Following its success, Diaghilev formed a permanent ballet company in France, Les Ballets Russes. Pavlova and the choreographer and dancer, Nijinsky, were among the Russian artists who worked with Les Ballets Russes. Russian religious art is renowned for icons . Russian athletes have achieved a number of world records. Probably the most noted is the pole-vaulter Sergei Bubka .
Ice hockey is one of Russia's most played sports.
It has gained success in this sport at world and Olympic level. Russia has also produced a number of famous tennis players of whom its most recent successes are Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Anna Kournikova. The most popular religious festivals are Easter and Christmas which are celebrated with midnight services and candlelit processions. The Russian Winter Festival is celebrated in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novograd in late December, and continues until early January, with hundreds of folklore shows and vodka drinking. NEWS News from the Russian Federation can be found in Russia Today , The St Petersburg Times , and the The Moscow Times .