New Year, New Story

Where do we go from here?

With this issue of Russian Life, we open the 61st year of the magazine’s publication. RiS has been at the helm for 22 years, and this is our 152nd issue since July of 1995.

It’s time for a change.

What that change will be, I cannot say with perfect clarity, but you will play a part in determining it. And I feel confident saying that the issue of Russian Life you hold in your hand at the end of 2018 will be rather different (and better, I hope) than the one you are holding right now.

We will be engaging with readers for feedback, to learn what you like and don’t like about Russian Life, what you would like to see more of, and less of. This will be done largely online, because that’s the only efficient way a small company like ours can poll nationally and internationally. But if you don’t get a poll, or don’t want to reply online, feel free to write us an email ([email protected]) or snail-mail letter (address at right) and tell us what you like and don’t like about Russian Life, about what we are doing.

Not to taint the polling, but I do have a few ideas about changes we need to explore in the months ahead:

• some if not all of the magazine’s more “perishable” content (that which is most time-sensitive) should move to our online publishing platform, which needs to become more robust;
• all of the magazine’s back issue content should be online, searchable, and accessible;
• the print magazine should pick up where Chtenia left off, and publish excerpts of recent and classic fiction (and why not some nonfiction too?);
• other means for storytelling beyond print (video, podcasts, nationwide roadshows) need to be explored.

Again, we are just starting on this journey. I think it will make for an exciting year, and I encourage you to engage with us online (Do you get our weekly e-letter? There really is nothing out there like it; editor Alice Underwood does a fantastic job.) and explore all that Russian Life has to offer.

This magazine, after all, is just one piece of the puzzle.

As always, enjoy the issue, and let us know what you think.