November 26, 2013 Happy 158th Uncle Gilya! The first-ever English version of Uncle Gilya’s masterpiece, Moscow and Muscovites, translated by Brendan Kiernan and published by Russian Life Books, debuts today. It’s our way of saying “Happy Birthday” to Uncle Gilya (today is his 158th!). English-language readers around the globe win as well – this translation is at least 90 years overdue! Culture Food & Drink History Humor Literature
November 26, 2013 Moscow and Muscovites Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. Culture History Nonfiction
November 21, 2013 RuNet Tackles History What does the rating of RuNet’s most popular blogs have to do with history textbooks? Join us on an excursion into conspiracy theories, falsified history, and government ideology – RuNet’s standard fare! Culture Russia File
November 14, 2013 Perks and Perils of Being the Tsar's Favorite How do you get from pie-seller to tsar’s favorite? Mostly by being a brilliant strategist – but having a tsar willing to turn a blind eye to your corruption helps, too. History Russia File
November 07, 2013 It's Nutcracker Season! It's that time of year again: dancing toys, mice, and candy, waltzing flowers, presents coming to life... But was this time of year always so closely tied to the Nutcracker? Culture Russia File
November 01, 2013 A Mythical Dessert Explore a rich dessert named after the gourmand and minister of finance under Tsar Alexander I: Guriev Kasha.
November 01, 2013 JudoPolitik Putin sees the world in terms of judo, the sport closest to his heart, while President Obama sees it in terms of basketball.
November 01, 2013 Navalny's Near Miss An insider's account of the Navalny campaign for Moscow mayor. Politics
November 01, 2013 Baba Yagas, Kremlin and Cooks A review of two books on Baba Yaga, one on the Kremlin, and one on Soviet cuisine and memoir. Also brief reviews of two movies and three other books on everything from Lee Harvey Oswald to emigres in Paris.
November 01, 2013 Russian Chicago This sprawling Midwestern city is arguably America’s most Slavic metropolis. Yet it is surprisingly challenging to locate its Russian center. Russians Abroad
