More features:

• The History of Russian Railways

  
  If Russia had no trains, what would Tolstoy have done with Anna Karenina? How would Lenin have returned to Russia in April 1917, sent back, as Churchill said, in ‘a sealed train like a plague bacillus’? And of course where would the world be without the grand Trans-Siberian railroad?! By Isabel StoneRussia without Trains? Ludicrous!Before railways existed, people relied on an unreliable river and canal system; the water was frozen and impassable for about five months of the year, and the journey for example from Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea to St....

• The Russian Banya

  With winter arriving late, the In Your Pocket Editors hunt for indoor winter entertainment and recommend ice-skating and the essential experience of the Russian banya....

• Yuri Gagarin

  
  One of the most important heroes of modern times, the first man in space, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, spent a large part of his life as a hardworking student, before being thrust into international superstardom when he was launched into space on April 12 1961....

• Soviet Disneyland

  
  If there were such thing as a Soviet Disneyland, Moscow’s VDNKh (pronounced VDN-hah) district would be it....

• Russian Souvenirs

  
  It's not all just about Russian dolls and fur hats! Russia offers a wide variety of traditional souvenirs worth spending your money on....

• Rostov Veliky

  
  A hidden gem of the Golden RingText and photos by Louise Whitworth  This tiny lakeside town, around three hours from Moscow along the route between Sergiev Posad and Yaroslavl, is a far too often over-looked gem of Russia's Golden Ring of medieval towns and villages....

• Stalin's Seven Sisters

  
  One of the most distinct features of the Moscow skyline, Stalin's so-called seven sisters are still amongst some of the tallest buildings in Europe....

• Behind the wheel: Driving in Moscow

  
  By Bauke van der Meer, BVDM Tax and Legal ServicesIf you are not afraid of traffic jams and want to see what life is like beyond the Garden Ring, driving a car will open up a new world for you....

• Caucasian cuisine – A taste of the South

  
  One of the unquestionable pluses of Russia's Soviet past is the sprinkling of restaurants serving cuisine from former USSR republics....

• Volga Dream Cruise

  All AboardModern cruising is all about the size of your ship, with ocean-liners becoming small cities filled with casinos, swimming pools, bowling alleys and bars....

• Russian ice swimming

  
  It’s minus 15 degrees outside on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Some Russians may take this time to enjoy a nice warm cup of tea in a café or perhaps a bracing walk in the park to enjoy the sunshine....

• The Patriotic War of 1812

  
  Napoleon’s ultimately disastrous invasion of the Russian Empire in 1812 is one of the most famous military campaigns in modern history....

• The secrets of Russian caviar

  It is strange: suddenly I feel like a five-year-old boy again, holding my mother’s hand as we enter the big toyshop in the city near my hometown....

• Fabulous Faberge

  
  Whether seen as symbols of an excessive, decadent monarchy, or as poignant mementoes of a personal family tragedy; the Faberge eggs are still artistic masterpieces....