Now on air
12:30
Chronicle of the Valaam monastery
Over the centuries, the Valaam islands have been abandoned, they have been the setting for bloody wars, they have flourished in peace time, they have seen incredible spiritual feats, and they have seen betrayal. Their calling — to be a bulwark of the Russian Orthodox faith — remains unchanged, however. Host Alexander Uvarov learns about the troubled history of one of the oldest monasteries in Russia. This cloister has repeatedly come back from the brink to be reborn with evermore strength.
The Russian women's curling team
Regardless of the fact that the sport of curling is more than six centuries old, Russian athletes believe it to be a 21st-century game. Members of the Russian women’s curling team dream of ruling the sport on a global level, and are making large strides toward achieving this goal. No one can argue with the fact that women are the face of curling in Russia. Ekaterina Galkina, Kira Ezekh, Liudmila Privivkova and Anna Sidorova, the women of the Russian curling team, are a high-spirited, beautiful and determined bunch. They may not look alike, but as science shows, opposites attract and this may be just the thing that feeds the groups strength, success and popularity. Having joined the world’s curling elite, these Russian athletes now stand among the sport’s most favoured and talented curlers.
Now on air
12:30
The Russian women's curling team
Catching Kumzha-Bulltrout on the Shores of the Barents Sea
Russia and Norway are the only two countries with access to the Barents Sea coast, located on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Getting the chance to cast a rod in this severe environment however, is an absolute dream for any fisherman. During the short arctic winter, the Barents coast is teeming with brown trout as the fish travel through on their way to lay eggs. The trout leave the sea, swimming to the mouths of the Kola Peninsula’s cleanest mountain streams. Hundreds of kilometres of polar tundra surround the area, making it most difficult for men to reach. Only the most determined of fishermen manage to get there, where they then face the challenges served to them by the northern climate in hopes of catching a prize fish.
Now on air
12:30