March 23, 2020

Performing for Empty Halls: Online Cultural Resources


Performing for Empty Halls: Online Cultural Resources
Museums and cultural sites are closing down due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn't mean you can't still see concerts! Image by ruthchia via Pixabay

With most of the world staying home, people are looking for ways to stay entertained. Thankfully, many cultural institutions are making resources available online for free, and Russia’s cultural sites are no different. Here are a few sites you can also check out without leaving your sofa!

For starters, St. Petersburg’s Alexandrinsky Theater is moving the premier of its newest play, “Mauzer,” online. It will be the first time in the 264-year history of the theater that a play will be performed without an audience watching.

Another project, Stay Home with Russian Seasons, kicks off March 23 and features cultural activities such as concerts and ballet recitals. The next day, March 24, Zaryadye Hall will feature the online broadcast of an organ concert by soloist Lada Labzina. More concerts will be broadcast online in the months of March and April.

A museum in Volgograd, Russia—My History, is developing materials to post on their Instagram account, @myhistory.vlg. They initiated this project at the request of local teachers, students, and museum visitors.

Cultural institutions aren’t the only ones helping to get online access to cultural material. Sberbank partnered with the online movie platform Okko to present Art Online, a collection of plays, concerts, virtual exhibits, and other video content from Russian cultural sites.

So, if you’re stuck at home and looking for a little cultural enrichment, check out some of these amazing Russian cultural resources!

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

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.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

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.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955