Life in Russia

[Tintin]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by rgray222 (here)
This appears to be a fairly honest assessment of how most Russians are viewing the new war and post war taxes.

Russia’s slowing wartime economy pushes Kremlin to increase taxes and fees

~~~

But that's PBS.

Alexander Mercouris regularly posts detailed updates about the real state of the Russian Economy on The Duran and also his own channel. The Duran also quite often features Stanislav Krapivnik (whose own YouTube channel is here), who is a fluent-English-speaking Russian supply chain executive and who laughs at western media suggestions that the Russian economy is 'slowing'.

Maria Zakharova also laughs, as in this brief summary report by Clayton Morris from Redacted, who (with a bunch of other western journalists) was able to pose questions to her in person:

Putin Spokesperson DROPS BOMBS: Maria Zakharova Tells Us What’s REALLY Happening in Russia & Ukraine

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Fgv_oS2gnBw

Yes, and I'll leave interested viewers to provide a longform interpretation of the PBS acronym

Give us strength

[Ravenlocke]

RussiaNews 🇷🇺

Nov 13
🚨⚡️ The Soviet Deep Space Monster! 📡🇷🇺

An astonishing shot of the giant RT-64 radio telescope in Kalyazin, Russia.

This massive dish, with a diameter of 64 meters, is the cornerstone of the Russian network for deep space communications and stands as a symbol of Russian scientific and technological power in exploring the universe.

https://x.com/mog_russEN/status/1989222121147646183

[Ravenlocke]

❀𐂂𝐀𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨 𝐝𝐚 𝐄𝐭𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐚𐂂❀

Translated from Portuguese
❁ Credits: A Buryat girl wearing traditional attire amidst the frozen beauty of Lake Baikal, in Siberia.

According to a Buryat legend, Lake Baikal was formed from the tears of an old man mourning the escape of his daughter, Angara.

Photographer: Daniel Kordan📸❤️✨

https://x.com/etnologiaart/status/1950614461418459412

[Bill Ryan]

More about the Reindeer herders in Yakutia. Copying this post by Bluegreen on his thread:

~~~

Unbelievable Life of Nomads Surviving –71°C in the Arctic Tundra | Yakutia









Chapters:
0:00 Morning Routine in the Tundra
2:44 Where Do They Get Drinking Water?
4:13 Dressing for –71°C: Reindeer Fur Boots, Coat & Pants
4:48 Building and Heating a Home in Extreme Cold
6:21 Chopping Firewood for Survival
7:05 Cooking Blood Sausage — A Traditional Dish
8:43 Managing Reindeer: Herding, Tracking & Healing
9:48 How They Shower
11:44 Doing Laundry
12:49 How They Have Fun in the Tundra
14:08 Lunch Time
14:35 Crafting Reindeer Fur Boots by Hand
16:00 Butchering Reindeer Meat
17:10 Making Dinner: Fresh Bread & Reindeer Meat

(English subtitles)
Published 12th June 2025

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qEBlMQiaIh4

This is the real life of one of the last nomadic reindeer herding families in Yakutia. All year round, they roam the Arctic tundra with their reindeer—through unimaginable conditions where temperatures plunge as low as –71°C. They live in tents, far from civilization, surviving in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. To stay warm, they rely on a small metal stove, feeding it constantly with firewood to avoid freezing.

This way of life is not only extreme—it's dangerous, raw, and deeply rooted in tradition. Even children, like 11-year-old Saiaan, help with daily tasks and learn the ancient skills needed to survive. Despite the brutal cold, this family carries on a way of life passed down through generations—resilient, proud, and deeply connected to their culture.

[Bill Ryan]

https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/166971

A light show on Palace Square in St. Petersburg to mark the 185th anniversary of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

[Ravenlocke]

RT

Dec 7
Good old Russian Siberia

A full-blown snow apocalypse has hit the Sheregesh ski resort

Locals are happily switching to dog sleds, while cars lie completely buried — waiting to be dug out

https://x.com/RT_com/status/1997679988032811461

Russian Road

Dec 8
A snow apocalypse has struck the Kemerovo ski resort Sheregesh, Russia☃️

People are switching to dog sleds and skis, while tourists are unable to leave. Cars are completely buried in snow and have to be dug out. Rescuers are also helping those who have fallen into deep snowdrifts.

https://x.com/RussianRoad_/status/1998003757376757779

[Ravenlocke]

(Figure skater of Russian descent who lives in the States.)

Russian Road

Dec 7
⛸️ 7 quadruple jumps! World record! Ilya Malinin 🇷🇺

https://x.com/RussianRoad_/status/1997696328890253568

[Ravenlocke]

Maimunka News

Dec 7
❤️ GOOD MORNING ❤️

🎄 One of the most Christmas-y location in #Moscow was found in the garden of the Sklifosovsky Emergency Medical Institute. #Russia

https://x.com/MaimunkaNews/status/1997889040826372286

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/Belka_r/status/1997781878703861776

[Ravenlocke]

Maimunka News

‼️🇷🇺 Sergei #Lavrov addressed the organizers, participants, and guests of the X International #Kremlin Charity Cadet Ball

Your wonderful project unites, in the welcoming pre-New Year's Moscow, students of military educational institutions and schools with cadet classes, as well as activists of patriotic, volunteer, youth, and sports organizations from Russia and abroad.

It's hard to overestimate its contribution to ensuring the connection between times and generations, preserving and popularizing the rich historical heritage of our country, its glorious military traditions.

It's important that in the year of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, you pay special attention to the defenders of the Fatherland, especially participants of the special military operation, as well as their relatives and loved ones.

I'm sure: the solemn evening will once again be a success, serving to promote the enduring spiritual and moral values in our society - mercy, valor, love for the Motherland. #Russia

https://x.com/MaimunkaNews/status/1998807248815141309

RT

Record 3,400 young cadets celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Intl Kremlin Charity Cadet Ball

Ladies put on gorgeous dresses and men their strapping uniforms

Putin marked the event for fostering patriotism, traditional spiritual and moral values among Russian and foreign youth

https://x.com/RT_com/status/1998782605227946456

[Ravenlocke]

senore_amore

🇷🇺
A coffee shop in the Dagestan mountains

https://x.com/SenoreAmore/status/1998822513028304937

[Ravenlocke]

DD Geopolitics
@DD_Geopolitics
·
30m
🇷🇺 ATTACK IN ST. PETERSBURG

A massive blaze has engulfed the Pravoberezhny Market in St. Petersburg.

Local authorities report at least one fatality and multiple injuries, with witnesses describing several explosions as the fire tore through stalls packed with highly flammable goods.

The fire has already spread across 1,500+ square meters, and emergency crews are still battling the flames.

Developing situation.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1998835298206441908

[Bill Ryan]

More about winter in Yakutia, which I love reading about:

How We Drive a Car at −71°C (−95°F) | Yakutia, Siberia

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lH6r6J3WsDk

[Agape]

There is something I have recalled of recent looking for ET encounters in OBNINSK
which had the first grid connected nuclear power plant in the world that is closed since 1987 ,
allegedly worked without accident .

Near there is a town of Yasnaya Polyana, the birth place of Leo Tolstoy.

We have visited there on two weeks exchange school trip in 1986 or 1987,
for some reason the 2 years after I've entered 5th grade proved sublimely loaded.
One of my first clear contact events happened in the same time frame.

In gist, me and my class won arts competition called the "Pushkins Memorial" or something like that, that had several categories , poetry recitation , stage play , even ballet.

Since I have always loved poetry and my mum too loved all worlds poetry,
I scored 2nd in individuals and our class performed very silly gig play called "the 3 pigs" ( don't dare to look it up on the internet , hope no one has ever uploaded it ).

As a reward for all the effort we have received some toys ( literally ) and exchange trip with one of their prestige language schools in Moscow.

Their school curriculum was even more loaded than ours since they had also French and were very serious students , compared to most of us.

So this was done during holidays.

We have visited countless museums, some orthodox temples ( since our teacher was a believer) , wooden villages in countryside that seemed centuries apart but were inhabited by real people.

Everything was little large.

Now, the "fun part", their life was incredibly austere , willingly or not , there was not much in the supermarket shelves .
My contact family friend was a girl named Masha as in Maria and I have some doubts if she is alive now. She looked so very serious for her age.

Her parents weren't "in" for the party, father was a pilot and mum was doctor and she had younger brother too. They all lived in 2 room flat in Moscow that was almost barren save for beds , simple kitchen table and equipment , small hallway ,
tiny photocopy of the Sunflowers from Van Gogh hanging on empty wall.
Her brother may have survived who would remember that.

They all looked ill and more likely starved.

They fed us "normal meal" on the weekend I was in , even took out out to restaurant at their own expense and took us to grandma on the other weekend .
Very kind and worried about the country and the fate of the world. Very aware but frightened of the "invisible hand" pulling the strings at all times.

It always did they said, since the Tzar and since anyone remembers . They've called the grandmothers for the witnesses since they lived long and had all the memories.


Stark contrast to the museums filled with art and light.


Most of our children lost weight after the summer, mum put me under hospital observation for two weeks, my pet bird died but I've signed myself off any intervention with the doctors since I could and returned to school as usually and put it all on back burner.

I was 11 or 12 , turning , in that year and it was a hard lesson to take in.


The only "duty free" item we could have bought with sense was "alarmclock for grandpa".

The stores were mostly empty. Other than few simple items there was nothing to buy.


With holy exception of Arbat , the famed walking zone ( notoriously known to philosophers and poets of all times by the same question "Citizen what are you doing here, in this hour ? Just walking. " where it was possible to get a handicraft for friendly price.

It was possibly always little "easier" out there in the countryside.


Ok they took us to swimming pool .

Give them ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨



Edit . Masha explained to me that the wages were so low they could eat "normal size family meal" about once a week . On the rest of the week days there was usually "some bread" for her brother , some soup , porridge . The schools meals were nearly tasteless and equally pitiable.

Our teacher fed us smoked salmon at her own risk through out the trip .

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lBgs5L6KyJo

[Jaak]

Sokurov confronted Putin about censorship, foreign agents, and education in Russia.
This video features the full, uncut recording of Alexander Sokurov's resonant speech, in which the director dared to confront Putin with the truth about the situation in the country. Sokurov raised the most painful and often hushed-up issues: stifling cultural censorship, the discriminatory status of foreign agents that ruins lives, and the systemic crisis of Russian education. Recorded December 9, 2025.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=TyaKYyBf2Ss

[Bill Ryan]

Russia has a Day of The Bear. (Who knew?? )
It's primarily celebrated in Kamchatka, in the Russian Far East.

An interesting article on TASS:
Russia's Kamchatka celebrates Day of the Bear

And this was posted on DD Geopolitics:

https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/167350

TASS shares bear pictures. December 13 is Bear Day in Russia

The date is tied to the natural cycle: by mid-December, brown bears typically retreat to their dens for hibernation

Within Slavic and Finno-Ugric cultures, the bear was traditionally known as "master of the forest" as it was considered the strongest and most dominant animal, the progenitor of humans, and a guardian of fertility

This reverence is mirrored in folklore: in fairy tales and legends, the bear often appears as wise, powerful, yet kind-hearted and fair.

[Mike]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
More about winter in Yakutia, which I love reading about:

How We Drive a Car at −71°C (−95°F) | Yakutia, Siberia

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lH6r6J3WsDk

Maybe the most remarkable thing about this video is that I never once saw anyone shudder or rub their hands together or even betray any discomfort whatsoever

[rgray222]

Posted by Mike (here)

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
More about winter in Yakutia, which I love reading about:

How We Drive a Car at −71°C (−95°F) | Yakutia, Siberia

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=lH6r6J3WsDk

Maybe the most remarkable thing about this video is that I never once saw anyone shudder or rub their hands together or even betray any discomfort whatsoever

In 1999, I was staying in Ristiina, Finland, a small, quaint town just outside Mikkeli in Eastern Finland, about 90 miles from the Russian border. The home had forced-air heat, two beautiful, large ceramic ovens that we cooked on and that also heated the house, and triple-pane windows. Outside, it was -47°C (-52°F), and I was still cold. I can only assume that these guys had enough antifreeze in them to ward off the cold - there is reason and purpose for vodka.

[Bill Ryan]

HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended.
(Trust me! )

Russians from all over the country sing 'The Motherland'

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pPgcvTgbfhI

[Ravenlocke]

Anna Ilyasova 🇷🇺 🇷🇺

Dec 11
Everyone is invited to Russia

At least once in your life take the train from St Petersburg to Vladivistok !

https://x.com/Ana_Ilyasova/status/1999089373648933172