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One hundred and twenty-five years ago, Lev Tolstoy made the first of several walking journeys from Moscow to Tula – a distance of nearly 200 kilometers. A pair of Americans retrace the great writer’s journey, in a considerably different Russia.

In her introduction to the next issue of Chtenia (coming in July to a mailbox near you!), Tamara Edelman writes several Russian films set in summer, including a Mosfilm classic I Step through Moscow. "Summer," she writes, "is a time for growing up, a time for educating the senses, for better understanding one's self. It is a time for transformation."

Every Russian learned a few "draznilki" (teases) in childhood. While these usually have cruel intent and may not be something you will use in your Russian, it is good to be able to recognize and understand them.

The summer, a forest north of Moscow is shaping up to be a battleground for environmental activists and construction workers...

For Russians, it is impossible to imagine life without the countless characters from our fairy tales, collected by Alexander Afanasyev, born July 1826.

Many Russians were caught abroad during the August 1991 putsch, including History Editor Tamara Eidelman.

As Russian elections inch closer, the perfect climate has developed for satire...

Just a few hours’ drive from Moscow is the wonderfully preserved, ancient town of Kolomna. And here, amidst golden-domed churches and a beautifully restored kremlin, there is a hidden gem of a museum.

Since the Bolshoi Theater (founded 1776) is indeed Bolshoi (i.e. big and grand), perhaps it is not surprising that it has seen its share of problems over its 200-plus-year history.

Since at least the days of Turgenev, Russians have flocked to the French and Italian Rivieras to escape northern winters. A new direct train, the first since the Revolution, may ignite that tradition anew. [Includes full page sidebar on Russian Churches on the Riviera.]

The clock atop Moscow’s Spasskaya Tower is as central, geographically and metaphorically to Russian life as Big Ben is for the British. But that was not always the case.

Russia has a long history of fascination with and love for all things Georgian, be it wine, literature or landscape. But there has also been recurrent conflict and even war. In recent years, conflict has all but completely eclipsed collaboration. We explore why.