July 01, 1995 Shchi soup: a not so invisible hand in history For many centuries, shchi soup has been a staple of Russian cuisine. There is evidence that shchi was known in Rus long before the adoption of Christianity in 988 A.D. Customs Food & Drink History Travel
January 01, 1990 Emancipation Edict of Alexander II English text of Tsar Alexander II's Emancipation Edict (March 3, 1861). History
Birch An excerpt from Darra Goldstein's new cookbook, Beyond the North Wind, in which she ruminates on the place of birch in Russian culture, food, and history. Customs Food & Drink History
Children of the Underground An excerpt from Ulitskaya's powerful novel Under the Green Tent, about the experiences of the Thaw generation. History
Dacha: A Love Story A rumination on the cultural touchstone that only Russians are said to be able to understand and truly appreciate. Culture Customs Family History Regions Rural Life
The Great Stone Bridge An excerpt from a new novel about an infamous murder case in Moscow that revealed a horrific layer of elite corruption and bigotry. The excerpt introduces the scene of the crime, looking at the history and mystery of this great bridge. History
About Those Sogdians A few starting points for exploring and understanding the rich culture of Sogdia, homeland of the protagonist in The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas. History Regions
A Pestilential Distemper in Russia On the Massacre of the Archbishop of Moscow and a fever running through the capital. History
Letters from the Front The packet of 11 letters and 12 postcards reached me from Kharkov, through a combination of fate, serendipity and sheer luck. They were written by my father, Alexander Suchovy, from the front during World War II, and were addressed to his first wife, Varvara, and their son Vasily. Family History War
Journeys through the Russian Empire Excerpt from a new book in which the author recreates the famous journeys of the photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky. Architecture History Photography
Castle of Concrete In this new novel, set in the final year of the Soviet Union, young Sonya is reunited with her once-dissident mother, and they are on their way to navigating a new life together. History Literature Memoir
