Patchwork embroidery in Yuryevets

The city of Yuravets on the Upper Volga is almost 800 years old. People in the area have always cultivated flax and local seamstresses were known all over for their skills. In the 21st century seamstresses don’t weave, but make multi-coloured patchwork quilts from scraps of material. Although quilting is a craft done all over the world, different peoples began doing it at different points in time and for varying reasons. In Russia, for example, there is manual of rules, advice and instructions from the 16th century called “Domostroy,” which includes detailed descriptions of different cuts of dresses, how to best sort and save scraps of fabric and how to repair ready-made clothing. In the 20th century, patchwork became a kind of art – it served as a type of welcome for avant-garde and futuristic artists and has nowadays become a popular hobby.

Now on air
19:45
Patchwork embroidery in Yuryevets
Book Publisher Alexei Zakharenkov

Through reading books and immersing oneself in invisible lands created by the rich imaginations of talented authors, a person can live many lives, get to know unusual characters and even fall in love with some of them. But in addition to the magic written on the pages, these books possess another enchanting spell: The colourful illustrations, exquisite fonts and the unique smell of paper and ink. Alexey Zaherenkov is the founder of a St. Petersburg publishing house famous among bibliophiles and collectors of rare books. He is a firm believer in the fact that everything about a book should be perfect: Its cover, illustrations and content.

Now on air
19:30
Book Publisher Alexei Zakharenkov
The bears of Kamchatka

The Kamchatka Peninsula is known for its breathtaking northern nature full of volcanos, hot springs, endless tundra, impassable forests and protected lands, which are teeming with wild animals. This is turf where the great and mighty brown bear reigns strong and people can meet him almost anywhere – in the forest, mountains, valleys, rivers or a lake – these are all bear territory. The area around Kuril Lake is a particularly good place to observe such wildlife. Every year, at the end of summer, thousands of bears come here in search of Pacific salmon. Giant schools of salmon travel to the lake in order to lay eggs and are met by these sharp-clawed, hungry landlords who tirelessly feast on fish. Such a filling food-fest helps local brown bears to build up the fat reserves they need in order to spend the winter in hibernation. During this time the bears are so involved in their intense fi...

Now on air
19:45
The bears of Kamchatka