Russia’s Olivier Salad (Салат «Оливье») and Latvia’s rasols are well-known staples of their respective cuisines and common additions to holiday tables. Today, the recipes for both are quite similar, with chopped vegetables, egg, and meat dressed with mayonnaise. Olivier is now eaten throughout the former USSR and has even become common as “Russian Salad” in […]

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the place of holidays in Russian culture. She focuses on the two major holiday seasons: the New Year’s holidays and the May Holidays. The text was originally writen in 2015 and thus references times before the current war. However, the vocabularly and the general cultural […]

Russians have typically gotten nearly three weeks off a year just for holidays. This has changed in recent years and especially since the start of the war in Ukraine, as Russia has pushed for greater effeciency in its economy. While the long New Year holidays remain, most others are now more modest, with often with […]

Living abroad brings new challenges to even the simplest tasks, from buying a belt to getting a haircut. When we are presented with a language barrier, an extra layer of uncertainty is added to what would otherwise be straightforward routines. However, knowing a few key phrases and understanding basic cultural expectations can make these experiences […]

Russian folklore is rich with stories of spirits, haunted places, and supernatural forces that influence daily life. These beliefs shape how certain locations, from uncivilized wilderness to abandoned homes, are viewed in the collective imagination. Unclean spirits, or нечистая сила, are believed to settle in ominous spaces like crossroads, swamps, and even ordinary houses if […]

Halloween is seen around the world as an American holiday. While it has gained more global popularity in recent years, it is still really only celebrated in the US, the UK, and Canada. In most other countries, including most Slavic countries, it is regarded at most as a reason to host costume parties or perhaps […]

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and current status of Christianity and paganism in Russia as well as touches upon issues of religious freedom. While Orthodox Christianity is the most popular and politically powerful religion in Russia, pagan traditions still survive and other Christian faiths exist. This is part […]

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and current status of Buddhism in Russia. Buddhism is a small but historically important minority faith in Russia, especially in the Southern regions of Tuva, Buryatia, and Kalmykia. The material below details both the challenges that Buddhists have faced in integrating to wider […]

As a child, I loved fairy tales, folklore, mythology, and anything that allowed me to escape into other worlds in which I could imagine having power and agency. I have hazy memories of the countless tales I devoured, and a still hazier understanding of how those tales may have played a role in my own […]

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and religions under the USSR. Despite the state’s officially athiestic policies, multiple religions existed within the USSR. Since that empire’s demise, all of those religions are now experiencing a revival. The material below details how this came to pass. This is part of […]

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the history and current status of Muslims in Russia. Islam is the largest minority faith in Russia and Muslims are a growing and important demographic there, especially among immigrants from Central Asia. The material below details both the challenges that Muslims have faced in integrating […]

In this text, Tajik blogger Roxana Burkhanova describes, in Russian, the tradition of taking extreme camping trips in Russia and other countries of the former USSR. The text was originally writen in 2015 and thus references times when, for instance, travel between Russia and Ukraine was common place. Today this is no longer the case, […]