February 26, 2012 Becoming Observers I have slept very little the past two weeks, and I have done very little to prepare for my classes. My students have tired of asking when I will correct their papers, and piles of their notebooks are gradually filling up my room. There is nothing to eat in the house; I have no had any time to get to the store. I am completely overcome by my work in “Citizen Observer"... Politics Russia File
February 21, 2012 Poor Chulpan Putin is doing everything in his power to guarantee his victory in the first round. Everyone everywhere is mumbling “stability, stability, this is what Putin has given us.” Politics Russia File
February 20, 2012 Bliny In honor of Maslenitsa, we offer this great story/essay by Chekhov on bliny: "Did you know that bliny have been around for over a thousand years, since what is known as the old Slavonic ab ovo...? They appeared on earth before Russian history began and have lived through it all from the beginning to the last page, without any doubt, invented, like the samovar, by Russian minds...." Food & Drink Holidays Russia File
February 05, 2012 Putin's Counterattack It seems like those in power are starting to get very worried, and therefore have gone over onto the counterattack. All across the country, they are herding people to pro-Putin rallies, handing out stenciled posters, then declaring what huge support he has. Politics Russia File
January 30, 2012 Moscow's White Ring The first installment in History Editor Tamara Eidelman's Election Journal, which she is writing for us in the buildup to the March 4 presidential election. Politics Russia File
January 10, 2012 Interview with Author William Ryan William Ryan’s second book featuring MVD Detective Alexei Korolev, The Darkening Field, was released on January 3, 2012. Russian Life Publisher Paul E. Richardson interviewed Ryan about the genesis for his character and the challenges of situating a novel in Soviet Russia. History Literature Reviews Russia File
January 08, 2012 1972 ABM Treaty English text of the 1972 Antilballistic Missile Treaty between the U.S. and Soviet Union. History Science Russia File
January 03, 2012 Lyubov Orlova Lyubov Petrova Orlova was born January 29, 1902 and became the first Soviet movie star and sex symbol. She was also Stalin’s favorite film actress and a highly gifted singer. This is an extended biography of the artist (an abridged version ran in the JanFeb 2012 issue of Russian Life). Culture Film & TV Russia File
December 20, 2011 6 Things Russian Babushkas Disapprove Of What comes to mind when you think of a Russian national icon? Vodka, matryoshkas, bears? Fyodor Dostoyevsky? Alla Pugacheva? Cheburashka? Surprisingly few people, including Russians themselves, mention babushkas, the omnipresent grandmothers in head scarves. Yet their influence is huge. Red Square huge. Katyusha rocket huge. So it pays to know how to please them... Culture Humor Russia File
December 12, 2011 At the Demonstration "The crowds gathered from three different directions. Every route to the square was controlled by police and troops. I had never seen such numbers of armed forces before; it was like a movie about civil war." Victor is a 21-year-old student in Moscow. In this guest post, he gives us a participant's account of the December 10 demonstration. Politics Russia File
December 09, 2011 Moscow Spring? Quite often, Russian reality is best illuminated with a joke. A couple of journalists are quizzing a candidate: “Why do you want to get elected?” “Just look what is going on in the corridors of power: officials are awash in debauchery, theft, corruption!” Politics Russia File
December 03, 2011 Chtenia 17 The next issue of Chtenia, #17, is being laid out this weekend, and as always, there's a deep satisfaction in seeing the whole team's work come to fruition. The theme of the issue is Sport, which at the moment strikes me as a great counterpoint to the winter season, when holidays and cold weather compromise one's fitness routine with such gleeful impunity. Literature Russia File
