How the USSR and the GDR made peace without remembering the war Just a few years after the end of World War II, the Soviet Union and East Germany were already building cultural diplomacy in full swing. The cities became sister cities, schoolchildren corresponded, students went to visit each other. How did this become possible after a war that claimed tens of millions of lives? And what does this experience tell us about the possibility of restoring relations between Russia and Ukraine?

html This material (information) was produced and distributed by a foreign agent, Project Trait, or relates to the activities of a foreign agent, Project Trait. 18+ How politics is changing regional museums and exhibitions How does the Russian state use monuments and museums to promote militarism and explain to citizens that the West is bad? Can regional cultural institutions defend the right to selfhood?

How Russian women decide to freeze their eggs because of the war Russians inside and outside the country are increasingly postponing having children - due to war, prices, drone attacks, emigration and the feeling that planning for the future is now impossible. Reproduction specialists say patients are increasingly discussing concerns about the war at appointments. Many are simply trying to preserve the possibility of becoming parents later.

Solo travelers share what gives them an experience that scares many “You’re no longer young, think about your family,” they tell Anna in every car that picks her up. Anna is 32 years old, she hitchhikes or rides a bicycle with a backpack weighing 20–30 kg, always carries a knife in her pocket and plans routes across three continents. Angelina usually books hostels while already sitting on the bus to the desired city, and says that solo travel is life at double speed.

The story of a Muscovite who integrated helping dogs into her daily routine 34-year-old Muscovite Marina works in a responsible position, regularly goes on vacation to the sea, tries to look good, and often sees her family and loved ones. She has also been helping homeless dogs for ten years: treating them, giving them homes, collecting money, helping with their removal from dangerous border regions.

How teachers and agitators for “United Russia” record residents on a dictaphone and work on “days of silence” Door-to-door visits with a working voice recorder and geolocation, “tapping and chasing ” residents potentially loyal to “United Russia”, tearing down leaflets of other parties, pressure on local stars and opinion leaders, the “norm” for parents who agree to electronic voting, and hidden campaigning on election days - teacher from Cheboksary Anastasia told Cherta and the telegram channel

Why do anti-war youth run for office? In the upcoming parliamentary elections, there is almost no room left for political competition: the federal list of Yabloko, the only party with an anti-war program, was removed from the vote. Repressions against party activists continue. But in the regions there are many young anti-war politicians who are running in single-mandate constituencies.

Why do Russians kiss mushrooms and cry over boletus mushrooms? September is one of the most awaited months for mushroom pickers. People, often entire families, rush into the forests to collect boletus, boletus, saffron milk caps, milk mushrooms, and honey mushrooms. Mushroom picking is jokingly called the national sport of Russians: 48% of the country's population goes mushroom picking - that's about 70 million people. For some, mushrooms are an opportunity to prepare for the winter.

Is it legal to attack warehouses and refineries? Who is responsible for this? After Russian attacks on Ukrainian warehouses of Nova Poshta and Ukrainian attacks on Wildberries warehouses, both sides explain their actions by military necessity. But the mere fact that a civilian facility may contain goods for the army does not make it a legitimate military target, explains Natalia Sekretareva, head of the legal department of the Memorial Center for the Protection of Human Rights.

How a traffic police inspector went against the system and was supported by thousands of people It is difficult to find a person in Russia who would love or respect traffic cops. This is one of the most despised professions for various reasons. However, there are also opposite examples: 34-year-old Viktor Askhaev from the Irkutsk region is known in the region and is supported by hundreds of people. He accused his boss of corruption, for which he suffered torture.

How does a village live in Khakassia, where people protested against coal mining, but lost The Beyskoye deposit is considered one of the largest in Russia in terms of coal reserves. In the 2010s, its large-scale development began. Near the villages of the Altai and Beysky regions of Khakassia, whose residents had been engaged in agriculture for centuries, coal mines and rock dumps began to grow. People opposed mining, worried about health, sacred mounds , ancient burial structures.

why doctors refuse to go to residency and how many lives it can cost In 2026, for the first time, almost two thousand places remained unfilled in Russian residency. In a few years, hospitals will be short of thousands of young doctors - although already today the country lacks about 23 thousand specialists. The reason for the shortage was the law obliging public sector graduates to work for several years in the government institution where they will be sent.

Who fought for the moratorium on the death penalty in Russia and is it possible to abolish it? Thirty years ago, in August 1996, the last death sentence was carried out in Russia: the maniac “Fischer” was shot in the Butyrka prison in Moscow. Decades later, according to polls, about half of Russian citizens are in favor of returning “capital punishment”.

: a sociologist on how supporters of war turned into opponents Amid drone attacks, internet outages and fuel shortages, Russians are trying to live normal lives. Each new manifestation of war is frightening at first, but soon becomes integrated into everyday life: people find workarounds and continue to work, relax and make plans. Or is this an illusion? The Public Sociology Laboratory conducted in-depth interviews with Russians who had not previously opposed or supported the war.

html This material (information) was produced and distributed by a foreign agent, Project Trait, or relates to the activities of a foreign agent, Project Trait. 18+ Humanities teachers talk about how their work has changed In classes on political science or law, they try not to discuss Russian cases, students increasingly prefer management rather than history or political science, and universities are trying to save money on both teaching rates and government-funded places for students.