May/June 2008

Two graphic turning points in my life - both, as it turns out, had to do with a bottle.

Readers comment and correct.

The latest from the travel front.

All the news that fits from all across Russia.

A look at the expectations and realities surrounding the spring call-up.

Never "one of the boys," Valentina Tereshkova became an icon, a symbol for Soviet space achievements. But she only ever went into space once.

It did not seem like such a big deal at the time, Russia declaring its sovereignty on June 12, 1992. Everyone was doing. Maybe that is why so few people can remember the holiday now...

What really happened over the Podkamennaya Tunguska river on June 30, 1908? And why do people get so obsessed about it?

A consideration of the many Russia ways to signify the boondocks, the middle-of-nowhere, etc.

This ancient river town long stood at the crossroads of Russian commerce and travel. It may even have once saved Rus' from the Horde. Today, it has a more modest goal: reclaiming its heritage and becoming a thriving tourist destination.

If the people can't come to church, then it may be time to take the church to the people. Alexander Mozhayev takes us on a visit to a church that makes its home along the river, aboard a converted barge.

Nearly four decades ago, some intrepid adventurers came up with the idea to cross Russia by river. Nora Favorov recounts some of the highlights of their four-month, 14,000 kilometer odyssey.

Had history taken a different turn, today's western reaches of British Columbia might instead by the southeastern tip of the Russian empire. Nathaniel Christopher explores the impression Russia left behind in Vancouver and British Columbia.

At Moscow's fashionable GQ Bar, Chef Konstantin Ivlev cooks up a new style of Russian cuisine. Here we present a flashy Baked Chicken Breast with Garlic, Potatoes and Truffles.

Review of The New Cold War, The Magical Chorus, Angel of Vengeance and The Silencing. Plus a look at two fine new language learning books.