January 01, 1990

Butina, Babies, and Baby-making


Butina, Babies, and Baby-making
Baby Blues

1. The times they are a-changin’ for Russians in the United States and other Western nations, and not always for the better. This video highlights the experience of young Russians and other Eastern Europeans living in the United States. They are facing both greater suspicion from Americans and greater divisions within the community itself. American suspicion can be traced to election-hacking and, more recently, the Maria Butina affair, while internal division is often generated by differing opinions on the current Russian government and its practices. But, on the upside, there is as yet no shortage of Russian restaurants and clubs in the US.

2. For the first time in a decade, Russia’s population has decreased. The announcement by the government statistics agency Rosstat follows a May United Nations report that predicted the Russian population will fall by 11 million by 2050. But the Russian government is not taking the news lying down. President Vladimir Putin has promised to spend $8.6 billion over the next three years on programs that will encourage Russians to have more babies.

3. To continue the theme... A Russian Orthodox archbishop in charge of family affairs recently agreed with Pope Francis that sex is a gift from God and to be enjoyed. Of course, the usual terms and conditions apply: the archbishop clarified that sex is only to be enjoyed between a married couple. That caveat aside, there is so far no word on a joint Putin-Church pro-sex, pro-babies tour that no one is talking about. It’s all very hush-hush.

In Odder News:

Moscow dog show

Photo: Парк культуры и отдыха “Красная Пресня”

  • Russian pups hit the runway in Moscow’s first doggie costume show

  • In a very Putin way, Putin tested Kalashnikov’s newest sniper rifles

  • Excessive and, unfortunately, effective: men wielding an axe robbed a taxi in Moscow

Quote of the Week:

“Sex is a component of love… but only love within marriage.”

— Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov, on the ins and outs of sex in Orthodox life

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Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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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.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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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.
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At the Circus (bilingual)

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The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

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.
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Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
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.
Russian Rules

Russian 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.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

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