World oil prices are plummeting, the ruble is in free fall, the Russian economy is on the brink of a recession, inflation is climbing, and the Russian Central Bank’s benchmark interest rate has jumped to 17 percent. Meanwhile, President Putin still has popularity ratings in the 80 percent range and there is, seemingly, no panic in the streets of Moscow. What is going on? What is Putin’s game? 

The Soviet war with Finland in 1939-1940 tends to get overshadowed by its notable neighbor, World War II. But in fact, the Winter War was a disaster all its own.

The assassination of Sergei Kirov on December 1, 1934, set off one of the bloodiest periods in Russian history. Was it a conspiracy involving the highest ranks of leadership? Or was it all planned and carried out by one "lone gunman"? We may never know.

November 4 is now the Day of People's Unity in Russia. But what unity? What people? A look at the holiday's history brings up more questions and confusion than it does answers – but Russians don't let that spoil their long weekend.

It is likely no individual has had more graven public images cast of him than Vladimir Lenin. Recently, a Moscow exhibition delved into the early Soviet regime's search for the "perfect" Lenin, revealing plenty of rejected versions.

Lilianna Lungina was a leading literary translator in the Soviet Union. Her autobiography was a huge bestseller in Russia and is finally appearing in English. We present a short excerpt.

Twenty-five years ago this month, the Berlin Wall was felled by a bureaucrat's misstatement. But then again the Wall was never on the side of history.

On December 1, 1934, the USSR was shocked by the murder of Sergei Kirov, leader of Leningrad. But there was far worse yet to come.

Twenty-five years ago, when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, it was a time of hope and relief. Since the 1940s we had held our breath, limping from crisis to crisis, hoping that Dr. Strangelove was not hiding in a dark corner, waiting to make his play.

When you're a Soviet dictator, it's rare that you get the chance to tour the US, visiting movie sets, meat freezers, and steel mills, being featured on TV, and laughing at angry farmers. Nikita Khrushchev got that chance 55 years ago. And he made the most of it.

In October 1714 Alexander Menshikov, one of Peter the Great’s closest associates, received a letter from England signed by Sir Isaac Newton himself. Newton informed Menshikov that he had been elected to Britain’s Royal Society.

Two hundred years ago, after Napoleon's downfall, the heads of Europe got together to fashion the new Europe, which they wanted to look rather a lot like the old Europe, except Tsar Alexander wanted some changes.