Popular characters from other cultures get their dose of peculiar Russian melancholy.

Tolstoy’s books are verbose and moralize heavily. Russia's most prolific author was born 190 years ago on Sept. 9, and we started wondering what scenes from today’s popular books would be like if written by Tolstoy.

President Vladimir Putin is an avid outdoorsman, and his recreational pursuits occasionally make a big splash in the media. Take our quiz and see if you can guess his most vivid moments.

The church serves as a reminder that Russia’s history was built in wood.