National Geographic Russia in January

The January issue of National Geographic Russia contains a surprise for readers: a special 3D map insert. Renowned photographer and regular National Geographic contributor Andrei Kamenev has captured the wonderful world of Krasnaya Polyana.

Krasnaya Polyana has been esteemed as a mountain resort since the late 19th century. Even then, scientists deservedly praised the pristine air and extraordinary beauty of the region. Nature itself suggested the name for this amazing place, which means “beautiful glade.”

Also in this issue:

Underwater Flight. Tufted Puffins are real seabirds, spending most of their lives roaming the open ocean, but returning to their native shores each spring for breeding.

Chukchi Comics. The art of these northern bone carvers has miraculously survived to this day. They left their simple stories, fear-inspiring myths and legends engraved on walrus tusks. Nobody who sees these unique items can be left unmoved by the experience.

City of Booklovers and Thieves. The ancient city of Timbuktu in West Africa holds rare ancient manuscripts. But hostage-taking terrorists rule, making it no paradise for bibliophiles. Can the city once again become a temple of science?

Coral Garden. Dramatic rises in temperature of seawater, devastating for all the sea’s inhabitants, seemingly left the corals of the Phoenix Islands in the Pacific no chance of survival. But nature found an ingenious solution.

Ghost Town. Cahokia, a city that arose on the banks of the Mississippi River some 400 years before Columbus discovered America, rapidly developed and flourished before its residents suddenly abandoned it. Why were their giant pyramids left to ruin, and why do we hear so little about these people today?

The January issue went on sale December 28.