As the year draws to a close, let's take a look back at the stories, videos, and photo galleries -- from the serious to the silly -- that most piqued the interest of RFE/RL readers in 2018.
How Ukraine's Holodomor Famine Was Secretly Photographed
Ukraine remembered the victims of the Holodomor famine on November 24. Millions of people died of starvation between 1932 and 1933 when Soviet authorities seized food to force Ukrainian peasants to join collective farms. In this video, one woman reveals how her great-grandfather secretly photographed the suffering in the city of Kharkiv. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Ruslan Tarasov, Oleksiy Grytsenko, Vitaliy Panasiuk, and Stuart Greer
Sea Of Troubles: Azov Emerges As 'Tinderbox' In Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Almost four months before Russia seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels in the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, our Kyiv correspondent highlighted the potential for the area to become a flash point in the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv. By Christopher Miller
Afghanistan As It Once Was: The Photographs Of William Podlich
The Kabul in William Podlich's photographs is an almost unrecognizable place -- a bustling capital of modern cars, green parks, and nattily attired men and women, many wearing Western dress. Text by Grant Podelco
Armenian Protests Smelled Like Teen Spirit
A new generation in Armenia awakened in protests over former Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's political dominance over the country. By Alan Crosby and RFE/RL's Armenian Service
The Soviet Kiss, Gone But (Mostly) Not Missed
Men locking lips in public might be a rare event in today's Russia, but comrades kissing behind the Iron Curtain was once the height of fraternal protocol. Text by Amos Chapple
The Chernobyl Disaster: How It Happened
On April 26, 1986, a routine safety test at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine spiraled out of control. Follow the dramatic events that led to the world's worst civilian nuclear disaster. By Stuart Greer
Russia's World Cup Team Bucked Multiethnicity Seen On Swiss, Other Teams
France, Switzerland, and England were among the World Cup teams that featured players from diverse backgrounds. Russia's squad, meanwhile, lacked the multiethnic composition that would mirror its population. By Pete Baumgartner
RFE/RL Exclusive: Catch Carlos If You Can
A mysterious Twitter persona launched one of the most enduring Moscow-friendly hoaxes of the MH17 airline tragedy. We found the ex-convict behind the lie. By Carl Schreck and Ana Poenariu
Invasion: The Crushing Of The Prague Spring
Fifty years ago, the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia killed more than 100 people and shattered that country’s attempts to reform communist rule. Now, you can stand in the footsteps of the Czechs and Slovaks who snapped the most iconic images of those momentous midsummer days. By Amos Chapple
Russian Mercenaries: Vagner Commanders Describe Life Inside The 'Meat Grinder'
Three Russian mercenary commanders told RFE/RL what the situation is like in Syria and why their comrades are fighting there. By Sergei Khazov-Cassia and Robert Coalson
'He Just Kept Digging' The Ultimate Man Cave
His wife wanted a potato pit. But once this Armenian villager started digging, he just couldn’t stop. By Amos Chapple
Islamic State Claims Attack That Killed Four Foreign Cyclists In Tajikistan
The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for the killing of four foreign cyclists who were attacked by at least one assailant with a gun and knife after being run down by a vehicle in southern Tajikistan in July. By RFE/RL's Tajik Service
Cannibal Island: In 1933, Nearly 5,000 Died In One Of Stalin's Most Horrific Labor Camps
Eighty-five years ago, more than 4,000 people died of disease, exposure, violence, and starvation at a Stalinist labor camp on Nazinsky Island in Siberia. Until 1988, the Soviet government suppressed the story of those hellish six weeks on what came to be known as Cannibal Island. By Andrei Filimonov and Robert Coalson
The Deputy PM, The Oligarch, And His Lover: Navalny Exposé Highlighted Tycoon's Ties To Kremlin Bigwig
A billionaire Russian businessman and his close ties to the Kremlin became one of the targets of anticorruption lawyer Aleksei Navalny's investigative work. By Mike Eckel
Leningrad's Lost Photographer
Russian Masha Ivashintsova (1942-2000) photographed constantly but never showed her work to anyone. In late 2017, a relative stumbled on boxes of negatives and undeveloped film gathering dust in an attic. Here are some of the 30,000 images from the remarkable discovery, some published for the first time. Text by Amos Chapple
Russia In The Raw
Photographer Dmitry Markov uses an iPhone to document life on the margins of Russian society. Text by Amos Chapple
Chiefs Of Three Russian Intelligence Agencies Travel To Washington
The directors of Russia's three main intelligence and espionage agencies all traveled to the U.S. capital earlier this year, in what observers said was a highly unusual occurrence coming at a time of heightened U.S.-Russian tensions. By Mike Eckel
Before The Killings: Rare Photographs Of Russia's Last Royal Family
After Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed by Bolshevik revolutionaries early on the morning of July 17, 1918, a collection of the royal family's personal photographs was smuggled out of Russia. The albums offer a haunting glimpse into the life of a family destined for tragedy. Text by Amos Chapple
