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!

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A Taste of Russia

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.
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Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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22 Russian Crosswords

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Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

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Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

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Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

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Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

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