Russian Kafe » history

A Lego “history” of the USSR

jim — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:30:36 +0000

This rather entertaining “history” of the Soviet Union for children has been making its way around the web. While not very historical in nature, it’s good for a laugh or two.

YouTube – History of USSR for children. via Sean

American newsreel about Sputnik

jim — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:08:08 +0000

“NEW MOON: Reds Launch First Space Satellite”: The First American Newsreel About Sputnik

Nevsky Prospect, 1955

jim — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:12:21 +0000

Leningrad – Nevsky Prospect – 1955 from sonobugiardo on Flickr.

Kalyazin, a town under water

jim — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 14:59:04 +0000

The Russian town of Kalyazin is located on the Volga river north of Moscow (view Kalyazin on Google Maps). This town of about 15,000 people was founded in 1134 but most of the historical city is now under water. In 1940, most the town was flooded during the creation of the Uglich Reservoir. While most of the town was relocated to higher ground, the bell tower of the Makaryevsky monastery can still be seen sticking out of the Volga. Here are some historical and modern photos of Kalyazin.

Kalyazin – on Yandex Photos

Bell tower in Kalyazin on Yandex Photos.

“Invitation to a tour …” on Yandex Photos.

Belfry by peterdanilov on Flickr.

You can see many more photos on Yandex Photos and Flickr.

The Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery

jim — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:07:24 +0000

We often see pictures of beautiful Russian monasteries and churches online. Recently, these photos caught our eye. These photo of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery show the real progress that has been made in restoring Russia’s many historic churches and monasteries. Compare these recent photos to the ones found on the monastery’s website and read about the incredible 300-year history of the Raifa Bogoroditsky Monastery.

Раифа Raifa by Paprikash27 on Flickr.

by diletant28 on Yandex Photos

Historical photos from raifa.ru

Soviet Ground Effect Vehicle A-90 “Orlyonok”

jim — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:32:11 +0000

The A-90 Orlyonok was an amazing mix of boat and airplane developed in secret by the Soviet military. The A-90 is one of the largest ground effect vehicles ever made. This A-90 is now on display in Moscow.

Photo by Peer.Gynt

50th Anniversary of the Soviet Union’s First Space Dogs

jim — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:40:57 +0000

50 years ago, two Soviet dogs made a historic flight into space and became heros. Read more about Belka and Strelka on Wikipedia and watch this video from RT for some interesting insights into the lives of the first dogs in space.

The Soviet Union’s first space survivors by RT.

Soviet Monument to Russo-Georgian Friendship

jim — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:16:15 +0000

Steven G. recently posted some great photos of a Soviet era monument to friendship between Russia and Georgia. He wasn’t able to find out much information about this monument, which is located on Georgian territory, perhaps someone knows the story behind this unique structure? We found the colors in the photos to be amazing, be sure to click on the photos and check out the high quality versions.

Soviet Monument to Russo-Georgian Friendship II by Stefan G.

Soviet Monument to Russo-Georgian Friendship by Stefan G.

Moscow Out: Kremlin outside the walls

jim — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:05:32 +0000

This eleven minute show, which recently aired on RT, gives a nice overview of the sights around Red Square and the area near the Kremlin walls. If you’re planning on visiting Moscow, we recommend watching this video. If you’ve recently been to Moscow, you will see some familiar sights here and maybe have some of your questions answered.

YouTube – Moscow Out: Kremlin outside the walls.

Poplar Fluff Covers Moscow

jim — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:10:48 +0000

Every summer, the fluff from poplar trees floats around Moscow and other Russian cities, often covering the ground and giving the appearance of a recent snowfall. But where did all these poplar trees come from, and who is to blame? RT gives an interesting and entertaining insight into these pesky poplars in this report.

YouTube – Pesky poplar