May 16, 2007 Zero in Russia In the May/June 2007 issue of Russian Life, Mikhail Ivanov's column on the use of "zero," "null," etc. in Russian slang got us wondering: just when and how was the concept and notation of zero introduced into Russian. We could find nothing in our printed references or anywhere online. So we polled some experts. Below we reprint two excellent replies we received. History Science Russia File
May 09, 2007 Supersonic Flight Meet the TU-144, Russia's achievement, albeit short lived, in supersonic flight. On Dec. 31, 1968, Russia's TU-144 supersonic airliner made its first flight, several months ahead of the Anglo-French Concorde. History Science Russia File
April 17, 2007 40 and Counting: Four Decades of Russian Life A look at the magazine's beginnings in 1956 (as USSR) and of its partner publication, Amerika Illustrated. Russian Life Magazine Russia File
February 21, 2007 The Beginning [WIGOR, part 1] Several million years ago (ask a geologist for an exact figure), the landmass that would one day become Russia was gifted huge oil, gas and mineral deposits. In fact, they were such rich and deep deposits that even 70 years of communist ineptitude could not entirely wipe them out. Some boring, but telling facts:OIL: By one estimate, 20% of the world's known oil reserves are in Russia. Russia currently supplies the US with 4% of its oil. Russia File
February 21, 2007 What exactly is going in on Russia? [WIGOR?] Is a new Evil Empire brewing? Are we on the verge of a New Cold War?Who is pulling the levers of power in Russia?What is the Kremlin engineering for a post-Putin Russia?There are plenty of questions circulating in the media about Russia these days. But often too little of what is published takes a long-term, balanced and critical view. Time for a reality check.Russia is not perched on the aby Russia File
February 14, 2007 Drinking in Russia Russian customs and traditions regarding the consumption of water, tea and vodka. Culture Food & Drink Russia File
February 13, 2007 Doctor Zhivago and Khrushchev Find out what this son of peasants turned Premier of the Soviet Union had to do with an upper class writer and his epic novel. History Literature Russia File
November 03, 2006 The Russians are Not Coming In re the theme of our post, Tiger by the Tail, Russia's rightist parties may be playing into present Powers That Be designs, seeking a showdown with local and federal authorities and giving them a pre-electoral rallying cry. This from RFE/RL report (citing Nezavisimaya Gazeta) of November 3, about a planned nationwide "Russia March" for November 4 ("People's Unity Day," the holiday which replaced November 7, th Russia File
October 25, 2006 Notes from Underground [Editor's Letter for the Nov/Dec 2006 issue. By Paul E. Richardson]The day after Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya was assassinated (see page 9), I was editing this issueâ??s story on Dostoyevsky (page 50) and happened to read Vissarion Belinskyâ??s infamous 1847 letter to Nikolai Gogol. The public reading of this letter (to a handful of friends) was a main reason for Dostoyevskyâ??s conviction for subversion. This famous excerpt attracted my attention: Russia File
October 25, 2006 Tiger by the tail In the November/December 2006 issue of Russian Life, we have an interesting article about recent events in Kondopoga, by Russian security expert Marina Latysheva. In the article, Latysheva asserts that certain persons of influence may have sought to exploit the events in Kondopoga. The conflict was not an ethnic backlash at all, Latysheva said, but all about local residents' battling against a t Russia File
October 17, 2006 Matryoshka - Soul of Russia The history and traditions surrounding matryoshka; Russian nesting dolls; Russia's most sought after folkart souvenir. Russia File
August 17, 2006 St. Basil the Blessed St. Basil the Blessed is both a well known Moscow landmark and cherished saint. Learn about the ten pillars of the cathedral and what it means to be a 'fool for Christ.' Religion Russia File
