Them” was released as a civil defense lessons workbook for pupils of the 5th grade of primary schools (10-11 years old) on request of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) Ministry of Education in 1970. Source: humus. Copyright: Russian State Children’s Library (RGDB).

be ready for a nuclear war

Tags: Soviet past

The following photos were taken by an unknown person belonging to the so-called Czechoslovak Legion, which stuck in Russia after the revolutionary events of 1917 and played an important role during the Russian Civil War. Source: humus

1. Small person guiding a blind one

Russians just a hundred years ago

Tags: Russian Empire