Do you know there are THREE Tolstoys in Russian literature?

All three are distant relatives and have one common ancestor – Peter Tolstoy, an associate of Peter the Great, whom the tsar granted a noble title of Count.

1/ The first one is the most well known, it’s LEO Nikolayevich TOLSTOY (1828-1910). He is the author of ‘War and Peace’, ‘Anna Karenina’ and many other novels and short stories. He is famous for his verbosity and long sentences and his legacy consists of 90 books of various formats, including diaries!

2/ The second Tolstoy actually should have been ranked in first place. Because he is older and started writing much earlier. It’s ALEKSEY Konstantinovich TOLSTOY (1817-1875). He is famous as a satirist writing under the pen name ‘Kozma Prutkov’. He was also the author of numerous novels, plays and poems based on historical and mythological plots, e.g. the novel 'Prince Serebrenni'.

Alexei Konstantinovich Tolstoy actually is a second cousin to Leo Tolstoy, as they had a common great-grandfather. So as not to mix up him with the next Tolstoy, who is usually known as Count Alexei Tolstoy.

3/ The third Tolstoy is ALEKSEY Nikolaevich TOLSTOY (1883-1945), the Soviet writer. He was actually the son of Leo and A. K. Tolstoy’s third cousin. So, their third nephew… was a very distant relative. Aleksey Tolstoy is most famous for his trilogy ‘The Road to Calvary’, in which he talks about Russian intelligentsia before, during and after the 1917 Revolution, as well as the émigré society, which he also belonged to.

However, in the late 1920s, Tolstoy returned to Soviet Russia, finding it very progressive and with perspective. And he ended up becoming one of the most authoritative and important Soviet writers. A. N. Tolstoy is also famous for fantastic novels, such as ‘Aelita’ and a Russian version of ‘Pinocchio’, a tale about ‘Buratino’.

📷 Getty Images; Mikhail Ozersky/Sputnik

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A drawing by rock singer Viktor Tsoi was sold at auction for a record €77,000.

Tsoi drew the 'square-headed' man with felt-tip pens in the 1980s.
The legendary rock singer and leader of the rock band 'KINO', who died in a car accident in 1990, had an artistic education and often drew in the spirit of neo-primitivism.
The starting price for the work was €15,000 and it was put up for sale by KINO's ex-drummer Georgy Guryanov.

📷 vladey.net

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Taimyr is a land of permafrost, majestic mountains, and crystal-clear lakes. Here, you can spot rare animals like the polar bear and reindeer, wander across the endless tundra, and feel the power of ancient glaciers

Midnight sun and a blooming tundra — is this how we imagine the Arctic to be? The editors of the educational project 'Children of the Arctic' battle the most widespread myths about the North.
Find out more: https://vk.com/public210625393 / https://arctic-children.com

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The Sulak Canyon is one of the most beautiful places in Russia. And the local speed boat drivers will make your trip even more unforgettable! 😂 🚤

Video by: @mirgorca

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You might be interested in sports, after all! 😍

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The Soviet leader had several countryside residences, but this one he liked especially, due to the gorgeous sea views and lush pine trees. 🏖🌲

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Cutlets with mashed potatoes: Russians' favorite cafeteria food

This taste is familiar to everyone from childhood.

When Russians eat in Soviet-style 'stolovka' cafes and office canteens, this dish surely is among the most popular ones.
Also, after being somewhere abroad for a long time or just out of home - cutlets with mashed potatoes ('kotletki s pyureshkoi') is the first thing they would cook. Ok, maybe, second, after borsch.
It is also something that every Russian babushka cooks for her beloved grandchildren.

Here are a few secrets behind the delicate taste. For cutlets bread is added to minced meat. And mashed potatoes are made with milk and butter. (And make sure you peel the potatoes before boiling them!)

📷 I_rinka / Getty Images

#russiankitchen

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One of the longest houses in the country is located in Volgograd – its entrances stretch for more than a kilometer! No doubt, couriers who’ve mixed up the delivery address have a hard time at this location.

Check out our new listicle with some of the weirdest and most unusual houses built in Russia!

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The BRICS+ Fashion Summit once again proved that fashion knows no borders, uniting talent from across the globe. The trends showcased here will soon be seen on the streets and runways of the world’s biggest fashion capitals

Video by: Ruptly

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Serene views of the Nilo-Stolobensky Men's Monastery in Trversk Region

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Did you know that the US and Russia are just 4km apart?

📷 AP

#didyouknow

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Craving a good detective series tonight? 😎

Try this Soviet one!
Crime in the USSR is said to have dropped during the hours that this was aired on TV. The entire country, including criminals, was glued to the screen as investigators Gleb Zheglov (played by Vladimir Vysotsky) and Vladimir Sharapov tracked down a criminal gang in the post-war Soviet Union.

They were the Holmes and Watson of their day—even Sharapov’s moustache was Watson-esque.

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What do Russians celebrate on November 4? 🎉

National Unity Day is one of the youngest official public holidays in Russia. It only appeared in 2005.
Actually, it replaced another, Soviet time holiday, the Day of October Revolution, which was widely celebrated on November 7 before the collapse of the USSR.

After this Soviet holiday was canceled, people got a little upset – they were used to an extra day off in November.
So, the authorities of modern Russia found another occasion to celebrate. The date was taken from the early 17th century (the ‘Time of Troubles’). Back then, the Russian people united under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky and saved the country from Polish intervention.

📷 Vitaly Timkiv / Sputnik

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Russian colleagues joke about Jose that he is a rare person who loves the harsh Russian winter, and that this is why he escaped from hot Spain.

In Russia, the zoologist and wolf expert began working in a nature reserve and protecting the population. He even learned to howl like a wolf himself. Read about 30 years of Jose's Russian life in our article.

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📃 I've hidden 5 words related to autumn in the picture! Can you find them all?

👇Let me know in the comments!

#russianclasses

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Tobolsk in 3 Russian words

Today, it is a small city with a population of only 100,000. However, in the 18th century, Tobolsk was the capital of the huge Siberian province, which stretched to the Pacific Ocean.

1⃣ ТОБОЛЬСКИЙ КРЕМЛЬ (Tobolsk Kremlin)

This is the only stone kremlin in Siberia! Although it was founded in 1683, stone buildings kept being erected in it until the end of the 18th century.

2⃣ РЕЗНАЯ КОСТЬ (Carved bone)

Bone carving has been practiced in Tobolsk since the 17th century. The main theme of the local craftsmen's work is the life of the North, its traditions, history and mythology.

3⃣ ДМИТРИЙ МЕНДЕЛЕЕВ (Dmitri Mendeleev)

This world-famous scientist was born in Tobolsk in 1834. Mendeleev is an honorary citizen of the city; a street, avenue, railway station and pedagogical university are all named after him.

#russiancities

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