November 01, 2014 The Wall: 25 Years Since Mauerfall Twenty-five years ago this month, the Berlin Wall was felled by a bureaucrat's misstatement. But then again the Wall was never on the side of history. History
November 01, 2014 Stepping Back in Time Kenozersky National Park is a portal back in time, where the ways of life, traditions, and beliefs are those of many decades before. Regions
November 01, 2014 Kirov's Murder On December 1, 1934, the USSR was shocked by the murder of Sergei Kirov, leader of Leningrad. But there was far worse yet to come. History
November 01, 2014 The Forgotten Winter War You won't find much about the Russo-Finnish War (1939-40) in Russian history books. War
November 01, 2014 The Great Wrong Turn A look back at the proclamation of Collectivization, in November 1929, leading essentially to the reinstatement of serfdom in Russia. Agriculture
November 01, 2014 Season of Scandals As summer turned into fall, a series of highly public spats broke out in Russia, with celebrities and cultural figures demonstrating deeply polarized attitudes about the crisis in Ukraine, the Kremlin, and history. Social Issues
November 01, 2014 The New Separatists While Russia encourages "federalization" in Ukraine, it is jailing persons who dare call for decentralization at home, even if they are only using humor to make a point.
November 01, 2014 Idols and Anniversaries The Wall and Iron Felix may be gone, but one important thing never happened, which explains plenty about modern Russian politics.
November 01, 2014 The English Invasion Russia may have become staunchly anti-Western, but it would be very hard to say the same thing about the language.
October 31, 2014 Idols and Anniversaries Twenty-five years ago, when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, it was a time of hope and relief. Since the 1940s we had held our breath, limping from crisis to crisis, hoping that Dr. Strangelove was not hiding in a dark corner, waiting to make his play. History Int'l Relations Russia File
October 15, 2014 Russian Exceptionalism According to Boris Dubin A social state, a sense of community and shared decision making, an oddly distant government, home-grown values, and being split between Europe and Asia – according to Russians, this is what makes Russia special. But Boris Dubin's findings show that what really makes Russia special is Russia's ability to pretend no one else exists. Culture Politics Russia File
September 30, 2014 Pasternak: A Great Translator Reflects on Translation In honor of the International Day of the Translator, a few words from Boris Pasternak, the Russian voice of Shakespeare, on translating and the power of English. Literature Russia File