December 28, 2015 How to Celebrate the New Year By Eugenia Sokolskaya Are you sure you know how to appease the Fire Monkey and get your New Year off to a good start? We have tips! Learn how to decorate your house, what food to serve, and what to wear to ensure good luck in 2016. Culture Holidays Humor
May 01, 2015 Old and New Holidays of Spring By Tamara Eidelman There are known and lesser known holidays celebrated each spring. Let's review. Holidays
March 08, 2015 Celebrating Women on Women's Day By Linda DeLaine International Womens' Day; Russia honors the role of all women in Russian culture. Culture Holidays
December 23, 2014 Yolka By Mikhail Zoshchenko As a special gift, we share a somewhat untypical holiday story, reprinted from the pages of Chtenia, by the master humorist and short story writer Mikhail Zoshchenko. Holidays Humor Literature
November 18, 2014 Grandfather Frost: More than Just Santa Claus By Eugenia Sokolskaya Don't be fooled: the old man with a white beard and red coat is not Santa Claus. It's Grandfather Frost! Learn how to tell the two apart with this handy list. Holidays
November 04, 2014 Unity Day: Whose Unity? By Eugenia Sokolskaya November 4 is now the Day of People's Unity in Russia. But what unity? What people? A look at the holiday's history brings up more questions and confusion than it does answers – but Russians don't let that spoil their long weekend. History Holidays
September 01, 2014 The Many Days of September 1 By Eugenia Sokolskaya Did you know September 1 is more than just Labor Day? Read on to find out how Russians celebrate September 1, the Day of Knowledge, the first day of school. Holidays
December 26, 2013 Happy New Year! By Eugenia Sokolskaya The New Year is Russia’s biggest holiday. But where does it come from – and why does it look so suspiciously like Western Christmas? History Holidays
October 28, 2013 Halloween Week: Get your Putin (and Brezhnev and Lenin) Masks here! By The Editors We're all about public service. We just want to help you get through Halloween... You decide if the mask is scary or distinguished, awful or awesome. Holidays Humor
February 20, 2012 Bliny By Anton Chekhov In honor of Maslenitsa, we offer this great story/essay by Chekhov on bliny: "Did you know that bliny have been around for over a thousand years, since what is known as the old Slavonic ab ovo...? They appeared on earth before Russian history began and have lived through it all from the beginning to the last page, without any doubt, invented, like the samovar, by Russian minds...." Food & Drink Holidays
December 18, 2009 Annual Holiday Gift Guide By The Editors Our annual consideration of some great gift ideas for Russophiles. Now available online as well! Holidays
January 14, 2009 Independence Day By Linda DeLaine In most countries, Independence Day conjures up images of grand celebration, fireworks, family get-togethers, parades and so on. These celebrations commemorate the declaration and establishment of sovereignty by a colony or nation occupied and governed by another nation. This is not exactly the case with Russia's Independence Day. History Holidays