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Articles by Yulia Skopich

Not Your Babushka's Village Theater

While some people are fleeing villages, Moscow artists have opened a theater in a small village in the Vladimir region.

Grandfather Frost and His Five Russian Residences

As befitting a magical being, Grandfather Frost has multiple houses. And you can visit all of them.

Reviving the Ancient Art of Russian Tree Ornaments

In Voronezh a woman longed for the New Year's tree ornaments of her childhood.

St. Petersburg Audiences Watch Live Theater in Their Cars

A way to perform theater during the pandemic turned into a popular new art form.

Get Away From It All: Live With the Veps

A film expedition changed the lives of St. Petersburg film directors and their Vepsian friends.

New Life for Abandoned Buildings in Russian Provinces

Volunteers, entrepreneurs and Russian towns are giving new life to old, abandoned industrial eyesores.

Ivan Khafizov is a Man on a Mission to Save Nalichniki

These beautiful house decorations were most popular in the 19th century.

Ecology of the Home: Upcycling Goes Russian

New clubs, organizations, sites, and businesses in Russia are making the old new again.

Children Are Celebrated Throughout Russia Today

June 1 is the Day for the Protection of Children in Russia and many other countries around the world.

‘Volga’ Mixes 12th-Century Songs With 21st-Century Instruments

How does electronic music blend with ancient folks songs? Beautifully.

Siberian Volunteers Reclaim Their City's Long-Lost Memories

The Tekutyevsky Cemetery in Tyumen is a cultural heritage site.

Finding Hidden Treasures in St. Petersburg Buildings

Under dozens of layers of paint 'the Gang" finds stained glass windows, decorative tiles and mosaics.

'Marusya' Folk Singers Win Over Russian Audiences

The group sings Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Armenian, Georgian and Circassian songs.

Director Dmitry Davydov on 'Scarecrow' and Yakutian Films

Why are films shot in Yakutsk among the best films made in Russia today?

Sand Stories: Performances Flow Through Your Fingers

For Yekaterinburg artist Yelena Kadyrova, drawing a line in the sand is her life's work.

A New Kind of Theater Beats the Coronavirus Blues

St. Petersburg's Pop-Up Theater keeps the audience entertained and engaged outside a theater.

5 Old Russian Games: Party Like It's 1897!

Bored children? Energy levels peaking? Cat and mouse to the rescue.

Russian Children's Magazines Are Surviving and Thriving

Children's periodicals still have a fan base, especially far from Russia's big cities.

Beyond Moscow: People With Disabilities Are Stepping Out

In small Russian towns, the movement for a more inclusive society is being driven from the bottom up.

Celebrating Writer Ivan Bunin

The 1933 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature was once spurned but is now celebrated in his homeland.

A Festival for Would-Be Russian Aristocrats

The annual Secrets of the Manor festival lets guests learn how to be 19th century Russian estate owners.

Tom Sawyer Fest: From the Mississippi to the Volga

Local residents renovate their city's buildings — and convince others to help them.

Krasnodar: Come for the Sea, Stay for the Champagne

Are you and the kids going to the Russian sea shore this summer? Let that sunburn heal on a drive inland!

A Long Weekend in Lipetsk

Looking for a weekend trip off the beaten path? Try Lipetsk - good for culture lovers and families.

Russian Staycation: Kazan with Kids

Kazan is a fascinating city for adults, but it also has enough to keep kids happy and interested.

How Russia’s Homeless Animals Survived the Quarantine

Russia's animal volunteers stepped up their efforts during the long quarantine.

Small-Town Russian Libraries Fight Coronavirus Creatively

Yulia Skopich investigates how Russian libraries with scant resources are keeping readers engaged.

Leaving Moscow For the Good Life

Some well-educated, career-minding young Russians are finding better jobs and lifestyles far from the capital.

Balancing Preservation and Urban Development in Vladimir

One of Russia's most ancient towns struggles to preserve its past and move into the future.

Swim Season Opens in December

The best thing for your health is a good bracing ice swim - just train for it first.

Meet Ivan Savkin, Russia's Human Mountain

When we say 'strong,' we really mean it.

A Russian Pensioner's Creative Recycling Project

A small town has a prize-winning children's playground thanks to a generous pensioner.

Vladimir Aniskin and His Invisible Masterpieces

Nikolai Leskov’s fictional Lefty From Tula has come to life, brilliantly, in Novosibirsk.

Sailing Into the Past in Lipetsk

Russia is more than Moscow, and festivals are everywhere.