January 27, 2004 Putinlovefest Russia's March presidential election was exciting for about 5 minutes, when there was talk amongst "opposition" candidates of boycotting elections, to deny Putin an electoral minimum, bringing a constitutionally mandated end to his presidency. But, by minute 6, a prominent democrat had defected and enough wacko candidates were popping up in the wings to guarantee the required 50% voter turnout. Now we are ensured a Putinlovefest of unprecedented proportions. Stay tuned... Russia File
January 01, 2004 Just a Minute An offbeat look at the different ways Russians and Americans think about, and talk about, time.
January 01, 2004 Calendar Items in Brief Short takes on some historical dates with anniversaries during this issue's publication period.
January 01, 2004 Ioseliani An intimate biography of the Georgian filmmaker Otar Ioseliani, who turns 70 on February 2, 2004. A filmography is also included.
January 01, 2004 A Winter Ferment One of Russia's most typical winter dishes is fermented cabbage. You'll want to rush out to the store and buy a few heads to make this dish when you are done reading our recipe.
January 01, 2004 The Magical World of the Russian Circus It is the world's largest circus organization and one of its oldest. We asked a noted circus-phile to take us behind the flaps of Russia's Big Top, to look at the fascinating history of this 210-year-old institution.
January 01, 2004 May the Waters Be With You With roots stretching back over a millennium, the Russian banya (steam bath) is stitched tightly into the fabric of the Russian soul. We asked an intrepid journalist to help us unravel the mysteries, and sent him on a tour of Moscow's finest public bani.
January 01, 2004 Payback Time Russia faces the same demographic presures as other industrialized nations: a declining workforce, rising numbers of retirees, and a desire to lower taxes. To meet the challenge, the Russian government is privatizing a part of pensions. Sort of.
January 01, 2004 Daily Bread A page-long sidebar to our story on the Leningrad Siege, in which we look back at how people fed themselves during the horrific blockade.
January 01, 2004 Siege It was one of the most horrifying and heroic episodes of the last century. Sixty years ago this January, the 900-day Siege of Leningrad was finally broken. We take you back for a look at what daily life was like for average Leningraders.
January 01, 2004 How Many Lenins Does it Take? 60 years ago, the first statue to Lenin was unveiled in the Soviet Union. They soon multiplied to unfathomable numbers, and the tide was only turned back when the Soviet Union collapsed. We look back at the sometimes odd history of Lenin worship.
January 01, 2004 Primorye: Cars and Crime In the third installment of Ilya Stogoff's travels in the Russian Far East, the author explores Russia's Eastern Crime Capital (Khabarovsk), and has a first-hand encounter with "the criminal element." Travel
