November 01, 2012 Friend or Foe? A consideration of the language of enemies and whether Russia is, as Mitt Romney has averred, the US's chief geopolitical foe. Language
November 01, 2012 Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Tchaikovsky's now classic holiday ballet debuted in December 1892, but it was far from as popular in its debut as it is today. And it has gone through some interesting changes over the past 120 years. Dance
November 01, 2012 Lev Gumilev By any measure, the son of Anna Akhmatova and Nikolai Gumilev lived a life that was very full. Born 100 years ago this fall, this is his amazing story. History
November 01, 2012 Profile of Russian Chinovniki Where we bring some interesting statistics and graphics to bear on the overwhelming influence of bureaucrats in modern Russia. Statistics
November 01, 2012 Baikonur This issue's Uchites insert launches off from our feature article on Baikonur. Language
November 01, 2012 Bracing for Isolation Times have gotten tough for Russian NGOs lately. New laws, the expulsion of USAID and now some troubling signs of high-level internal spying is making the work of non-profits and rights watchdogs downright perilous. News
November 01, 2012 The Thaw Snaps In December 1962, Nikita Khrushchev's Thaw was drawing to a close, only no one quite knew this yet. It would take a contrived showdown at a Moscow art exhibition to bring things to a head. Art
November 01, 2012 Pavel Fedotov A consideration of the wonderful story-telling paintings of the classic nineteenth century artist Pavel Fedotov. Art
November 01, 2012 The Museum of Abandoned Secrets Where we interview Nina Shevchuk-Murray, translator of this new book by Oksana Zabuzhko, which is an expansive piece of historical fiction that encompasses much of Ukrainian history, particularly during WWII. Interview
November 01, 2012 A Taste of Russia The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use. Culture Nonfiction
October 24, 2012 The Nature of Dissent How should we understand current political dissent in Russia? Russian Life publisher Paul Richardson met with long-time Soviet/Russian political dissident Alexander Skobov to get his views on what is going on in Russia and where things are headed. History Politics Russia File
October 08, 2012 Vodka: The Miracle Drug? Culled from vodkaphiles.com: a listing of 20 things you can do with vodka you may have never considered (and may or may not want to try). Food & Drink Russia File