Author

Nicky Gardner

NICKY GARDNER is a writer based in Berlin, Germany. She has a particular interest in social and cultural minorities in Europe. Nicky has authored hundreds of articles for print publications, many of them exploring aspects of everyday life in unsung parts of Europe. Her work is, she says, an exercise in literary cartography, quietly uncovering aspects of European life glossed over by the regular media. She is also co-editor of hidden europe magazine (www.hiddeneurope.co.uk).

On the Iron Roads
Russian Life: Jan/Feb 2013
For the past 175 years, railways have bound together the sprawling Russian state, enabling industrialization, social mobility and contact with the outside world. Yet they have also been an important cultural and literary touchpoint.
Author: Nicky Gardner
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Northern Limits
Russian Life: July/Aug 2012
Over the past few years Russia has sought to extend its protection and dominion over the Arctic. But this is not a new pursuit. In fact, this year marks the centenary of several significant explorations of the Russia’s northern boundaries.
Author: Nicky Gardner
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Russian Finland
Russian Life: Nov/Dec 2011
Most Finns define their nationhood and heritage in terms of Russia, of which Finland was a part from 1809 to 1917. We explore the complex interplay of Russo-Finnish relations, past and present,especially those along the border.
Author: Nicky Gardner
Illustrations/Images: Susanne Kries
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Riviera Russians
Russian Life: July/Aug 2011
Since at least the days of Turgenev, Russians have flocked to the French and Italian Rivieras to escape northern winters. A new direct train, the first since the Revolution, may ignite that tradition anew. [Includes full page sidebar on Russian Churches on the Riviera.]
Author: Nicky Gardner
Illustrations/Images: Susanne Kries
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How the East Was Won
Russian Life: May/June 2011
Since Soviet Russia began domestic production of trucks and automobiles, the road rally has been a venerated pursuit. Yet, interestingly, Russian road rallies are not about winning a race, but finishing a quest.
Author: Nicky Gardner
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The City of Chagall
Russian Life: May/June 2010
Just over Russia’s border in Belarus is the remarkable city of Vitebsk, birthplace for a surprisingly influential artistic community that flourished just before and after the Revolution.
Author: Nicky Gardner
Illustrations/Images: Susanne Kries
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Berlinograd
Russian Life: Jan/Feb 2010
No other part of Europe can match Berlin and its immediate hinterland for having such a prolonged engagement with Russia. In fact, locals sometimes refer to the German capital as Berlinograd.
Author: Nicky Gardner
Illustrations/Images: Susanne Kries
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Baltic Outpost
Russian Life: Mar/Apr 2009
Kaliningrad is unlike anywhere else in Russia. Half German, half Russian, it perches on the Baltic coast, uncertain where the winds of history might blow it.
Author: Nicky Gardner
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