💧 Svetloyar is a small lake deep in the forest that is called the "Russian Atlantis". According to legend, the city of Kitezh lies on its bed, a city that sank beneath the water during the Mongol invasion so as not to surrender to the enemy. In calm weather, it is said, you can hear the ringing of bells from under the water.

🏞️ The lake is perfectly round and surprisingly deep — down to 34 metres — yet covers an area of only about 12 hectares. The water here is very clean and cold, and the shores are covered with centuries‑old pines. The place is considered holy, and pilgrims and lovers of mysticism come here.

#interestingplacesofRussia

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🇷🇺 On 25 December 1946, the first nuclear reactor in Eurasia, the F-1, was launched in Moscow. It was the first step of the Soviet atomic project and enabled the USSR to achieve nuclear parity with the USA in just a few years. The reactor ran on graphite blocks and uranium, and its launch became a turning point in history.

☢️ The F-1 was not just a scientific experiment — it kick‑started the entire Soviet atomic energy industry and nuclear weapons complex. It was there that the first data for the creation of the Soviet atomic bomb were obtained. The reactor operated until 1986 and is still preserved as a monument to science, though access to it is closed.

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🇷🇺 Ysyakh is the main holiday of the Yakuts, celebrated on the summer solstice. It is dedicated to the meeting of summer, the awakening of nature and the rebirth of life. The main ritual — the sprinkling of kumis — symbolises the blessing of higher powers and purification.

🇷🇺 The central event of the holiday is the osuokhai circle dance, which can last for several hours. Everyone participates in it, regardless of age or social status. It is believed that this dance unites people and transmits the energy of the sun. Ysyakh is a celebration of the unity of man with nature.

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✝️ In the small town of Dyatkovo stands the Church of the Burning Bush, which is called the "eighth wonder of the world". Its main treasure is the world's only crystal iconostasis. It is made of cut crystal and coloured glass, and when sunlight or candles strike its facets, everything inside begins to sparkle with multicoloured lights.

✨ In the 19th century, there was already a crystal church in Dyatkovo, but it was destroyed after the revolution. The present‑day iconostasis was recreated from a miraculously surviving tile. And it is truly impressive — there is nothing else like it anywhere in the world.

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🎉 Between the tundra and modernity: Yamal celebrates International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

Beyond the Arctic Circle, the traditional way of life remains part of modern life. Today, 9 August, Yamal joins the world in celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

🏕 More than 48,000 representatives of the indigenous minorities of the North — Nenets, Khanty and Selkup — live in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. About 18,000 of them maintain a nomadic way of life.

🦌 Reindeer herding, fishing and traditional crafts remain the basis of life for many families in the tundra. Along with them, knowledge about the nature of the Arctic and the routes of nomads is passed down from generation to generation.

The governor of Yamal, Dmitry Artyukhov, congratulated the residents:

"We are doing everything to preserve traditions and at the same time make life in the tundra more comfortable and modern."

🏕 The region is developing support for reindeer herding and fishing, modernising trading posts, and improving healthcare and education for residents of remote areas. Dozens of support measures are in place, including the "Chum Capital" programme for nomadic families.

One of the festival venues was Gornoknyazevsk near Salekhard. Here, guests were treated to Nenets fish soup and reindeer shurpa, representatives of indigenous peoples were honoured, and sports competitions were held.

📌 For Yamal, this day is not only a celebration of culture, but also a reminder that the traditions of the Arctic peoples continue to live and develop together with the modern North.

#news

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🇷🇺 In 1963, two years after Gagarin's flight, Valentina Tereshkova travelled into space aboard the spacecraft "Vostok-6". She spent nearly three days in orbit and proved that women can work in space on an equal footing with men. Before her, no woman in the world had risen above the stratosphere.

🇷🇺 Tereshkova was not a professional cosmonaut, but an ordinary weaver from Yaroslavl, selected from several thousand candidates. Her flight became an important step for the women's movement worldwide, showing that there are no gender limits to space. She still remains the only woman to have made a solo spaceflight.

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