🩷 Brains and common sense: Her name says it all. Her name "the Wise" is earned. She figures things out using her intellect and magic know-how, not brute force. Vasilisa solves riddles, completes impossible tasks (weaving a magical shirt overnight, building a ship from a wood chip), and advises heroes.

🩷 Magical powers: She's not just smart; she's literally a sorceress (she can turn into an animal, create magical objects, and pull off impossible tasks). She is often aided by or is herself a master of magic. She can shapeshift (into a dove, a frog, etc.), command the elements, and communicate with animals

🩷 She's the one in charge: She doesn't wait around to be rescued. She's the one doing the saving, guiding, and helping the hero. A lot of the time, she's the one actually driving the whole story forward.

🩷 Connection to Nature and the Otherworld: Her powers frequently come from a connection to nature or her supernatural parentage.

🩷 The ultimate prize: Marrying Vasilisa is the hero's main reward, but to earn her hand, he has to prove he's actually worthy of her.
The fairy tales highlight her key qualities: resilience, resourcefulness, and the idea that innate goodness and blessing are a powerful form of magic.

#RussianCulture@TCofRus

Beauty will save the world

I.K. Aivazovsky
L. Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor,
op. 31 No. 2 "The Storm"
1. Largo - Allergo
Paul Badura Skordas - piano 🎶


#RussianCulture@TCofRus

VLADIMIR SPIVAKOV

🎶 Vladimir Teodorovich Spivakov was born in Ufa on September 12, 1944, later moving with his family to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

His exceptional talent emerged early: in 1957, the young musician won first prize at the Leningrad White Nights competition and made his debut at the Leningrad Conservatory. He graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory 🏛 in 1967 under Professor Yuri Yankelevich, though he also considered David Oistrakh a key mentor—having attended his classes while studying at the Conservatory.

Spivakov’s brilliant 💎💎💎 international career began in 1975 after a triumphant solo tour in the United States. He has performed as a soloist with the world’s finest symphony orchestras under legendary conductors. Critics from leading musical nations praise his artistry for its profound interpretation, rich and powerful tone, subtle nuance, emotional intensity and elegant intelligence.

In 1979, Spivakov made his conducting debut with the Chicago Philharmonic and founded the chamber orchestra Virtuosi of Moscow 🎶, serving ever since as its artistic director, principal conductor and soloist. Over 25 years, the ensemble has toured nearly every major city of the former USSR, Europe, the US and Japan, and performed at prestigious festivals such as Salzburg, Edinburgh, Florence Maggio Musicale, New York, Tokyo, Pompeii, Lucerne and Colmar.

Spivakov’s conducting career flourished alongside his solo work. He has led performances in the world’s greatest concert halls, conducting renowned American orchestras (Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, New World Symphony) and European ensembles including La Scala and Santa Cecilia Academy.

Spivakov has also dedicated decades to philanthropy. With the Virtuosi of Moscow, he performed in Armenia just after the devastating 1988 earthquake and in Ukraine three days after the Chernobyl disaster.🎵

In 1994, he established the International Charitable Foundation to support young talents and orphaned children. Concerts by the foundation’s scholarship recipients draw as much attention as performances of renowned orchestras conducted by Vladimir Spivakov. He believes that Russia’s national idea lies in its children—cherished, educated and nurtured. The maestro is convinced: through loved and wanted children, Russia will find happiness.

https://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/acter/star/30552/bio/

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🇷🇺Multi-Russia: the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania


This series of short cartoons is brought to you by the Russian Geographical Society. Each clip introduces one of Russia’s 89 regions.
Today’s issue is about the Republic of North Ossetia, aka Alania: a Christian republic in North Caucasus, famous for Ossetian pies and stunning views, including Europe's highest waterfall.


#Multi_Russia

#BeautifulRussia@TCofRus

Russian Admiral François Le Fort, born in Geneva in 1656, gained prominence in the service of Tsar Peter the Great.

🛶 Coming from a wealthy Huguenot merchant family, Le Fort received a military education and traveled across Europe seeking opportunities to advance his career. His path took an unexpected turn when he entered Russian service in the late 1670s under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. However, it was under Peter the Great that he made his lasting mark on history.

⛵️ Though Swiss by birth, Le Fort developed a deep love for Russia, his adopted homeland. Quickly earning Peter’s trust, he became a close advisor and confidant to the young Tsar. Fluent in multiple languages and well-versed in European military practices, Le Fort played a crucial role in modernizing Russia’s army and navy, becoming a key figure in its transformation into a formidable military power.

🚣 Le Fort was instrumental in organizing Russia's first naval fleet and played a pivotal role in campaigns like the Azov campaigns against the Ottoman Empire. His loyalty to Peter and dedication to Russian interests earned him the rank of admiral and the status of a close friend to the Tsar.

🛶 His love for Russia was evident in both his professional and personal life. His death in 1699 at the age of 43 was a great loss to Peter, who mourned not just a trusted advisor but a dear friend who had embraced Russia as his own.

🚣 Le Fort’s legacy endured through his descendants, who gradually integrated into Russian society, solidifying the Le Fort name as a symbol of loyalty to the Russian cause. He is buried in Moscow at the Vvedensky Cemetery.

📌 Today, Le Fort's legacy endures in Moscow’s Lefortovo district and Lefortovsky Park, cherished by Muscovites.

#WelcomeToRussia@TCofRus

1️⃣Programming Champions

A team from St. Petersburg State University just crushed it at the 49th International Programming Olympiad (ICPC) in Baku! They beat 140 university teams from around the world, including MIT (8th), Harvard (6th), Peking Uni (3rd), and Tokyo Uni (2nd).

ICPC is the most prestigious coding competition globally. Teams of three solve tricky algorithm problems against the clock. Our guys solved 11 out of 12 tasks in 5 hours — way ahead of everyone else❗️❗️❗️

#GoodNews@TCofRus