Russian Kafe » history

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

LIFE: An object from the Soviet space program

jim — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:38:52 +0000

An object from the Soviet space program, at the Permanent Exhibition of Soviet Achievment. Life magazine, October, 1961.

LIFE: An object from the Soviet space program,… – Hosted by Google.

May 9, 2008 Victory Day Coverage

jim — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:32:39 +0000

Today marks the 63rd anniversary of the victory over Germany in World War II. In Russia, the war is known as the Great Patriotic War, and May 9th is still one of the biggest holidays of the year. Russia today has English language coverage of this morning’s Victory Day parade on Red Square. Watch the full video with English commentary and read about the event on the Russia Today website.

Military parade on Red Square – full version (68 min)

Update: Russia Today has posted a lot of great video covering this year’s Victory Day and the history of the Great Patriotic War. Here are some highlights.
History of Great Patriotic War

Russia celebrates WW2 victory

U.S. uncertain about WW2 history
A Victory Day report from America with a Russian perspective.

Found Footage: Russia split over Lenin’s legacy

jim — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:08:45 +0000

More than 80 years after his death, Russians are still divided about the legacy of Vladimir Lenin. Last week saw the 138th anniversary of Lenin’s birth. In the past, his home town was renamed in his honor, but now there’s talk of returning the city’s original name. Here’s an interesting piece from Russia Today covering the controversy.

Russia split over Lenin’s legacy

Soviet May Day Postcards

jim — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:10:21 +0000

With May Day approaching, we bring you a collection of Soviet May Day postcards. These are great examples of soviet art and we hope you will enjoy them. These were originally posed to Flickr by iwasayeyeman.

Baby mammoth found in Russia

jim — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 05:31:59 +0000

A baby mammoth was recently found in nearly perfect condition, frozen in the Russian permafrost. The mammoth was discovered by a reindeer breeder in the Yamalo-Nenetsk region. The mammoth has been named “Lyuba” after the wife of the man who found her. Click here to view video of the mammoth from BBC.

Link: Baby mammoth find promises breakthrough