October 03, 2007 Putinâ??s Plan I saw this coming. Really, I did...For months, I have been privately sharing a prediction about Putin's succession plan. Unfortunately, I really cannot prove it, since I never committed the prediction to print. So you're going to have to trust me on this. Same thing happened back in the 1980s, when I correctly predicted the Andropov-Chernenko-Gorbachev succession before each slogging step. But of course I did not put that in print either. There were no blogs back then. Russia File
September 27, 2007 Ancient Peoples of the Russian Steppes Scythians, Sarmatians, Amazons; all ancient inhabitants of Russia's southern steppes. These Mesopotamic, nomadic tribes were feared warriors and accomplished horsemen who warded off the mightiest rulers including Darius and Alexander. History Russia File
September 21, 2007 Russian Corporatism This ran in the Wall Street Journal yesterday and was circulated on the esteemed Johnson's List. It is so intriguing, I felt it deserved quoting in its entirety.The Board Members of Russia, Inc.By Garry KasparovIt has been both amusing and disturbing to watch the Western media chase its tail after the appointment of Viktor Zubkov to the post of Russian prime minister.Amusing because these are the same experts and pundits who wr Russia File
September 20, 2007 Two Films So last night I watched two films. The first was The Color of Pomegranates, by director Sergei Paradjanov. I picked it up from Netflix, intrigued by the blurb:Paradjanov's acclaimed poetic masterpiece was banned by Soviet censors who feared it was a nationalist parable.The story depicts the life and spiritual odyssey of the medieval Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat Nova, and his rise from carpet weaver to archbish Russia File
September 04, 2007 Ded Moroz Ded Moroz; Grandfather Frost; is the Russian counterpart to the Western Santa Claus and other Gift Givers worldwide. He and his assistant, Snegurochka, continue to delight children and adults alike. In 2000, Santa Claus traveled to Russia to meet Ded Moroz for the first time! Culture History Holidays Russia File
September 02, 2007 Blini Traditions of the so-called Russian pancake and several authentic recipes. Culture Food & Drink Russia File
August 16, 2007 Yeltsin's Death A review of the life and work of Boris Yeltsin. History Politics Russia File
August 14, 2007 SALT I Treaty Notes on the details of and need for the SALT I treaty. History Int'l Relations Russia File
July 05, 2007 Green Update Sometimes, if you study something long enough, and get a little bit lucky, what seems hard is actually very easy.We have decided to change printers for Russian Life. Starting with our next issue (September 2007), we will be printing the magazine in Missouri instead of Ohio, at Ovid Bell Press (founded 1924). A number of factors came into play, but not the least of them was the fact that we are able to shift the pr Russia File
June 15, 2007 The Kremlin's Third Path Things had quieted down a bit in the Russian 2008 presidential race. And then, at the end of this week, there was this:"We have two active individuals who work as first deputy prime ministers with various responsibilities and who are rather liberal in their views," said Kremlin aide Igor Shuvalov at a June 14 political conference in Washington, DC. "People are talking about these two candidates, potential candidates, but my president could yet offer one more surprise and, perhaps lat Russia File
June 15, 2007 Leo Tolstoy Learn about the varied life of this Russian writer, born to nobility and author of "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina". History Literature Russia File
June 04, 2007 Kamchatka Disaster A massive landslide destroys the Valley of the Geysers on June 4, 2007. Environment History Science Russia File