Buying Alaska
It’s the 150th anniversary of the Alaska Purchase. Why did the Americans want all that ice and why were the Russians willing to sell?
NATO Survives its Identity Crisis
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began on April 4, 1949, creating an alliance promising mutual defense against potential Soviet aggression.
The February Revolution: Why Didn’t They Shoot?
The Russian Revolution of 1917 had two parts. The Bolshevik's October Revolution usually gets all of the attention. But what happened in February?
When Russia Conquered the World with White Oil
Russia was the first source of white oil, a Vaseline-like mix of hydrocarbons used in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and plastics.
The Real Meaning Behind Russia’s Eurovision Controversy
The annual Eurovision contest often serves as a stage on which political tensions play out.
318 Words for Snow: How to Preserve the Indigenous Languages of the Arctic
How scientists, linguists, and activists are working together to preserve indigenous languages in the Arctic—as well as the region's biodiversity.
The American Who Exposed the Tsar
American supporters of revolutionaries in Russia in the late 19th century contributed to the downfall of the Tsarism.
Chernobyl: Can Wildlife Return After the Blast?
For 30 years we have assumed that no life would return to Chernobyl after the nuclear disaster there. We may be wrong.
Kaliningrad for Beginners
An introduction to the Kaliningrad Oblast, surrounded by Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea.