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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.

winter festival

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.

art for the ages

The First Anatoly Zverev Art Prizes Awarded in Moscow

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

art for the masses

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.

everyone's a critic

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.

faces from the past

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.

long awaited home

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.

2021 look ahead

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.

saving russian art

'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 against ALS

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.

quarantine culture

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.

quarantine culture

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.

garage art week

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.

holiday shopping

Miniature Miracles: Russian Painted Lacquer Boxes

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

remembering 2019

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.

stage sensation

'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.

contemporary arts

When the 'Forest' Came to the Fringe

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

restored classic

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.

Stage and Screen

That Russian Bad Guy? He's English

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

Art and literature

'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.

Heist of Century

A Daring Theft in a Moscow Museum

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

Father of Futurism

David Burliuk Comes Back to Moscow

If you haven't seen this amazing show of avant-garde Russian art, poetry and culture, run and see it before it closes on Sunday.

Pushkin House Book Prize: Let the Reading Begin

If you want to read the very best new books about Russia, keep your eye on this space.

Contemporary art

Hopes and Fears in the Arts

Before last year ended, we asked a variety of people in Russian culture and the arts about the year ahead. Are they nervous or excited? Or both?

The Women's Century: Five Russian Writers to Watch

Today, Russia has no dearth of successful, celebrated women writers.

The Russia Buzz

Is it a movie, a critique of Russia, or a code for living?

The Russian Path: Through Impressionism to the Avant-Garde

See this fascinating show at the Museum of Russian Impressionism to prepare for their upcoming David Burliuk exhibition, or just because it's gorgeous...

Come See the Biggest Battle of 1812

This weekend get out of town - in fact, get out of this century - to see the biggest battle reenactment in Europe.

Celebrate Life and Art with Anatoly Zverev

The AZ (Anatoly Zverev) Museum is celebrating its third anniversary with a gift for us: three floors of Zverev's joyful, playful, masterful works. Don't...

Contemporary art

Vadim Kosmatschof’s Revolution in Art

The solo exhibition of works by Vadim Kosmatschof at the New Tretyakov Gallery will change your understanding of sculpture if you let it.

Pushkin House Celebrates Russia on the Page

This year the Pushkin House Prize was awarded to books that are witnesses to Russian history, past and present.

Get Some Moscow Flower Power

The best way to get into a spring mood is to visit a blooming garden! Here are our top five faves.

What's On in Moscow May 9

Get ready for Russia's non-stop celebration of Victory in 1945.

On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!

The sun is shining, the leaves are green, the streets are clean... perfect weather for a run.

Get a Jump on Summer: How to Rent a Dacha

Do you experience dacha-envy? Are your dacha-owning friends sick of you sleeping on their porch couch? Do it right this year!

Pushkin House Announces Book Prize Short List

On Friday executive director Clementine Cecil of the Pushkin House came to Moscow and announced the shortlist for their annual Book Prize.

Bergman in Moscow

One of the special programs of the Moscow International Film Festival is a festival of 21 Ingmar Bergman films.

Ancient Church Reborn in Vladimir

And now for some good news: the most beautiful medieval church in Russia is now even more glorious.

Old New Year's Eve in Moscow

The great thing about the holidays in Russia is that you get to celebrate all of them twice. Up next: Old New Year's.

Contemporary art

ArtDocFest Under Fire Over Ukraine Films

In its tenth year, the popular Russian festival of documentary films continues to attract controversy

Contemporary art

Moscow Gets a New Museum

The Museum of Moscow opens a new exhibition space named after Moscow's most famous chronicler, Vladimir Gilyarovsky.

Derk Sauer on Journalism, Russia and Being a Black Sheep

The founder of The Moscow Times looks back

opinion Michele A. Berdy

25 Russian Words For 25 Years: Part One

To celebrate The Moscow Times' 25th anniversary, I'm walking down a linguistic memory lane...

opinion Michele A. Berdy

That's a Russian Laugh and a Half

A funny thing happened on the way to work this morning…

opinion Michele A. Berdy

The Sweet Smell of Russian Money

It's not always proper to discuss money in Russia and in Russian, but sometimes you have to. And if you have to, you might as well do it right.

The Russian Shame Game

It's fascinating how many words there are in Russian to describe inappropriate behavior.

Russian Grammar Friday

Okay, since it’s the start of a new school year, this is Grammar Friday. Hey, come on! Where are you guys going?

Contemporary art

Russian Artist Pavel Kaplevich's Dialog with a Russian Masterpiece

In the courtyard of the Tretyakov Gallery is a pavilion that shelters a new work of art by Pavel Kaplevich. But before you enter, go into the museum to...

opinion Michele A. Berdy

Being Knowledgeable in Russian Is Harder Than You Think

September 1 is big deal in Russia and the other countries that once made up the Soviet Union.

opinion Michele A. Berdy

Shawurma? Shawerma? What Do You Call the Scent of Russian Summer?

You suddenly have a craving for a gyro. What do you ask for in Russian? (This is a trick question.)

opinion Michele A. Berdy

Russian Fun Fact Friday

I’ve been so caught up in false friends and politics that I’d forgotten some of the finer pleasures of language acquisition: fun facts.

Moscow Traffic Havoc

If you come to Moscow this summer, 15 minutes after you leave the customs area at the airport you will hear talk of моя улица (my street).

opinion Michele A. Berdy

The Secret Life of Russian Words

An English word in Russian is like a long-time expat who, after a few years in Moscow, makes everyone wear slippers in his apartment and doesn’t consider...

Russian Theater Goes Abroad

A decade ago Eddie Aronoff came to Russia to teach English and ended up becoming a film and theater producer.