Russian Travel Guide

In search of the black stork

The Bryansk Forest Reserve, a small corner of untouched Russian wilderness, is home to thousand-year-old trees and many rare animal species. In the Bryansk Forest’s impenetrable thickets you can find birds believed by many to be almost mythological —- few people have seen black storks and ornithologists themselves consider a meeting with such feathered creatures to be one of great luck. In order to build their nests black storks chose the deepest and nearly impassable places. For mankind, reaching such places is no simple feat, and sometimes completely impossible. It is this quality which helps the Bryansk Forest to keep its many wild secrets. RTG TV presenter Igor Maximenko learned this for himself when he set out on a photo-safari to capture the elusive black stork on film in the wild thickets of the reserve. 

Автолегенды СССР. Возрождение Победы

The monastery gardens of Valaam

The Valaam Islands are a picturesque oasis in the choppy waters of Lake Ladoga. Separate from the mainland, these islands have become a home to those seeking communion with God — Orthodox monks. Living here is no easy task and several hundred years ago only true ascetics were allowed to live on the islands. Prayer and hard work helped the monks survive under difficult conditions. According to the regulations none of the monastery’s inhabitants were allowed to be idle and the results of their efforts can still be seen on the island. Much to the surprise of modern scientists and agronomists, the old monastery gardens continue to bloom and flower on Valaam’s rocky ground. Many of the monastery’s structures however have not passed the test of time, falling apart in the 20th century. Nevertheless, the fragile-looking trees survived, reflecting the endurance the monks themselves have continued...