2️⃣ Zoo Baby Alert!

A newborn fur seal has arrived at the Moscow Zoo! The little one spent
its first weeks learning to swim in the indoor pool. Now, a month old, it’s exploring the deep outdoor pool with its mom Yushka.

They’ve also been “talking” to each other — learning and recognizing their voices so Yushka can always find her pup. The zoo director says the baby is super curious and active❗️❗️❗️

#GoodNews@TCofRus

3️⃣ Balling to New Heights!

Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov and balloonist Ivan Menyaylo just broke the national record for hot air balloon altitude!

Their balloon, FosAgro-Drozd (the biggest ever built in Russia), reached 10,678 meters — that’s where planes fly! Temperatures outside dropped to –46°C

This March, the same duo already set a world distance record: 2,540 km in one flight! Fedor is a legendary explorer with 25 world records and five round-the-world trips with several records listed in the Guinness World Records.

#GoodNews@TCofRus

5️⃣Never Too Late to Shine!

Svetlana Solovyova, a 60-year-old English teacher from Krasnodar, just became a model — and a champion!

She never expected this new path until a famous photographer spotted her at the gym. He invited her for a test shoot, and she became the “Kuban Coco Chanel”!

At first, Svetlana kept it secret from her school. But when her students found her pics online, they cheered: “You’re gorgeous!” In 2023, she entered the “World Model” contest in Moscow — and won 1st place in the 50+ category, beating professional models! She says she’s never felt more alive and wants to inspire others: age is no barrier to dreams❗️❗️❗️

📱 https://t.me/TCofRus/302
#GoodNews@TCofRus

Time moves forward relentlessly, but the pages of history continue to tell the stories of those who left a significant mark on the development of the Far East.

📌 The development of the Far East attracted not only Russian merchants but also business people from foreign countries. In the early 20th century, Khabarovsk was transforming into a vibrant commercial hub where the interests of Russian and foreign entrepreneurs intertwined. Among them, Gustav Kunst and Gustav Albers held a special place—the founders of the first foreign trading company in the Russian Far East.🕊️

The Kunst & Albers trading company was established as early as 1864 and became a symbol of international cooperation in the region. In 1894, the German company opened a branch in Khabarovsk, which operated for more than thirty years—until 1930. The stores run by these German merchants were known not only for their wide selection of goods but also for their high level of service, customer care, and friendliness.

Memories of significant events from that time are preserved in archives: on January 9, 1907, the newspaper Priamurskie Vedomosti reported on the new Kunst & Albers trading house, which had been gracing the city’s main street for over a century. And in 1913, the publication Exhibition of the Amur Region featured essays on leading firms in the region, with a special focus on this particular trading company. Photographs of the pavilion created specifically for that year’s exhibition are kept in the State Archive of the Khabarovsk Region—a testament to the scale and significance of the German merchants’ activities.

Numerous advertisements, announcements, and lists of German trading houses preserved in various early 20th-century directories allow us to imagine just how powerful the influence of foreign business people was on the economic development of the Far East. Their contribution is an integral part of the region’s history—a story of success and cooperation that continues to inspire new generations.✅

#WelcomeToRussia@TCofRus

The origins of the popular Russian dish—solyanka 🍔 soup—go deep into centuries. The first mentions of it date back to the late 14th or early 15th century. Back then, this thick, spicy soup was made of meat, fish, or mushroom broth, with the addition of pickles, olives, and other sour and salty ingredients. It's no coincidence that the name of this dish is apparently linked to its invariable saltiness. However, there is another theory about the origin of the name. This version suggests the soup was originally called "selyanka" 🧂 (from selo, meaning village), as it was primarily prepared in rural areas. This idea is supported by a quote from a feuilleton by Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, where he describes a Moscow tavern, "Ah, what a selyanka that was!"

Another popular hypothesis connects the name to the variety of ingredients. It's said the dish was made with a great many different products, which gave it the name "solyanka" – a mixed hodgepodge (sbornaya solyanka). In any case, it is known that it was originally a peasant soup that could include all sorts of ingredients. It may have appeared during communal feasts, when villagers would gather and cook a plentiful, hearty dish for everyone from whatever food was available.

Interestingly, most historians agree on one point: the original recipe for solyanka definitely included sauerkraut, though eventually it disappeared from the recipe over time. It's also worth noting that the soup was often called "pokhmelka" (a hangover cure), as it was fatty and spicy—the ideal dish for anyone looking to recover from a feast. In those days, solyanka was made from leftover ingredients and was inexpensive, which made it a popular dish among all social classes, especially in taverns.

This is how this unique dish emerged and evolved, becoming an integral part of Russian culinary culture. 🍔

#RussianCuisine@TCofRus