October 25, 2006 Notes from Underground [Editor's Letter for the Nov/Dec 2006 issue. By Paul E. Richardson]The day after Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya was assassinated (see page 9), I was editing this issueâ??s story on Dostoyevsky (page 50) and happened to read Vissarion Belinskyâ??s infamous 1847 letter to Nikolai Gogol. The public reading of this letter (to a handful of friends) was a main reason for Dostoyevskyâ??s conviction for subversion. This famous excerpt attracted my attention:
October 25, 2006 Tiger by the tail In the November/December 2006 issue of Russian Life, we have an interesting article about recent events in Kondopoga, by Russian security expert Marina Latysheva. In the article, Latysheva asserts that certain persons of influence may have sought to exploit the events in Kondopoga. The conflict was not an ethnic backlash at all, Latysheva said, but all about local residents' battling against a t
October 17, 2006 Matryoshka - Soul of Russia The history and traditions surrounding matryoshka; Russian nesting dolls; Russia's most sought after folkart souvenir.
August 17, 2006 St. Basil the Blessed St. Basil the Blessed is both a well known Moscow landmark and cherished saint. Learn about the ten pillars of the cathedral and what it means to be a 'fool for Christ.' Religion
May 15, 2006 Sex and the Future of Russian Society Abortion, HIV/AIDS and Russia's infant mortality rates are on the increase. At the same time, the nation's birthrate and population growth are dramatically decreasing with many children being adopted abroad. Health
May 08, 2006 Demographic Woes Russia's population is in steady decline. So you would think it natural that the country would welcome immigrant workers. You'd think... Politics
May 05, 2006 Russian Spas Russia's history of taking to the spas, in the shadow of military conflict. Culture Health
April 28, 2006 The Saami's Story The Saami people (Russian population: 1,800) struggle to survive as a small national group in Russia. Culture
April 21, 2006 Easter Reborn Easter survived by stealth and cunning through the Soviet era. Now it is making a triumphant comeback in Russia as the country grasps religion anew. Religion
April 13, 2006 Space Race II? On the 45th anniversary of the first manned space flight, Russia lays out an ambitious space plan. Int'l Relations Science
April 07, 2006 Wine Embargo Russia puts a cork in wine imports from Georgia and Moldova. Are the reasons political or otherwise? Food & Drink Int'l Relations
March 30, 2006 White Ribbon Victory Do recent nationwide demonstrations in Russia signal a new faith in public action to foment political change? Politics
