Mathematical Etudes
Short, beautiful animations and models about math problems a schoolkid can understand, some of which are still unsolved. Backed by the Steklov Institute.
What it is
Mathematical Etudes is a Russian site of short animated films and stories about classic and modern math problems. It has been running since 2002 and is supported by the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The pitch on the homepage says it all: the problems are easy for a schoolkid to state, yet some remain unsolved.
Sections include Etudes (the films with explanations), Models (hands-on ways to "touch" theorems), game-based activities for math events, lectures and apps. A separate collection is dedicated to the mechanisms of Pafnuty Chebyshev, the 19th-century mathematician: a walking machine, a self-propelled chair, an arithmometer, all rebuilt as animations so you can see how they worked.
Why we picked it
This is math you actually want to watch. An ellipse, a hyperbola and a parabola appear from folding a sheet of paper; a Möbius strip turns into two linked hearts; a parabola-shaped billiard table sends every ball through the focus. The phenomenon comes first, the explanation second. The site is actively updated: in September 2026 the film on the longest "straight" sea and land routes on Earth got new segments. The text is in Russian, but the animations speak for themselves, and a browser translator handles the captions fine.
Where to start
- Watch "Parabolic billiards" from the popular list: two minutes and you know why headlights are shaped the way they are.
- Try the paper-folding film on conic sections and repeat it with a sheet of printer paper.
- Find Chebyshev's walking machine in the mechanisms section.
- Catch the newest film on Earth's longest straight routes.
- Teachers: check the activities section for classroom ideas.
Who it's for
Students and parents, math teachers, engineers, and anyone who decided long ago that math is boring and is open to changing their mind.
Quick answers
Do I need strong math? No, the films are pitched at school level, with harder details in the notes.
Who makes it? The Mathematical Etudes Foundation with support from the Steklov Mathematical Institute.
Is there an English version? The site is in Russian; the visuals work without words, and the captions translate well.
