June 23, 2015 Faberge Documentary is a Jewel It is nice to come across a documentary about Russia that is not all Sturm and Drang, Stalin and Purges, mafia and Putin. The story of Peter Carl Fabergé and the jewelry empire he built is a truly remarkable story, and it is the focus of this new documentary from Arts Alliance. Art History Russia File
May 08, 2015 70 Years After Victory, the Battle for Stalingrad Rages On The Battle for Stalingrad turned the tide of WWII in the Allies’ favor. Marked by the loss of nearly 2 million lives, it is one of the most devastating battles of human history. Yet it also continues to be embroiled in controversy, given the complex relationship Russians have toward Josef Stalin. History Int'l Relations Russia File
May 07, 2015 The Controversial Composer The personal and professional have become increasingly intertwined in considerations of the life and work of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Music historian Richard Taruskin shows that this is nothing new – it all began shortly after the master composer's death. Culture History Russia File
May 07, 2015 The Most Useful Russian Inventions What do radio, television, the periodic table, and helicopters have in common? Russians were involved in developing all of them – and more! Reference Science Russia File
May 01, 2015 Bears in the Caviar Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of. Nonfiction
May 01, 2015 Free Economic Society The Free Economic Society was founded on June 26, 1765, promoted by several Russian aristocrats that earned the blessing of Catherine II herself.
May 01, 2015 Euphe-Putin-isms The things people say these days when they don't say anything can be rather illuminating. Language
May 01, 2015 A Dangerous Woman and a Soviet Kid In which we review "A Very Dangerous Woman," by Deborah McDonald and Jeremy Dronfield; "The Complete Folktales of A.N. Afanas'ev," by Jack V. Haney; "USSR: Diary of a Perestroika Kid," by Vladimir Kozlov; "Moscow, St. Petersburg & The Golden Ring," by Masha Nordbye; and "High Society Dinners," by Yuri Lotman.
May 01, 2015 A Classic Treat Stuffed prunes. So much more than you think they are. Luxurious and tasty, and a perfect treat for spring.
May 01, 2015 The Kryashen Neither Tatar or Russian, the Kryashen are a fascinating ethnic minority that struggles to defend its place, and identity, in southern Russia. Regions
