Belyana is a wooden, unpainted, flat-bottomed barge used for rafting timber along the Volga and Kama rivers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These ships were perhaps the most unique river vessels in the world.

These boats were built in logging areas in the Upper Volga region and on the Kama River, and were designed for only one downstream voyage. Their primary cargo was timber. They were equipped with a burlap sail for steering. The hull was up to 100 meters long, 25 meters wide, 5 meters high, and had a carrying capacity of up to 10,000 tons.

The hull was made from the finest timber. The trees were stripped of bark but not treated with resin, hence the name of this vessel (“belyana” literally means “white”). Cargo could be stowed in the hull and superstructure, gradually extending beyond the sides (up to 2.5-3 meters).

Belyany were rafted mainly to Tsaritsyn (Volgograd) and Astrakhan, where the semi-finished timber and hulls were dismantled for firewood or sent to sawmills for final processing.

The entire structure was braced with ribs for strength. The belyana was steered by a rudder at the bow and a cast-iron drag at the stern, which kept it in the fairway.

The belyany differed from the rafts in that they had some maneuverability and did not lose timber as they moved.

The heyday of these ships came in the mid-19th century, precisely when steamships began arriving en masse on the rivers. At first, steamships ran exclusively on wood, and one can imagine the amount of firewood that had to be transported to the cities on the lower Volga, where steppe expanses predominated, meaning timber supplies were tight. Later, however, with the transition of steamships to oil, the demand for wood declined somewhat.

Houses rose on the deck, giving the belyany the appearance of a floating village. These were used for crew housing and storing supplies. Particular attention was paid to the pilot house, which could be carved and painted gold. According to historians, when the belyany reached its final destination and the timber was dismantled, these beautiful houses were sold separately.

The lake is situated on the territory of the Belukha Nature Park, which also includes the Kucherlinskoye and Akkemskoye lakes, and is a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. Lake Darashkol on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

Darashkol receives its water from the Ioldo-Ayry glacier along the Ioldo-Ayry River. Swimming here is unlikely, as the lake temperature remains around 8 degrees Celsius even in August. The river flows into the lake through flat terrain, and at its outlet, it forms a low but very picturesque cascading waterfall.

The lake is surrounded by mountain peaks and glaciers of the Katunsky Range. Cliffs reach right up to the shore of Lake Darashkol.

This rocky cape is a favorite tourist destination offering picturesque views.

Lake Darashkol is 890 meters long and 330 meters wide.

A hiking expedition to the lake takes at least two days. Along the way, tourists will have a wealth of experiences, including beautiful views and fording icy mountain rivers. If you don’t have the time or energy for such a journey, you can book a helicopter tour.

Lake Darashkol lies in a remote area. It rarely hosts many tourists at a time. Only the most determined manage to reach it. That’s why Darashkol remains one of the Altai’s most hidden spots.

Between 1909 and 1916, Prokudin-Gorsky traveled across a significant portion of the Russian Empire, photographing old churches, monasteries, factories, towns, villages, and a variety of everyday scenes.

The town of Zubtsov (Tver Oblast) on the Volga River (1910).

Thanks to him, we can see what the Russian Empire looked like in color in the last years of its existence. Source: International research project “The Legacy of S.M. Prokudin-Gorsky”.

Rostov Kremlin (Yaroslavl Oblast) (1911).

Krasnaya (Red) Cliff at Minyar Station (Chelyabinsk Oblast) (1910).

Kasli (Chelyabinsk Oblast) (1909).

Ryazan (1912).

Dagomys (Sochi) (1912).

Sochi (1912).

Vladimir (1911).

Suzdal (Vladimir Oblast) (1912).

Vitebsk – a city in northeast Belarus (1912).

Construction of a dam and lock near the village of Kuzminskoye on the Oka River in Ryazan Oblast. (1912).

Manhoff, a talented photographer, captured hundreds of scenes from everyday life in the Soviet Union, both in Moscow and in other regions of the USSR.

The construction of the hotel “Ukraine” from the roof of the US Embassy on Novinsky Boulevard. The Church of the Nine Martyrs of Cyzicus (1954) is visible on the left.

After being accused of espionage, Martin Manhoff fled the country, taking with him hundreds of color slides and negatives taken during his stay in the USSR. Among these materials were footage of Stalin’s funeral, one of the turning points in Soviet history.

Hotel “Moscow” on Manezhnaya Square.

The Kremlin from the entrance to the US Embassy.

In 1953, Red Square was not yet closed to traffic.

We are approaching the intersection of Okhotny Ryad and Tverskaya Street.

The movie theater “Khudozhestvenny” on Arbatskaya Square. Poster for the movie “Lights on the River”. Election campaign: “Everyone to the elections to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on March 14, 1954!”

Theater Square.

We are driving along Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius.

Novinsky Boulevard, 18. Banners on the building: “Peace to the world!” and “Peace will defeat the war!”

Who needs a bus when you can take a ride with the wind in your hair?

Soviet policeman.

A shop window on Theatre Square.

Novospassky Monastery.

Soviet kids.

The corner of Bolshoy Devyatinsky Lane and Novinsky Boulevard. The inscription means: Moscow City Information Center. “Phototelegraph” is advertised.

View from Sparrow Hills.

The new main building of Moscow University illuminated at night.

Stalin’s funeral.

Unique video of Stalin’s funeral.

Festive demonstration on Manezhnaya Square.

Text on the banner on the left: “Fraternal greetings to the People’s Republic of China.” Poster on the building: “Glory to the party of Lenin-Stalin!”

Pushkinskaya Square.

The Central Telegraph building. The sign on the building reads: “300 years since the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. Long live the fraternal friendship of the peoples of the USSR.”

Ice cream street vendor.

Moscow Zoo.

In the swimming pool of Moscow State University.

Snowstorm near the metro station “The Park of Culture”.

The second part of photos

The goal of the project was to create a humorous contrast between global stars and the harsh, everyday reality of post-Soviet Russia. Pavel Meleshkin is known for this and similar art projects where he integrates famous figures into provincial Russian settings.

1. Sylvester Stallone

2. Brad Pitt

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger

4. Nicolas Cage

5. Jean Reno and Natalie Portman (Léon: The Professional)

6. John Travolta and Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)

7. Leonardo DiCaprio

8. Michael Jackson

9. Justin Timberlake

10. Terminator and RoboCop

11. Jack Nicholson

12. Nicolas Cage

13. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (Titanic)

14. Samy Naceri (Taxi)

15. Steven Seagal

16. Batman

17. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson (Harry Potter)

18. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson (The X-Files)

19. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci

20. Sharon Stone

In 2025, Moscow saw a record volume of office space commissioned – 704,000 square meters. This is the highest figure since 2015, when the volume was 720,000 square meters. In 2026, the announced volume of new projects exceeds 1 million square meters. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

The total labor force in Moscow exceeds 7.2 million people (May-July 2024), of which approximately 7.16 million are employed. This represents approximately 9% of Russia’s total labor force.

Federation Tower.

Office employment is primarily concentrated in the service sector, including finance, IT, trade, administration, and professional services. In Moscow, the share of such sectors is significantly higher than the Russian average.

VTB Eurasia Tower.

Business center “Skylight”.

Federation Tower.

Business center “White Gardens”.

Federation Tower.

Moscow-City.

T-Bank.

Sberbank.

Business center “Oruzheyny”.

VTB Eurasia Tower.

Federation Tower.

T-Bank.

Sberbank.

Federation Tower.

It is the deepest lake on the planet, the largest natural reservoir of fresh water, and the largest freshwater lake in Eurasia by area. The lake’s width ranges from 24 to 79 km. The bottom of Lake Baikal at its deepest point is 1,187 meters below sea level.

The origin of the name is usually explained by the Turkic “Baiköl”, meaning “rich lake,” as it is particularly rich in the rare salmon species caught here. Another theory says that the name derives from the Chinese “Běihǎi”, meaning “northern sea.” Baikal is especially beautiful in winter.

Licensed Russian businesses now face these record-high taxes, along with a 2% increase in the national VAT rate to 22%. Market analysts who work for casino sites non GamStop and platforms offering online gambling without GamStop interference keep an eye on how these changes in local laws affect the provision of competitive betting odds across Eurasia. The government needs to standardise these increased rates to plan for the future financially in 2026.

Transitioning to a 7% GGR Tax on Betting Operations

The Ministry of Finance has abolished fixed regional gambling fees and replaced them with a single federal tax of 7% on Gross Gaming Revenue for all bookmaking activities. This mechanical change makes it look like non GamStop casino sites in other countries are more successful than Russian sites that have to pay taxes according to their turnover.

Most non GamStop casino sites don’t have this unique GGR-linked penalty, which means that Russian bookmakers have to pay 7% of their net win straight to the federal government. This tax applies to all interactive bets and land-based stakes.

The old exemption, which had exempted core betting revenue from taxation based on profit, is no longer in effect. Changing to a GGR model makes the tax burden more dependent on the operator’s real margins.

Impact of the 25% Corporate Profit Tax on Operator Margins

Since the gambling company no longer receives tax benefits, bookmakers are now required to pay a standard 25% corporate profit tax on all their net earnings. This extra tax layer takes away some of the money that online casino non GamStop managers typically use to expand into other areas. Financial data suggest that most international hubs maintain low corporate taxes to encourage investment in digital infrastructure.

After paying the mandatory sports contributions and the 7% GGR tax, Russian operators must now pay a 25% tax, which significantly reduces their net profits. This increased profit tax makes it difficult for smaller bookmakers to afford significant advertising campaigns and sponsorships of well-known teams in their home countries.

Increased Targeted Contributions for Russian Sports Development

To fund government athletic initiatives, mandatory contributions for national sports development have increased to 2.25% of all wagers placed. This fee is set to go up even more to 2.5% by 2028, which means that the best casino non GamStop alternatives that want to access the legal Russian market will always have to pay more.

Many people can see how these targeted funds provide billions of rubles for social programs, such as the Modernisation of Rural Areas. These payments are based on gross turnover, which means that bookies have to pay the 2.25% fee even if they don’t make any money on a particular match. Targeted contributions are now one of the primary ways the state allocates casino revenue to public infrastructure.

Rising Operational Costs from New VAT and Technical Fees

The 22% VAT rate and the 10 million ruble monthly fee for processing centres have increased the operating costs of Russian betting shops. Before obtaining a licence from the Federal Tax Service (FTS), every “new casino non GamStop” must look at these administrative fees. These fixed monthly costs make it so that only the most prominent companies can remain in the legal market, leading to significant consolidation in the business.

The cost of connecting to the Unified Betting Accounting System (UBAS) to track every transaction in real-time is now part of administrative overhead. Bookmakers must increase their commission on every wager to remain in business, as the costs of hardware and software are rising, and VAT is also growing.

Shifting Player Activity Toward Unregulated Gambling Markets

When taxes are high, like the 13% Personal Income Tax (PIT) on winnings, people are more likely to try to dodge them. This makes the shadow economy more likely to flourish. A non-Russian user commonly looks for offshore sites because Russian bookmakers are now required to withhold PIT on all earnings, regardless of the amount. Many industries don’t use this reporting mechanism, giving professional non GamStop casino gamblers who want net payments without having to pay taxes right away another option.

The federal budget imbalance has grown to 3.79 trillion rubles, according to the government. Websites that sell illegal games are being punished more severely to ensure that tax money is protected. Even though these crackdowns are happening, people are still using unregulated foreign venues because they pay high taxes on their legal earnings.

This part of Russia is underdeveloped in terms of population. The Nenets, the indigenous people of Yamal, engage in traditional activities such as large-scale reindeer herding, fishing, and hunting. According to the 2021 census, the total number of Nenets is approximately 35-36 thousand people. Yamal on Google Maps. Photos by: Andrei Kireev.

The northern lights and a typical Nenets tent made of untreated leather. The air temperature was minus 30 degrees Celsius.

The Nenets call themselves “children of the reindeer.” Their lives are so closely connected to this northern animal. Reindeer herding is mainly family and private.

Several thousand Nenets reindeer herders roam the Yamal Peninsula, owning the main herd. The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug has the largest herd of domestic reindeer in Russia and the world with a total of about 650–730 thousand.

Since ancient times, the Nenets have lived in cone-shaped tents. Even now, for them, it’s not just a home, but an entire world, the center of family life. There’s virtually no furniture except for small tables and a chest of clothes. They also have a stove, a satellite dish, a TV, a laptop, and a generator. Nenets women make warm clothes from reindeer skins themselves.

Traditional Nenets reindeer herding is characterized by large herds (ranging from 200-300 to 2,000-3,000). The Tundra Nenets lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving with their herds from the forest edge (in winter) to the Arctic coast or into the mountain tundra (in summer).

The annual routes extend for 1,000-1,500 km. The duration of camps, depending on pasture conditions and herd size, ranges from a few days (in spring and fall) to 2-3 weeks (in winter).

Camps expand in summer to 6-9 tent-type households (to guard the combined herd) and are divided for the winter half of the year. On average, a family and/or team makes up to 100 or more migrations per year, with the average migration length ranging from 5 to 20 km.

In Yamal, reindeer herding has survived in the same form it did thousands of years ago: Nenets herders migrate hundreds of kilometers, preserving their traditional way of life and distinctive culture.

Reindeer provided the Nenets with almost everything they needed to survive: meat, skins for clothing, bones and antlers for making jewelry, medicines, and various tools.

The island is nearly round, with a diameter in the range of 13-17 km. The volcano is located exactly in the center, and the cone rises to over 2,300 meters. Rain clouds form lower down, so the summit is often hidden by clouds. Atlasov Island on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

The island was named in honor of the pioneer Vladimir Atlasov, who saw the outline of the Alaid volcano in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from Kamchatka.

In 1875, according to the Treaty of St. Petersburg, the island, part of the Kuril Islands, was ceded to Japan in exchange for Sakhalin.

After Japan acquired the island, Japanese poets and artists flocked to see it. It was renowned for its cone-shaped form and the regularity of its lines. In 1926, Ito Osamu wrote that Alaid’s form is even more regular than that of the famous Mount Fuji, despite the latter being much taller.

In 1945, following the results of World War II, it came under the jurisdiction of the USSR.

Atlasov Island itself was formed during the Alaid eruption 40,000-50,000 years ago and gradually expanded during subsequent eruptions. The entire island is a classic, perfectly shaped stratovolcano – the kind of volcanoes usually depicted in pictures.

Alaid is one of the most active volcanoes in the Kuril Islands. It has erupted more than 10 times since the beginning of observations.

Atlasov Island is included in most Kuril Island tourist routes. People arrive by boat, view the volcano from a helicopter, and some tours even include climbing the Alaid volcano.

The research vessel Professor Khromov is part of the Far East Meteorological Service. The vessel has participated in numerous research expeditions. In 2023, it was converted to carry passengers.

There are 10 routes through national parks and nature reserves in the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, and Primorye, which are difficult to reach by land. This vessel operates more than 10 cruises annually, carrying over 500 tourists, including a visit to Atlasov Island.