December 10, 2007

Putin Lite or False Dmitry?


And so the choice has been made.

Dmitry Medvedev will be the next president of Russia, having gotten the nod from Putin, United Russia and all the other powers that matter.

Now the chatter will begin discussing whether Medvedev is more liberal, how he is the "softer" choice than would have been the candidate of the siloviki, Sergei Ivanov.

Don't believe a word of it.

Medvedev and Putin have worked hand in glove for the past 17 years. Medvedev, in his most recent role of Chief of Staff, has implemented Putin's policies for the last several years, including the crackdown on the oligarchs. He may have been given the "social programs" brief for the last year or so, but don't be fooled. Medvedev is Putin and Putin is Medvedev. They would not have continued to work side by side for so long if they were not mainly of one mind.
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Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.
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Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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.
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A Taste of Russia

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The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
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