The rise of female duels under Catherine II
“You fight like a girl!” was a phrase often thrown around during Catherine II’s reign with undisguised delight. The empress was a trendsetter for female duels in the Russian Empire and wasn’t averse to crossing swords herself when the situation arose!
Russia Beyond > History5 things the Soviet regime gave women
The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution began with a demonstration of women and then they actively began to participate in social and political life. Vladimir Lenin said that women would not have been defeated by the Bolsheviks. And what did the new regime thank the ladies with?
Russia Beyond > HistoryVladimir Lenin’s life in 13 PHOTOS
Without retelling the myths and legends about ‘Grandpa Lenin’, let's turn to some confirmed facts in his biography.
Russia Beyond > HistoryHow the USSR almost built a bridge in the U.S. during the Cold War. Wait, what!?
It could have been considered a big insult to Americans back then.
Russia Beyond > HistoryWhat Russia was like in 2004 (PHOTOS)
The 'wild' 1990s were already over, President Vladimir Putin was re-elected for a second term and the country was fighting terrorists. What else was going on in the otherwise ordinary life of Russians that year? Let's look at some revealing archive photos.
Russia Beyond > History3 repressed Soviet military leaders who became outstanding commanders
In 1937, Konstantin Rokossovsky was severely beaten in prison. Yet, eight years later, he was walking around Berlin in the rank of marshal with Georgy Zhukov and British Field Marshal General Bernard Montgomery.
Russia Beyond > HistoryMeet Maria Limanskaya, a.k.a. the ‘Victory traffic controller’ and the ‘Brandenburg Madonna’
The young lady became famous thanks to the photo, which was taken in May 1945 in liberated Berlin by photographer Evgeny Khaldey.
Russia Beyond > HistoryWhy is there a Romanov Palace in... Uzbekistan?
It is impossible to take your eyes off the luxurious mansion in the center of Tashkent: built in Art Nouveau style with fancy turrets and unusual carved lattices on the windows, it looks like a precious box. A real royal palace! Well, it really belonged to one of the Romanovs.
Russia Beyond > HistoryHow the Czechs renamed the capital of the Russian Empire
The city managed to change its name twice within a decade.
Russia Beyond > History10 women who glorified Russia
One can make a list of hundreds of men who have made history, while women have remained in their shadows for centuries. However, these ladies managed to become a true national heroes.
Russia Beyond > HistoryNikephor Alferi: How the son of a deacon became the first Russian graduate of Cambridge
Boris Godunov became the first monarch to send noble children to study abroad. One of the first 18 Russian students was Nikifor Olferyev. In 1602, he traveled by ship from Arkhangelsk, heading to Great Britain to study Latin and English.
Russia Beyond > HistoryWhat Russia was like in 1984 (PHOTOS)
Another change of power, the invention of ‘Tetris’ and a new round of the Cold War. What else was this year memorable for?
Russia Beyond > HistoryHow the USSR wanted to create real \"supermen\"
Some scientists urged the state to support the birth rate of only the most talented representatives of Soviet society. Their equally outstanding offspring were supposed to eventually outlive \"fellow citizens incapable of absorbing modern knowledge\".
Russia Beyond > History3 Soviet leaders who were physically active (PHOTOS)
Neither Mikhail Gorbachev nor Nikita Khrushchev made the list – and, in general, only the founder of the USSR was a real athlete.
Russia Beyond > HistoryHow allowing a child at the wheel of an Airbus led to a tragedy in Siberia
On 23 March 1994, southwestern Siberia’s Kuzbass was shocked by a terrible tragedy: a few kilometers from the city of Mezhurechensk, an Airbus A310-308, which was en route from Moscow to Hong Kong, crashed. All 75 people on board died.
Russia Beyond > HistoryWhat Russia was like in 1974 (PHOTOS)
The era of stagnation, space flights and the construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway. Thanks to these photos, we can now see what this year was memorable for the country.
Russia Beyond > History‘Miracle on the Neva’: How Soviet pilots landed a plane in the center of Leningrad
On August 21, 1963, a Tu-124 airliner made an emergency landing right on the Neva River. The plane's landing miraculously did not turn into a disaster.
Russia Beyond > HistoryWhat Russia was like in 1964 (PHOTOS)
The ‘Khrushchev Thaw’, the first space flights, a sense of freedom and hope for a new life. Thanks to photo archives, we can see what this year in the USSR was memorable for.
Russia Beyond > History