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Russian Life: Mar/Apr 2008
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7: President Medvedev
A brief consideration of the new president, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, his past, his interests, and scandals he has weathered.
Note Book
19: The Tragic Khan
In April 1783, Russia annexed the Crimea. We look back at the Khan who enabled enabled it, and his ignominious fate.
Russian Calendar
:: Translation by
Nora Favorov
21: The Unseemly Holiday
Where did this holiday come from? Why does Russia still celebrate it? How did it survive the Soviet collapse?
Russian Calendar
:: Translation by
Nora Favorov
23: The Aspirations of Youth
Tsar Alexander's speech to the Polish Sejm in 1818 set off a century of turmoil. Poland was given freedoms which Russia somehow was not deserving of. It helped spur the Decembrist revolt and all that followed.
Russian Calendar
:: Translation by
Nora Favorov
26: Rural Medicine: Remedies and Realities
Columnist Laura Williams recounts in run-ins with the Russian health care system, village-style.
Notes from a Russian Village
29: Two Bears in One Den
In honor of the rise to power of the bear president (Medvedev), Mikhail Ivanov looks at bearisms in the Russian language.
Survival Russian
:: Illustrations/Images by Victor Bogorad
30: Ryazan: Gateway to the Russian Heartland
If you want to understand Russia, you have to leave Moscow and St. Petersburg behind and visit the towns and villages of the heartland. And it would be hard to find a better place to start than Ryazan. An added plus: it is just 200 km from Moscow.
Features
36: Nostalgia in the Internet Age
Online social networking is booming in Russia today. Former classmates, army buddies and summer flames are seeking each other out, reconnecting after years apart. These are a few of their stories.
Features
41: Optina Pustyn: The Forest Retreat
It began as a simple monastic retreat in the forests of Kaluga region. By the mid-19th century, Optina Pustyn had become one of the most important religious sites in all of Russia. Today, the monastery and hermitage are struggling to rebuild after decades of neglect.
Features
48: Between Glinka & Silvestrov
A prolific composer and masterful performer, Sergei Rachmaninov bridged musical eras and national cultures. Indeed, his name is synonymous with 20th century classical music in the U.S., Russia and?Europe. Yet the irony is that Rachmaninov might have felt more at home in the 19th century –?as long as there were cars.
Features
52: Preserving 1000 Years of Russian Art
This revered museum is the world’s largest repository of Russian art. Often overshadowed by the Hermitage, this 110-year-old institution may be one of St. Petersburg’s best kept secrets. But it is not to be missed. In fact, if you visit St. Petersburg and miss the Russian Museum, it is like going to Moscow and skipping Red Square.
Features
60: Remembrance of Breads Past
A rediscovery and a remake of the most Russian of Russian breads: Borodinsky.
Cuisine
62: Storks, Pravda, Bolsheviks and Stalin's Children
A quick review of several worthy books, including a reissue of an Akhmatova classic, a massive tome on childhood under the Soviets, a modern fiction masterpiece, and Laura Williams' new memoir.
Under Review
64: Our Naked Army
With great pomp and circumstance, it was announced in January that the Russian military would be getting new dress uniforms, designed by Valentin Yudashkin. We asked a noted military observer to comment.
Post Script