For almost a year now I have been writing for the respected Russian news media RIA Novosti. I and about six others write weekly columns on various subjects. My column is called “Musings of a Russophile” and comes out each Friday. The subject may be … [Read more...]
Dr. Zhivago Lives…
Peredelkino it was a magic feeling looking out from Boris Pasternak’s tall windows into the red and golden woods on that autumn day and to know he saw the same thing when he looked up from his small desk as he wrote “Doctor Zhivago.” It is a village … [Read more...]
Now it’s Russian art at the auctions!
One of my favorite Russian artists is Ilya Repin. The painting above is called “They did not expect him.” It is in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery. I always enjoy seeing it. Repin was one of the “Peredvizhniki” or “The Wanderers.” These famous artists in … [Read more...]
Russia’s Victory Day!!
There is nothing like a Russian military parade. And on May 9, this year, it will happen all over Russia again. As usual, there will be the patriotic bands, goose-stepping soldiers, rockets, missile launchers, freshly painted armored personnel … [Read more...]
What is it about Russian Women?~ Part 6, the “bewildered.”
And that brings us to the sixth category, the bewildered. In the early nineties I noticed the blooming female nouveau riche, superficially sophisticated lovelies in Prada and furs. They sipped cappuccinos in Café Mozart at the Radisson Slavanskaya … [Read more...]
What is it about Russian Women?~ Part 3, the “babushkas.”
This is the Part 3 of my weekly series about Russian women. It’s about the babushkas, bless their hearts. The babushka, or grandmother, has a special role in Russian history and life. They are the social conscience, and humorously, the … [Read more...]
What is it about Russian Women? Part 1
There is a lot written today about the escalation of women in world affairs. There is no doubt they are rising to the top in business and politics. It’s about time! Nowhere is this more evident as with Russian women, whether in Russia or abroad, … [Read more...]
SIBERIAN TIGER TALES
The famous Siberian Tiger has been getting a lot of attention of late. Even Mr. Putin says he knows one. The wild population of Siberian tigers is estimated at around 350-450 tigers. They live in the southeast corner of Russia east of the Amur … [Read more...]
AUTHORITY!
No one said it better than Dostoyevsky. In his masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov, the master clearly defines the underlying rationale for the mental despotism that has for centuries burdened the Russian people. In the famous chapter, The Grand … [Read more...]