Dmitri Liss, conductor Russian National Orchestra founder and director Mikhail Pletnev had suffered a foot injury while hiking on the eve of the orchestra's first Hollywood Bowl concert. Associate director Dmitri Liss was tapped to fill Pletnev’s spot at the podium that first night — a daunting assignment no matter what your preparation. 100 Young Russians
Masha Mironova, actor There is a Russian saying that “Nature ignores the children of geniuses.” Nothing could be less true in the case of Masha Mironova, 26. All the more so since her famous father, Andrei Mironov, was also the son of renowned actors. 100 Young Russians
Yelena Morozova, actor The non-descript coffee shop on Moscow’s Pokrovka street is a popular hangout for bohemians and young, middle-class Russians. When asked where she would be most comfortable (meaning near the window or at the rear of the café), 25-year-old Yelena Morozova answers, without missing a beat, “On Venus.? 100 Young Russians
Igor Ovchinnikov, chef As a young boy, Igor Ovchinnikov, now 35, read lots of travel books and dreamed of becoming a train engineer. But his dream was dashed in 8th grade. 100 Young Russians
Yevgeny Plyushchenko, athlete Yevgeny Plyushchenko, 18, is the golden boy of figure skating. Not because he is a son of some VIPs or former champions. Not even because he likes to perform in bright, at times provocative costumes. 100 Young Russians
Nikolai Repin, entrepreneur Mathematician, internet pioneer and businessman, Nikolai Repin is a serious character. Even curt digressions into his former hobby (“sailing”) or family life (“a wife and a little daughter”) are matter-of-fact and give no cause for even a smile of pride. Life is not a joking matter to 41-year-old Nikolai Repin. 100 Young Russians
Marat Safin, athlete It takes an extraordinary tennis player to unseat Pete Sampras in three straight sets in a Grand Slam final. Marat Safin is that player. 100 Young Russians
Maxim Sokolov, journalist Maxim Sokolov, 41, hardly looks the part of a Russian TV journalist. The stocky, bearded writer looks more like a 19th century Russian kupets who you can picture calling out to a waiter in the traktir, “Hey, man! Bring twenty bliny! And don’t forget the salmon! 100 Young Russians
Maria Yeliseyeva, activist Maria Yeliseyeva, 36, had been working for years with children and the arts—she had an art studio attached to the local House of Pioneers, plus a puppet theater. But just over seven years ago, she happened to visit Orphanage #103 in Moscow’s Lefortovo district. 100 Young Russians
Olga Yeliseyeva, historian Historian Olga Yeliseyeva, 34, represents a new breed of Russian historians: young scientists who have cast off the ideological constraints of their predecessors. 100 Young Russians
Marina Zhgivaleva, artist Marina Zhgivaleva has been drawing since age three. When she was young, her pencils, colors and sheets of paper were her most beloved toys. She lived in a magic world all her own, one inhabited by fascinating creatures which she created in her drawings: animals, trees, plants, flowers, fruits, birds, people. 100 Young Russians
Sergei Zobnev, musician In early May, Sergei “Seppa” Zobnev will turn 35. And when all the members of his folk band Myllarit (“The Millers”) gather round to hoist a toast in his honor, they will surely praise his multiple roles as band director, backup vocalist, public relations manager and organizer. 100 Young Russians
February 28, 2022 to December 31, 2024 Free Russian Language Guided Tours Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY Russian-speaking guides conduct tours of the museum's highlights every Monday at 11 am. Art Exhibit
November 11, 2023 to September 15, 2024 Visions of Transcendence: Creating Space in East and West Wende Museum | Culver City, CA This exhibit highlights the resilience and creative power of people deprived of their freedom or their own place to live. Art Exhibit
The Latchkey Murders Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
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.
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.
22 Russian Crosswords Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
White Magic The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Resilience ~ The Russian Version (Переживем) Call it resilience, grit, or just perseverance – it takes a special sort of person to have survived the last 100 years of Russian and Soviet history.
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 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 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.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
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.
Resilience: Life Stories of Centenarians Born in the Year of Revolution Call it resilience, grit, or just perseverance – it takes a special sort of person to have survived the last 100 years of Russian and Soviet history.
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.) Culture Through Film Russia File
March 20, 2020 Vodka vs. Coronavirus Russia’s Ministry of Health discussed ways vodka can affect the coronavirus (spoiler alert: not much). Food & Drink Health CVSG Russia File
May 09, 2020 Russian/Soviet War Movies You Can Stream Some of the best Russian and Soviet films about World War II that you can stream online. Film & TV Reference War Culture Through Film CVSG Russia File
October 14, 2016 Five Wild Facts about St. Basil's Cathedral On October 14, 1991, St. Basil’s Cathedral was reopened after six decades. Here are five fun facts in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Cathedral’s rebirth. Culture History Religion Russia File
September 14, 2019 Eight Russian Desserts To Make Your Mouth Water Forget vodka – dessert is the best part of Russian meals. Culture Food & Drink Russia File
June 22, 2020 Why Invading Russia was Hitler's Downfall June 22, 2020, marks the 79th anniversary of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of Russia that changed the course of WWII and, perhaps, history itself. History Social Issues War Russia File
