Russian House DHK

Русский Дом в Дакке провёл мемориальное мероприятие, посвящённое 81-й годовщине начала Великой Отечественной войны.
Совместно с Ассоциацией «Родина» и при участии местных НКО прошла акция «Свеча памяти» о 27 миллионов погибших. Собравшиеся почтили их память минутой молчания. Директор русского дома Максим Доброхотов отметил решающую роль Советского народа в победе над фашизмом и рассказал, какую высокую цену пришлось за это заплатить
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bkW7SWdCfM

The Russian House in Dhaka held a memorial program dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.
With the compatriots Association «Rodina» and participation of local NGOs was organized «Candle of Memory» to honor 27 million Soviet peoples dead in this terrible war. The participants honored their memory with a minute of silence. Director of the Russian House Maxim Dobrokhotov noted the decisive role of the Soviet Union in the victory over fascism and told what a high price USSR had to pay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bkW7SWdCfM

People of Russia: Germans

According to the Russian Population Census from 2010, 394 138 Germans lived in Russia. Approximately 1.5 million people are descendants of Russian Germans with varying degrees of kinship.

Germans have settled in Russia since ancient times and an entire German settlement had already been founded in Moscow by the middle of the XVII century. Fun fact: not only Germans, but also Dutch, Flemings, and other peoples close in language and culture to the Germans lived there. There is a version that they were called "Nemcy" (Germans in russian) for their inability to speak Russian and their silence in response to questions - these people were considered as if they were "dumb", which is “nemoy” in russian.

Most of the Germans came to Russia under Peter I and his successors: they were artisans, merchants, military, and most importantly - doctors and scientists. For many decades, the first Russian Academy of Sciences was staffed mainly by Germans.

Most of modern Germans in Russia are still engaged in science, industry and art. These people try to preserve elements of their traditional culture: half-timbered houses, national cuisine and folklore.

Not everyone knows, but the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree for the New Year came to Russia with the Germans and German culture. In 1699, Peter I ordered to celebrate the New Year on January 1 and gave people instructions: to light fancy fireworks and put beautifully decorated Christmas trees in houses.

Gingerbread, samovars and guns - what city is associated with these words? That's right, Tula.
Today in Tula there are museums of gingerbread, samovars, and weapons (the latter was built in the form of a giant helmet). Tourists are pleased with the authenticity of the Tula Kremlin, a restored pedestrian street and dozens of historical buildings built from the 16th to the 20th century. In 2018, a completely transformed pedestrian promenade opened in the city: it used to be built up with docks, and now you can listen to local street musicians there or rent a boat and enjoy the views of the Upa River.
Modern Tula is advanced public spaces, art clusters. The most famous of them is Oktava, located on the territory of the world-famous factory for the production of microphones and audio equipment. This is a business center, and a platform for master classes, and an interactive museum, and a meeting place for Tula residents. Current lectures, contemporary art, street food - what else do you need for a great weekend in Tula?
Credit photos: Anastasia Maltseva

The mysterious Vottovaara Mountain

Vottovaara is one of the highest points in Karelia, a rock massif that attracts travelers with its unusual landscape and mysterious stone structures. There are a lot of mystical legends and mysteries connected with this mountain, and not only thousands of tourists come here every year, but also people interested in magic and esoterics. Scientists have not found answers to questions about the origin of Vottovaara.

Local residents sometimes call Vottovaara "Death Mountain" and believe that you can get to another world here. Incredible landscapes do not let this doubt: everywhere are low, but very old pines, terribly twisted birches, similar to the scenery of horror movies. There have been numerous spontaneous combustions on the mountain, adding the area even more mystique.

The boulders of unknown origin attract many explorers and tourists. There are more than fifteen hundred boulders of different sizes spread over several square kilometers. Some of them weigh several tons, but stand on other smaller rocks, as if on legs.

In addition to boulders on the mountain there are other mysteries, such as "stairs to heaven" consisting of thirteen stone steps. The stone staircase ends with a precipice, so we can only guess for what purpose nature created it.