“About the dangers of alcohol, volumes have been written on the benefits of more than one brochure! From lack of education, we walk for five days and crawl for two! And, on Saturday morning, Russia from space looks like.”

– An unintelligible sign alerting Muscovites to the effects of alcohol.

The Rostov Oblast puts new limitations on the behavior of wedding-goers.

August 27, 1698, was a day of historic importance for the grooming of the Russian male. It was then that Tsar Peter I (known to history as “the Great”), armed himself with scissors and undertook to mercilessly clip beards from the faces of summoned noblemen and boyars.

In Russian, neither a Scrooge nor a Plyushkin be!

When a general retires, a village can be in real danger. Because a general cannot ever really retire, and he may or may not have the sort of useful skills that the local folk require.

It’s that time of the year again, when afternoons are short, the colors are subdued, and the appetite for rich spicy foods is at its highest. What a perfect occasion to cook a hearty Central Asia pilaf with mutton, lots of cumin, and (if you can find them) barberries (also known as berberis or “northern lemon”).

What better way to celebrate the shifting seasons than with a review of the delicious things you might find stored away in a Russian pantry for colder days. Recipes included!

At the beginning of July, the Russian government re-tire-d a form of folk art  dear to many: the lawn tire.

A move to allow Russians to choose whether their marriage status will be included in their passports has met with traditional backlash. What was that about a ball and chain, now?

Ivan Kupala is a traditional Slavic celebration of the summer solstice, with many pagan and deeply symbolic rituals. How are these ancient customs celebrated and recreated today in modern Russia? 

It was not the first time, and is likely not the last: a woman chose the wrong spot for her spectacular repast...

Will they ever learn?

The thematic arc that unites our features in this issue is that of creativity in the face of neglect, persistence in the face of oppression, resilience in the face of difficulty.