February 22, 2024

Two Years


Two Years

Vladimir Putin wanted a subservient Ukraine. He created an enemy for life.

He wanted a fractious, weakened NATO. He caused it to increase in size, unity, and military spending.

He wanted NATO to be pushed back from Russian borders. NATO now has 830 miles more border with Russia.

He wanted to be seen on a par with Catherine the Great, an empire builder and great diplomat. He will go down in history as a paranoid, despotic aggressor who made Russia first-hated among nations.

After two years, Russia is no closer to “winning” its War on Ukraine than it was on day one, when its loss began: a loss of status, economic power, influence, and, most importantly, the catastrophic losses in human life.

Meanwhile, Ukraine, which Putin feels does not deserve to be a country (yet is the largest in Europe) has grown immensely in stature – the brave and guardians at the Eastern Gates of Western Democracy whose standing army is now the largest in Europe.

We might try to take comfort from the fact that even 71-year-old Vladimir Putin is mortal. That even if elected president for life, he will one day – as do we all – pass from this world. But even that will not change things. Not quickly.

Consider all the judges, police officers, bureaucrats, diplomats, businesspeople, and average citizens, who – be it because of fear or self-aggrandizement – have quickly and easily fallen into step with the oppressive dictates of the Kremlin and its minions.

One person does not run a country. It takes tens of thousands of willing accomplices to create a dictatorship.

A darkness has risen over Russian souls such that even if today Russia retreated to within its historical carapace and gave up on this folly, it would take many years, decades perhaps, for Russia to regain any measure of respect and influence.

There is nothing to celebrate on this, the second anniversary of Russia igniting the most horrific land war in Europe since World War II. Except perhaps the dogged persistence of the Ukrainian people, their resolve to remain independent, to join and be an integral part of Europe, to finally and forever live their lives free of Russian domination.

It is very hard to be a Russophile given all that has been done in Russia’s name over the past decade. But perhaps we can embrace Ukrainophilia and hope that, after this darkness ends (and winter always ends), these people who live on the land where Ancient Rus got its start will get the freedom, community, and peace that they deserve.

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Some of our Books

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

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.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

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.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

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.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

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.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

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.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

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...

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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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