... would ever have an interest in Russian culture. That would not come until much later. But there is one curious thing that came flooding back into my mind last week when I saw that the Tretyakov Gallery had mounted a retrospective of Nicolai Fechin's paintings. At some point many decades ago — the exact moment is lost forever to history — I was given a catalogue of exquisite paintings of Native Americans and Southwest American landscapes. Most of the paintings were done in New Mexico,...

... would ever have an interest in Russian culture. That would not come until much later. But there is one curious thing that came flooding back into my mind last week when I saw that the Tretyakov Gallery had mounted a retrospective of Nicolai Fechin's paintings. At some point many decades ago — the exact moment is lost forever to history — I was given a catalogue of exquisite paintings of Native Americans and Southwest American landscapes. Most of the paintings were done in New Mexico,...

... sculptures and objects by Sergei Sobolev, to June 24. Located at 1 4th Syromyatnichesky Pereulok, Bldg. 6. M. Chkalovskaya, Kurskaya. Noon to 8 p.m., closed Mon. 495-940-6471, www.11-12.ru Anna Golubkina Studio Museum: Zaraisk Angels (Angely Zaraiska): paintings and graphics by Vladimir Pimenov, to July 8. Located at 12 Bolshoi Lyovshinsky Pereulok. M. Park Kultury, Smolenskaya. Wed., Thurs. and Fri. noon to 7 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 637-2564/5682. Cervantes Institute: New A Look at Mexico...

... sculptures and objects by Sergei Sobolev, to June 24. Located at 1 4th Syromyatnichesky Pereulok, Bldg. 6. M. Chkalovskaya, Kurskaya. Noon to 8 p.m., closed Mon. 495-940-6471, www.11-12.ru Anna Golubkina Studio Museum: Zaraisk Angels (Angely Zaraiska): paintings and graphics by Vladimir Pimenov, to July 8. Located at 12 Bolshoi Lyovshinsky Pereulok. M. Park Kultury, Smolenskaya. Wed., Thurs. and Fri. noon to 7 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 637-2564/5682. Central House of Artists: Moscow Architecture...

... director had been authorized to bring the icon into Russia. Police said in a statement that they learned that the 62-year-old museum head would be traveling from Dusseldorf, Germany, to Russia carrying the "Old Testament Holy Trinity" icon painted in 1690 by Kirill Ulanov. The man was detained upon his arrival to Domodedovo and the painting was seized. Experts estimate the value of the icon on the illegal art market at $1 million, according to the police statement. The statement said the...

... artists on display is unquestionably Takashi Murakami, whose 2003 collaboration with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton brought the artist international recognition. A dozen or so pieces from Murakami's extensive body of work are on show, including both paintings and sculptural works. "Polyrhythm" features an unpainted sheet of fiber-reinforced plastic with toy soldiers on a desperate march against gravity. "Untitled" and "And Then and Then and Then and Then" both depict...

... than $700 million from Sovkomflot. Authorities have seized property from Berezovsky before. In February of last year, Russian prosecutors said that at its request, France arrested two yachts worth a combined $20 million and other valuables, including paintings, owned by the tycoon and former Kremlin kingmaker. At the time, Berezovsky denied ownership of the yachts. And in 2007, French authorities seized a $20 million villa from Berezovsky at Russia's asking. Russia has unsuccessfully sought Berezovsky's...

... despite being supported by a senior Russian Orthodox Church official. The Icon Expo, put together by Marat Gelman, features works by several contemporary artists — some devoutly religious and others atheists — that aim to show modern icon painting that differs from the traditional style of Russian orthodoxy. But despite the exhibition being welcomed by high-ranking Russian Orthodox Church official Vsevolod Chaplin, who said he saw "nothing unholy" in the works, local priests...

... Residential Remodeling • Bidding/Estimating • Sales & Customer Service • Design: Sketch Proposals & Materials and Trends • Finish Carpentry • Tile and hardwood flooring installation • Doors and Windows • Kitchens • Bathrooms • Decks • Painting • Plumbing and Electrical • Repairs • Refinishing • Weatherproofing</td></tr> </tbody> </table>

... Swedish tennis great Bjorn Borg, visitors will be able to take part in a ping-pong tournament, ride bicycles and have their photographs taken. Children are invited to take part in an attempt to recreate the scene from Pieter Bruegel's 16th-century painting "Children's Games," which depicts children playing more than 80 outdoor games including Hula-Hooping and leapfrog. English-speaking animators will lead children's entertainment. "We really want foreign families to be able to come...

... participating venues will be open from 6 p.m. until midnight, some much later, and will offer free admission. The evening's calendar includes special night tours, performances, street concerts and master classes on a range of topics from cooking to painting. "This project is important for Moscow because the whole city is participating," said Natalya Malafeyeva, spokeswoman for the night's organizing committee. By organizing such a wide variety of events spread across the city, organizers...

... Vladivostok across Golden Horn Bay. Unlike its bigger brother, that bridge has support pillars that diverge from one another as they reach upward, prompting local residents to make unflattering comparisons with a woman’s splayed legs. Workers were painting the bridge Thursday, and large amounts of scaffolding were still in place. Tarmac was being laid on the bridges this week, RIA-Novosti reported. Other big infrastructure projects tied to the APEC summit and Moscow’s development program...

... Russia is unavoidable, simply because society has outgrown being a semi-colonial, authoritarian, natural resource appendage to the developed world," opposition leader Yevgenia Chirikova said on her blog. Diskin, the United Russia-connected analyst, painted an even darker picture, saying the protests will carry on until someone from the opposition "resorts to terror." He drew a parallel between the current radical elements within the opposition and the murder plotters of Tsars Alexander...

... shift has sparked controversy after a top Russian art prize was awarded to a noncommercial project last year. Radical art collective Voina (War) won the 400,000 ruble ($13,600) Innovation Prize by the state National Center for Contemporary Art for a painting of a giant phallus on a cantilever bridge in St. Petersburg that rose to face the offices of the Federal Security Service, successor to the KGB. The group's leaders were jailed last year for another street protest but bailed out by British street...

... With their 1.8-meter leg span and hulking, alien-looking carapace, the crabs are a gift to headline writers, and reports about an army of voracious invaders advancing 50 kilometers a year down the Norwegian coast and as far north as Spitzbergen have painted them in a somewhat terrifying light. But both Russian and Norwegian scientists say this alarmist picture is misleading. In reality, information on the crabs’ ecological impact is far from complete. Spiridonov points out that any predator...

... represents about 4 percent of the supply on the market, Bogdanov said. "The growth potential of this is obvious," he said. The current supply of loft offices ranges from former factory interiors with few improvements besides a new coat of paint to much more capital-intensive projects with extensive renovations of the building and engineering systems. Many of the current offerings have appeared because their developers failed to receive the necessary permissions to make former factories...

... Talented and the Dead (Talanty i Pokoiniki): Yevgeny Pisarev directs David Ives’ dramatization of Mark Twain’s story “Is He Dead?” about French painter Jean-Francois Millet who stages his death in order to increase the value of his paintings. Pushkin Theater. 7 p.m. MT Pick The Theater of Medea (Teatr Medei): Oksana Mysina performs a one-actress show based on Klim’s play about two actresses rehearsing the role of Medea. School of Dramatic Art. 8 p.m. Friday, June 1st Cyrano...

... Talented and the Dead (Talanty i Pokoiniki): Yevgeny Pisarev directs David Ives’ dramatization of Mark Twain’s story “Is He Dead?” about French painter Jean-Francois Millet who stages his death in order to increase the value of his paintings. Pushkin Theater. May 31, 7 p.m. MT Pick The Theater of Medea (Teatr Medei): Oksana Mysina performs a one-actress show based on Klim’s play about two actresses rehearsing the role of Medea. School of Dramatic Art. May 31, 8 p.m. Cyrano...