The first Russian discount airline Sky Express started regular daily flights between Moscow and Sochi for 500 R ($20) one way. This is the cheapest offer on the market, and the airline will soon launch daily flights to Rostov-na-Donu (9 February) and Murmansk (14 February) as well. The price will stay the same at least for a few weeks and you can book your flight by calling +7 800 2009-360. Sky Express' website has an English version, but the online booking works in the Russian version only.
A small tip: you can get the special price if you use the promo code when you book your ticket: SKYX001



Sochi is a popular tourist destination for Russians, as it is situated on the shore of the Black Sea. However, what is even more interesting about this destination is that the best Russian ski and snowboard resort Krasnaya Polyana is located within a short drive from Sochi. Considering there's not so much snow in Europe these days, there's a good reason to try it out. You can read more about the resort in the World Snowboard Guide's , the guide to all Russian resorts in this book was written by Way to Russia team.

A Hero of Our Time is an often overlooked classic of Russian literature regarded as the first Russian novel of Russian psychological realism. Centered around the adventures of a morally bankrupt army officer named Pechorin, the book takes place in the Caucasus in the early 19th Century. Seemingly bored with life, Pechorin draws pleasure from playing psychological games and attempting to dominate those around him. His tales of derring-do, manipulation and female seduction are enthralling in their unfolding and disturbing in their sheer pointlessness.

In the introduction Lermontov writes that the book was not just a portrait of one man but of all his generation’s vices. Many critics, however, have taken the character of Pechorin to be more of a self-portrait than Lermontov would admit...

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It's not often you see a traditionally dressed Aborigine walking out the front door of the Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel. To say it looks out of place in a symbol of modern, chic and prosperous Moscow would be an understatement. Though in modern, chic and prosperous Moscow it is also hard to believe that armed militia used to roam this hotel less than 10 years ago. That was until the dispute between the owners was resolved when the American owner was shot dead in the street outside. That story is one of many anecdotes from the book Absurdistan, by Eric Campbell, which is apparently due to be released in the USA and UK on September 29th. Campbell was a foreign correspondent in Russia in the late '90s, and later worked in China. The book covers both postings and is well worth reading for anyone interested in either country.