Russian Life: Mar/Apr 2004

14: Fazil Iskander Galina Yuzefovich
A look at the life and work of one of Russia's most beloved contemporary writers, on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
Russian Calendar

16: Herding Cats: Yuri Kuklachyov Dasha Demourova
They say you couldn't train cats. Maybe no one told Yuri Kuklachov, who has been doing it for nearly thirty years.
Russian Calendar

20: Putin Held Hostage
With his reelection a sure bet, President Vladimir Putin is poised to begin his second Kremlin term. We turned to a noted satirist and opposition activist to find out what he projects for Putin 2.0.
Interview

22: The Oligarchs and the President Eric Helque
The vital subtext for March’s election is the battle between the Kremlin and the oligarchs. We walk back through recent history and provide up-to-date profiles of Russia’s weakened robber-barons.
:: Illustrations/Images by Denis Petrulenkov
Features

29: Russia on a Thousand Rubles a Day Peter Morley
Or perhaps we should say, “Russia on the Cheap.” We asked a long-time expat in Russia to report on how travelers are seeing an intimate and unexpected side of Russia, and doing it inexpensively.
Features

38: The Coldest Village on Earth Nick Allen
So you think it has been cold in the US this winter? Well, you don’t know from cold. You want cold, you go to Siberia. And when Siberians want cold, they go to Oymyakon. So that’s where Nick Allen went. You get to tag along.
Travel

43: The World’s Longest Road Ilya Stogoff
In this, the final installment in Ilya Stogoff’s journey across the Russian Far East, the intrepid (if politically incorrect) journalist tries to get home on the Transsiberian Railroad.
Travel

48: Mapping Russia Steve Boulay
A map can be such a vivid, descriptive portal into a nation’s history. We asked a map collector and Russophile to share with us some of the most interesting historic maps of Russia.
Features

56: Flirting, Courting and Saying it Right Lina Rozovskaya
Ah, the language of love. It is a many-tangled thing. And often you only get one chance to get it right. Be sure to study this column before putting your best foot forward.
Survival Russian

57: The Invisible Statue Vasily Latenko
In St. Petersburg, every alley and cornice has a history. And the Admiralty, central to the city’s history for three centuries, has plenty of stories to tell. Here is just one.
Features

61: The Soup of Life Darra Goldstein
Most Americans consider borshch the quintissential Rusian soup, but the truth is that shchi -- cabbage soup -- holds that honor. Here we look at its history and offer a tasty recipe.
Cuisine

62: Six Imperial Era Titles Paul E. Richardson
A quick review of six new books that focus on or have their roots in the pre-Revolutionary era.
Under Review