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Articles by Yulia Skopich

cloudberries for breakfast

Get Away From It All: Live With the Veps

A film expedition changed the lives of St. Petersburg film directors and their Vepsian friends.
local revival

New Life for Abandoned Buildings in Russian Provinces

Volunteers, entrepreneurs and Russian towns are giving new life to old, abandoned industrial eyesores.
window dressing

Ivan Khafizov is a Man on a Mission to Save Nalichniki

These beautiful house decorations were most popular in the 19th century.
everyday ecology

Ecology of the Home: Upcycling Goes Russian

New clubs, organizations, sites, and businesses in Russia are making the old new again.
treat the children well

Children Are Celebrated Throughout Russia Today

June 1 is the Day for the Protection of Children in Russia and many other countries around the world.
music for the ages

‘Volga’ Mixes 12th-Century Songs With 21st-Century Instruments

How does electronic music blend with ancient folks songs? Beautifully.
saving the past

Siberian Volunteers Reclaim Their City's Long-Lost Memories

The Tekutyevsky Cemetery in Tyumen is a cultural heritage site.
roll up your sleeves

Finding Hidden Treasures in St. Petersburg Buildings

Under dozens of layers of paint 'the Gang" finds stained glass windows, decorative tiles and mosaics.
singing sensation

'Marusya' Folk Singers Win Over Russian Audiences

The group sings Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Armenian, Georgian and Circassian songs.
film phenomenon

Director Dmitry Davydov on 'Scarecrow' and Yakutian Films

Why are films shot in Yakutsk among the best films made in Russia today?
artistic sand box

Sand Stories: Performances Flow Through Your Fingers

For Yekaterinburg artist Yelena Kadyrova, drawing a line in the sand is her life's work.
theater life

A New Kind of Theater Beats the Coronavirus Blues

St. Petersburg's Pop-Up Theater keeps the audience entertained and engaged outside a theater.
fun and games

5 Old Russian Games: Party Like It's 1897!

Bored children? Energy levels peaking? Cat and mouse to the rescue.
not moscow

Russian Children's Magazines Are Surviving and Thriving

Children's periodicals still have a fan base, especially far from Russia's big cities.
inclusive society

Beyond Moscow: People With Disabilities Are Stepping Out

In small Russian towns, the movement for a more inclusive society is being driven from the bottom up.
1933 Nobel Laureate

Celebrating Writer Ivan Bunin

The 1933 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature was once spurned but is now celebrated in his homeland.
living the noble life

A Festival for Would-Be Russian Aristocrats

The annual Secrets of the Manor festival lets guests learn how to be 19th century Russian estate owners.
community spirit

Tom Sawyer Fest: From the Mississippi to the Volga

Local residents renovate their city's buildings — and convince others to help them.
Russian staycation

Krasnodar: Come for the Sea, Stay for the Champagne

Are you and the kids going to the Russian sea shore this summer? Let that sunburn heal on a drive inland!
Russian staycation

A Long Weekend in Lipetsk

Looking for a weekend trip off the beaten path? Try Lipetsk - good for culture lovers and families.
travel locally

Russian Staycation: Kazan with Kids

Kazan is a fascinating city for adults, but it also has enough to keep kids happy and interested.
quarantined pets

How Russia’s Homeless Animals Survived the Quarantine

Russia's animal volunteers stepped up their efforts during the long quarantine.
creative quarantine

Small-Town Russian Libraries Fight Coronavirus Creatively

Yulia Skopich investigates how Russian libraries with scant resources are keeping readers engaged.
outside Moscow

Leaving Moscow For the Good Life

Some well-educated, career-minding young Russians are finding better jobs and lifestyles far from the capital.
Russian urbanism

Balancing Preservation and Urban Development in Vladimir

One of Russia's most ancient towns struggles to preserve its past and move into the future.
winter sports

Swim Season Opens in December

The best thing for your health is a good bracing ice swim - just train for it first.
siberian strongman

Meet Ivan Savkin, Russia's Human Mountain

When we say 'strong,' we really mean it.
park from scrap

A Russian Pensioner's Creative Recycling Project

A small town has a prize-winning children's playground thanks to a generous pensioner.
master craftsman

Vladimir Aniskin and His Invisible Masterpieces

Nikolai Leskov’s fictional Lefty From Tula has come to life, brilliantly, in Novosibirsk.
ancient history

Sailing Into the Past in Lipetsk

Russia is more than Moscow, and festivals are everywhere.