May 28, 2020

Quite a Thursday


Quite a Thursday
Maximilian Voloshin, self-portrait (1919)

Here's a throwback Thursday for you with some interesting variety.

First, on this day in 1877, Maximilian Voloshin, the painter and poet was born. His is a life that has to be read about to be believed. Thankfully, we got you covered with this article by Zahar Davydov from the May/June 2007 issue of Russian Life.

Second it was on this day in 1987, or 110 years after Voloshin was born, that the German pilot Mathias Rust landed his plane in Red Square. If you don't know the story, or even if you think you know it, our story, which landed in the NovDec 2005 issue, is both exhaustive and gripping.

Finally, in 1995, just as we were taking over Russian Life magazine, the horrendous Sakhalin Earthquake happened, leveling the city and killing 1,800. It was one of the first stories we covered, thanks to American Mike Allen, who happened to be on the island at the time.

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Some of our Books

Steppe
July 15, 2022

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.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

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.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

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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