The Russian president took part in the 'Flight of Hope', giving a flying lesson to young white cranes ahead of their epic 5,000 km migration.
As the world prepares to herald in the arrival of 2015, we look back at the winter celebrations of the Soviet yesteryear.
Award-winning director Janusz Zaorski says members of his family were sent into exile in the east of Russia during the war years.
Sightings of 'primeval monsters' in Siberia's Lake Labynkyr were made before 'Nessie' was spotted in Scotland.
As Western children salute Santa's Rudolph, here in the Sakha Republic the antlered animals are in peril from ravenous predators.
We join photographer Kisoon Choi on a journey of discovery across Yakutia and the Far East and celebrate the unique landscapes, cities and peoples.
Whisky proves popular in the land of vodka.
Thousands of years ago woolly mammoths came here to die: but why? The macabre ancient remains haunt local residents to this day.
Andrey Solovyev keeps a lonely all-winter vigil in Yakutia in search of the legendary Labynkyr Devil.
'We're Russian Koreans,' comes the reply.