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Kornei Chukovsky
March 01, 2012

Kornei Chukovsky

It is difficult to imagine anyone in Russia (or the former USSR) who does now know who Kornei Chukovsky is.

Vasily Bazhenov
March 01, 2012

Vasily Bazhenov

Of all the figures that have risen to prominence throughout the history of Russian culture, few have been so plagued by misfortune as architect Vasily Bazhenov.

Peter's Table of Ranks
January 01, 2012

Peter's Table of Ranks

How the introduction of Peter I's merit-based system of ranks changed Russian society after its introduction in 1722.

Paranoia Trumps True Love
January 01, 2012

Paranoia Trumps True Love

A look back at the law of February 15, 1947, that outlawed Soviets' marriage to foreigners, and a marvelous 1967 play that wonderfully dramatized the sad situation.

Alexander Scriabin
January 01, 2012

Alexander Scriabin

A short consideration of the life and work of Alexander Scriabin, born on Jan. 6, 1872, a composer whose life was cut tragically short, but who nonetheless set the stage for much that was to come.

End of the USSR
November 01, 2011

End of the USSR

A ground-eye view of the end of the USSR, which took place 20 years ago this month.

Underwater Hero
November 01, 2011

Underwater Hero

In 1927 the writer Alexander Belyayev wrote a story about a young man who was able to live under water... in 1961 it became a hit film: Amphibian Man.

Peruvian Volcano Unseats Russian Tsar
November 01, 2011

Peruvian Volcano Unseats Russian Tsar

When a volcano erupted in Peru in 1600, it had huge effects not only in South America, but across the globe. And especially in Russia, where crop failures led to hunger and discontent, eventually leading to the Time of Troubles.

Lucky Murmansk
September 01, 2011

Lucky Murmansk

Murmansk was founded 95 years ago this October. We look back at the history of its founding and its appearance in a particularly important piece of literature.

Pyotr Stolypin
September 01, 2011

Pyotr Stolypin

The story of Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin, arguably Russia's most significant reformer, can be told in very different ways.

The Lyceum
September 01, 2011

The Lyceum

it was on October 19, 1811 that, in the presence of His Highness Emperor Alexander I, the Lyceum at Tsarskoye Selo was inaugurated. The institution’s first years, like everything associated with the name of Alexander Pushkin, has long since become the stuff of legend within Russian culture.

 

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EVENTS FOR RUSSOPHILES

A Few of Our Books

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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
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.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
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.

Popular Articles

Why Don't Russians Smile?
January 10, 2014

Why Don't Russians Smile?

It is a common trope that Russians never smile. Which of course is interpreted to mean they are unfriendly, gloomy, sullen – positively Dostoyevskian. This, of course, is a complete misreading of body language and cultural norms.

Russian Life Takes a Pause
March 07, 2022

Russian Life Takes a Pause

As the world reels from the horrific, criminal events being perpetrated in Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, the Russian state, and the Russian military, all of us who nurture a love for Russian people, their culture and history, have been heartbroken. It is not easy to remain a Russophile when suddenly, all across the globe, the adjective “Russian” has become toxic.

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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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