Stories from St. Petersburg · Russia

A traditional inspection of parade formations took place in St. Petersburg, marking the 65th anniversary of the Leningrad Military District Guard. For the first time this year, a combined group of drummers from military orchestras of the St.

A musical featuring legendary hits by the group 'Secret' has returned to the stage in St.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which continues until June 6, has 'Putin's pragmatic dialogue' as its main topic. Its main theme is 'pragmatic dialogue: path to a stable future.' The forum will focus on investments, development of internal potential, and market transformation, serving as a platform for discussing practical business solutions.

St. Petersburg football club Zenit plans to give 22-year-old academy product Bogdan Moskvichev a chance as a replacement for main goalkeeper Denis Adamov next season.

A law providing full state funding for the production and distribution of national animated films for children has entered into force. St. Petersburg will become a Bulgakov space as part of a festival. The Rolling Stones noted the upcoming release of an album.

A new event titled 'Immortal Fleet' will be held in the Maloe Nefka area of St. Petersburg to honor sailors who died in the Baltic.

A specific variety of smelt fish can have its fruiting period extended, though this process is labor-intensive. It is simpler to plant different varieties with staggered fruiting times and protect them from late frosts. This method offers effective protection against late frosts. Smelt fish from Russia has become a popular food item for residents of St. Two types of smelt fish, ryapushka and koryushka, are mentioned as being popular. The fish can be marinated, smoked, dried, baked, or served with greens and caviar. A classic preparation involves fried smelt, with chef Alexey Tkachenko sharing preparation secrets.

Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin has returned to St. Petersburg following his release in an exchange. Butyagin was detained in Poland in December of last year. He described his prosecution by Ukraine for illegal excavations as in global practice.

Authorities in St. Petersburg plan to reduce attendance for the May 9 parade from 5,600 participants to 310. The Russian military department confirmed that the May 9 Victory Day parade will proceed in St.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the Iranian people for defending their country against U.S. The support is directed toward Iran's position regarding the conflict involving the U.S. and Israel. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed strong support for Iran during talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St. The discussion comes amid ongoing tensions involving the U.S. The comments were made following the meeting between the two officials. The meeting represents the first high-level direct contact between the parties following recent regional escalations. Putin stated he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei last week. Putin indicated Russia aims to achieve regional peace as quickly as possible. Analysts noted concerns that Russia could indirectly influence combat operations without deploying troops.