Russia Beyond

400 years ago Noble Russian women would whiten their faces, blacken their teeth and use drugs to dilute pupils for special occasions - all of this sounds like a terrible idea, so Russia Beyond decided to reconstruct the look with the help of historians and a professional make-up artist hoping for a disastrous outcome. How great was the crew’s surprise when this happened… see for yourself.

‘Hello, my name is Ybrjkfq!’ Is this a Russian name? Yes! At least, according to the movie "The Bourne Identity"! Check out more Russian bloopers by major Hollywood studios!

Anna’s summer house is a uniquely designed home, but it has all the dacha essentials: from the notorious collection of old clothes and books to the real Russian banya and oven. Our take: this tiny cottage has everything you might want when escaping the city buzz! Photos of country houses are courtesy of “DDM Stroy” construction company - https://www.ddm-stroy.ru/

In sharp contrast to Russian women, what Russian men want in their love life is a mystery and the internet proves useless in giving relationship advice or relevant dating tips. Therefore, meet our short and concise guide to dating Russian men with a list of pros and cons.

Enslaved African people had been part of Portuguese, Spanish, French and British history across the Americas since the 16th century, but how have Black people been treated in Russia? Has living in Russia been a blessing or a curse for those of African origin? Have they faced racism or acceptance and how have attitudes changed since the time of the Tsars through to the Soviet Union and up until today? Watch our mini-documentary about being Black in Russia, cultural diversity, and remember that all lives matter.

Are pet bears a real thing in Russia or is it a stereotype? And how do you even tame a bear? These smart and social animals can easily tear you to shreds, but some 'crazy Russians' actually do have ''domesticated'' brown bears as exotic pets. And, as always, there are so many layers to such stories... More about: ✔️Pazhetnov bear rescue center: https://en.orphan-bear.org/ ✔️Stepan the Bear: http://medvedstepan.ru/ ✔️Mansur the Bear: https://www.mansur.il-14.ru/ ➡️Video courtesy of Snapwing Falcon YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/2XVFvIZ

It's a common knowledge that bears are one of Russia's main national symbols, right? Well, not for us anyway and Russian history can prove it. There was not a single bear in the heraldry of the Russian Empire and the USSR. Yet the rest of the world disagrees so in this video Anna brings up some lesser-known history facts and explains why Russians never truly saw themselves as big and angry bears.

So you want a Russian bride well that is no easy task. Some men have a lot of experience with trying and failing to seduce Russian girls. In this video, you may just find out how to find love in the former Soviet Union. So what do Russian women want from men? Find out right now.

What's Easter and why are Russians so obsessed with it? Spoiler: you will get some serious cravings for Paskha and Kulich cake afterwards...

Russians believe that breathing over a pot of freshly boiled potatoes can help with your sinuses... Unconventional, yes, but not that crazy! Anna explains these folk medicines and tries them out in this video.

If you watch this video, you probably learn Russian and already know the basics like, “Privet, kak dela?” or “Spasibo, do svidaniya.” Now for the next level: here are our top 10 Russian phrases that are absolutely essential for living in Russia! By the way, do you know any other expressions a foreigner should learn to better assimilate in Russia? Leave your suggestions in the comments, tovarischi!

Vodka’s origins are still a mystery even for historians! Where was it first invented: Russia or Poland? Learn more about the history of the world famous "bread wine" in our video!

What's the difference between "Na zdorovie" and "Za zdorovie"? How does one toast in the beginning and in the end of a Russian feast? Learn this and more from a certified Russian "toaster" Anna Fedorova!

Russians live in the 21st century but some of our beliefs are so... old-school. We still believe that Chort (devil) and Domovoi (household lord) live among us. They are the reason you can't find your car keys when late to work and why your cup of tea suddenly falls from the counter. Learn how to protect yourself from all of them, the Russian way 😈

Russia is a country of hard-drinking alcoholics with Black Widow karate skills, who don't smile and all secretly work for the KGB, right? These clichés have been popular for the last hundred years, but it's time to finally debunk them! Thanks to "The Ethnic Origins of Beauty" project for helping us with footage of beautiful women in Russia. You can learn more about this one of a kind project here: http://bit.ly/2sE3L6f Follow us: ♦ Website - http://bit.ly/2x38RYT

We Russians have our own ways of doing things, so certain worldwide habits may seem pretty strange to us… Russia has its own cultural peculiarities that we’re used to. But some foreign habits might come across pretty bizarre, and may sometimes even seem rude. Here’s a look at some stuff we Russians just can’t get our heads around.

Russians love inviting guests to their homes. If you're invited - be prepared for weird traditions and hospitality galore. Anna will help you hone in on your "guest" skills.

The long history of tea in Russia has created a thousand and one ways to make tea and drink it, proving once again that “chai” is the king of Russian drinks. In our video, we introduce you to the various Russian tea-drinking methods and traditions. You'll learn about the most common herbal tea in the country – Ivan Chai – or what Uzvar or Vzvar is, and, of course, how to make and drink tea the Russian way: with special biscuits, jam or even pickles. Plus, we reveal the mystery of why the Russian way of drinking tea is never with lemon! Follow us: ◊ Website - http://bit.ly/2x38RYT

In our latest documentary, we look into the history of Russian tea, from its significance in the Middle Ages, through the Soviet era, and right up to the present day. We explain the major importance of tea when compared with other Russian drinks. You'll learn odd tea-drinking traditions and what a 'samovar' tea maker is and what it looks like. Plus, our host Anna exposes a few secrets about 'chifir' - an addictive tea which is popular with convicts. Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2MYHo5f Follow us: ◊ Website - http://bit.ly/2x38RYT Huge thanks to: ● https://youtube.com/crazyrussianson ● https://www.facebook.com/SokolovIvanAlexeevich ● gornitsa.ru ● samovar-holm.ru ● teaway.ru

The Russian Revolution (to be more precise, the October or Bolshevik Revolution) was one of the most profound events in Russian history. It ended Romanov's monarchy and gave birth to Communist Russia that changed the world in the 20th century. But, without this one photo and the collective attempt of the Soviets to amp up the significance of October 25, there may have been a different world... Follow us: ♦ Website - http://bit.ly/2x38RYT

Usually, the Anglo-Saxon world slaps "Russian" on anything from Russia. This is how adjectives work: Russian BBQ, Russian martial arts, even Russian lips, and manicure. But, there are also times when "Russian" means something else entirely! Meet the Russian shower, Russian kiss, and Russian breakfast that only sound innocent! Special thanks to these channels for allowing us to use their footage: ✔️ https://www.youtube.com/c/RussiaTipsTricksTravel ✔️ https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSe5srUPv/ ✔️ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPeGsSJolGvikyKp7UBvjYQ ✔️ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkWpYXicmJAGNy3fvCdSWRA ✔️ https://www.instagram.com/los.brows.bar/ ✔️ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzw2iUYWBe0CLxfAe5WmpVw ✔️ http://www.youtube.com/fightguru

What's drawing Russians to India? Military deals and strategic partnership? Nah, that's not what truly impacts us, ordinary people. This time Anna explains what role yoga, Bollywood and Krishna had in deepening Russia's understanding of Indian culture. Video courtesy of: ● Organic People, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhl1y-v4kpk ● Russi Wala, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIVI__3nN8s ● Vitaliy Serdyuk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvuCInzDhUY ● Кришнадас Кавирадж дас, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQVAyCjQ6q4 ● Bald and Bankrupt, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZxbK-zd3Q4 ● Kate The Braid, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNb4HQPI3Ac

Yuri Gagarin aka the First Man in space is Russia's greatest celebrity but as it often happens with people like him, his real personality will stay a mystery forever. In fact, many of Gagarin's Soviet-era biographies have been redacted or changed to preserve the image of an ideal Soviet man. In this video, Anna explains three unknown facts about Yuri Gagarin's life and flight.

We can prove that the perception of Russia and Russians now is based mostly on just a few memes! We explain how Adidas 'tri poloski' tracksuits, hardbass, and some funny slang popularized by videogames have formed our image in the whole world. In this video we used artworks of these artists, check out their awesome pieces! ● Alik Yakubovich https://vk.com/aliknn ● Andrey Bogatyrev: https://vk.com/id6435338, https://vk.com/public211342610 ● Stefan Koidl: https://linktr.ee/stefankoidl Videos used in this explainer: ● TRI POLOSKI: https://youtu.be/QiFBgtgUtfw ● Bandit Radio (Cheeki Breeki) Accordion: https://youtu.be/PlLQsUGefdo ● [Beat Saber] Cheeki Breeki Hardbass (EXPERT+): https://youtu.be/LXUBoJrtmB0