Current Time's Unknown Russia

'People Warned Us': A Western Russian Town Still Lives With Chernobyl's Fallout

The impact of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 was felt not only in Soviet Ukraine, but also in parts of Belarus and western Russia. The town of Zlynka in Russia's Bryansk region is still living with the consequences, despite an official ruling that classifies the area as a "residential zone."

The Antlers Of Altai: Siberia's Controversial Harvest

Russians living in Siberia’s Altai mountains make a living by cutting the antlers off Maral deers. The dried antlers are sold for more than $300 per kilogram to China and South Korea where people believe they help boost libido and longevity. But animal rights groups call the practice cruel.

The Russian Village Of 'Muddy Continent' Sinks In A Quagmire Of Problems

In Russia's Komi region, the village of Mutny Materik -- or Muddy Continent -- stands in the swamps along the Pechora River, without paved roads or a sewer system. The town's name was recently recognized as the funniest in Russia, but locals find the conditions of life here are no laughing matter.

Kamchatka: Land Of Volcanoes, Bears, And Secret Military Bases

The Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East is one of the world's wildest places, where researchers keep watch over active volcanoes and hunters come in search of big game. It's also home to a secretive military facility where ballistic missile tests disturb the pristine environment.

Dyatlov Pass: 1959 Deaths In Russia Still Spark Speculation -- And Tourism

The mysterious deaths of nine Soviet hikers in the Ural Mountains in 1959 has inspired many movies and documentaries. To this day, journalists and tourists come to Russia's Sverdlovsk region to follow the expedition's route and reach the infamous Dyatlov Pass.

Neutrino Hunters Use Lake Baikal's Depths In Search For Mysterious Particles

Far below the ice of Lake Baikal in Siberia lies a telescope used to search for neutrinos. These cosmic particles can pass through the Earth undetected, but in rare cases they emit radiation that can be measured in large bodies of water.

Dangerous Wealth: Russians Fear Contamination From Uranium Fields

Russia's remote Kurgan region, near Kazakhstan, is the location of about one-sixth of the country's uranium reserves. A subsidiary of the state nuclear agency is expanding its operations there. But for many local residents, the growth of the mines means not greater wealth, but greater dangers.

The Tiny Russian Village That Lives In A Five-Story Building

The Tiny Russian Village That Lives In A Five-Story Building Almost the entire population of the tiny village of Karmadon has lived for decades in a five-story building. After the Georgian-Ossetian conflict in the early 1990s, many of the villagers lost their jobs in the nearby sanatorium.

Abandoned Homes, Crumbling Infrastructure In A Dying Russian Town

Syava was once a thriving town of 10,000 people some 730 kilometers east of Moscow. But it's dying. After the main factory went bankrupt, rail service stopped, the main hospital closed, and the streets are lined with abandoned houses.

In Russia's Urals, Abandoned Towns Are Reclaimed By Forest

The Circum-Baikal Railway: A 'Golden' Treasure Of Russian Transport

The Circum-Baikal Railway was a feat of engineering when it was built during the reign of Russia's Tsar Nicholas II. Today, the route beside the world's deepest lake is used more for tourism than for transport, but it still inspires visitors with its stunning views.

Mysteries Of The Tunguska Meteorite In Siberia's Thinning Forests

Siberia's Evenk region is larger than any European country but it is home to only around 17,000 people. It's so vast and remote that scientists have spent decades searching and failing to find one of the largest meteorites ever to fall to Earth -- the Tunguska meteorite.

Soil To Sand: The Desertification Of Russia's Nogai Steppe

Scallops And Solitude: Life In Russia's Remote Far East

From Military Might To Misery: The Failing Fortunes Around An Abandoned Russian Base

The Nomadic Nenets Of Russia

The Nenets call themselves "the children of the reindeer." They number fewer than 50,000. In Russia's hostile tundra conditions, their lives are much as they were hundreds of years ago.