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A political map of Russia and a satellite image from landsat

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The World's Longest Railway Is in Russia.

Russia Is Home to A Lot Of Famous Literature.

Russia Has 12 Active Volcanos.

Siberia Makes Up a Majority of the Land.

Russians Have Plenty of Superstitions.

Russia Has One of the World's Busiest Metros.

Tetris Was Invented in Russia.

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In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. Many Russian Christmas traditions originated with the pagan culture that predated Christianity in Russia. Long-standing Russian Christmas customs include caroling, fortune-telling, and following a strict Nativity Fast for forty days leading up to Christmas Eve.

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Enjoying Early Childhood with Scarlett Tandy

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Babushka: A Christmas Tale written by Dawn Casey Read by Scarlett Tandy

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the story of the babushka

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When people hear the word 'Babushka', they usually think of the small Russian dolls that open in the middle and contain smaller versions of themselves.

But 'Babushka' - which means 'grandmother' in Russian - is also a famous Christmas story in Russia about the story of an old woman who met the Three Wise men on their way to see Jesus.

According to the story, a women called Babushka used to live in a small peasant town in Russia. She always worked hard cleaning and keeping her house tidy; it was the cleanest house in the whole village. But Babushka's talents didn't stop there. Her garden was full of flowers and her cooking was fantastic.

One evening she was busy dusting and cleaning away, she was so engrossed in her work that she didn't hear her neighbours outside talking about a bright new star in sky. She had heard about the star but thought it was a lot of fuss about a star. "I don't have the time to look because I'm so behind with my work." she said. "I must work all night!"

She missed the star as it shone in the sky, and she missed the little line of twinkling lights coming down towards the village at dawn. She didn't hear the sounds of the pipes and drums playing music, and she missed her neighbours whispering in wonder at what the lights were.

And she finally missed when all the villagers went quiet, and didn't hear when the sound of footsteps came up the path to her door. But she didn't miss the loud knocking on her front door moments later! "What is that?" she wondered. When the door opened, Babushka's mouth dropped in amazement.

There were three kings at her door with one of their servants! "My masters need a place to rest," said the servant, "and yours is the best house in the village." "You want to stay here?" asked Babushka. "Yes", replied the servant. "It would only be until night falls and the star appears again." Babushka was nervous, and gulped. "Come in, then." she said.

As soon as they walked across the threshold, the three kings were delighted with all the food they saw: home-baked bread, pies and cakes. Babushka dashed about, serving them and offering the best of her hospitality, asking lots of questions.

"Have you come a long way?" Babushka asked. "A very long way", sighed the first king, Caspar. "Where are you going?" she continued. "We're following the new star", said the second king, Melchior. "But where?", Babushka wondered.

The three kings said they didn't know, but they believed that the star would lead them to a new-born king, a King of Earth and Heaven. "Why don't you come with us?" asked the third king, Balthasar. "You could bring him a gift like we do. I bring gold, and my colleagues bring spices and perfumes."

"Oh", said Babushka, "I'm not sure that he would welcome me" she said. "And what could I bring for a gift? Toys! I know I could bring a toy. I've got a cupboard full of toys." she said sadly. "My baby son died when he was small."

Balthasar stopped Babushka as she went to tidy the kitchen up. "This new king could be your king too. Come with us when the star appears tonight", he said. "I'll think about it", sighed Babushka.

As the kings slept, Babushka tidied up as quietly as she could. "What a lot of extra work there was!" she thought, "and this new king, what a funny idea, to go off with the kings to find him."

Babushka shook herself. There was no time for dreaming, all this washing-up and putting away had to be done. "Anyway," she thought, "how long would she be away? What would she wear? What about the gift?" She sighed. "There is so much to do. The house will have to be cleaned when they've gone. I couldn't just leave it."

Suddenly it was night-time again and the star was in the sky. "Are you ready, Babushka?" asked Balthasar. "I'll come tomorrow," Babushka called, "I must just tidy here first and find a gift."

The kings went away sadly. Babushka ran back into her house, keen to get on with her work. Finally, she went to the small cupboard, opened the door and gazed at all the toys. But they were very dusty. They weren't fit for a baby king. Babushka decided that they would all need to be cleaned, and she polished all of the toys until each one shined.

Then Babushka looked through the window: it was morning! The star had came and gone. She knew the kings would have found somewhere else to rest by now, and that she could easily catch them up, but she felt so tired and soon she fell asleep.

The next thing Babushka knew, she was awake and it was dark outside. She had slept all day! Babushka quickly pulled on her cloak, packed the toys in a basket and ran down the road, the same way the kings had gone before her.

Everywhere she went, Babushka asked "Have you seen the kings?" "Oh yes," everyone told her, "we saw them. They went that way", as they pointed further down the road. Babushka followed the trail of the kings, as the villages got bigger and became towns. But Babushka never stopped, and soon she came to a city.

"The palace," she thought. "That's where the royal baby would be born." But when Babushka got to the door, she was disappointed. "No, there is no royal baby here," said the palace guard when she asked him.

"What about three kings?" she asked. "Oh yes, they came here, but they didn't stay long" said the doorman. "They were soon on their journey." "But where to?" asked Babushka. "Bethlehem", the doorman replied. "But I can't imagine why. It's a very poor place."

Babushka set off towards Bethlehem, and by evening she had arrived and had been travelling for a long time. She went into the local inn and asked about the kings. "Oh yes," said the landlord, "the kings were here two days ago. They were very excited, but they didn't even stay the night."

"And what about a baby?" Babushka asked. "Yes, there was a baby" said the landlord. "The kings asked about a baby, too." When he saw the disappointment in Babushka's eyes, he stopped. "If you'd like to see where the baby was," he said quickly, "it was across the yard there. I couldn't offer the couple anything better at the time. My inn was really full, so they had to go in the stable."

Babushka followed him across the yard. "Here's the stable." he said, and left her. "Babushka?" Someone was calling her from the doorway. He looked kindly at her. She wondered if he knew where the family had gone. She knew now that the baby king was the most important thing in the world to her. "They have gone to Egypt, and safety," he told her. "And the kings have returned to their countries. But one of them told me about you. I am sorry to tell you, but you are too late."

Babushka was very sad that she had missed the baby. She thanked the man, and returned home to clean her house.

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The Story of the Babushka - Christmas FM

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When people hear the word 'Babushka', they usually think of the small Russian dolls that open in the middle and contain smaller versions of themselves. But 'Babushka' - which means 'grandmother' in Russian - is also a famous Christmas story in Russia about the story of an old woman who...

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Make your holiday table even more festive and full of color with these Russian Christmas foods!

If you think Russia is only all about lots and lots of vodkas, think again.

Russia has a wide spread of dishes that you might just want to add to your regular meal rotation.

Did you know that practicing Russian Christians have a yearly tradition of fasting for 40 days leading up to Christmas?

They can only eat once the first star appears in the sky on Christmas Eve.

That said, expect their Christmas Eve banquet to be one heck of a feast! Here are 15 recipes to prove it.

Go to any Russian household and it's guaranteed to have Olivier salad on their Christmas feast.

This traditional salad features boiled potatoes, carrots, eggs, ham or bologna, pickles, peas, and apples coated in a rich mayo dressing.

It's basically Russian's own version of the potato salad. It's just as creamy and hearty, but the addition of pickles gives it a nice tangy contrast.

This particular recipe doesn't have it, but others also incorporate diced apples into the salad to balance out its richness.

Where Americans have ham or turkey, the Russians have this pork roast as their Christmas centerpiece.

Called Buzhenina, it's a gorgeous hunk or roast pork flavored with spices, garlic, and fresh parsley.

Roasted for over an hour, the meat becomes so tender and juicy, it almost melts in your mouth. The spice rub makes it insanely packed with flavor, as well.

And the aroma? Heavenly!

Let's head on over to dessert, shall we? Yes, just like the rest of the world, Russia also boasts of a wide array of sweets. Pryaniki is one of the best.

Also known as tea cookies and honey bread, these goodies are the perfect accompaniment to your afternoon tea.

They're crumbly biscuits that are wonderfully sweet and buttery, and flavored with just a hint of spice.

If that doesn't convince you to try this recipe yet, here's something else you should know about these biscuits: their aroma is pure bliss.

Herring under a fur coat: it's definitely an intriguing name for a dish, but what is it exactly?

Don't ask me how it got its strange moniker, because all I know is that it's delicious.

It looks like a cake at first glance, but if you take a closer look, you'll realize that it's actually a salad, assembled neatly into layers.

These include potatoes, carrots, herring, beets, and grated eggs which are all coated in rich mayonnaise. (Yep - Russians love mayo.)

It's very rich and hearty, which is why it's a staple in Russian Christmas feasts!

Say hello to pelmeni, what is considered by many as Russia's national dish.

These are meat dumplings with a thin, unleavened dough and a ground pork, beef, or lamb filling.

The ground meat is sauteed with garlic and onions to liven up its flavors.

They're commonly served as party appetizers, along with sour cream or melted butter for dipping.

Here's another sweet treat you should definitely try at least once in your life.

Smetannik is a fluffy sponge cake layered with sweet and tangy sour cream frosting.

What makes it extraordinary is how ridiculously soft and delicate the cake is, so much so that it almost melts in your mouth.

Don't worry, as exquisite as this dessert is, it's easy to make.

We all know what vinaigrette salad is, but did you know that this refreshing appetizer actually originated in Russia?

However, the Russian vinaigrette is a little bit different from what you know it to be.

It's a mix of potatoes, carrots, beets, pickles, and peas that's tossed in a tangy vinaigrette dressing.

If you'll notice, the salad mix-ins are a lot similar to the ones in the Olivier salad. The difference lies in the dressing.

This vinaigrette version is much lighter and healthier, and perfect for vegans and those who follow a gluten-free diet.

While it has the same name as the popular cocktail, this mimosa salad is far from what you think it is.

This salad has layers of finely shredded tuna, eggs, carrots, onions, and potatoes. And get this - each layer is topped with mayo.

(Did I already mention that Russians love their mayo?)

You'll love how all the components are finely grated, as it gives the salad a lovely texture.

Salmon is given a delectable makeover by mixing it with butter, dill, rice, and onions.

This mouthwatering mix is nestled inside a bread dough, creating a scrumptious savory pie.

Traditional kulebyaka uses homemade yeasted dough for its crust, but others settle for store-bought puff pastry for convenience.

In this recipe, though, you'll use a handy bread-maker to make your life easier, yet still, adhere to Russian traditions.

Kurnik is another staple in a Russian Christmas feast. It's a pie filled with chicken, potatoes, and onions - a wonderful mix of flavors and textures.

What makes the pie super festive is the gorgeous crust.

It's decorated with mushroom-shaped dough pieces for extra charm and brushed with egg wash to give it that golden finish. What a beaut!

Tvorog is a delectable Russian farmer's cheese with a creamy flavor and a curd-like texture, much like cottage and ricotta.

Now, if you think cheese is too complicated to make at home, this recipe will prove otherwise.

First of all, cheese-making isn't as hard as you think it is. Secondly, whatever effort is called for in this recipe, it's worth it.

This next entree calls for over a day to prepare, but if you consider your palate adventurous, it's definitely worth a try.

Kholodets is a delicacy of jellied meat dish. It's made from various cuts of shredded pork, including loin, chuck, hock, and feet, which are encased in gelatinized pork broth.

It definitely has a unique taste and texture, but again, it's worth a try!

These Russian deviled eggs are topped with caviar, giving them an added layer of sophistication.

If you're having a party and the goal is to impress some fancy guests, these deviled eggs are the way to go.

Piroshkis are the Russian counterpart of meat hand pies. What makes them stand out is just how light and fluffy the crust is.

This recipe will show you exactly how to achieve that fluffiness.

Also, the filling in these pies is quite filling. A mix of ground beef and rice, don't be surprised if you get full with just one hand pie.

The sound of liver cake isn't exactly that appetizing, but give it a chance. If you enjoy pates, I'm sure you'll love this cake, too!

Made with layers of chicken liver crepes and herbed mayo, it has rich and savory flavors and unique textures that will make your tastebuds go wild with joy.

Serve this in cake-like slices as an appetizer or plate it up in a dish with baguette slices.

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Have an authentic holiday meal with these Russian Christmas foods! From potato salad to pryaniki to meat dumplings, these traditional dishes are simple and delicious.