Yuri Borzakovsky, athlete Runner Yuri Borzakovsky can’t say for sure if he has what Russians call “a speaking name”—borzoi/borzaya means wolfhound. But, true to his family name, he runs fast and light. And his style is not unlike a cunning hunter of wolves. 100 Young Russians
Yulia Chepalova, athlete If it were not for 24-year-old Yulia Chepalova, Russia might have returned from the recent Nordic World Championships in Lahti, Finland without a single gold medal. True, Russia hasn’t lost the women’s 4x5 km relay race at a World Championship since 1989, but this time around Russia’s women’s team was not the odds-on favorite. 100 Young Russians
David Ian, programmer Russian computer wizards compare their American counterparts to intelligent, disciplined dogs, while their compatriots are unruly, freedom-loving tigers. So it is no small achievement that David Ian, 32, president of ABI, has managed to tame an elite band of Russian tigers. 100 Young Russians
Father Mark, priest Father Mark (born Sergei Golovkov) calls himself “deputy foreign minister of the Russian Orthodox Church.” He is responsible for protocol and arranging meetings between top leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and foreign leaders, secular and religious. So, in secular terms, one may call him a diplomat for Russia’s oldest social institution. 100 Young Russians
Maxim Larin, brewer Thirty-year-old Maxim Larin is general director of Afanasy brewery (his wife Olga also works there). Under his tenure the company has pursued a unique pattern of growth and introduced a variety of successful brands, most notably a world-class porter, rich with oak and herbal undertones. 100 Young Russians
Denis Provalov, spelunker In Russian, the word proval means “a fall into.” So perhaps fate deemed that Denis Provalov, 32, would “fall into a cave” and become a spelunker—a “cave diver”. 100 Young Russians
Yuri Visilter, scientist In science, you don’t look for the easy ways.” This popular Russian maxim could well be applied to Yuri Visilter, who has never sought the easy path in his life or work. 100 Young Russians
Natalia Vorobyova, economist In 1988, Natalia Vorobyova graduated with a degree in economic forecasting from the Applied Mathematics Faculty at Moscow’s Aerospace Institute. Four years later, as the Russian economy wallowed, Vorobyova applied her analytic skills to her family’s personal situation. 100 Young Russians
Aydyn Zeynalov, artist Aydyn Zeynalov is a very Russian artist with a very un-Russian name. A native of Moscow with roots in Azerbaidzhan, Zeynalov’s family history is typical of many former Soviet “subjects.” 100 Young Russians
Maria Alexandrova, dancer "I was a very boisterous, frisky child,” recalled twenty-two year old Maria Alexandrova. 100 Young Russians
Dmitry Gudanov, dancer Dmitry Gudanov caught ballet fever in 1980, at the age of five, watching Bolshoi superstars Vladimir Vasiliev and Yekaterina Maximova dance The Nutcracker on television. 100 Young Russians
Dmitry Lipskerov, writer The British writer D.H. Lawrence once wrote “I hate the actor and audience business. An author should be in among the crowd, kicking their shins or cheering them on to some mischief or merriment.” Dmitry Lipskerov, 36, seems to have embraced Lawrence’s dictum. 100 Young Russians
November 11, 2023 to September 15, 2024 Visions of Transcendence: Creating Space in East and West Wende Museum | Culver City, CA This exhibit highlights the resilience and creative power of people deprived of their freedom or their own place to live. Art Exhibit
February 28, 2022 to December 31, 2024 Free Russian Language Guided Tours Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY Russian-speaking guides conduct tours of the museum's highlights every Monday at 11 am. Art Exhibit
Murder and the Muse KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Little Humpbacked Horse A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Jews in Service to the Tsar Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Fish: A History of One Migration This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
301 Things Everyone Should Know About Russia How do you begin to get a handle on the world's largest country? This colorful, illustrated guide will get you started...
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
The Latchkey Murders Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
At the Circus This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
White Magic The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
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.
March 15, 2017 Who Invented the Ancient Slavic Gods, and Why? How it was that in the eighteenth century Russian mythology was trumped-up in the Western manner? Who wanted it? And where did we get Lel, Yarilo and Zimtserla? We explain everything you'd want to know about Russian fakelore. Culture History Literature Religion Russia File
October 14, 2016 Five Wild Facts about St. Basil's Cathedral On October 14, 1991, St. Basil’s Cathedral was reopened after six decades. Here are five fun facts in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Cathedral’s rebirth. Culture History Religion Russia File
February 24, 2023 Russia's Year of Horror After a year of horrific war, why does a magazine like Russian Life continue? Why not simply wash our hands of it and walk away? Culture History Journalism War Russia File
October 31, 2016 Why Stalin's Corpse Was Exhumed on Halloween The body of Joseph Stalin was removed from the mausoleum on Red Square on October 31, 1961. It may not be as spooky as Halloween, but the former leader still haunts Russia today. History Politics Social Issues Russia File
October 30, 2021 Happy 200th, Dostoyevsky! On this, the occasion of the great writer's 200th birthday, we offer some links to stories we have published about him over the years, as well as some cool videos. Happy reading and viewing! History Literature Russia File
April 23, 2014 Peace, Land, Bread Peace! Land! Bread! This was the battle cry of the 1917 October Revolution (old calendar) that changed the history of Russia and indeed the entire world. Since the time of Ivan the Terrible, the tsars concentrated on centralization of their power and control. The most common way of doing this was to take power away from the nobility, appeasing them by giving them dominion over their land and workers. This soon developed into the oppressive, slave-style condition known as serfdom. History Russia File
