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 Russia’s 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
There isn’t a single depiction of a holiday by a Russian artist without swans, ducks, and geese on the table. They are baked under a golden crust and decorated with feathers, lying in a bed of applies and little pies. Or the swan is held aloft on a platter, floating above the heads of guests,…
Общеупотребимые слова: commonly used words Every year or so some state organization at some level in Russia demands or proposes or drafts a law that would keep foreign words out of the Russian language so that the Russian language will remain, well, purely Russian. The fact that this happens regularly suggests that the process is…
A bridge separating two brother is set on fire in a short video, one of the latest works by the art group Yav. The art event was held on National Unity Day, which is celebrated in Russia on Nov. 4. Fans of the art group immediately understood this artistic performance as a direct reference to…
In Russia’s rural villages, there are very few cultural institutions. Oftentimes, there is only a single library and a single House of Culture (community center for arts and culture). Because libraries are free to visit, they are crucial in low-income regions where people can’t afford to spend money on culture and education. In addition to…
Like many Russians in and outside of Russia, we can’t imagine New Year’s without Salad Olivier. It was made in our parents’ homes a half-century ago, and we’ve been making it ourselves for as long as we can remember. We’re sure that our children and grandchildren will also serve this immortal salad, too. Some people…
Слово года 2022: Word of the year, 2022 Every year a group of Russian word-watchers track all the words and expressions that seem to capture the spirit — or obsessions — of the year coming to an end. The group, headed by linguist and professor of Russian language and literature Mikhail Epstein, is made up…
Everyone knows the dish called “Beef Stroganoff.” But its history is less well known, although no one disputes that the dish belongs to the Stroganov family. But it didn’t appear out of nowhere, did it? Nothing ever does, not in the kitchen or in history. Why is this dish so popular? First, it’s relatively easy…
ST. PETERSBURG — A museum about LGBT history opened to visitors in Russia’s second-largest city this week — but it looked set to be accessible for only a few days before it is banned under draconian “gay propaganda” laws expected to come into force imminently. “The museum is a political act,” said Russian LGBT activist…
Бешенство: rabies, fury The Russian language has lots of ways to describe getting angry, losing your temper, and flying off the handle. Сердиться/рассердиться (to get angry) is just so bland. It can’t capture the rage you feel when, say, you spend two hours filling in an online application, hit “save” and watch your work disappear…
The Russian word “pashtet” (паштет) may not be Russian originally, but now it is firmly part of the language. But few people today know the origin of this term. The word “pâté” is related to the word “pasta.” This isn’t just a fun fact of linguistics. Pâté was indeed related to dough. A few centuries ago,…
Щедрая душа: a generous soul It’s that time of the year again: holidays, parties, merrymaking followed by more holidays, parties and merrymaking. If all goes well and we are lucky, we spend time with hospitable, good-natured, well-meaning folks. Naturally, this got me thinking about how to express this in Russian. The fun part is that…
The director of a children’s play has claimed that its run at a Siberian theater was canceled just days after it began due to audience allegations that its content amounted to “gay propaganda,” local media reported on Sunday. The incident in the city of Novosibirsk came as lawmakers in Russia’s State Duma are debating…
Thursday was a special day in the Soviet Union— Fish Day. All the cafeterias in the country only sold fish dishes that day. Until Friday dawned, meat and poultry were off the menus and Soviet citizens dined on fried pollock or minced cod patties. Fish Day was invented by Anastas Mikoyan in 1932. The order…
Ералаш: mish-mash, chaos; Soviet-era children’s television show It’s Friday in a rather gloomy November, which is the perfect time for a pop quiz. Clear your desk of all papers, switch off your cell phones, get out your pencils and start testing your knowledge of Russian. Паноптикум is (pick two): a) a special wide-angle lens used…
Russian skater Aleksandr Gorshkov, the first Olympic ice dancing champion and president of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, has died at the age of 76, the federation said Thursday. “Aleksandr Georgyevich gave his whole life to figure skating, his contribution to the development of Russian and world skating is invaluable,” federation director general Alexander Kogan told…
Russia has banned the screening of a documentary on the Soviet famine that drove civilians into cannibalism and killed an estimated 5 million people, saying the film’s “provocative and shocking” content could cause public outrage. “Famine” tells the story of the 1921-23 Povolzhye famine in Russia’s Volga-Ural region that sparked an outpouring of international aid,…
Three young women wearing the capes of superheroes, their bodies painted in the colors of the state flags of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, make love on a white canvas that symbolizes the canvas of history. This video performance “NO” and another work were shown in August at the Climate Cultures Festival in Berlin. The performance…
Ushnoye is yet another mysterious Russian dish that culinary experts are still arguing about. We decided to be detectives and investigate it through the centuries of Russian cookery. The famous Russian lexicographer Vladimir Dahl defined it this way: “Ushnoye is a meat or actually any kind of broth, stew, or a hot dish made of…
This text includes extremely crude language. Прилипалы: hangers-on This year, 2022, must be the most bizarre year in the Russian language…
Theatergoers south of Moscow were held “hostage” and shot at by actors playing Ukrainian soldiers during an immersive play that glorifies Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, local media reported Tuesday. Opening scenes from the production titled “Polite People” showed actors dressed in Ukrainian military uniforms violently capturing audience members and shooting them with what appeared to…
Lobsters, crabs, crawfish… what could be further from Russian cuisine? Actually, that’s not right, if only because all kinds of European seafood have been part of Russian culinary tradition for more than 250 years. In 1766 Catherine gathered together the most prominent scientists of the time and gave them a difficult task. She demanded that…
A joke in Russian goes like this: some people eat meat, some people eat cabbage, but on average people eat cabbage rolls. Today everyone in Russia knows what cabbage rolls are. But 200 years ago this was a culinary novelty for Russians. The traditional territory of cabbage rolls is Eastern Europe and Scandinavia — although…
Nobody can accuse Adam Curtis of lacking ambition in his new BBC series “Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone.” In a harrowing seven-hour viewing experience made up entirely of archival footage, the British filmmaker attempts to recreate the atmosphere of the Soviet Union’s final years and Russia’s brief experiment with democracy. While not as broad in scope as…
Nobody can accuse Adam Curtis of lacking ambition in his new BBC series “Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone.” In a harrowing seven-hour viewing experience made up entirely of archival footage, the British filmmaker attempts to recreate the atmosphere of the Soviet Union’s final years and Russia’s brief experiment with democracy. While not as broad in scope as…
The last partial solar eclipse of 2022 was visible in the skies over much of Europe on Tuesday, including Russia. The moon’s shadow reached its peak in the southern Urals city of Chelyabinsk, where residents could see 79% coverage at around 4 p.m. Russians across the country stepped outside to catch a glimpse of the…
One of the rites of culinary passage for foreigners in Russia is the first time they are introduced to a “chocolate potato,” one of the iconic dishes of Soviet cuisine. It was served in restaurants and student cafeterias, and often made at home. Made of crushed dry cookies or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, condensed milk…
Вышла ошибочка: whoops I’m not sure there’s an art to making mistakes, but there is an art to deciding which verb or phrase you want to use in Russian to describe your particular screw-up. Was it a misunderstanding? A lapse of judgment? Did you get something wrong? Was it an honest mistake or did you…
The exhibition was dedicated to “soldiers and officers of the Red Army who liberated Ukraine in 1943-1944, and modern heroes participating in the special military operation,” the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. Sergei Kiselev / Moskva News Agency
Pelmeni are a paradoxical dish. Although Siberian pelmeni most likely came from China originally — from famous New Year’s dumplings called jiaozi — their name — pelmeni — is from the group of Finno-Ugric languages. They are considered a “national Russian dish,” although up to the mid-19th century or even later pelmeni were a truly…
@: собака (dog) Today I have a very exciting topic: Russian punctuation and typographical marks. No, really! Don’t you want to know why @ is a собака (dog) in Russian and what you call those claw-like Russian quotation marks? Haven’t you asked yourself if дефис the same thing as тире? And surely you have pondered…
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 TV Rain (Dozhd) and its struggle to survive Vladimir Putin’s war on the independent media. It was directed and narrated by Vera Krichevskaya, a co-founder of TV Rain with Sindeeva, who…
“Prisoners of conscience in the hands of bandits and thieves / Order will be disturbed in reality, not in dreams / The force of pressure will push the spring of freedom,” ring out the lyrics to “Right Now,” a new song by Russian rockers Mirolyubivnoye Morye (“Peaceful Sea”). “Peace to all, not war / In…
“Prisoners of conscience in the hands of bandits and thieves / Order will be disturbed in reality, not in dreams / The force of pressure will push the spring of freedom,” ring out the lyrics to “Right Now,” a new song by Russian rockers Mirolyubivnoye Morye (“Peaceful Sea”). “Peace to all, not war / In…