Now on air
18:00
The candle workshop of the Valaam monastery
It is almost impossible to imagine the Russian Orthodox Church without its simple, uneven candles. In the Church the candle is a voluntary donation a believer makes to the church as well as a symbol of their prayers. For centuries monasteries have kept the secret of how these wax sticks are made. The Valaam Monastery has its own traditions and is one of the most famous monasteries in North-western Russia. For the monks, working in the candlestick workshop represents monastic obedience and obligatory monastic work. Despite the seemingly simple technology used in this process, producing these church candles requires the monks to have a surprising degree of skill and experience.
Fishing in the Vorkuta region
The harsh, arctic lands of Russia’s Vorkutinsky District were settled when people began mining coal in the area. Although the region is inhabited, the mines, settlements and railroad stations are like miniscule islands of civilisation in an endless ocean of tundra. By just travelling a little outside of the city people can find open, flowering expanses of untouched nature and the cleanest, purist rivers full of fish. Vorkuta and its surrounding areas are popular recreational destinations, especially for those who love to fish. RTG TV host Alexander Uvarov travelled to the Usa River with a fishing partner who knows the area like the back of his hand, having served the city for a long time. Join Alexander and Vorkuta district head Sergey Govorov on a fishing trip to this fascinating region.
Now on air
18:00
Fishing in the Vorkuta region
The View from Up On High. River Caravans. The Volkhov River
For eight thousand years the Volkhov River has carried its waters from south to north – from Lake Ilmen to Lake Ladoga. The Volkhov was part of the most critical international trade routes for many centuries, and was also the main transportation artery for the swathes of land on either side. Over that span of time, hundreds of thousands of ships of all kinds – dignified merchant vessels, rickety fishing boats, fancy white steamships, working motorboats – sailed along its waters. It has also been the scene of battles for territory and the souls of believers, but at the same time provided an opportunity to maintain commercial ties. The people the river connected learned to solve their problems amicably and be good neighbors. And it was here, on the banks of the Volkhov River, that the Russian state was born.
Now on air
18:00