Waiting

Waiting
Last week I visited a church to attend service and talk with a priest, but I found the church almost empty. A notice on the door said that service would be in another church. I ran there and saw hundreds of people staying in the sandy field. They were waiting for the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia; or the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. He was coming to consecrate a place in Smolensk where young Prince Gleb was killed 1000 years ago. According to the Chronicle, Gleb was murdered by his elder brother Sviatopolk during the internecine war for the Kiev throne. Saint Gleb and his brother Saint Boris (also killed) are the patron saints of all Russian princes. In the photo: waiting for the Patriarch.
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The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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Fearful Majesty
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This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

The Moscow Eccentric
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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.

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