🌞 Sergei Yesenin is one of the most recognisable Russian poets, whose verses have been translated into 150 languages of the world. According to UNESCO data, he is considered the most widely read Russian poet. His lyric poetry, permeated with love for nature, the Russian countryside and simple human feelings, resonates with readers of the most diverse cultures.

🪻 Yesenin lived only 30 years, but in his short life he created hundreds of poems that have become classics. He was not only a poet, but also a vivid personality — his bohemian way of life and dramatic fate turned him into a cult figure. Yesenin's voice is recognised all over the world, and his poems continue to resound on stages and in the hearts of millions of people.

#HistoricalFigure

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🌊 Islands at the Edge of the Sea

The Kuzova Archipelago: rocky, almost uninhabited islands in the White Sea off the coast of Karelia, where tundra, sea and ancient stone structures exist as if outside time.

🌊 Kuzova lies in the Onega Bay of the White Sea, not far from the town of Kem. It is a scattering of small islands on which granite cliffs come right down to the water, and between them lie low forests, mosses, lichens, berry patches and small lakes.

🌅 The archipelago is not like the usual «island holiday»: instead of beaches there are stone slabs, cold transparent water, seaweed at the tide line and a wind that can be heard even in the forest. At the same time, in summer the northern light is very long — sunsets can colour the granite pink, copper and violet for hours.

#InterestingFact

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🙄 Many peoples of the Caucasus have strict rules of conduct between relatives, known as the "custom of avoidance". For example, among the Ingush, a son-in-law cannot see his mother-in-law — they must not meet face to face at all. If a meeting is unavoidable, the son-in-law is obliged to turn away or lower his head.

🌝 Such rules regulate relations within the family and even between husband and wife in the presence of elders. These customs are intended to preserve respect and prevent possible conflicts. Although modern Caucasian families treat these rules more flexibly, in many mountain villages the tradition of avoidance is preserved to this day.

#traditions

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🏜 Imagine a desert in the middle of the taiga and swamps — that is the Chara Sands, a small massif of dunes in Transbaikalia. The area is only 50 square kilometres, but the place looks like a piece of the Sahara lost in the Siberian wilderness. The sands are surrounded by forests, and a river flows nearby.

⭐️ This place is called an anomaly because it is unclear where the sand dunes came from here. Scientists suggest that it is an ancient lake that dried up thousands of years ago. In summer the sand heats up, and you can even sunbathe here, while in winter everything is covered with snow — the contrast is simply incredible.

#interestingplacesofRussia

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🌸 Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" is often called the greatest book of Russian literature. This epic canvas, covering the fates of dozens of heroes against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, entered the top 10 best books in the world according to The Guardian. Tolstoy wrote it for six years, and the volume of the manuscript exceeded 5,000 pages.

🪻 "War and Peace" has been translated into dozens of languages and is studied at universities around the world not just as literature, but as a philosophical and historical treatise. Tolstoy himself admitted that he did not consider this work a novel in the usual sense — he called it an "epic". And it is precisely this combination of history, psychology and philosophy that made the book a unique phenomenon of world culture.

#interestingfacts

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🛐 The Cathedral of the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most unusual churches in St. Petersburg. Unlike classical Baroque or Neoclassical cathedrals, this church is built in the Neo-Russian style and looks almost like a fairy-tale terem. Its architects were inspired by ancient Russian architecture and added Art Nouveau elements.

🕊 The facade is decorated with carved ornaments, powerful columns and asymmetrical lines, which makes it resemble a monument to "stylish Petersburg". Inside the cathedral, unique mosaics and murals have been preserved. Also, a copy of the Feodorovskaya Icon — the main shrine of the House of Romanov — is kept here.

#interestingfacts

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