🚁 #OTD in 1941 legendary Russian-American aircraft designer Igor #Sikorsky tested world's first amphibious helicopter — the #VS300 model performed a water landing & takeoff.

Few weeks later Sikorsky broke the world endurance record, staying aloft for 1h 32mins.

#FamoUSRussians

Ring in the history books!

#OTD 2️⃣0️⃣ years ago, the New #TsarBell took its throne atop the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius bell tower.

🔔 Weighing a whopping 72 tonnes, this colossal chimer is no ordinary bell.

👇 Hear for yourself.

📺 #OTD in 1932, the Leningrad Radio Plant launched the production of radio equipment & manufactured Russia's very first home TV — the B-2.

👇 Tired of flat screens? Time to tune in & go back in time for a nostalgia trip.

#OTD in 1933, Boris #Strugatsky was born - legendary hard sci-fi writer who collaborated with his brother Arkady to share dreams of distant planets, humanity's progress & collaboration.

#MustRead :
📕 Roadside Picnic – Tarkovsky's Stalker was based on it
📘 Hard to be a God

🛩 Our country started using eco-friendly aviation fuels long before it was a thing!

🗓 #OTD in 1988 the world's first hydrogen-powered experimental aircraft #Tu155 took to the skies.

The flight powered with liquid hydrogen lasted 23 minutes, first of 70 such trips.

🛤 #OTD in 1836, an imperial decree proclaimed the construction of Russia's first ~27 km passenger railway: #SaintPetersburg — Tsarskoe Selo 🏛️ — town of Pavlovsk.

This was the world's 6th public railway. People were amazed by fast & comfy trips, that took only 35 mins 🚂🚞🚞🚞

👨‍🚀 Following his space journey, Yuri #Gagarin gained international fame & embarked on a world tour, visiting 30+ countries.

Gagarin's feat, as well as his charisma and gorgeous smile charmed literally everyone from Cuba to Japan, ensuring him a warm welcome wherever he went.

🚀 Today humanity commemorates Yuri #Gagarin 's historic spaceflight.

#OTD in 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut became the 1st person to venture into space when he blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard #Vostok1 .

🌐 1 full orbit & 108 mins changed the world forever

#FirstInSpace

🚀 Russian-made #AngaraA5 rocket successfully blasted off into space from Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East.

This brand-new heavy lift spacecraft is designed to ferry tonnes of equipment into orbit with smaller ecological footprint.

Here's a sneak-peak 👇

🛳 #OTD in 1974, the first Soviet supertanker #Crimea was launched.

She was a true masterpiece of engineering: with a size equal to 3 football fields in length & 8 storey building in height, Crimea managed to easily navigate narrow straits while carrying 150k tonne cargoes!

🗓 #OTD in 1931, one of the XX century’s most influential Soviet-Russian theoretical physicists Leonid #Keldysh was born.

It was he who created the electron-hole system & formed the basis of modern nanophysics.

🎄 If not him, we couldn’t decorate #ChristmasTree with LED-lights.

Today is #WorldHealthDay !

🤸‍♂️ In Russia, we take our health seriously — warm-up routines, known as #zaryadka (light exercise), performed daily! 🫡

Comprises stretches, squats, running in place & bending — all to improve our health, circulation, flexibility & overall well-being!

👨‍⚕️ #RememberTheName : this surgeon saved many lives during the Serbian Wars for Independence & other conflicts of the XIX century.

A true humanist, Nikolay #Sklifosovsky was also an innovator: he introduced mandatory use of antiseptics & hygiene standards into medical practice.

📸 Today we commemorate one of the most prolific photographers of the XX century - legendary Soviet and Russian lensman Yury #Ambramochkin , who passed away #OTD in 2018.

He documented ordinary people, historic events and characters, capturing the spirit of the era.

🗓 #OTD in 1242, the Russian forces led by Grand Prince Alexander #Nevsky defeated the Livonian Order in an epic #BattleOnTheIce fought on Chudskoye Lake.

💬 'Whoever will come to us with a sword, from a sword shall perish' © Alexander Nevsky (from Eisenstein's epic)

🚙 #OTD in 1977, the mass production of VAZ-2121 aka LADA #Niva commenced.

Legendary 4x4 has stood the test of time, defeated all terrain, remains in production to this day.

Iconic #Niva 4Life rightfully won hearts of enthusiasts all around the globe for its usability & style 😎

😋 T̵o̵m̵ Yum-yum! Today is #InternationalSoupDay !

In our tradition, soups are served first, then goes main meal, then the dessert 🙄

In winter we prefer hot borsch, in summer — a refreshing okroshka, based on kvass OR kefir.

🍲 Try not to forget to eat a special #soup today!

#OTD 137 years ago, Ivan #Kramskoi passed away. In 1863 he initiated the revolt of 14 students of the Imperial Academy of Arts asserting the principles of realism & rejecting the rules of academic painting.

Оne of the best portrait painters of the XIX century

See for yourself👇

🎥 #OTD in 1932, all-time best Soviet filmmaker Andrey #Tarkovsky was born

Known for his poetic & philosophical approach to cinema & visual storytelling, Tarkovsky explored spiritual & metaphysical themes, using slow pacing & long takes

#MustWatch 👉 #Solaris , Mirror & #Stalker

🏥 #OTD in 1932 Soviet surgeon Yuri #Voronoy performed world's first human-to-human kidney transplantation at the Kherson City Hospital.

This operation gave green light to an entire field of surgery, saving millions of lives.

#SovietMedicine