The Batrachospermum Magazine

What it is

The Batrachospermum Magazine is the Telegram channel of a small science-and-fun magazine that also has its own website. It's written in Russian, though species always come with their Latin names. The description promises original pieces about curiosities of nature and the natural sciences. The name comes from a freshwater red alga, and the magazine has a travelling mascot called Batrasya who sends back photos. A typical post: a least weasel sniffing for a mouse on a mown field in Germany suddenly finds itself face to face with a white stork, with a proper breakdown of what's going on in the frame.

Why we picked it

Animal channels are everywhere, but most are streams of cute pictures with no context. Here the captions are the point: every photo is explained, species are named, and you learn what you're actually looking at. The tone stays light and funny rather than lecture-like. A recent post shared picks from Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2026 with a caption for each shot, from lupins to rock formations under the galaxy. There's a personal thread too: Batrasya visited Chelyabinsk and then spent crowdfunding money on a trip to Japan, only to miss Mount Fuji because of a typhoon.

Where to start

• Find the weasel-and-stork post; it's the best example of the format.
• Scroll through the Milky Way photo selection with captions.
• Look at the photo report from Chelyabinsk.
• If you like it, head to the magazine's website for longer pieces.

Who it's for

Russian-speaking nature lovers who want to understand what they're seeing, not just look. Parents looking for something to show their kids. And anyone who could use a kinder, calmer corner in their feed.

Quick answers

Is it science or entertainment? Both. The authors themselves call it a science-and-entertainment magazine.

Who is Batrasya? The magazine's mascot, who travels and appears in photo reports.

What language is it in? Russian, with Latin species names.