A day in the life of a Bishkek bakery, which makes a moist fluffy bread with a crispy crust that is central to the Kyrgyz way of life.
Hey, you're busy! We know rferl.org isn't the only website you read. And that it's just possible you may have missed some of our most compelling journalism this week. To make sure you're up-to-date, here are some of the highlights produced by RFE/RL over the past seven days.
A statue of Soviet secret police founder Feliks Dzerzhinsky may return to the square outside the former KGB headquarters -- or be replaced, 30 years after its removal in 1991, by a monument to 13th century prince Aleksandr Nevsky. Either way, it's a sign of the Putin era.
A murky, mostly unregulated online subculture where people perform lewd, alcohol-fueled challenges for viewer donations has gained fans and notoriety in Russia. But a spate of recent deaths and violent assaults on air has prompted Russian authorities to rein the practice in.
An assassination attempt made Aleksei Navalny into a globally recognized dissident, a Russian opposition leader whom German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited in the hospital and who collaborated with leading Western news outlets in investigating the near-fatal poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.
A century ago, Lenin's communists turned their guns on the sailors once hailed as the "pride and glory" of the Bolshevik Revolution.
Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has lost his place as an Amnesty International "prisoner of conscience" due to past comments deemed "hate speech," but the designation continues to carry weight around the world.
Is Aleksei Navalny good for Ukraine, or would he be? That's a question many are asking as the jailed Russian activist is in the spotlight.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says the political crisis sparked by the arrest of opposition leader Nika Melia has deep roots.
Historical photos show the royal Russian statues that were consigned to the "dustbin of history" after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
Millions of Bulgarians took state-subsidized holidays under communism. Now, only government employees can do it.
With elections expected in September shaping up as a big test for President Vladimir Putin and United Russia, students in Siberia say a university official has been recruiting them with promises of money and academic benefits for posting positive comments about the ruling party on social media.
Ninety-nine years after the Battle of Volochayevka, history buffs relive the clash that many see as the end of the Russian Civil War.
An opaquely financed resort, including a new reservoir, was built in the Uzbek highlands and is protected by guards and a no-fly zone. A new investigation reveals its links to President Shavkat Mirziyoev, who has spoken publicly about the need for government transparency.
The Uzbek government has never disclosed the cost or purpose of a sprawling, secretive resort that locals refer to as the "dacha" of President Shavkat Mirziyoev. A new investigation suggests it might have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
There is virtually no public information about a new reservoir built next to a secret mountain compound belonging to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, including how much it cost or what its purpose is. Villagers downstream say the reservoir's construction disrupted their water supply.
A family in an idyllic gorge of the Uzbek highlands was known for its stewardship of the area for decades. Then came the secretive development of an exclusive resort linked to the country's president.
When Uzbek activist Aleksei Garshin asked a manager at the state-owned contractor about a clandestine mountain resort linked to President Shavkat Mirziyoev, he was told its construction had been "classified as secret."
A secretive mountain resort that sources say was built for Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has something in common with his other residences: It is protected by one of the country's six no-fly zones.
Fascinating photographs made by the Czech art nouveau master Alphonse Mucha capture Russia on the cusp of revolution.
