Russian Travel Guide

Native of Sakhalin - the Nivkh People

The mysterious Nivkh people, or “the children of the sea and the taiga,” as they call themselves, live in the northern part of Sakhalin Island. The Nivkh have lived hand in hand with nature for hundreds of years, and to this day their primary activities include hunting and fishing. They have, of course, also managed to adapt to modern life in other ways. The Nivkh number at a little over 5,000 and are known for their unusual beliefs. They believe that the spirits of the Sea, Forest, Earth and Air help them in their everyday lives. This belief is reflected creatively through their melancholy songs and expressive dances. The Russian Travel Guide’s Igor Maximenko found out what gear fishermen use when hunting salmon, the correct way to sun-cure the fish and how Nivkh summer and winter houses are built. Learn this and much more in RTG TV’s new programme from Sakhalin Island.

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Животные. Камчатка

Alexey Antonov — Ural stone cutter

Alexey Antonov’s stone pictures are comparable to the praised masterpieces of the talented Karl Faberge and Alexei Denisov-Uralsky. It is in his creative Yekaterinburg workshop that soulless pieces of mineral are brought to life. His compositions are full of expression and so realistic that it seems as if the small, stone figures might jump off of their pedestals. Alexey Antonov’s works can be found in many museum collections, as well as in private collections in Russia, Germany, The United States and other countries.