If you have family roots in Russia, you are in good company. Between 1820 and 1992, according to INS data, some 3,512,332 individuals immigrated to the United States from Russia, most of them around the turn of the century (2.5 mn between 1897 and WWI).

This week, depressing news about divisions and birth rates can only really be counteracted with a smile over the Orthodox church’s new take on sex.

St. Nicholas, Babouschka, Christmas Eve festivities . . .Ded Moroz leading to Christmas on January 7th.

Victor is a 21-year-old student in Moscow. In this guest post, he explains why he, and so many of his generation, is fed up with Russia's electoral system, and why he will be going out to protest on December 10.

English text of Tsar Alexander II's Emancipation Edict (March 3, 1861).

RIS Publications, the publisher of Russian Life magazine, was founded in 1990 on the principle that paying attention to international issues matters. While U.S.-Russian relations and the history and society of the world’s largest country are important, there is no larger international issue than the health of this planet. 

Some reasons to consider studying Russian outside Moscow and St. Petersburg, with a listing of schools and their programs in provincial cities.

Sergei Bodrov, Jr., shines in Netflix's Top 10 list in Brat's first week.

A few insights to help you make it through Russian 101, from someone who's got a little experience.

The American journalist and historian with Belarusian roots learned Russian after being assigned to the region in the 1990s. She spent a  semester in Leningrad during college, and has said that shaped her views significantly.