In the 18th and 19th centuries, almost every Russian emperor had a special someone on the side – usually, cheating on his or her ‘beloved’ spouse.

It will. But to do that, it will need to recruit 300,000 more contract soldiers and stop relying on reservists, who still form the majority of the country's male population.  

Despite the efforts of the Soviet leadership to hush up these catastrophes, they were so horrible that the truth was impossible to conceal.

Everything you need to know about the legendary country estate where Tolstoy wrote 'War and Peace.'