Now on air
08:00
Traditions of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic
The Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia is located in southern Russia in the picturesque foothills of the Caucuses Mountains. In the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries people from central and southern Russia began settling in the area. Nowadays about 80 different nationalities of people live in the republic. The four main indigenous groups are the Karachais, Circassians, Abazins and Nogais. These peoples strive to preserve their culture, passing down their traditions from generation to generation. Having lived in the area for more than a century without conflict, these nations are now in the process of cultural assimilation. They are careful however, to still retain the character and originality of their own people. RTG TV host Evgenia Altfeld travelled to the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia where she got a taste of the area’s rich culture. She attended a Cherkessk celebration ...
The City of Yuryevets
The history of Yuryevets on the Volga River has its fair share of legends and mysteries, and it all began with a dream: In 1225 Yury II of Vladimir dreamt that he and his troops were sailing down the Volga, where they decided to stop for the night on the bank of the river - opposite the place where the town of Yuryevets would one day be located. In the dream the prince’s patron saint, Saint George the Victorious, appeared and showed him the place where he was to build a fortress. The next morning, Yury II of Vladimir set out across the river to the place that Saint George had indicated. There he found an icon of his patron saint and decided to build a city, founding Yuryevets in 1225.
Now on air
08:00
The City of Yuryevets
The candle workshop of the Valaam monastery
It is almost impossible to imagine the Russian Orthodox Church without its simple, uneven candles. In the Church the candle is a voluntary donation a believer makes to the church as well as a symbol of their prayers. For centuries monasteries have kept the secret of how these wax sticks are made. The Valaam Monastery has its own traditions and is one of the most famous monasteries in North-western Russia. For the monks, working in the candlestick workshop represents monastic obedience and obligatory monastic work. Despite the seemingly simple technology used in this process, producing these church candles requires the monks to have a surprising degree of skill and experience.
Now on air
08:15