Russian cinema has entered the New Year on the upswing - record box office receipts for the movie ‘Cheburashka’ have heartened its producers, with about 20 million people in Russia alone having bought tickets to see the movie. But there are also much talked-about releases to be expected from art house directors, too.

Residents of some 25 countries enjoy a visa-free regime with Russia.

Mustard bread baked according to a classical Soviet recipe is the perfect breakfast, served with butter and homemade jam. 

Some 60 men with rifles were required to protect an entire village from just one of these gigantic bears. We reveal where they live, why they’re so fierce and who - if anyone - could pose a threat to it.

Architectural historian and photographer William Brumfield takes a closer look at two convents with contrasting fates, but which were both intricately involved with Moscow over the centuries.