Recent days have seen Siberia's nickel capital hotter than Nice and on a par with Naples.

Cornered by local dogs, the animal 'growled' before rescuers saved it.

Valery Malkov from Bratsk, Irkutsk region, was wearing only a T-shirt, shorts and slippers.

Boris Fyodorov, 37, complains it was 'too warm', and now wants to try in minus 60C.

Russian army biological protection troops called in amid warnings 'utmost care' needed to stop deadly infection spreading.

This famous ballet troupe toured the UK, becoming unique cultural ambassadors and putting their native Krasnoyarsk on the map in the West.

Viktoria Adaeva went out to play on an ice slide before climbing onto a nearby 'turtle' also sculpted of ice.

Raging flames engulf vessel in ten minutes, but 122 passengers escape safely in life rafts after 'pandemonium'.

Russia marks Orthodox Christmas Day on 7 January according to the Julian calendar (and for some this is also a time for fortune telling).