January 01, 2020

Happy New Year! Enjoy Your Bath!


Happy New Year! Enjoy Your Bath!
The mayor's office response to this penis-shaped ice rink in Novosibirsk: "Real art should excite you!" Govorit Moskva | Telegram

“People discussed whether Nadya and Ippolit had sex.”

– One of the FAQ’s about the beloved Soviet New Year’s film Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, according to the daughter of the director. 

Unfortunately for Russia, UNESCO refused to accept the iconic film Irony of Fate, along with other Russian New Year’s traditions – like visiting the banya on December 31st (a key component of the film) and Salad Olivye – as items of intangible cultural heritage. Maybe they’ll have better luck next year, if Russia actually ratifies UNESCO’s convention on protecting items of intangible cultural heritage. In the meantime, we hope all Russians still enjoyed their New Year’s baths!

In addition to mayonnaise-based salads, Russians met the New Year with pastry-shaped ornaments and a penis-shaped ice rink. Unlike skating rinks and Irony of Fate, though, New Year’s icons Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and his helper Snegorochka remained solidly PG. Officials in St. Petersburg did not let the two fairy-tale characters get married

Ded Moroz and Snegorochka wedding
They were denied because they were not dressed for the occasion. But she is still wearing a white dress! / Fontanka.ru

Most importantly, Russians met the New Year with their family, the life priority of 90% of Russians. 

We wish you a New Year full of family – and happiness, health, and all the other things to which Russians love to toast.

С новым годом! 

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Some of our Books

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The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
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Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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.

White Magic
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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.

Little Golden Calf
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Little Golden Calf

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.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
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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.

 
Bears in the Caviar
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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.

At the Circus
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At the Circus

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.

The Latchkey Murders
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The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

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