Today in St. Petersburg organizers of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi have presented the medals, which will be awarded to winners of competitions.

The main theme in the design of medals is a patch-work quilt that will be the main symbol of the Sochi Games. The quilt symbolizes the “diversity of cultural traditions of people living in Russia.”

Gold medal of the Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi

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Tags: Sochi city · Sochi2014

Surgut GRES-2 is the largest thermoelectric power plant in Russia. The station is located in the city of Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District). As of 2012, it is one of the largest thermoelectric power plants in the world in the annual generation and the largest producer of electricity in Russia.

The installed electric capacity is 5,597.1 MW, installed thermal capacity – 840 Gcal/h. The station is working on associated petroleum gas (70%) and natural gas (30%). The height of the pipes is 273 meters. Photos by Vadim Makhorov

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Tags: Khanty-Mansi okrug · Surgut city

Ingushetia is located on the northern slopes of the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. The length of the republic territory from north to south is 144 km, from west to east – 72 km.

Northern part of the republic has steppe relief, in the south – the terrain is mountainous, consisting of ridges separated by valleys and gorges. The highest point is Mount Shan (4500 meters).

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Tags: Ingushetia Republic · landscapes

Here is the second part of photos on the state of the Read Army just before the Second World War, in 1936. We can see the Red Army soldiers at study, rest and in combat. Pictures by humus

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Tags: propaganda · Soviet past

May 9 in Russia and some countries of the former Soviet Union is celebrated as the Day of Victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Paying tribute to those who died in the war, we want to share with you a number of unique photos from an album on the state of the Red Army just before the war, in 1936. Pictures by humus

The Red Army in 1936 – Part 2

Soviet young people go with joy to their Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army

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Tags: propaganda · Soviet past

The Republic of Karelia is located in the north-western part of Russia, bordering Finland. The region is of great interest in the first place from a tourist point of view. Active, cultural and green forms of tourism are the most popular.

Karelia attracts tourists for its environmentally friendly nature, low population density and relatively low prices. A large part of the region is above the Arctic Circle and at night in the sky you can see fascinating pictures of Aurora Borealis like the following ones taken near the village of Rabocheostrovsk (Google Maps location of the place). Photos by Denis Frantsouzov

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Tags: Karelia Republic

May 1 is a holiday in many countries around the world and is known as Labor and Spring Day in present Russia. In the USSR it was celebrated as International Workers Day.

May 1, 1886, socialist, communist and anarchist organizations in the U.S. and Canada staged a series of rallies and demonstrations. May 4, 1886, six people were killed when the police broke up one of these demonstrations in Chicago.

If you have worked well – you will have good rest

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Tags: posters · propaganda · Soviet past

August 19, 1963 – the first cosmonauts of the world: Yuri Gagarin, Alexei Leonov, Boris Volynov, Victor Gorbatko.

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Tags: Soviet past

Khabarovsk is the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District and Khabarovsk region of Russia. The city is a major economic, transport and logistics, political, and cultural center of the Russian Far East.

The city is standing on the right bank of the Amur River near the border with China. Distance to Moscow by air is about 6100 km, by rail – 8533 km.

Khabarovsk was founded in 1858 and named after the Russian explorer of the 17th century Yerofei Khabarov. Khabarovsk Bridge, as well as rock and monument to Count Muravyov-Amursky are depicted on the 5000 rubles banknote – at the moment it’s the biggest banknote in Russia.

Tags: Khabarovsk city · time-lapse

These photos were taken near Mutnovsky volcano, Kamchatka krai, in 2012. Last winter was not snowy, and the summer was hot. Therefore huge snow piles that never melt reduced in size greatly. As a result, a passage in the snow was opened leading to the cave underneath.

At the entrance to the cave the ceiling is not thick and sunlight breaking through it gives unique beautiful views. As you go further away from the entrance, the arch of the cave becomes thicker, and less sunlight comes through it, but you can still see various bizarre images, both in form and color.

Photo © Denis Budkov

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Tags: Kamchatka krai