May 01, 2017 The Bad Flat Where better to begin a literary tour of Moscow than at Mikhail Bulgakov’s notoriously bad apartment, which had an important cameo in his most famous work. History Literature
May 01, 2017 A Dozen Reviews In which we review 12 titles that have been teetering in our review pile and that Russophiles should love. Literature Media
April 02, 2017 Russia's Greatest Crime Novel When you set out to write a murder mystery in Russian – or even in another language, but set in Russia – you should be mindful that you are following in the footsteps the greatest Russian crime fiction writer of all times, Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Literature Russia File
March 27, 2017 March {Translation} Madness A random query led us down a rabbit hole to see how online translation engines are humming these days. Won't you join us? Humor Language Literature Russia File
March 15, 2017 Who Invented the Ancient Slavic Gods, and Why? How it was that in the eighteenth century Russian mythology was trumped-up in the Western manner? Who wanted it? And where did we get Lel, Yarilo and Zimtserla? We explain everything you'd want to know about Russian fakelore. Culture History Literature Religion Russia File
March 06, 2017 Better Russia Bob Blaisdell reviews Other Russias, an album of images and impressions of ordinary, unconnected Russian citizens who have unexpectedly found themselves activists. Art Culture Literature Politics Russia File
March 01, 2017 Dovlatov in America Some writers adapt easily to living abroad, after being cut off from their homeland. Sergei Dovlatov was not one of those writers. Literature
March 01, 2017 Lenin, Rodeo and Beslan Reviews of "Lenin on the Train," "Don't Let my Baby Do Rodeo," and "Mother Tongue". Literature
December 02, 2016 Peter Aleshkovsky: 2016 Russian Booker Laureate We were excited to learn that one of our authors, Peter Aleshkovsky, was awarded the 2016 Russian Booker Prize, arguably Russia's most prestigous literary prize. Literature News Products Russia File
October 12, 2016 Fall, Tolstoy, Mushrooms In honor of fall, and Russians' favorite autumnal pastime – mushroom picking – we offer these two short stories by Lev Tolstoy – in both English and Russian! Culture Humor Literature Russia File
September 29, 2016 The Babi Yar Tragedy, Remembered in Poetry On September 29-30, 1941, Nazi troops shot over 33,000 Jews at the edge of the Babi Yar ravine near Kiev. Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem memorializing the tragedy ensures it will never be forgotten. Culture History Literature War Russia File
August 03, 2016 5 Pearls of Wisdom from Fazil Iskander Fazil Iskander, a missile in the world of Soviet literature, passed away on July 31. Here are five of his pearls of wisdom on humor, science, politics, Stalin, and the Russian soul. Culture Literature Russia File