Current Moscow Time: 22:06:4718 May 2013
The world’s biggest country, in a magazine. Since 1956.
Russian Life: Mar/Apr 2009
7: Murder in Broad Daylight
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
In the spring of 1989, election fever swept through Russia - a country well experienced in elections, just not free and open ones...
:: Translation by Nora Favorov
Russian Calendar
21: Deconstructing Dashkova
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.
:: Translation by Nora Favorov
Russian Calendar
24: Terrible's Father
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.
:: Translation by Nora Favorov
Russian Calendar
26: 825 Yards for Barack
The financial crisis offers a pretext to return to a consideration of "despicable metal" and how it is influencing Russian speech.
:: Illustrations/Images by Victor Bogorad
Survival Russian
28: Understanding Gogol
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.
:: Translation by Peter Morley
Features
34: The Hunger Artist
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
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.
:: Translation by Deborah Hoffman
Features
42: Still More Gogol
Some additional notes on Gogolian influences in Russian life.
Features
44: Baltic Outpost
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
Sustainable, organic and green cuisine comes to St. Petersburg. Our recipe: Lentil Soup.
Cuisine
54: Art Repatriated
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
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
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
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