Russia

Things Are Not Going Well At Russia’s New Spaceport

“I will not allow sabotage, I’ll simply rip heads off,” is never something you want your boss to say. Russia is in the process of building its first new cosmodrome—or rocket launch site—since the fall of the USSR. And it’s a mess. For the past two decades, Russia’s used the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in current-day Kazakhstan,…

Ukraine Is Just The Beginning: Welcome To The Age Of Shadow Wars

Confused about what’s been going on between Russia and Ukraine? You’re not alone. And that’s sort of the point — this conflict serves as a case study in the effectiveness of shadowy, “hybrid” warfare, which is hard to understand from the outside. And the effectiveness of this strategy means it could be the future of…

Two Men Play An Upside-Down Game Of Ice Hockey, UNDERWATER

Usually, when you play ice hockey you play it on the side of the ice where the air is. Not these divers. They decided to take a puck and a pair of hockey sticks underwater in a frozen lake and do a bit of knocking around on the wrong side of the ice. These two…

Russia Will Stay With The International Space Station Through 2024

Russia announced Tuesday it plans to remain affiliated with the International Space Station through 2024, at which point it will undock its modules to create its own, separate orbital outpost. Above: The ISS, as photographed by a crew member aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-132) on May 16, 2010 | Credit: NASA. The Obama administration announced…

Drone footage of Russia’s Air Force Museum shows a heaven for planes

All these fighter jets and war planes and attack helicopters are on display at Russia’s Central Air Force museum just outside of Moscow. They’re advanced killing machines. And yet this drone footage makes them look so peaceful, resting and hibernating in the Russian winter snow. It’s as if we’ve stumbled upon a paradise for planes.…

The Olympic Venues of the USSR, 35 Years Later

The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow were controversial. While its war in Afghanistan had sparked a global boycott of the games, the USSR also wanted to showcase its capacity for opulence. To this day, the architecture of the Olympic Village lives on like an undying tribute to the Soviets’ misplaced and ultimately untimely ambition. Russian-born…

How much do you know about Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space? This detailed profile sheds light on the cosmonaut’s life and accomplishments, as well as her struggles.

​First ever drone footage of the Soviet-era secret lightning machine

You have seen photos of the secret Soviet-era Tesla tower—capable of discharging as much energy as the entire USSR’s power grid in 100 milliseconds—but you have never seen this like this, from a drone. Russia Today got permission to take this video of one of the most fascinating science facilities in the planet. The facility…

Did this mad Russian really shoot his friend’s head to test a helmet?

This insane video shows a Russian guy shooting a pistol at his friend’s head to test the quality of the K6-3—a titanium helmet with bullet-proof glass used by Russian special forces. Some commenters think this may be fake. Many think it’s real. What do you think? If it is not real, it is an extremely…

That Time Hawaii Turned to Russia For Plantation Workers

There is an absolutely fascinating story by Alina Simone on PRI about a time in the early 20th century when the Hawaiian Board of Immigration let in 1,500 Russians to solve a labor dispute. And of the resulting attempt by the brand new communist government to bring them back. Image credit: A Family Portrait From…

Russia May Slap Germany With A $4.5 Trillion Lawsuit For Nazi Atrocities

A workgroup is being set up by deputies of Russia’s parliament to calculate the damage that Nazi Germany inflicted upon the Soviet Union during the Second World War. Initial estimates place the figure between $3.43 to $4.56 trillion dollars — but good luck getting Germany to pay. Top photo: The Children’s Fountain during the Battle…

The Most Inspiring Space-Themed Murals From Ex-Soviet Bloc Countries

Across Russia and the Eastern Bloc, the Soviet side of the space race was celebrated in massive, colorful murals. And while some of them are starting to crumble, they still stand as inspiring visions of human progress. https://gizmodo.com/the-melancholy-crumbling-remains-of-great-socialist-mu-1570875662 Weltall, Erde, Mensch (Space, Earth, People), by Otto Schmutzmeister, Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany, 1970 (via Kunst am Bau /…

Meet the New Cold War, Same As the Old Cold War

Remember the Cold War? We basically spent half a century on the precipice of worldwide nuclear annihilation. Well, like it or not, the Cold War is back. In fact, it never really ended. Russia is invading old Soviet countries. China has put a robot on the moon. North Korea is the prime suspect in an…

Russia Building World’s Largest Collection of DNA, Called ‘Noah’s Ark’

The New Cold War is about to live up to its name a bit more literally. Researchers in Russia want to build the world’s largest repository for DNA, storing the genetic material of every creature on Earth, both living and extinct. Researchers at Moscow State University have secured a grant of roughly $194 million to…

Russian Underground Stations Look Even More Stunning In Black and White

These photos of Saint Petersburg and Moscow Metro system were taken by Russian photographer Andrey Kruglikov, also known as subwayspecial on Instagram. They highlight the rich architecture that Muscovites see on their daily commutes. Most of these stations were built during the Soviet Union, and the most extravagants with marble walls, grandiose chandeliers and wonderful…

Bloomberg News asked foreign policy analysts, military experts and economists to identify the possible worst-case scenarios in 2015. Potential future crises include armed conflict in the South China Sea, the collapse of Nigeria and political upheaval in Saudi Arabia prompted by the death of 90-year-old King Abdullah.

Apple Halts Online Sales in Russia Due to Seesawing Rouble

The wildly fluctuating worth of the Russian rouble currency has lead iPhone makers Apple to halt online sales in the country, as the tech giant cannot set stable prices for its wares. The rouble has dropped in worth 20 per cent this week, despite the treasury’s dramatic decision to raise interest rates a whopping 6.5…

Google is apparently to shut down its Russian engineering offices. It follows the announcement of new laws which will require websites to store user data about Russian citizens within the country’s borders.

Close encounters with Russian warplanes as tension increases in Europe

Things are not looking good over the Baltic Sea. Poland has announced that Russian naval and air force activity in the Baltic Sea region is “unprecedented,” with Sweden being the most affected country, which have resulted in numerous close encounters. According to the BBC,these are some of the incidents we know about: On Tuesday the…

Sauron’s Plans To Gaze Over Moscow Fall Foul Of The Orthodox Church

Good news/Bad news, everyone – Sauron’s eye will not descend upon Moscow City. Plans to install a giant light-up version of the Dark Lord of Mordor’s burning eyeball have been scuppered, thanks to complaints from the Russian Orthodox Church. Originally, an art group named Svechenie planned to install a giant orb done up to look…