December 04, 2007

Holiday Gift Ideas


Holiday Gift Ideas

Russian Life Annual Gift Buying Guide

 

It's that time of year again. Time to find something for the Russophile in your life. Or time to find something russophilic for friends yet to be bitten by the bug. So we have pulled together information on some great ideas that are sure to satisfy.

Of course, it goes without saying that you will have gotten Russian Life subscriptions and Wall Calendars for everyone on your list! But that's just a start.

Books always make great gifts. And there never seems to be a shortage of books on Russia. Suzanne Massie's Land of the Firebird is a fabulous introduction to Russian culture and history, and her profile of Pavlovsk palace is an intimate glimpse at an interesting facet of Russian history (207-374-5748).

A new book on the brothers and artists Sergei and Aleksei Tkachev, Masters of Russian Impressionism, has been published by The Museum of Russian Art (952-914-0200). It is a wonderful art book filled with beautiful examples of the Tkachev's art, plus an insightful introduction. The Museum also has another fine book, Soviet Impressionism; be sure to ask about that one as well!

Stanford University Press has a new book out (The Big Show in Bololand) on the little known chapter of Russian history that was the US rescue effort after the Russian Civil War (the period after that covered by our article on page 50).

How about videos? For videos on the Second World War and some little-known chapters in Russian history, you'll want to contact International Historic Films (773-927-2900).

The company Portable Film Festivals (877-477-2835) has rediscovered four interesting Russian films and added subtitling in English. This makes them a great way to study Russian, aside from the fact that these are nice films.

Looking for a broader selection of films in Russian and don't need subtitling? Try St. Petersburg Publishing or RBC. Both also have growing DVD selections. 

Of course, if you have a real Russian film lover on your hands (the technical term is Russofilmophile), you could get them a year's subscription to the Russian Television Network, and they can watch Russian films, news and TV serials-direct from Russia! (800-222-2RTN; a Russian movie channel is available)

What about music? For those with a special interest in Russian choral or church music (including sheet music), check out Musica Russica.

Finally, there are gifts of beauty and color. For lacquer boxes, start with Russian Sunbirds (619-220-7172) and Kremlin Gifts (207-649-7853). Both offer quality crafts and an excellent selection.

At Sunbirds' website you can search by artist, era, subject, price range and more. They specialize in lacquer boxes, but also offer lacquered eggs, matryoshkas, carved gifts, brooches, plates and more.

Kremlin Gifts also headlines with their lacquer boxes, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. They offer fine shawls, Gzhel, matryoshkas, Khokhloma, dolls, icons and more.

Call, email or browse through what both these fine companies have to offer - you are sure to find just the right gift for someone special.

Exclusive Collections offers authentic Russian perfumes and beauty products on its website and in its New York showroom (888-870-5437). They offer everything from colognes for men to body splashes and perfumes for women, to fun shampoos for kids.

Happy Holidays.

-The Editors

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Moscow Eccentric

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.
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.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
The Latchkey Murders

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...
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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.
Turgenev Bilingual

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.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955