There are no Russians, who are not fond of traditional winter pastime of northern countries - skiing, ice skating, playing snowballs, making snowmen, and especially sledging. Tubing is also very popular among Russians now, but still sledging is the most exciting! Sledging downhills, on open sledge, or a special thing, called 'ledyanka' - a thin board, put under the back. Everyone likes sledging in Russia, both kids and adults. In big parks in Russia one can always find ice areas for skating, and covered with ice hills, where Russians can sledge.

Men and women everywhere like gossiping. Russian women do not make an exlusion. Gossip is not a trivial pastime though: it is essential to human social, psychological and even physical well-being. And it is especially essential for Russian women, because they do not usually go to psychologists, as american women do, when they have problems. Any problem a Russian woman does go to discuss and solve with her female friends. Therapeutic gossip in an alienating and fragmented modern world, has become a vital 'social lifeline', helping us to re-create the more natural communication patterns of pre-industrial times.

The russian woman often complains that she cannot squeeze all her numerous house tasks and everyday problems into a 24-hours day. Nevertheless, the life in Russia is arranged according to the old proverb, which can literally be translated as 'Devote your whole time to the business and only an hour of it to rest'. After hard work the russian woman can relax and have a good rest. Though the weekends are usually full of washing, cleaning, ironing and linen mending and summer vacations too - tending the dacha, weeding and gathering the harvest and making as much as possible preserves for winter. But the moment comes and the russian woman flatly states: "Stop, it's high time to get my breath!"

Russians love art.

In Moscow there are a lot of picture galleries. The most popular in Moscow is Tretyakov picture gallery. It's very famous for its vast collections. And it is very popular with both Russians and tourists. Russians love going to art galleries and different exhibitions of modern visual art. Painting is a popular hobby for Russians as well.

Painting is an obligatory subject in primary and junior school in Russia. And there are special art schools as well.

Lots of people attend art schools when being already grown-up to learn the techniques of painting .
Some of them, who are very good at painting, begin doing art professionally, organize exhibitions of their own works, make presentations, join artist unions.

Young painters invite friends to their exhibitions to show their works, change their opinions, discuss modern trends and have a good talk. Some of them sell their works, making art the source of earning money. But most people do painting just for pleasure.

...strange hobby, unusual job or a life-style? Sometimes it's hard to distinguish. "Can I stay at your place tonight? I'll bring my blanket with me". With this question Anija Titova would visit the homes of her friends and loved ones to take a picture of herself with a blanket in the morning. This was after she came back from the UK and had no place of her own.