January 01, 2022 The First and Last National Census Late January 2022 marks 125 years since the first thorough count of the Russian Empire’s population was begun in 1897. What was the significance of this endeavor, how was it carried out, and what were its results?
February 01, 1996 Three Stories for Maslenitsa Three stories by Chekhov are translated here for the season of late winter and Maslenitsa: Bliny, The Stupid Frenchman, and On Frailty.
May 01, 2000 Chekhov Today Few writers have had as much impact on literature and drama as Anton Chekhov. And yet his legacy is largely ignored or overlooked.
March 01, 2020 The Beauties On the occasion of the great writer’s 160th birthday, we offer up one of his lesser-known classics, newly translated.
January 01, 2010 Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Chekhov was one of Russia's most prolific and influential writers, and this January marks his 150th birthday. We look back at his work, always worth another read.
April 01, 1999 The Poet of Laughter Russian Life visits with a leading expert on Nikolai Gogol, to consider the writer's legacy and influence.
October 01, 2010 12: Chekhov BILINGUAL THIS ISSUE IS SOLD OUT! But we have re-worked it into book form, which can be found HERE Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, including "the little trilogy"; an extract from "The Seagull"; Chekhov's own favorite story; plus the earliest version of Bunin's memoir about Chekhov, full of wonderful first person reportage on the writer's habits and manner.
August 08, 2019 When Chekhov Met Tolstoy On this day in 1895, two Titans of Russian literature met for the first time and had a swim. Or did they?
March 18, 2020 Dissecting Chekhov Translation is an art, not a science. And translating Chekhov is a particularly challenging art.
April 23, 2020 Dr. Anton Chekhov and the Typhus Epidemic In 1887, Chekhov the doctor encountered typhus, leading Chekhov the writer to pen this powerful story.
January 29, 2022 The Fiasco, by Anton Chekhov In honor of Chekhov's birthday, we present his story, "The Fiasco," translated by Bob Blaisdell. And a video version...
Russian 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.
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.
Kashtanka – A Bilingual Reader A bilingual presentation of one of the great classics of Russian literature.
East of the Sun: The Epic Conquest and Tragic History of Siberia The very word Siberia evokes a history and reputation as awesome as it is enthralling. In this acclaimed book on Russia’s conquest of its eastern realms, Benson Bobrick offers a story that is both rich and subtle, broad and deep.
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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Resilience ~ The Russian Version (Переживем) Call it resilience, grit, or just perseverance – it takes a special sort of person to have survived the last 100 years of Russian and Soviet history.
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.
At the Circus (bilingual) This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Turgenev Bilingual A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual) 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.
