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Tour of Staraya Russa
In the small town of Staraya Russa in Novgorod Oblast legends and stories have become intertwined with real history, helping to immerse inhabitants and visitors into an atmosphere of years past. There was a time when Staraya Russa received great attention from rulers such as Ivan the Terrible and Peter the First however nowadays much of the town’s fame is due to one author. It was in this town that Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote one of his famed classics and where tourists can visit a museum in his name. There the House on the Embankment has become known as the place where Dostoyevsky lived between 1872 and 1880 while working on his novel The Brothers Karmazov. Staraya Russa is also recognised for the Starorussky Resort with its natural salt-water mineral springs which shoot up to ten metres in height in some places. RTG TV’s Olga Degtyareva spent a few fantastic days in this diverse town and ...
The decembrist revolutionaries in Siberian exile
In December of 1825 in St. Petersburg members of a secret society of nobles and officers led a rebellion advocating for the establishment of a democratic government in Russia. The rebellion failed. Five of those who headed the conspiracy were executed while more than a hundred others were sent to labour camps in Siberia. Although they were unable to successfully change the way the country was run, the Decembrists did have an effect on the way future generations thought. As for the stories of those who were sent off to Siberia — paradoxically enough, this punishment ended up in some ways to be a blessing. Many of these people’s thoughts and ideas were given the chance to develop and their memory lives on today.
Now on air
13:15
The decembrist revolutionaries in Siberian exile
Four Fortresses. The Battle for the Borders of Rus
The Baltic Sea and its rivers, which were part of the legendary trade route «from the Varangians to the Greeks», also serve as the North-Western border of Russian land. It is no coincidence that here, starting in the 9th century, several powerful citadels were constructed: Staraya Ladoga, Koporye, Ivangorod and Vyborg Castle. Medieval architects tried their best to design defensive structures that blended in well with the local landscape. This served as a type of camouflage, with nature and its cliffs, steep riverbanks and the Finnish Gulf adding another element of defense. These historic fortresses, located on important and strategic grounds, were passed back and forth between countries and were improved along with the development of wartime tactics and strategy. How did Ivan III trick the Livonian Order? Where is was the Swedish king’s treasure hidden and why is Russian chainmail bette...
Now on air
13:15