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Dmitry Krymov's Mad, Mad World

Maxim Sukhanov and Chulpan Khamatova star in the premiere of Krymov's new play, "Notes of the Mad."

Author Elena Kostyuchenko Speaks About the Pushkin House Book Prize

MT spoke with Elena Kostyuchenko about awards, book titles, translators and the future.

2024 Pushkin House Book Prize Awarded to Elena Kostyuchenko for 'I Love Russia: Reporting From a Lost Country'

This is the 11th prize awarded to the year's best non-fiction book about or from Russia in English.

Julie A. Cassiday's 'Russian Style: Performing Gender, Power and Putinism' Shortlisted for Pushkin House Book Prize

A ground-breaking exploration of the rule of Vladimir Putin and the nature of Putinism.

Always Say До Свидания, Never Прощайте

Twenty-two years is a long time to write a column

Riga's Zuzeum Art Centre Celebrates Non-Conformist Art the Latvian Way

Most studies of the non-conformist art movements of the Soviet era have focused on Moscow artists.

Fake News and Other Fallacies

There are so many words for fakes in Russian, you'd think it was a national past time.

Artdocfest and the Power of Documentary Film

The 2024 Artdocfest in Riga is an annual festival of the very best documentaries from the CIS, East and Central Europe.

When It's Time to Call the Junk Man

Russian has a very rich vocabulary for old stuff and people they wish weren't around anymore.

Hello, Goodbye and Other Expressions De Jour

Language has changed so quickly that old stand-by phrases of greeting and parting are out of date.

'Judge Righteously; Show Mercy to One Another'

The language of funerals in Russia.

Thank the Persians for the Bazaar

Some words borrowed by Russian from Persian might surprise you.

The Kopek, the Poker and the Candle

To express yourself fully in Russian, you need some candles.

Burst a Pipe and Bust a Gut

Pipes burst, as do dreams, schemes and balloons.

How Can You Tell if a Russian Judge is a Man?

You have to check the verb endings, because the job title is feminine.

What's On in London: Ukrainian and Russian Arts and Culture

This weekend in London there is plenty to see for anyone interested in Russian and Ukrainian arts.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas 2023

With apologies to the real author, once again I come up with my own version of a Christmas dream.

Vladimir Putin's Rhetorical Tricks

Vladimir Putin's "Conversation" was a good example of the art of persuasion - but we don't know if it works.

Words of the Year 2023

In 2023 the words of the year are mostly grim, but there are a few surprises.

The Myth of the Untranslatable

Nothing makes me crankier than those lists of so-called "untranslatable" words.

How to Be Obnoxious in One Easy Word

Лезть should be taught in Russian 101. It's essential for suriving in the world.

Are You Liberated or Independent?

Ever wonder about the difference between освобождение and независимость? I did.

A Short Guide to Russian Spokesperson-Speak

They announce, promise, react and refute. But what do they really mean?

Secretly, Silently and Sneakily Yours

What's the difference between silently and secretly in Russian? In a lot of cases - not much.

A Curly Healthy Biting Hello

Slang for "that's great" in Russian is not so great to understand right away.

Hate Speech Part Two: Russian Leaders Speak

What ever happened to decent public discourse?

Let Me Introduce You to New Creatures in the World

It's interesting that almost all the Russian words for "people who leave the country" are politically loaded.

Hate Speech, Part One

Here is part of a grim and offensive collection of Russian hate speech.

The Unsinkable, Unbending, Long-Lasting Rules of Translation

How to make people burst out laughing without even trying.

Let It Be and Let It Go

Keep пусть in your pocket. It will come in handy.

In 'Memory Makers' Author Jade McGlynn Investigates the Politics of the Russian Past

A new book examines how the past is used, misused and recreated in Russia to forge a new future.

Artists Komar and Melamid Give Lessons in History

Vitaly Komar and Alexander Melamid talk about history, war, art and shoes that are not Russian.

Tricia Starks Takes On 'Cigarettes and Soviets: Smoking in the U.S.S.R.'

"Cigarettes and Soviets: Smoking in the U.S.S.R." has been shortlisted for the 2023 Pushkin House Book Prize.

opinion Michele A. Berdy

A Family History of Not Looking Back

Reflecting on the year since I left Russia — and a century since my grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire.

In Latvia, Putin’s War on Russian Media Plays Out on the Big Screen

Viewers in Latvia’s capital of Riga came out last week to see a screening of "F@ck This Job," a documentary about independent Russian broadcaster...

'Not One Inch: America, Russia, and the Making of Post-Cold War Stalemate'

Who is responsible for the present crisis in East-West relations? There is plenty of blame to go around.

Lucy Ward Investigates 'The Empress and the English Doctor'

A fascinating part of the story of how smallpox would eventually be eliminated from earth.

‘The Dots Were All There. We Just Couldn’t Connect Them.’

One of the last American journalists in Moscow recounts how she — and her dog — escaped Russia as Putin’s new iron curtain fell.

Sochi Winter Arts Festival Kicks Off with Mozart, Shō and a Nyckelharpa

The gala concert that opened the international festival was a mix of traditional and untraditional.

'Don't Leave Your Planet' Launches Sochi Winter Arts Festival

The fantasy based on "The Little Prince" was performed by one man in 25 roles - some at the same time.

In Moscow Xenia Hausner Tells 'True Lies'

Visitors to the show found something familiar in the story-telling, but not the stories told.

Nadia Ragozhina Brings Together Her Family in 'Worlds Apart'

The captivating story of a Jewish family divided and then united by the events of 20th century Europe.

The First Anatoly Zverev Art Prizes Awarded in Moscow

Moscow's AZ Museum honored artist Anatoly Zverev with shows, prizes, and celebrations.

Moscow's GES-2 House of Culture Opens a New Era in Art

The mission of the new House of Culture is to liquidate today's "cultural illiteracy."

opinion Michele A. Berdy

The Short History of a Nasty Word

Everyone hates a жлоб. But what is he? And where did he come from?

opinion Michele A. Berdy

When a Russian Stretch is Not an English Stretch

Oh, the pitfalls of borrowed words! Just because they sound alike doesn't mean that they are alike.

Victoria Lomasko is 'The Last Soviet Artist'

A short film about change, society, families, violence, love and the work of artist Victoria Lomasko.

opinion Michele A. Berdy

Three Holidays and a Fall Primer

A walk down memory lane on this holiday Friday.

Archie Brown Is Awarded the Pushkin House Book Prize

"The Human Factor: Gorbachev, Reagan and Thatcher and the End of the Cold War" receives the prestigious prize.

Andrei Zorin's Biography 'Leo Tolstoy' is Essential Reading

"Leo Tolstoy" is one of six books nominated for the Pushkin House Book Prize.

What Happened on Dyatlov Pass? 'Dead Mountain' Reveals All

This award-winning feature series is being released with English subtitles this week.

Muscovites Square Off Over City's New Shapeless Statue

Urs Fischer's massive sculpture will welcome a center of contemporary art in an old power plant.

Discover the Art of Portraiture at Moscow's AZ Museum

Masks, icons, faces, mugs - all ways that artists have portrayed their fellow humans.

Photographer Victoria Ivleva Exhibits Her African Diaries

From the inside of a Chernobyl reactor to wars in Africa, Ivleva is there with her camera and a hand.

opinion Michele A. Berdy

Russian Bravery and Bravado

What's the difference between true courage and reckless swagger? Lots! Read on.

'Memories of Moscow' Brings the Late Soviet Era to Life

Lipman's memoir of the Soviet Union in the 1980s is an invaluable and fascinating resource.

Mandelshtam Street Opens at the Moscow Literature Museum

The speakers joked, darkly, that this was the best apartment the Mandelshtams had ever had.

Olga Grushin's 'The Charmed Wife' Breaks Literary Conventions

Do you wish you had a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand? Think again.

Sergei Lebedev Spins a Dark Thriller in 'Untraceable'

Lebedev's novel is both a gripping thriller and an unflinching examination of Russia's past.

Moscow Arts Scene in 2021: A Spectacular Year Ahead

Cultural life came to a standstill last year, but this year arts lovers may get a double dose of culture.

'Of Politics and Pandemics: Songs of a Russian Immigrant'

A poetic reflection that is comical, lyrical, satirical and heart-breaking.

opinion Michele A. Berdy

What the Pundits Say: Following the U.S. Elections in Russian Media

Coverage is a strange mix of hard facts, informed commentary and biased reporting.

Sergei Medvedev's "The Return of the Russian Leviathan" Wins 2020 Pushkin House Book Prize

Sergei Medvedev is the first author based in Russia to win the prestigious award.

Viсtoria Lomasko Reports on Belarus and Russian Vote

Victoria Lomasko shares her art and her response to events in Russia and Belarus.

'Costakis' Choice' at Moscow's AZ Museum

The AZ Museum is celebrating the life and work of the man who saved Russian 20th century art.

Russia Takes on ALS With a Marathon

Russia's only group to help patients with ALS is getting a jump on the ice bucket challenge.

Night in the (Online) Museum and (Online) Movie Night

Celebrate night in the museum 2020 at home, and be sure to watch a remarkable film free online.

Pushkin House Announces 2020 Book Prize Short List

The Pushkin House short list is made of some of the very best books about Russia published in English.

Watch a Prophetic Film

A disease from China ravages a country headed by a nationalist, militaristic leader...

Remembering Writer Eduard Limonov

Russians argue about the man, the writer, and the political activist Eduard Limonov.

'Sekretiki' at the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art

A show of underground art secrets and a talk with the senior curator on what unites four exhibitions.

Monika Sosnowska Shares 'Exercises in Construction, Bending'

This week we highlight four extraordinary new exhibitions at the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art.

opinion Michele A. Berdy

I'm All For It!

What do you say to a bit of grammar? A preposition, say? Вы - за?

From Wales to Dzerzhinsk 'In the Footsteps of Ghosts'

A hauntingly beautiful short film about the past of a country, an industry, a family and the scars left behind.

'The Experiment: Georgia's Forgotten Revolution 1918-1921'

Eric Lee's fascinating book in English about Georgian history is avidly read in Tbilisi and Moscow.

Miniature Miracles: Russian Painted Lacquer Boxes

Everything you need to know about those iconic — literally! — lacquer boxes.

Notable Deaths in Russia in 2019

We mark the passing of many beloved public figures.

Austrian Embassy Unveils Vadim Kosmatschof Sculpture

This renowned Russian-Austrian artist sees his first outdoor work unveiled in Moscow.

'The Compatriots' by Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan

This highly compelling and deeply disturbing book is a must-read.

'The Frenchman' Premieres in Moscow

Brilliant acting, pitch-perfect casting, and visual authenticity make "The Frenchman" a must-see film.

'The Worker and Kolkhoz Woman' Dance Off Their Pedestal

Pavel Kaplevich's funny, nutty, snarky opera buffa played the Zaryadye Concert hall Saturday night.

Moscow On Stage in October and November

We've already got our tickets.

When the 'Forest' Came to the Fringe

Can Russian physical theater based on Aristotle and Bibikhin be appreciated by Western audiences?

Dziga Vertov’s ‘Anniversary of a Revolution’ Has its Second Moscow Premiere

100 years after it was made and lost, a restored version of the documentary was shown at the Oktyabr Theater.

Dmitri Shostakovich, Football Fanatic

Inside this composer with an orderly mind beat the heart of a football fanatic.

Markus Martinovich and the Art of Play

A solo exhibition of works by an award-winning artist who is still in grade school.

That Russian Bad Guy? He's English

He is the quintessential Russian hit-man. Except that he's really a middle-class English dad.

'Dead Souls': Gogol, Chagall, Zverev and Kosmatschof

If you love Russian literature, run, don't walk, to see interpretations of "Dead Souls" by three brilliant artists.

The City That Doesn't Slow Down for Summer

Ballet premieres and art openings - what you could have seen over the weekend in Moscow.

'Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy' Wins Pushkin House Prize

Serghi Plokhy was awarded the Pushkin House Book Prize this week, the only author to be honored twice.

The Tale of 'The Spy and the Traitor'

This in-depth Cold War history that reads like a thriller is nominated for the Pushkin House Book Prize.

'To See Paris and Die: The Soviet Lives of Western Culture'

This Pushkin House Book Prize nomination is a radically different view of the Thaw period.

Discover Nikolai Meshcherin

What you could you see if you were in Moscow this weekend.

Sergei Dorenko Dead at 59

Victory Day in Moscow ended with news of a prominent Russian journalist's death.

Moscow's Russian Romani Theater

If you want to see something you'll never see anywhere else, head "out of town" to see "Grushenka" at the Romen Theater.

Pushkin House Book Prize Short List

Pushkin House has announced their short list of the best non-fiction about Russia published last year.

Rock Opera to the Rescue

When Moscow's historic Anglican church is at risk, Russian rock musicians come to help save it.

Director Marlen Khutsiev Has Died

One of the country's most beloved film directors passed away in Moscow.

'DAU': A Preview

Russia's most genre-breaking, revolutionary film project may never be shown in Russia.

A Daring Theft in a Moscow Museum

A man walked into the Tretyakov Gallery and walked out with a million-dollar painting.