Letters to the Editors

To the Editors:

What a pleasure to recognize, on your cover for November, two of the churches of the village of Borisoglebsk rising above the frozen Volga. I remember well three visits there in 2001 to discuss the possibilities of attracting western tourism to this location. One night in November, we sat on the Romanov side and watched, by moonlight, young children sledding down the hill and out across the frozen Volga. For the winter months, the river is frozen enough that cars can cross between the towns.

The identification for the cover is of Tutayev, which is the name of the two towns on either side of the river since 1918. I.P. Tutayev was killed in the Civil War. Before that, the town on the east side of the river was Romanov, founded in about 1370 by the Prince of Yaroslavl. On the west side was Borisoglebsk, founded in the fifteenth century, named for Saints Boris and Glebsk. We were asked in a public meeting by the mayor of Tutayev to recommend the return of the use of the former names, which we acknowledged might be better for tourism but the idea was not approved at the time

These are only two of what were, I believe, six churches along the bank on the Borisoglebsk side of the Volga.

Thanks for the memories.

Charles Rodenbough

To the Editors:

I was very disappointed to see Russian Life of all publications joining in the currently fashionable Russophobia by bashing Russia’s anti-“homosexual propaganda” law, despite the fact that homosexuality is perfectly legal in Russia. This law appears designed primarily to prevent homosexuals from trying to recruit children and teenagers who might otherwise enter into heterosexual relationships and help slow Russia’s dangerous decline in population. Physical attacks against law-abiding homosexuals certainly remains a problem that Russia should be encouraged to address. But for a law that passed the Duma 436-0, it should not be hard for any journalist to find at least some merit in it.

D. M. Singleton

Lawton, Oklahoma