May 18, 2011

Coming Russian Events


For a Russophile, it can be frustrating to find out about an interesting event related to Russia after it has just happened. On the flip side, it can also be rather difficult to find out about new events far enough in advance before they happen, especially events in your area, so that one can attend.

For several years now, we have been collecting data on Russia-related events at museums, festivals, art galleries, etc. to try to maintain a clearinghouse of what is going on throughout the US on the Russian front. At first, we tried to track down and enter all the information on these events ourselves.

We soon gave up on that Sisyphean task and shifted the onus onto the event presenters, offering them a facility to easily add and update their events on our website. That has seemed to work much better. (Feel free to forward this link to anyone you hear of that is putting on a Russia-related event.) We now like to think we catch most (70-80%) of what is going on and we publish event information from our constantly updated database in our magazine if it is far enough in the future to work with editorial deadlines.

Very often, however, we hear about events so close to their occurrence that they will never make it into print. Yet we still encourage organizers to add their events to our database, hoping that readers and Russophiles will check in to the web-based database from time to time, to see what might be going on in their area (the database is searchable by state, event type, etc.).

But clearly that is not enough, so we'll be looking into ways that people can sign up to be automatically notified, or how we can send out automatic weekly updates of events happening throughout the US every week or so, be it via email, Twitter or Facebook. Any readers with constructive suggestions in this regard, please sound off! Meanwhile, here are three examples of upcoming events that we just heard about, and which are happening in major metropolitan areas in the very near future:

  • Causa Artium is putting on a series of literary events in the NY Metro area showcasing young Russian authors, several of them already famous. The first event is May 20. Here is the listing, which also links to Causa Artium's website.
  • Vladislav Lavrik, who has been hailed as Russia's finest trumpeter, will be giving a solo concert in Minneapolis (a few days after playing the National Anthem with dozens of other top world trumpeters at a Twins game) on May 26. The event info is here.
  • The Angel Orensanz Center in NY is putting on an interesting photo exhibit through the end of May devoted to Ilya Repin.

Enjoy!

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Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
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The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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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.  
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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.
Fearful Majesty

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Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

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A Taste of Chekhov
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This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

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The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
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