An excerpt from the new book, The Gambler Wife, a glimpse into the life and motivations of Dostoyevsky's very successful wife.

August 27, 1698, was a day of historic importance for the grooming of the Russian male. It was then that Tsar Peter I (known to history as “the Great”), armed himself with scissors and undertook to mercilessly clip beards from the faces of summoned noblemen and boyars.

Late January 2022 marks 125 years since the first thorough count of the Russian Empire’s population was begun in 1897. What was the significance of this endeavor, how was it carried out, and what were its results?

Some thoughts on George Turberville, who served as secretary in the embassy of Queen Elizabeth I to Russia’s Ivan IV, and was one of the earliest observers (and reporters) of Russian mores.

The insect world had a sort of heyday in post-revolutionary Russia. We visit an exhibition devoted to this topic and explore what it all means.

Revies of a book on one of the true-crime sources for Crime and Punishment, and a collection of Teffi's stories.

"Ancient instincts work – I licked the thing."

–  Hermitage artist-restorer Galina Fedorova discovers a candy stuck to the ball gown of Grand Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, sister of Tsar Nicholas II.

A delightful Soviet winter tale about children, a big holiday tree, and the true meaning of Christmas: communism.

The stories behind three iconic pieces of Russian art.

In which we learn about the strong-willed and brilliant Anna Dostoyevskaya, the wife of Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Catherine the Great's injunction to get vaccinated has recently emerged from a private collection.

An abandoned crypt found on a Russian school's property takes the phrase "bored to death" to a whole new level.