Autumn appears to be in full bloom in North Korea, with golden trees lining several Pyongyang streets and fallen leaves sprinkling the city’s sidewalks.

This year, tourists are barred from entering the DPRK, with the country’s Jan. 2020 border lockdown still in place as COVID-19 continues to threaten public health in much of the world. Foreign embassy workers, diplomats and even aid personnel have largely left the country, leaving Pyongyang’s expat community in a dwindled state.

But even so, photos of the fall season in Pyongyang have managed to make their way out of the country — the Russian Embassy