King of bling: Kostroma’s jewel citizenship

Russia`s jewelry capital, the city of Kostroma, is home to both large jewelry factories and individual craftsmen, who produce the finest jewels in the country. Gold, diamonds, rubies and just about any other precious and semi-precious stone you can imagine go into work there. Locals say it is hard to get the exact figures, but with a degree of confidence they assert that every fourth jewelry...

Hidden treasure of the Urals

­Gemstones from Russia’s Ural Mountains have fueled many fairytales and legends. But now, beautiful tales are all that's left of the once-rich gemstone mines, with most precious stones now imported to the region from abroad. First accounts of rich precious stone deposits in the area are date back to late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. For several centuries, regional capital...

Lenin’s birthplace: City of high fliers

The birthplace of communist leader Vladimir Lenin, the city of Ulyanovsk, is now known as “Russia’s Aviation Capital”, making passenger planes and teaching the pilots of tomorrow. Originating back in the 1970s, Ulyanovsk’s passenger plane manufacturer Aviastar is due to become a modernizer of the unique Russian cargo planes, An-124 Ruslan, the world’s largest. A special line to build new Ruslans...

Past and future meet on Khabarovsk coast

The Khabarovsk Region in Russia’s Far East is the country’s main gateway to the Pacific. It is also a center for coal and wood exports to the heavily-populated and fuel-hungry Asian economies, including China, South Korea and Japan. ­As RT discovered, keeping industry alive there does not have to be at the expense of tradition. A coal stacker is a monstrous-looking machine which has become the...

With old ways forgotten, indigenous communities turn desperate

Khabarovsk Region, in the country's Far East, is home to Russians, Ukrainians, Tartars and even Koreans. The area's indigenous population is adapting to a shrinking world, where cultures and people increasingly mix. ­RT has been to Khabarovsk to explore how the ancient people of this land are attempting to keep their way of life alive and retain their identity in the global village. The Nanai...

Timber barons wreak devastation in Russia’s Far East

­Russia’s coastal region on the border with China, some 8,000 kilometres from Moscow, is the meeting point of two mighty rivers – the Amur and the Ussuri. It harbors some of the most incredible habitats for the country’s wildlife. But the march of the industrial moguls is putting its future on the line. Looty the tiger was found starving in the forest as a six-month-old cub. He is now 19 years...

Wrestling with football passion: Dagestan’s sporting salvation

Russia’s republic of Dagestan often makes headlines for violence. But there are other battles away from the front line that many hope the region will one day be remembered for. ­For centuries this area has been renowned for its strong and brave population. And for being the birthplace of many world champions in all types of wrestling, Now, as RT's Madina Kochenova reports, the republic is...

Russia’s oldest city: 5,000 and counting

RT travels to the country’s southernmost and oldest city. First mentioned by Ancient Greek historians, Derbent maintained strategic importance in the region for millennia and may have been the cradle of Islam in Russia. The city’s present-day name is Persian in origin and is translated as “narrow gates”. In Arabic it was called Bab al-Abvab, or “the gate of all gates”. Many other names it had...

Surfing the Russian winds

Slowly, the old Soviet resorts on Russia’s Black Sea coast are becoming centers of sporting excellence. It is hoped that with the right support, this region could become a major water sports destination. ­The Black Sea waters full of jellyfish, the sea full of waves – and the wind whips the air with salty spray, which is just what everyone has come here for. Throughout the week, hundreds of...

Treasuring trash on Black Sea coast

On the Black Sea coast in southern Russia, people are doing their bit to protect the planet. From the art of recycling to rescuing wildlife – RT discovers how the environment is being cared for. ­Artist Nina Nikiforova has no difficulty finding construction materials. Critics might call her art complete rubbish, and in one sense, they would be absolutely right. Everything you see in her gallery...