February 09, 2021

A Pixelated Palace for Putin


A Pixelated Palace for Putin
Your best chance of exploring Putin's palace without a confrontation with the FSB. User bte_teamcis, PlanetMinecraft.com

We've been wowed by Russian creativity in the video game Minecraft as a response to coronavirus (both in light of crushing boredom and the closure of public spaces). We've already covered an acting troupe that's been doing shows in a recreated version of their theater and an online high school that's providing all the joys of education with none of the swirlies, both of which impressed our inner gamers.

The next logical step, of course, was Putin's (alleged; he denies it's his) gaudily lavish and corruption-funded Black Sea palace, the focus of opposition leader Alexei Navalny's recent tell-all YouTube video and the catalyst for widespread protests across the country.

A group of Russian users has faithfully recreated the highlights of Navalny's video at 1:1 scale, including the performance hall, hookah bar (complete with pole, which Navalny sarcastically speculates is used for massive shawarma), "mud storeroom" adorned with pigs' heads, and the mysterious (and meme-worthy) "aquadiskoteka."

Unfortunately, some outbuildings seem to be missing, such as the amphitheater, tea house, vinyard, cave-balcony, and underground hockey rink/helipad. But we're happy to overlook those, even if Putin isn't.

Your Minecraft avatar can sip wine and watch the sunset (all while plotting the poisoning of your rivals) by downloading the world here.

If flight simulators are more your thing, you don't need to feel left out: you can also say hi to Russia's most lavish abode in your virtual plane.

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Some of our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

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.

 
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

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.

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. 

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

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.

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