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Russian Life: Mar/Apr 2009

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7: Murder in Broad Daylight Maria Antonova
The murders of lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova in the context of the endangered climate for journalism in Russia.
Note Book

19: Arrival of Russian Democracy Tamara Eidelman
In the spring of 1989, election fever swept through Russia - a country well experienced in elections, just not free and open ones...
Russian Calendar
:: Translation by Nora Favorov

21: Deconstructing Dashkova Tamara Eidelman
If we look closely at Dashkova, one of the most famous women in Russian history, we find that things are not as clear as we imagined. In fact, we get the impression that much of Dashkova's life was filled with heartbreak and sorrow.
Russian Calendar
:: Translation by Nora Favorov

24: Terrible's Father Tamara Eidelman
It was the fate of Grand Prince Vasily III to be squeezed into history between two more famous men - one great, one terrible, and both named Ivan.
Russian Calendar
:: Translation by Nora Favorov

26: 825 Yards for Barack Mikhail Ivanov
The financial crisis offers a pretext to return to a consideration of "despicable metal" and how it is influencing Russian speech.
Survival Russian
:: Illustrations/Images by Victor Bogorad

28: Understanding Gogol Yury Mann
Recognized soon after his first publication as a writer of great promise, Gogol went on to prove the critics right, and to create a body of work that has no equal in the Russian pantheon. This April (or March, depending on your calendar) is his bicentenary.
Features
:: Translation by Peter Morley

34: The Hunger Artist Darra Goldstein
Gogol's writing is intensely sensual - full of rich tastes, smells, sights and sounds. We consider how his fixation on food and digestion influenced his storytelling, how, as Nabokov put it, "the belly is the belle of his stories."
Features

40: Dead Souls for Two Metronomes Ilya Ovchinnikov
From Gogol's work have arisen some truly great works of music. We look at the composers he influenced and the music they have offered.
Features
:: Translation by Deborah Hoffman

42: Still More Gogol
Some additional notes on Gogolian influences in Russian life.
Features

44: Baltic Outpost Nicky Gardner
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.
Features

52: Going Green in St. Petersburg Darra Goldstein
Sustainable, organic and green cuisine comes to St. Petersburg. Our recipe: Lentil Soup.
Cuisine

54: Art Repatriated John Varoli
Russia is quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) searching out and bringing home lost treasures. This is the story of one of those quests - to return to Russia a rather amazing and singular collection.
Features

61: Verses, Vodka and Royalty Paul E. Richardson
Reviews of Verses and Versions; The King of Vodka; The Last Days of the Romanovs; The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan. Plus brief reviews of some potboiler thrillers, some worthy, some not so much.
Under Review

64: After the Crisis Alexei Bayer
Russia needs to prepare now for the post-recession world, by looking at how it supports and invests in Russian industry, particularly in the natural resource sphere.
Post Script

65: Uchites 02 Susanna Nazarova and Evgeny Dengub
The second edition of our Uchites language insert, sponsored by Russkiy Mir Foundation, uses the life and works of Nikolai Gogol to explore grammar, build vocabulary and facility in reading Russian.
Language