David Burliuk Comes Back to Moscow

Last weeked to discover the most famous Russian art you’ve never seen “Woman With a Mirror” (1915-16) by David Burliuk Courtesy of Museum of Russian Impressionism Even if you don’t know the avant-garde poet and artist David Burliuk, you’d probably recognize his image instantly: a stocky man in a frock coat and top hat, with…

First Victim of Russia’s ‘Undesirable Organizations’ Law Declared Prisoner of Conscience

Amnesty International has declared the first activist to be prosecuted under Russia’s law against “undesirable organizations” a prisoner of conscience on Friday. A law passed in 2015 allows prosecutors to limit or halt the work of foreign organizations deemed “undesirable,” punishing those breaking these limits with fines or prison terms lasting up to six years.…

Ode to a Preposition

При: very capacious preposition When Russians are learning English, they complain about articles, verb tenses, modal verbs and prepositions. Having listened to a lot of Russian ranting about my native tongue over the years, I can attest that they eventually accept that the difficulties of the first three categories are just part of the structure…