Category: Architecture

MOSCOW – Despite rapturous scenes at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater on Sunday night as the documentary “Navalny” was announced the winner of this year’s best documentary feature Oscar, anyone relying on Russian state media to find out the news might be forgiven for being none the wiser.  The Monday daytime broadcasting schedule on state-run channels Rossiya-24,…

LOS ANGELES — “Navalny” won the best documentary Oscar at Sunday night’s Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, besting “All That Breathes,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Fire of Love” and “A House Made of Splinters.” The film, directed by Daniel Roher, follows an investigation by the journalist group Bellingcat and CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa…

The kitchen would seem to be a peaceful place. After all, pies and eclairs do not conceal hidden conflict and tragedy. But our history often presents us with surprises that even the most inventive writer could not dream up. Here is one such story. “M. Conradi’s Candy and Chocolate Factory” was founded in 1853 by…

Рыпаться: fidget, pester, make a ruckus A few weeks ago a video appeared on social media of a Russian woman being asked about Poland. She was very angry and indignant. She said that Poland should be destroyed because the country “всё рыпалась на нас.” Whatever рыпаться is, it must be absolutely diabolical if it requires…

Thirty-two years ago today, hundreds of thousands of Muscovites packed Manezhnaya Ploshchad next to the Kremlin to demand the resignation of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The protests, which started in February 1991 and would continue into the spring, were the biggest in Russia’s modern history. By the end of the year, Gorbachev would resign, the…

People in Russia and Ukraine celebrated International Women’s Day on Wednesday amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. International Women’s Day, which has been celebrated in both countries since the Soviet era, primarily involves women receiving flowers and congratulations on their contributions to society. Beyond the flowers and gifts, March 8 is also a day…

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?” “What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. Breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day. And although breakfast was different in different centuries, it has always — or almost always — played a great role…

Вещь: thing, something, really something The Russian language has lots of somethings, that is, lots of words that mean “something,” more or less. Что–то is an undefined something, что–нибудь is an unknown something, and кое–что is a something that the speaker knows but doesn’t want to say. Got that? But of course it’s not that clear-cut,…

First opened in 1935 with a single line and 13 stations, the Moscow metro has since expanded to encompass a sprawling underground network of over 250 stations. Its newest addition is the completion of the Big Circle Line, a 70-kilometer loop that links 31 stations and which opened Wednesday. Costing an estimated $6.6 billion to…

Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufmann’s long-awaited documentary about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which recently premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, is proof that even with the best luck and access imaginable, an extraordinary journalistic opportunity can easily be missed.  Double Oscar-winning actor-turned-activist Penn and his crew were in Kyiv filming the documentary as the Russian…

People in Russia heralded the end of another cold winter as Maslenitsa festivities took place across the country this weekend. Maslenitsa, which is rooted in ancient Slavic tradition, involves the burning of effigies, wearing traditional costumes, singing and dancing. But most important is the cooking and eating blini, a thin, crepe-like pancake that symbolizes the…

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an exodus of cultural and sporting stars, many of whom publicly stated their opposition to the war.  From pop legend Alla Pugacheva to five-time Olympic gold medalist and synchronized swimming champion Anastasia Davydova, there has been a steady emigration of the country’s luminaries in the year since Russian tanks rolled…

Since Feb. 24, 2022, a new curtain has descended on the Russian arts. Major Western auction houses and galleries are no longer working with Russian artists, Western companies have left Russia, and many Western suppliers are no longer exporting to Russia. But the impact of sanctions and other actions have impacted big cities and small…

Maslenitsa — the week before the start of Lent — is a time of gastronomic madness and blini-eating records. This weekend Maslenitsa comes to an end. For most Russians it has always been a short holiday of abundance in the middle of ordinary and gray everyday life. That’s why no one wants to see Shrovetide —…

Нормы: norms In the past year after Russia went from annexation and limited war in Ukraine to a full-scale invasion of the country, the Russian language has undergone a great change. If you dig into the archives and watch a day of Russian television in, say, June of 2021 and then a day in June…

If you ask anyone to describe Russian cuisine, one of the first dishes that will come to mind will certainly be blinis. They are a truly iconic dish that is now an integral part of folk life and tradition. The only problem is that there as many myths and fabrications about them as there are…

За ухо: (to put something) behind your ear A couple decades ago I wrote a short column about some of the odd and entertaining Russian expressions involving ухо (ear) and уши (ears). I was taken with the athletic prowess of Russian ears. For example, in Russian you flap your ears — хлопать ушами — when…

Russian publishers plan to “retell” foreign bestsellers that will not hit bookstores due to Western companies halting work with their Russian counterparts over the war in Ukraine, the Kommersant business daily reported Wednesday. Russia’s largest publisher, Eksmo-AST, will release 3,000 copies of Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” on Thursday as a “summary, which involves the retelling of…

Russian anti-Kremlin activist group Pussy Riot has canceled its upcoming performance at a music festival in Germany due to the inclusion of a pro-Putin singer in the festival lineup. Pussy Riot had been scheduled to perform at the International May Festival in Wiesbaden, one of Germany’s oldest cultural festivals, but the group pulled out after…

“The rabbit is Stalin’s bull.” This ridiculous slogan of the early 1930s is almost forgotten today. But at the time it was emblazoned on the front pages of newspapers, on posters and enormous street banners. Like the poems of Vladimir Mayakovsky and “Red Square” by Kazimir Malevich, this slogan encapsulated the mood and ideology of…

Путёвка: trip voucher, package tour, trip sheet, good start I have been traveling a lot in the last six months — more than in the last five (if not 10) years combined — which means that I have been talking a lot about travel in Russian and, as is my wont, thinking about how the…

On Wednesday Moscow’s Sovremenik Theater announced that “The Gin Game,” which starred award-winning actress Liya Akhedzhakova, would not be performed. This effectively ended the actress’s career at the theater, which she joined in 1977. Akhedzhakova is a celebrated Soviet and Russian actress of film and stage, who has performed in more than 50 films, including…

A new director has been appointed to the State Tretyakov Gallery, one of Russia’s most renowned fine arts museums, following a reported clash with the Culture Ministry over its exhibitions’ alignment with state values. Zelfira Tregulova, who has served as the Tretyakov Gallery’s general director since 2015, will step down from her role, the Culture…

Today if you want to really outrage the Russian Foreign Ministry, just tell them that borshch is Ukrainian. Even soccer fans’ notorious and obscene chant about Putin is less painful to Russia’s professional patriots than having to admit that there is Kievan, Poltavan, and Chernigov borshch. When someone says the word “borshch,” we all imagine…

Новый: new (more or less) И снова я… (It’s me again), still thinking in February about новый год (new year) — and of course старый новый год (old new year, i.e., by the old Julian calendar) — and how things новый that happen снова are often not new at all. In fact, снова (literally “anew”)…

The “Harry Potter” movies will disappear from Russian streaming services from Wednesday as Russians continue to face dwindling access to Western-made films and television following the invasion of Ukraine. Kinopoisk and Amediateka, two of Russia’s largest movie platforms, announced last week that Tuesday is the last day when the wizard franchise based on the widely…

The U.S.-produced fly-on-the-wall documentary “Navalny,” which followed the now-jailed Russian anti-corruption campaigner and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny during the aftermath of a poisoning attempt in 2020, was nominated for an Academy Award on Tuesday. The film, directed by Daniel Roher, shows Navalny during his recuperation in Berlin from poisoning with nerve agent Novichok and as…

Pumpkin is a special case in Russian cuisine. On the one hand, it is not very common. On the other hand, Russian cuisine seems incomplete without it. Of course, it can be chopped into pieces and stewed or roasted. But sooner or later every hostess has the idea of stuffing it with a delicious filling…

Each year on Jan. 19, Russians celebrate the holiday of the Epiphany, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, by dipping into frigid rivers, ponds and lakes across the country. According to tradition, one must dip below the water’s surface three times to symbolize the Holy Trinity. The Kremlin said Thursday that…

Each year on Jan. 19, Russians celebrate the holiday of the Epiphany, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, by dipping into frigid rivers, ponds and lakes across the country. According to tradition, one must dip below the water’s surface three times to symbolize the Holy Trinity. The Kremlin said Thursday that…

A new exhibition entitled “U.S.S.R. 100” at Moscow’s New Tretyakov Gallery marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Soviet Union, albeit at a fairly awkward time given Russia’s ongoing invasion of another former Soviet republic and Russian society’s deep polarization on the subject of its Soviet legacy. The exhibition contains some 400 paintings,…

A new exhibition entitled “U.S.S.R. 100” at Moscow’s New Tretyakov Gallery marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Soviet Union, albeit at a fairly awkward time given Russia’s ongoing invasion of another former Soviet republic and Russian society’s deep polarization on the subject of its Soviet legacy. The exhibition contains some 400 paintings,…

A new exhibition entitled “U.S.S.R. 100” at Moscow’s New Tretyakov Gallery marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Soviet Union, albeit at a fairly awkward time given Russia’s ongoing invasion of another former Soviet republic and Russian society’s deep polarization on the subject of its Soviet legacy. The exhibition contains some 400 paintings,…

The Georgian actor, singer and political figure Vakhtang Kikabidze died in a Tbilisi hospital on Sunday. The cause of death was not released, but his producer Rati Abzianidze said that Kikabidze had been in poor health for many years. Kikabidze was one of the Soviet Union’s most popular singers and actors. He had the distinction…

The Georgian actor, singer and political figure Vakhtang Kikabidze died in a Tbilisi hospital on Sunday. The cause of death was not released, but his producer Rati Abzianidze said that Kikabidze had been in poor health for many years. Kikabidze was one of the Soviet Union’s most popular singers and actors. He had the distinction…

The Georgian actor, singer and political figure Vakhtang Kikabidze died in a Tbilisi hospital on Sunday. The cause of death was not released, but his producer Rati Abzianidze said that Kikabidze had been in poor health for many years. Kikabidze was one of the Soviet Union’s most popular singers and actors. He had the distinction…

Inna Churikova, one of the most celebrated and prolific actresses of the Soviet Union and Russia, died on Saturday at the age of 79. The cause of death was reported to be heart failure, although she had been in poor health for several months. Churikova was born in 1943 in what is now Bashkortostan, where…

Inna Churikova, one of the most celebrated and prolific actresses of the Soviet Union and Russia, died on Saturday at the age of 79. The cause of death was reported to be heart failure, although she had been in poor health for several months. Churikova was born in 1943 in what is now Bashkortostan, where…

Inna Churikova, one of the most celebrated and prolific actresses of the Soviet Union and Russia, died on Saturday at the age of 79. The cause of death was reported to be heart failure, although she had been in poor health for several months. Churikova was born in 1943 in what is now Bashkortostan, where…

Buzhenina is one of the most delicious and ubiquitous main courses at holiday feasts. You might find it on a royal table or in a traveler’s backpack. It can be served piping hot, just from the oven, or nicely cold — perfect for a painful morning hangover. One of the first references to buzhenina is found in…

Buzhenina is one of the most delicious and ubiquitous main courses at holiday feasts. You might find it on a royal table or in a traveler’s backpack. It can be served piping hot, just from the oven, or nicely cold — perfect for a painful morning hangover. One of the first references to buzhenina is found in…

Buzhenina is one of the most delicious and ubiquitous main courses at holiday feasts. You might find it on a royal table or in a traveler’s backpack. It can be served piping hot, just from the oven, or nicely cold — perfect for a painful morning hangover. One of the first references to buzhenina is found in…

A Russian film reboot featuring legendary Soviet cartoon character Cheburashka has become Russia’s highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing the first part of James Cameron’s “Avatar” despite only being released two weeks ago, according to statistics published by the Russian Cinema Fund.  The total box office from “Cheburashka,” which was released on Jan. 1, has already surpassed…

A Russian film reboot featuring legendary Soviet cartoon character Cheburashka has become Russia’s highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing the first part of James Cameron’s “Avatar” despite only being released two weeks ago, according to statistics published by the Russian Cinema Fund.  The total box office from “Cheburashka,” which was released on Jan. 1, has already surpassed…

Russia’s Interior Ministry has opened its first investigation into a breach of the recently expanded law against so-called “LGBT propaganda,” State Duma Deputy Alexander Khinshteyn announced on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.   President Vladimir Putin signed a series of amendments to Russia’s existing anti-LGBT legislation into law in November, making any promotion of “non-traditional sexual…

Russia’s Interior Ministry has opened its first investigation into a breach of the recently expanded law against so-called “LGBT propaganda,” State Duma Deputy Alexander Khinshteyn announced on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.   President Vladimir Putin signed a series of amendments to Russia’s existing anti-LGBT legislation into law in November, making any promotion of “non-traditional sexual…

Ordinary Russians are unable to access an increasingly broad range of literature as bookshops and libraries pull titles from their shelves amid a wartime crackdown on political dissent and a November law banning LGBT “propaganda.”  In particular, failing to comply with the controversial — and vague — anti-LGBT law puts shops at risk of large…

Though Russia’s prolonged Christmas and New Year’s holidays have come to an end, the winter season across the country is far from over. A January cold wave that arrived in Russia late last week continues to bring record-breaking low temperatures to parts of the Volga and Ural regions, Siberia and the capital Moscow. Here are…

An exiled Russian war movie star faces criminal charges over his criticism of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, authorities announced Monday. Actor Artur Smolyaninov “made a series of statements against Russia in an interview to a Western publication,” Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in a short statement. It did not identify the…

Where there’s Christmas, there’s Christmas Eve. Twelve days “from star to water,” that is, from the appearance of the first star on Christmas Eve to baptism on Epiphany. This holiday is a vivid example of how pagan and Christian rituals merged in our history. Russian holidays have always been an amazing combination of spiritual rejuvenation…

President Vladimir Putin ordered his government Tuesday to ensure by February the screening in cinemas of documentary films dedicated to the invasion of Ukraine and the fight against “neo-Nazi” ideology. The Kremlin said in a statement that the Culture Ministry had until Feb. 1 to implement the order. Putin shocked the world by sending troops…

From the very first day of the invasion of Ukraine, anti-war art has spilled onto the streets and squares of Russian cities. And, despite detentions and fines, for 10 months they have continued to protest against Russian militarism. The Moscow Times picked seven of the most compelling anti-war artists and talked to some of them…

Creamy, chocolatey logs made from cookies, cocoa, and butter were on the table in almost every Soviet family. Despite their foreign origins, they became one of the most common homemade desserts. And they became a kind of symbol of socialism — both its heyday and its decline. “Do you remember when we visited Aunt Valya…

In 2022, Russian filmmkers were virtually shut out from Western markets. They were not invited to the world’s main film festivals and their films were boycotted. The alternative? Go East.  The logical first step was to try to forge closer ties with India, which has the largest film industry in the world and a long…

Members of the anti-Kremlin feminist activist group Pussy Riot released their latest anti-war music video with footage of the most harrowing scenes from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it crossed the 10-month mark on Saturday. “We want to shout about this war as loudly as possible. Don’t turn your back on the war. We must…

Zhzhyonka (жжёнка) may look like a series of typos and be hard for non-Russian speakers to pronounce. But zhzhyonka is a legend of pre-Revolutionary Russian life. It isn’t just a drink — it’s a relic of a long-lost culture and its customs. So what is this unpronounceable drink? The two letters ж at the beginning…

Ukraine’s cultural heritage has been systematically targeted throughout Russia’s 10-month invasion. At least 227 Ukrainian cultural sites have been verified to be damaged by UNESCO. The list includes 101 religious sites, 79 buildings of historical or artistic interest, 17 museums and 19 monuments. Here’s a look at some of Ukraine’s cultural sites that have been…

Без памяти: madly Memory is a funny thing. What gets lodged in there forever and what gets ejected — or distorted — seems largely outside the control of the owner of the memory. And then what has been forgotten can sometimes reappear instantly and in full when you hear a sound or catch a scent…

Two documentaries about prominent Russian opposition figures and a film on life in the Russian Arctic are among the titles shortlisted for the 95th Oscars released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday.  Daniel Roher’s “Navalny,” which explores the events following the Kremlin critic’s nerve-agent poisoning in August 2020, was shortlisted…

Russia has placed prominent art gallerist and former Kremlin adviser-turned-critic Marat Gelman on its wanted list. An Interior Ministry card listing Gelman — who moved to Montenegro in 2014 amid a growing crackdown on artistic freedoms — as a wanted person mentions his Israeli citizenship, the RBC news website reported.  It does not specify the crime…