In the year 2000, the Bolshoi Ballet School was opened in the city of Joinville, Brazil. It was founded through the efforts of the legendary dancer Vladimir Vasiliev, People's Artist of the RSFSR Alexander Bogatyrev, Bolshoi soloist Galina Kravchenko, and…

After moving to Russia in 1992, John Kopiski, a former London coal and steel trader, found more than just a place to call home, he found his true calling. These days, John Yanovich, as he prefers to be called, runs a dairy farm with more than 4,000 cows some…

Lalit’s face and body are covered with hair; it’s the result of a genetic disorder. The condition is called werewolf syndrome and it is extremely rare - only 50-60 people in the world have it. Though its nature has been defined as genetic, which gene exactly…

The Dark Net was created for anonymity, and criminals took immediate advantage of it. In 2017, the Russian Anonymous MarketPlace, a shady drug-dealing site, had 14,000 active users. After its shutdown it was replaced with a more advanced system of automated…

The United Nations is the world’s leading international organization. Yet, its authority has been steadily eroding in recent years, while the institution is increasingly seen as an unwieldy bureaucratic machine.Why does US President Donald Trump claim that…

The conflict in Ukraine has cost Africa $7 billion in GDP, according to the UN, which warns this figure could rise. Fertilizers, grain, and oil—key exports from Russia and Ukraine—are now harder to access. Rising transport costs and trade disruptions have…

Russian folk crafts are an integral part of the country’s cultural DNA. How have traditional forms of craftsmanship managed to stay relevant in the 21st century?Gzhel tableware is known for its blue patterns on a white background. Today, contemporary artisans…

More than a third of all Tanzanian women are married before the age of 18. Many of them are forced into wedlock as young as 11 with much older men. In exchange, the family of the bride receives cows which are valued more than daughters. The country’s court…

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Aral Sea was twice the size of Lake Baikal. Now, a desert stands in its place. This saltwater lake was fed by the largest rivers in Central Asia. But since the 1960s, the waters of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers…

In 2019, doctors started talking about a new, widespread disease that caused severe lung damage. The name of the disease was later abbreviated to EVALI. Scientists are now busy trying to study the long-term effects of vaping. Vaping proponents say it is a…

87 days of construction. 18 incredible facilities. 265,000 square meters of space. And 8 months of work, new friendships, unity and pride.This is what the International Exhibition-Forum 'Russia' was about.It opened its doors on VDNKh on November 4, the Day…

This investigation focuses on Milton Group, a massive fraudulent call center network. With over a thousand employees, the group caused an estimated $300 million in damage. Their scheme was far-reaching, with victims in Russia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.People…

Kavre province in Nepal has been dubbed «Kidney valley»: there’s hardly a household there in which a family member hasn’t sold his or her kidney on the black market. Grim dealers exploit the region’s extreme poverty and the people’s lack of education regarding…

Cossack Dmitry Cherniavsky returns from the SMO, where he served in the ‘Terek’ battalion. His wife Larisa, three daughters, and three sons are waiting for him at home in Arsenyevo, near Vladivostok. Dmitry also runs a Cossack class at the local school, where…

Cossack Dmitry Cherniavsky returns from the SMO, where he served in the ‘Terek’ battalion. His wife Larisa, three daughters, and three sons are waiting for him at home in Arsenyevo, near Vladivostok. Dmitry also runs a Cossack class at the local school, where…

When African countries began to gain their freedom, their former colonisers sought to weaken the new states. To do this, they used the very armies they themselves had once formed. For example, when the DR Congo became independent, Belgian officers instigated…

It's an adventure of a lifetime, a real road movie, meeting extraordinary people and fantastic animals, and seeing life from a new perspective. This is the story of a film crew shooting a documentary about the 25th anniversary of the World Wildlife Fund in…

Fenghuang Ancient Town, known as Phoenix City, is hailed as one of China’s most beautiful towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated along the Tuojiang River in Yunnan, this historic gem features traditional stone houses, iconic upturned roofs, and…

Angola became a Portuguese colony in the 16th century, and before long its new ‘masters’ had turned it into one of the major hubs for the transatlantic slave trade. Enslaved people were shipped to another territory under Portuguese control – Brazil. Historians…

Millions of people have fallen victim to a so-called ‘infobusiness’. Those behind it, often referred to as info-scammers, are typically pseudo-trainers and coaches who promise fabulous wealth and instant success but, in reality, sell little more than empty…

Some 90% of Afghanistan’s population struggle with food insecurity, meaning that they don’t have enough to eat every day. Over half of Afghans rely on humanitarian aid. Financial desperation makes some parents consider selling their daughters for up to $2…