Go through enough Soundcloud rave mixes and you’ll likely come across a thick Slavic accent drooling stereotypical Russian buzzwords – “high track-speed, vodka no limit” – over a hard-bounce bassline. This is хардбас, or hardbass, a bizarre mutation in EDM’s already-contorted family tree that momentarily exploded the ears of Saint Petersburg’s perestroika-era youth at the end of the millennium only to slink into obscurity and, more recently, back out.

In this intriguing investigation, European Staff Writer Faith Martin probes the Estonian struggle with the Russian language. Her linguistic musings take us from a bar in Talinn, down the cobbled streets and towards the Russian border.

Unsure of how to improve your Russian? Fear not, Camille McCarthy will ease you gently into the world of Russian-language music. Beginning with pop and Pussy Riot, and making apt recommendations for lovers of Rex Orange County and Drake fans alike, this piece will set you on a path to Russian music Nirvana (no pun intended).

An exploration of the image of ‘the mother’ in conflict, how her ordinariness has had an impact on public affairs, and whether she will re-appear in the current discourse battle over Ukraine.

Camille McCarthy takes us on a tour of Russian cultural attractions in Paris, exploring the long-standing relationship between the two countries, and the position of Russian culture today.

In this fascinating article, Jack Seery investigates President Putin’s relationship with history, and the influence it has on the present.

With official access to independent news now virtually non-existent for Russians, Barney Crawford explores the complex truth behind Telegram, a hugely popular messaging service that has become something of a digital battleground in Russia’s information war.

Sofia Johanson takes a look at the convoluted history of Fabergé eggs, exploring how they went from epitomising tsarist decadence to being at the centre of international disputes and mysteries even today

In the light of many sports teams severing their ties with Russian money, Barney Crawford argues that modern sporting organisations must move beyond vague value statements and confront the paradox inherent in their ideology.

In the midst of the Russian military threat to Ukraine, Alice Mee reflects on our relationship with news, and our disconcerting ability to look away.

Tom Paterson discusses the fascinating history of clandestine literature in the Soviet Union and its travestied perception in the West.