Go to google and search for 'image hosting'
you'll get numerous services that allow hosting of your pictures. Usually it only takes selecting a photo on your disk from the start page of such a service and clicking the button 'upload' or 'host it' or whatever.
Then you'll be provided with the URL (address) of the hosted image.
Just put it in the message body and enclose it in the tags.
Usually hosting services provide it already with BBCODE so all you have to do is copy and paste it into the message body.

As for your question - I think that if it indeed the old russian letters then you typed it wrong.
Maybe posting the photo you mentioned would clear this out.