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To the Frontline or to Prison
November 02, 2022

To the Frontline or to Prison

“Now they have been abandoned without command. They are in some village in the Luhansk region. They need to get out of there because now they are attacked again by an army of enemies. How will they return to Russia? What will happen to them next? We can’t even imagine.”

– Irina, wife of a Russian soldier mobilized in Ukraine

Everything That Should Not Be Written
October 26, 2022

Everything That Should Not Be Written

"I'm a fool. I didn't just cross the line, I erased it unintentionally... I think about every child, every mother, and every family. And I also think and suffer about every child on the other side, I dream that there would be no deaths, that children would not die. Believe me, the tear of every baby is my pain, my nightmare. I don't wish death on anyone, anyone."

Anton Krasovsky, head of the Russian-language directorate of RT Russia

Completed in Full
October 19, 2022

Completed in Full

"We hope and pray that you return alive and healthy [and] that you return victorious, having defended the security and independence of our country."

– Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin,
announcing the end to mobilization in the capital.

Death Awaits Them
October 12, 2022

Death Awaits Them

"Honestly, they will all die there."

– Kirill, a Russian soldier who has fought in Ukraine
offers a grim prognosis of what awaits the new mobilized recruits.

Mediocrity Grows Up
October 05, 2022

Mediocrity Grows Up

“It’s time to prove themselves in a real fight, I can only welcome this desire.”

– Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, announcing that he was sending his teenage sons to Ukraine

A Soldier Nation
September 28, 2022

A Soldier Nation

"We are a soldier country, a soldier nation. We will fight, it's not our first time, and so on... I feel that a rather gloomy period is ahead."

– Alexei Levinson, Levada

The Essence of Freedom
August 31, 2022

The Essence of Freedom

“Independence Day will have a different meaning this year. Us Ukrainians love our freedom. We can say what we believe. My friends in Russia say they have a democracy. What kind of democracy is it if you cannot call a war a war?” 

                                   – A Russian living in Ukraine, Tatyana Antonova
My God, a Symbol of Separation
August 17, 2022

My God, a Symbol of Separation

“There was a certain girl here who was handing out some permission to paint to artists, complete nonsense. I gave her this work, and the first thing she said was that it was a very dangerous job, because if Gorbachev saw it, he would not allow the unification of Germany and that she will send it to the senate of West Berlin, which was a different country, for approval.” 

                                   –  Dmitry Vrubel, the artist behind the Berlin Wall's "The Fraternal Kiss"

 

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EVENTS FOR RUSSOPHILES

HANUKKAH - FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
December 10, 2023 to December 10, 2023

HANUKKAH - FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Plummer Park - Fiesta Hall | West Hollywood, CA

Kol Sephardic Choir (ROSE) & Pasión Flamenca De Los Angeles cordially invite you to a wonderful musical event, "HANUKKAH-Festival of Lights"

Spirituality in Eastern Christianity
September 22, 2023 to January 21, 2024

Spirituality in Eastern Christianity

Museum of Russian Icons | Clinton, MA

An exhibition of photographs by Alain de Lotbinière. The 26 images were taken during the course of several trips to Northern Macedonia, Serbia, and Russia, as well as during visits to sites in Turkey and Egypt. 

Russian-Language Gallery Tour
February 22, 2022 to February 22, 2032

Russian-Language Gallery Tour

Brooklyn Museum | Brooklyn, NY

Russian-language tour exploring our collection in depth, second Sunday of each month at 1 pm. Free, reservations required

Komar and Melamid in America
September 13, 2023 to February 04, 2024

Komar and Melamid in America

Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University | New Brunswick, NJ

The joint work of the well-known Moscow-born American artists Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid, who worked together from 1972 to 2003.

A Few of Our Books

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Popular Articles

Using Laughter to Cope
September 07, 2021

Using Laughter to Cope

These eight outstanding Soviet comedies show ​​some of what has made Russians laugh over the past century. Most are still watched today. (First in our new series on learning about Russia through its films.)

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

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