May 29, 2017

Countdown to Departure


Countdown to Departure

Just over two months have passed since we successfully closed the crowdfunding campaign for The Children of 1917. Nearly 300 backers supported the Kickstarter project, and, since the close, dozens more have pre-ordered copies of the book or film. Thank you, all!

In addition, we are happy to announce that Raiffeisen Bank has joined our project as a sponsor, helping us come within striking distance of the budget we need to research, write, edit and publish this book and film, and to put on exhibits in the US and Russia.

So, what have we been doing on the project these past two months?

Mainly research and preparation. Research on the history that swirled around the people we will be interviewing, and on the cities and towns where they lived.

We have also been doing lots of work to track down interview subjects, making initial contact, and sketching out an itinerary.

And, as you can see, we have set up the blog for the trip. 

We will have two long trips this summer, traveling around Russia and the realms of its former empire, interviewing our subjects and their families. The first trip will begin, appropriately, on Russia's Independence Day, June 12. The second is set for early August into September.

With our departure less than two weeks off, we are gathering up the final bits of equipment and supplies we need (Lavalier mic, check! Raincoat, check! Mosquito repellant, check! Replacement collapsing teacup, check!)

Until June!

 

Tags: travel
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Some of our Books

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Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Little Golden Calf
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Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

White Magic
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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.

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A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
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Steppe
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Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

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Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
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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.

 

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