Where is it? The Republic of Tatarstan is located about 500 miles east of Moscow on the European side of Russia. It is bordered by the Kirov, Orenburg, Samara and Ulyanovsk regions, as well as the republics of Udmurtia, Baskortostan, Chuvashia and Mari El. It is in the Moscow time zone. Though it is called a republic and it has its own president, Tatarstan is not fully independent from Russia.

What's the biggest city? Kazan, whose population was 1.1 as of the 2002 census, out of some 3.8 million inhabitants in the region... more

Where is it? Astrakhan Oblast is located in the southwestern corner of Russia on the Caspian Sea. It shares a long border to the east with Kazakhstan; Vologda to the north. Astrakhan is in the Moscow time zone, and you can find the local time here.

What's the biggest city? Astrakhan, whose population includes 504,501 of the region's 1,005,276 million people, according to the 2002 census. Because of its location on the Volga River,... more

Where is it? Ulyanovsk Oblast is a region in southern part of western Russia. It is bordered by Chuvashia (also known as the Chuvash Republic); Samar, Saratov and Penza Oblasts; and the republics of Tatarstan and Mordovia. It is in the Moscow time zone, and you can find the local time here.

What's the biggest city? Ulyanovsk, whose population includes 635,947 of the region's 1,382,811 million people, according to the 2002 census. It... more

Valdivostok, a destination for fine dining?

So says Saveur magazine, which does not dole out food compliments lightly, in its September issue.

In a story entitled "Land of Plenty", writer Sharon Hudgins takes readers to the biggest city in Russia's Far East, a place she last visited in 1993-1994. Back then, she and her husband were teaching economics and communications at a university there. Now, she is astounded by the changes: modern buildings, new roads, and most of all: lots and lots of food and beverage options.... more

Rose Alaimo came home from Russia on Sunday. Well, all of her except several pieces of her heart. They got left behind with several of the Russian orphans she met in orphanages, a hospital and a summer camp in Yaroslavl, Russia.

In her last two e-mails before heading home, Rose sounded happy and sad, energized and tired, and also frustrated.

Happy because she made some children in difficult circumstances laugh and smile, if only for a few short weeks. Like a little boy named Slava, who, she says "just walks around by himself on the... more

Where is it? Tyumen Oblast is located in central Russia. The Novosibirsk region is its immediate neighbor to the east. It is two hours ahead of Moscow in the Yekaterinburg time zone. Sverdlovsk Oblast is on its southwestern border.

What's the biggest city? Tyumen, whose population includes 511,000 of the region's 3.3 million people, according to the 2002 census. The next two largest cities are Surgut (population 272 300) and Nizhnevartovsk,... more

I've heard from Rose Alaimo again, the graduate school student who is volunteering in Yaroslavl, Russia this summer.

Her e-mails are helping me to see how easy it would be to improve the lives of the children in Russia's orphanages, and how hard it can be to do what should be the easy things in life.

Easy things, like helping kids to laugh and sing when the only song the multinational corps of volunteers has in common is "Row, Row, Row Your Boat".

Easy things,... more

Where is it? Tver Oblast is located in northwestern Russia. The Moscow region is its immediate neighbor to the east, so it is in the Moscow time zone. On its other borders are the regions of Smolensk, Novgorod and Vogograd. The Volga River flows through the region and its main city.

What's the biggest city? Tver, whose population includes 408,903 of the region's 1,471,459 million people, according to the 2002 census. From 1931 to 1990, the... more

Where is it? Murmansk Oblast is located on the Kola peninsula, which juts into the Barents Sea in northwestern Russia and includes Russia's borders with Norway and Finland. It is, however, in the Moscow time zone, and you can find the local time here.

What's the biggest city? Murmansk, whose population includes 336,137 of the region's 892,534 million people, according to the 2002 census.

Who lives here? ... more

Where is it? Chelyabinsk Oblast is at the crossroads of the European and Asian sides of Russia, at the foot of the Urals mountains. Chelyabinsk is two hours ahead of Moscow and you can find the local time here.

What's the biggest city? Chelyabinsk, whose population includes some 1 million of the region's 3.6 million people, according to the 2002 census.

Who lives here? Ethnic Russians account for more than... more